D-Blog Week: Accomplishments Big and Small.

We don’t always realize it, but each one of us had come a long way since diabetes first came into our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 5 weeks, 5 years or 50 years, you’ve done something outstanding diabetes-wise. So today let’s share the greatest accomplishment you've made in terms of dealing with your (or your loved one’s) diabetes. No accomplishment is too big or too small - think about self-acceptance, something you’ve mastered (pump / exercise / diet / etc.), making a tough care decision (finding a new endo or support group / choosing to use or not use a technology / etc.).

I've accomplished a lot in the last three years. Diabetes-wise, self-wise, growing-up-wise...
My biggest diabetes accomplishment? I think it was going to Nova Scotia. Although I traveled to and from Vancouver with my mum, I flew to Nova Scotia (went through security!), stayed a week in Nova Scotia, and flew home. Alone. There were two Guiders with my group (I went with Girl Guides), but neither of them knew me very well and even though one of them had a diabetic father (that didn't work out in my favour) (I don't think anyone except sometimes my parents should/can EVER tell me how I should deal with my diabetes. I'll have a freakin' freezie if I want one), I was on my own on the diabetes front. By that point I'd been completely independent for a year and a half, but the fact that I didn't have anyone to fall back on was scary. There was no one to phone to make sure I was doing this right, no one to tell me how many carbs were in the hamburger buns (which we had EVERY day), no one to click the site-inserter for me. It was a big deal. Now it's no sweat - heck, I'm going to Europe by myself [ish - with Girl Guides again] for two weeks this summer. I had to deal with a lot of stuff that trip (especially since plane-travelling never fails to rocket my blood sugars - someone help?), including really high blood sugars, way-too-involved people, and airport security (no more needs to be said there). But I DID it.

That was my biggest accomplishment, but small ones happen every day. Every 5.3 on the meter, every blood-sugar-matching-carb-count bolus (okay, it's not really an accomplishment, but it's exciting XD), every walk I take (which feel SO GOOD - not stopping that any time soon - also it makes me feel healthy which is an accomplishment in itself), every knitting project I finish - every day is an accomplishment.

Accomplishments big and small, every day.