I met Julie back in Philly a few years ago, and she’s vivacious, hysterically funny, and a great sense of fashion. (Every time I’ve seen her, I’ve coveted whatever dress she’s wearing. Can’t lie.) And I’m really happy that she’s offered to guest post today. Take it away, Julie!
I am a product of the Leach-effect… No, not the leech effect that thwarted Gordie and his pals in Stand By Me (but wasn’t that an awesome movie), but the kind Robin Leach use to encourage at the close of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous with his signature phrase encouraging viewers to have “Champaign wishes and caviar dreams.”
Growing up I would wish for a Barbie Dream House or for those purple jelly shoes that my mom didn’t want her daughter wearing. As I got older my wishes evolved into more substantial things like passing my driver’s test and making the school play. But after my diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes, the Leach-effect really took over….
I guess it’s fair to say that I’m a practical dreamer; positive in my approach to life; strong in my faith and regular in my prayers. This – however – has not stopped me from making wishes on the first star I see at night and on every eyelash (and probably a few eye brows) that leap off my face. And yes, I did set my alarm clock for January 11, 11:09 – so I could be awake to make a wish at exactly 1.11.11.11:11. And I plan on doing the same thing in November.
But when I woke up to make that wish on Jan. 11, it took almost the whole minute. My wishes have become incredible complex and almost always focus on, or are effected by my diabetes. There is always a disclaimer or specific details I feel the need to incorporate into my complex Leach-style wishes…
Today, as I wished on an eyelash, I started thinking about everything that would have to be addressed to make my wish come true. This also led me to wonder if I was starting to tick off the granter of the wishes, or if, perhaps, that is why some of these wishes take so long coming true. (BTW, who does grant wishes? Is it God, the tooth fairy, or perhaps there is a diabetes genie out there somewhere.)
As an example: “I wish everything that needed to happen to assist in a full point drop in my A1c would happen soon, so I can get this under control and get on with my life.” Not a simple wish; not a simple reality. Here is what it took for that wish to come true: my husband’s company relocating, him finding a new job, selling our house, moving to a new city, getting new insurance and a new healthcare team, finding another new endo (‘cause the first one was a putz), getting a new pump and CMG, more than a thousand hours of training, finger sticking and carefully monitoring my food, exercise, stress, activity, medicine, and a whole bunch of other stuff you’re even less interested in.
I’m not making wishes, I’m trying orchestrating the world with my wishes! No wonder the wish genie’s annoyed!
Of course, my A1c did come down a full point eventually and then some… And you know how that goes… I’m on to new wishes and happier dreams. And now, when I’m closing my eyes, and exhaling with all my might, wishing for … well I can’t share that or it won’t come true… but it’s a good one and 65 words long! (Yes, I typed it out, did a word count and deleted it. So what? It’s my wish… ) I won’t stop wishing for it nor will I leave a detail out. I believe this wish can come true; so many in the DOC have proved that to me… And I know it’s going to take a lot more orchestrating and world moving to find a sustainable cure – but I know that’s a wish we’re all making and expecting to come true, as well.
Thanks for posting today, Julie! And how about you guys – what are your diabetes wishes?? (Aka, how do you annoy “the wish genie?” 😉 )
