On the first Tuesday of each month there is a Diabetes Support Group that Ubergeek and I have started going to.
The first meeting we attended had four other moms. The second, it was just me and another mom. Last night there were five other moms and a dad, plus Ubergeek and I. Plus, there were only two of those five that were at the other meeting.
Last night's meeting was particularly...um...ugh! Can't find the right word.
Heavy, powerful, enlightening, emotional....that starts to scratch the surface just a bit!
Anyway! There was a newly dx'd family there last night; three months of being in this battle pretty much all alone. There were a handful of us with 2-4 of years under our belts and two with around 9 years.
It was powerful to sit around the table and just share what works, what doesn't work, and the unending "1 + 1 = purple" frustration that comes with this disease.
You could see the weight of this life changing diagnosis lift ever so slightly from the shoulders of not just the most recently dx'd, but from those of us who have worked D into the regular routine of our lives, being in a room of people who truly understand what the daily grind requires.
Being able to bounce information off of each other, share successes and failures, talk about technology, compare notes on post exercise lows, and what low treatments our kids prefer,(just to mention a few things we crammed into just over an hour) is such a wonderful thing.
I don't like meeting other families with kids that have T1D because I wouldn't wish this life on anyone!
But, I love meeting other families with kids that have T1D because connecting and sharing are second only to insulin and test strips when it comes to life with T1D, as far as I'm concerned!
I wish we had something like that here. My only outlet is my blog and I find it severely lacking these days. Glad you guys have each other!
ReplyDeleteMost of the parents attending the meeting have their children treated at the subspecialty clinic within the local hospital. The hospital administration has a family support services department that hosts the monthly meetings (host meaning they provide a room for us to meet and a child life specialist every few meetings). You might want to ask the administrator where you go if there's a possibility of starting up a support group meeting. Good luck.
DeleteI feel the same way at Adult PWDs Support Groups. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. But sitting down with others who live this and understand is magic. I love my IRL support just as much as my DOC support. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of your favorite low treats? We really like raisins right now. Thanks for the info you share here.
ReplyDeleteJuice boxes, Capri Sun (not the roaring waters), apple sauce, apple squeeze, glucose tablets, orange juice were popular choices.
DeleteFor relative low bgls, I like to give my son grapes, a power bar, or hard candy.
ahh i love the power of d-families together....i'm so glad you have this group to spend time with :o)
ReplyDeleteYep, there's something pretty special when a bunch of folks get together. So glad that you all get so much from it too!
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