Make The Grade.

"Make The Grade" is a Diabetes UK (DUK) campaign that tackles the problems children with diabetes face in schools. Taken from the DUK Make The Grade page, "sadly, too many children with Type 1 diabetes aren't getting the proper care they need - meaning both their health and education are suffering." This shouldn't be the case, and thankfully there has been a change in the law, and "from now on schools are legally required to look after children with medical conditions, including Type 1 diabetes."

I was really made aware of the campaign when Andy, Dad to L, a 10 year old child with diabetes, shared it on Twitter, rather proud of his son's contribution to it (and rightly so!) Since then, I've dipped in and out of the conversations around this subject, but, out of personal interest, remained up-to-date with it. 

Yesterday evening, there was a "Make The Grade" event in London (I know very little of the event, other than what was tweeted, so apologies for my vagueness here!).

This was the first tweet I saw:

Image from @DiabetesUK

And I just exploded with pride!

You see, what I didn't realise, until I read Kev's blog post yesterday, was that L was excluded from a residential trip because of his diabetes, which I think is horrific. What's more, he's not the only child with diabetes to be facing problems like this. 

So seeing the tweet above, and the ones that followed it that said "I don't let my diabetes stop me from doing the same things my friends do and I enjoy going on adventures" and "My school is great [L ended up moving schools]. They make me feel safe and happy", made my heart hurt and burst with pride at the same time, if that's even possible?!

Being diagnosed at 17 means that diabetes hasn't touched my childhood. It barely even touched my teenage years. It has, and will only, touch my adult life, and, rightly or wrongly, I'm grateful for that. So when I read about the incredible things that children with diabetes are doing, like L talking about type 1 diabetes at school and Amy, Kev's daughter, talking at the National Paediatric Diabetes Team Meeting, I'm inspired, and they make me feel proud to be a part of the diabetes community, online and offline.

They're real-life superheroes, as far as I'm concerned. But without the masks, as they don't need them. They have capes though. Who wouldn't want a cape?!

To find out more about the "Make The Grade" campaign, please click here, where you will also find further web links!     

What I Should Have Said.

This weekend, Louise came to visit, and it was so much fun. We went to a local coffee shop in town and met up with a couple of other people with diabetes. It was lovely. It's the one good thing to come out of living with this condition: the people I've met. 

As we were sat there talking about various aspects of diabetes and our lives in general, we noticed a family at the table next to us. The child had a glucose meter and was working out how much insulin he needed to take with his food. I've not had a great deal of contact with children with diabetes, but they are always the ones that make my heart ache when I see them checking their blood sugar or injecting insulin.

Our tables were pretty close together, and I could see the child's parents nodding along to some of the things we'd said. And I wish more than anything that I'd said something. Anything. Even if I'd just got out my own blood glucose meter as some kind of sign that said "Hey! What you were doing earlier, checking your blood sugar?! I do that too!"

But I didn't.

And I think of my parents. They have very little to do with my diabetes-life, but when my Mum's best friend's son (that's a mouthful!) was diagnosed a couple of years after me (also as adult) they gravitated towards each other even more because there was another common bond.

Okay, this family may have had the support of people who understand.

On the other hand, they may not have.

So I wish I'd said something. A "You know what, this sucks, but it's not the end of the world either" or a "You're doing great", some words of encouragement.

But nothing. This is what I should have said:

This sucks. Diabetes sucks. But it's not the end of the world. And you know what? You really are doing great. I know it's not always easy, but together as a family you can do this. And your kid? He's a hero in my eyes.

But I didn't.

Instead, I just reciprocated the smile and slight nod of the head they gave us as they left the café. 

 

Coco The Monkey.

Coco the Monkey.

Coco the Monkey is a fairly recent addition to the family of Disney characters, and if you look closely at her left wrist, you'll see a bracelet. You may have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see. Can you see it? Can you see it? That's right. Meet Coco the Monkey, Disney's resident type one diabetic! 

I vaguely remember being told about this character by my friend's two little sisters a year or so ago now, but today I was reminded of this and figured a blog post was necessary, despite how old this news may be. 

Coco appears in the book Coco and Goofy's Goofy Day in which it is Goofy's birthday. Coco basically proves to Goofy that she can do everything he can even though she has diabetes. She also appears in the book Coco Goes Back to School, describing Coco's first day back at school after her diabetes diagnosis. So simple, yet so effective, thanks to Disney and Lilly Diabetes coming together to create these stories.

Who'd have thought it? A diabetic Disney character! I love it!

"He Better Be High Or I'm Gonna Be Really Mad!"

Alcalá de Henares.

So, I don't usually post twice in one day, but I feel the following is worthy of a second blog post today!

I'd had a miserable afternoon! I had a French exam and it was awful! I mean, it couldn't have gone worse! So I left the exam feeling really down. French is my favourite class here, and it's the one that I want to do well in, so I was just really disappointed with how it went. I was walking back to the flat, and on my way home I pass a few parks. I was walking past park number two when I heard a woman say to her friend (in English too, I might add) "my son better be high or I'm gonna be really mad!*" I cracked up! Like tears streaming down my face, stomach ached lauged at this comment! The woman looked at me laughing, and before I could apologise she turned round and said "So either you have diabetes, or someone very close to you does!" 

And that was it. We got talking, and actually went for coffee. She told me about her son's diagnosis, and then he showed me how he can now check his own sugar levels. It was really refreshing. Since leaving England back in September, I haven't met anyone with diabetes, and I've missed having people to talk with about that side of my life, whether it be that I need to moan and vent or celebrate the wins that happen every now and then. It was the first time in a long time that I had a conversation with someone about diabetes where I didn't need to explain everything. I loved it! Definitely brightened up my mood!

*I should explain, this mother didn't want her son to have high blood sugars: he was misbehaving, and he plays up more when his blood sugars are high, meaning she can somewhat forgive his behaviour. This is what she meant by her comment, not that she literally wanted her son to have high blood sugars!