My biggest supporter

Caring for my diabetes is a team effort, and I would like to say that no one is more important than anyone else on my "team". Sad fact is, there is one person who wins hands down as THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON. And that's me. If I'm not on board with the injections and the finger-pricks and the diet and doctor's appointments then no-one else can make much difference. I have to WANT to be better. I have to WANT to be healthy, and I have to be prepared to put in the effort to get there. :)

Having said that, my team of family, doctors, and friends who look out for me is absolutely awesome. By far and away my biggest supporter is my husband.

This man who I love with all my heart looks after me like no one else can. He is gentle and kind when reminding me I need a dinner-time test. He is forceful and strong-willed when he wants me to wake up and test in the middle of the night cos I'm making strange noises. He won't let me lay there in a half-sleep, he will roll out of the cosy bed to fetch emergency food. He has learned a lot in the 6 years I've known him, and he's never judged me or shown any preconceptions about my diabetes. He listens when I explain things, and he  understands when I can't eat something or do something. He helps me recover from lows, and will keep the conversation going when we're out together and I'm too high or too low to form a cohesive sentence.

He loves me and he cares for me. Because that's what we do. We look after each other. :)

Before I met my husband and moved out of my childhood home, my parents were absolutely amazing in tending to my diabetes. They never treated me as special, or different because I was diabetic. We just got on with things. They encouraged me to do what I enjoyed, and with their unwavering support I was able to grow up pretty "normal". Diabetes just happened to be a part of that.

My Mum did make some drastic changes to the family's diet, however, with a sugar-free diet introduced when I turned five, and a low-fat diet introduced when she got gallstones. So we grew up very healthy! Treats were just that - treats! :) I think that this is the main reason why my sister and I came out so slim in a family of non-slim folks hehe :P

I've had various doctors and endocrinologists over the years, and also diabetes nurse educators. There folks have been integral in monitoring and helping to control my diabetes. They have provided emotional support to us when we felt all alone with this thing, and they have never given up on the dream of me living a "normal" life.

Diabetes is a team support. One that never ends and has no winners. One that you just have to keep playing.