Blood sweet Blood

Blood. Red oxygenated, rich blood. I am a nurse by trade. So, I have drawn many blood tubes in my career. I have drawn blood from people of all shapes and sizes, colors, tattooed, tall, and small. All these exotic, beautiful people and even precious babies all coming from different homes, backgrounds, and lifestyles. But when the blood started to drain- it all looked the same- smooth and silky red. I have seen a lot of blood in my career. So, fun fact, we all have blood! We might all look different, have different passions, shed different emotions, and live completely different lifestyles. But we all share a common bond- that is, we all have blood that flows through our bodies from the tiny little capillaries behind our eyes all the way down to the veins in our feet. We all have the same color blood that gives us life. However, there are some of us in the world that do have differences within our blood. I am sure you can think of many conditions, that can affect our bodies. The specific variation of blood, I am referring to today is blood that is sweeter than it should be, sometimes it can even be as thick as maple syrup. I am referring to when people, such as myself, have the “ suga.”

Diabetes is a word that definitely has a “ stigma” associated with it. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 10 years old. I have almost had it 25 years! Do you know anyone with type 1 diabetes? If you do, you instantly probably have a thought about their life- something like: oh they shouldn’t eat certain foods( just the other day someone reached and asked what yogurt a person with diabetes should eat), or they are too skinny for diabetes or other comments about size and weight, or yeah they seem to be sick all the time, or have a harder time, or they should eat sugar free foods, or maybe they just need to exercise more. I chuckle as I write this, because I have heard some really interesting thoughts on diabetes from people over the years, including comments like the ones listed previously, even down to someone saying “you are too pale to have diabetes.” I do not even know what that means. Honestly, at this point, I want to insert a rolling eyes emoji or maybe, even, 7 of them.

I felt a pull on my heart and mind to help others to understand better this disease process. I became a diabetes educator and research nurse. I dedicated 6 years of my life helping others understand the impact of all that floating, non committed sugar in the system and how it could cause impacts to physical, mental, and emotional health of the person that was just a bit “ sweeter” than the average joe. If those sugar particles are not pushed in the right direction and untreated by our magic potion- insulin, serious changes in life could occur and even complications for that person in their future.

Yes, I have seen a lot of blood in my life. I have pricked my finger, to push blood out, to put on a tiny glucose monitor machine, to assess the level of sugar surging through my body instead of finding it’s way into the cells, to bless those cells with energy. Anyone want to take a guess at approximately how many times I have pricked my finger for blood, in my life so far? I have checked my blood sugar at least 40,000 times in my life and that would be the bare minimum, not to mention during my pregnancies up to 8-10 times a day. In addition, I have taken at least 20,000 injections or placed insulin pump sites. I can’t even begin to tell you the countless thousands and thousands of dollars, I have paid for medical supplies every year.

I could go on and on and educate your socks off! But honestly, I want to encourage others that despite the challenges I have faced because of diabetes, I have been abundantly blessed. I have met so many extraordinary people. I have owned and trained a service dog that saved my life twice, from extremely low blood sugars. I have been in a coma twice from low blood sugars but because of those experiences, I would say that I value and see life, even more, as such a precious gift. I, actually, feel healthier than, I think, I could without diabetes. I say this because, I am so aware of my body, so cautious with what I eat, and I try to keep all the things in moderation.

We all have red, nourishing blood. It might have differences, like we all do. And, although, we are not vampires, we do need blood to survive. As I write this, I stop to check my blood sugar and give a shot for my soup. My blood sugar was 179. I realize we are imperfect human beings, but do have massive possibilities and hope! Us over here, that are a tad sweeter than others, are unstoppable. We don’t have to be any different than anyone else. We just have a few extra steps in our day. Every single person on this planet has something that makes them unique and beautiful. It does not have to define them but it refines them. We can be shaped by every little detail in our lives to make the most of this crazy roller coaster ride, we call life. Personally, I try to make life - every day truly sweeter and more rich with love, experience, and joy. Life is not always easy but it can be a new adventure, a new challenge each day, and can be truly wonderful, if we embrace our circumstances and run the race with perseverance. Daily, we can look around and see people we know or don’t know and recognize we all share something in common. We all have special blood. Uncommon knowledge or fun fact- you are awesome! We all are! So , let that blood flow with new passions, desires, and joys for life! And don’t forget to be truly sweet, in a bitter world.