Hero...

Click for the Diabetes Hero - Sunday 5/20 Link List.
Let’s end our week on a high note and blog about our “Diabetes Hero”. It can be anyone you’d like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3. It might be a fabulous endo or CDE. It could be a d-celebrity or role-model. It could be another DOC member. It’s up to you – who is your Diabetes Hero??
OK so final day of blog week 2012 and we're thinking about our hero(s)...I've put the (s) in because I could think of a few people who I'd refer to a hero as far as I'm concerned. My brother and sister who have put up with numerous hospital visits both home and abroad, the friends who have looked past my condition and accepted the person underneath. But when it came down to this is what I decided to write...

Hero(s) 1 - My mum and dad. Never could there have been two more supportive people on the planet! They take time off work to attend hospital appointments with me. Mum attended the pump appointments so that when I had a meltdown 24hours in she could explain things and calm me down. When the pump was new and I over bolused Dad was at the house in minutes to help me and worked from home to make sure I was safe. Short tempers caused by hypos or highs were dealt with and fear of anything needle like was dealt with with care and understanding. As a little one they made sure I experienced everything that other children did and more. We had lovely holidays despite the diabetic baggage and they taught me that being diabetic was just part of my life and that I could still do anything. Not sure I  ever say thank you but I'm sure they know how much they've already done for me and how much I appreciate it.

Hero 2 - Max. A golden retriever with so much attitude he could have been human! Max arrived in Feb 1996 after a family holiday. After trying confidence boosting and negotiating to get me onto a water slide my dad made the mistake of saying go down the slide and you can have anything you want at he bottom - a deal you should never make with a 12 year old!! So at the bottom I  decided I wanted a puppy and Max arrived. he was so clever, he quickly learnt how to smell a hypo and worked out that if he brought lucozade and/or biscuits he would get a biscuit in return. He even taught himself to open a jar of quality street. Without fail my best friend and probably the best canine carer in the world.

Hero 3 - Kevin! The Husband. Kevin and myself met whilst working at Tesco and maybe because diabetes was in his family or maybe because he is just the most amazing person in the world he never thought of my condition as an obstacle of any variety. Within about three days of meeting he'd be around to see my mum for lessons on using my pens and doing BM's and could within two weeks honestly say he could take care of me completely should I need it. He can tell if and when I'm hypo (even by text!) he looks after me when I'm sick and comes to as many hospital appointments as possible. He even understood when he had to come second best to Max. On our first holiday I became very unwell and had to visit a doctor and for four days he brought me food and managed my BM's and insulin - Not even that could put him off. Not surprisingly at our wedding as we took to the dance floor for our first dance I got that cold creepy feeling of a hypo on its way, Kevin took it all in his stride...

There is no husband out there like him, he is loving, supportive and amazing. I love him.

After an exciting 2012 blog week am hoping there will be one next year too, hopefully by then Jasper will be much better at sniffing out hypos and getting biscuits!