O, boy.

Last year we were newly diagnosed Type 1 with our youngest and participated in the DBlog week.  It was fantastic and it's time again for another DBlog week.  The first prompt has us talking about "I Can".  Here's a little more info:

In the UK, there was a diabetes blog theme of "I can...”  that participants found wonderfully empowering.  So lets kick things off this year by looking at the positive side of our lives with diabetes.  What have you or your loved one accomplished, despite having diabetes, that you weren't sure you could?  Or what have you done that you've been particularly proud of?  Or what good thing has diabetes brought into your life?  (Thank you to the anonymous person who submitted this topic suggestion.)

O boy!  When I was pregnant with our now 14 year old son, Drago, I was planning a homebirth.  It was my first pregnancy and I did everything right.  I ate healthy, was vegetarian, had terrific support, read absolutely everything I could get my hands on about pregnancy, labor, and birth.  But at the end of my pregnancy, I developed pre-eclampsia, was put on bed rest and eventually ended up in the hospital being induced.  A very far jump away from my dreams.  Being needle phobic it took a lot for me to handle the end of my pregnancy with all the blood draws and IVs.  It looked completely different than I envisioned it.  But I got through my pits in induced labor and birthed a beautiful baby boy without pain medication.  I did it because, at the time, there was flooding in Mozambique and I had heard a story on the news of a pregnant woman giving birth in a tree over flood waters.  That nameless woman was so inspiring.  If she could do it in those circumstances then surely I could handle birthing a baby in a soft bed with doctors and nurses helping me.  I can and I did.  

Fourteen years later and that beautiful baby boy was recently diagnosed with Type 1.  Just like his younger brother.  Well, not exactly.  I caught it early enough we avoided DKA and a hospital stay.  But now both of my children require shots.  Type 1 comes with a lot of needles.  And I am needle phobic.  So is Drago.  But we are getting through it.  We do it because we have to.  We get through it with support.  We don't have a choice.  We can do this because we already are and so many others already have.  The Diabetes community is overflowing with some of the most inspiring and amazing people.  If they can, we can.  We can because we do.  We're stronger together.  We inspire each other. With every challenge and obstacle overcome we keep moving forward.  We do things we never thought we could.  We have to.  We can!