Missed Anniversaries and a New Project

Well, I did it. I actually forgot something I have celebrated every year for the past 3 years...until this year. On May 1, 2006 I became an insulin pumper for the first time. I took my mother down to the CDE’s office with me because they suggested that I have someone else to drive, since I would basically be starting from scratch on basal rates. My mother was more than happy to go with me. That day changed my life. To me, it was a chance to make a change. It was a time to start over.

I had started taking semi-decent care of myself in order to meet the requirements to get an insulin pump in the first place. But I wasn’t where I needed to be and I knew it. And I knew pumping would give me the motivation to take this hand I’d been dealt and actually play it like it should be played. I had the chance to make up for years of poor and semi-poor care.

I won’t say I’ve always done what I am supposed to, since starting to pump. But I am treating diabetes differently. And I feel like I have better control.

After I started pumping, I began to seek out more information about living life as an adult with Type 1 diabetes. Internet searches led me to dLife and their message boards, and also to Kerri’s blog (Hi Kerri!). Kerri pre-engagement, pre-marriage (Hi Chris!), and pre-baby (Hi BSparl!). Like so many of my fellow bloggers, Kerri inspired me to start my own blog. So in April of 2007, I stumbled my way onto blogger and started my first ever post.

And the rest is history. This community has grown by leaps and bounds since I began my blog. I went from trying to read every blog (there weren’t so many of us back then….), to just trying to keep up with what I can. I’ve had the chance to meet some of my fellow bloggers, which has been so fun. I’ve gained friends. People that I know will be there if I need them and who will understand my day to day struggles and victories with diabetes.

Even when I went from blogging only about diabetes, to blogging about other aspects of my life, my fellow bloggers have been around and made my life more wonderful.

I wonder what my life would have been like if I’d never started pumping. I wonder what it would be like if I had never stumbled across Six Until Me. I know I would be a different person.

So, instead of forgetting TWO of my anniversaries (because I totally FORGOT!), I've just decided to celebrate a little bit late. :)

Also, in case you've been living under a rock, there is a new project getting ready to happen in our wonderful on-line community. Karen from over at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes, has come up with a wonderful idea and wants all of the community to get in on it. Quite simply titled "Diabetes Blog Week", Karen has come up with topics for us to blog about each day. In essence, we'll all be blogging about the same thing every day so we can get an idea about how we all feel about the same subject.

I, for one, thing Karen is fantastic to come up with this idea. And apparently, so do 59 other bloggers because at last count, there were 60 of us signed up. What? You've not signed up yet?!?! Go! Now! Join us. :)

Now....I'm off to start early drafting my posts for next week.......