Diabetes: Beyond The Third Decade

Dog years? Yeah. That's my little 'mantra' if you will, that I use to give people a tidbit of insight into what it's like to live with diabetes.

I like to think of the word 'dog' in two ways... first, the obvious... one dog year equal seven human years. Secondly, I think of D O G as an acronym for Depending On God. And that's how I have lived this long. By depending on God to get me through my life where it feels as if I age in dog years.

You might not have expected to find that the author is a Christian given the dismal tone of the title. But I am and I do not try to hide the fact.

I literally can't hide it because it is so much a part of who I am and how I became the person I am today.

To answer a question I'm sure many of you have...

Do I resent God for allowing me to have this disease and the many others that accompany it? No. I absolutely do not.

Why? Because I know that God's plan for my life is perfect and for whatever reason, I need to have this trial in my life. Either to teach me something I need to learn, or to prepare me for a future task or to allow me to witness to others in a way I would not be able if I did not have diabetes.

Personally, I think it's all three reasons. I've learned to appreciate it deeply when others help me when I'm completely helpless. I've learned to be happy despite the physical and emotional stress of having diabetes or whatever. I've learned to be grateful for each day I live because I know all too well what it feels like to lie in a hospital bed not knowing if you will make it home again.

The last two things are sort of intertwined for me. I've gone through a lot of physical trials and lived despite the expected outcome. Therefore, I have experience in dealing mentally and emotionally with that type of struggle. I can share my experiences with others to help them make it through. And in that process, I always have an opportunity to mention Jesus to people. I can sometimes give them a peace knowing that someone else went through the same thing.

I can also, at least I hope so, be a witness to those whom I may never even meet. Someone who might watch my life from afar and see that I am grateful for each day even though I have a deadly disease. They can see that I'm happy despite my limitations and frailties.

I hope and pray that seeing this in my life, they might begin to desire what I have that affords me perfect peace.

Having a disease like diabetes, arthritis, asthma, neuropathy (nerve damage), migraine and so forth are NOT the end of the world.

And, even though I do not and have not had a fatal disease, I'll go so far as to say something such as cancer or cerebral palsy is not the end of the world either.

I know people who have had both who're happy and thankful.

-----more to follow-----