Someone like me...

I recently came across THIS post from a blogger named Kerri who has Type 1 Diabetes. I enjoy reading blogs written by Type 1 Diabetics because they give me great insight into what Sydney feels like during certain situations that are unique to a Type 1 Diabetic. Kerri recently wrote a post about how she felt during a particular rough night when she was experiencing multiple low blood sugars--we are talking really low, in the 40s.

I asked Sydney if she wanted to hear this post and she did. I read the description to her that was, honestly, probably a little bit of an elevated description for her 8 year old mind.  However, I got done reading it and asked her if that is how she has felt when she was low. She looked at me and gave me a matter-of-fact head nod and said, "Yup that's how I feel too." Like I said, I don't think she understood all the descriptions in the post but she did know this was a post about a gal who had type 1 diabetes and was having some pretty severe lows--that much she did understand. She knows the way her body feels because she has had severe lows like that before too. She related to Kerri's post because it was "someone like me."

I've decided "someone like me" is a big thing for these little kids with Type 1 Diabetes. Generally speaking, kids don't like to be unique. They don't like to be the only ones experiencing a certain problem or issue. We have done our best to allow Sydney to meet other kids with Type 1 Diabetes and that has been a positive experience for Sydney. It reminds me of the theme song to the old sitcom Cheers, "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name..."

Click HERE for the video talked about next. I videoed Sydney about 3 years ago after a particularly symptomatic low because she was too young to adequately explain how she was feeling.  I wanted to document it for other parents because sometimes this disease can be very scary for parents and patients alike and, for all of us, sometimes we just want to know there is, "someone like me." And, Kerri, if you read this, here are some pictures of a little girl who also is "someone like me."