Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere.... your or your loved one's diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share.
One of my most memorable days was (shocker) at Camp Needlepoint. It was when I was a camper, attending one of the one-week summer sessions. I hadn't given my shots in too many places at that point of my life, and I was really scared about giving it in the (gulp) arm. After watching some of my cabin mates give their shots in their arms throughout the week, I decided that the next night, I would try to give it in my arm.
The next night came - just before dinner, when the doctors made their rounds to our cabins to check in and record our bloodsugars and decide insulin dosages. After I had had my mini-consult with the doc, drawn up the insulin, checked it off with my counselor, there I sat. Poised on the edge of my bunk, with a counselor sitting next to me, I propped my knee up on the bed, leaned over to get a "fat arm," and just waited. "I can't do this!" I started getting hot and sweaty, anticipating what I thought would be the worst shot pain of my entire little life...after more prodding from my counselor and cabin mates, and maybe even one of them saying we would do it at the same time, I did it - quick as lightning, and probably one of the fastest injections to date - I did it!
At flagpole after the meal, at the time of announcements, there were the same announcements from the day, and then one that I will never forget - my counselor standing up and saying she had an announcement - made me stand up,
"MY CAMPER, LAURA, DID HER SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!!!!!!"
This, of course, started a chain of cheering and standing "O-vations" from the entire camp. That was amazing. Not only that I had done something that I had sworn I could not do, but that I was recognized for what I had categorized as a traumatic experience - and pulling through to become triumphant! Yesssss!
I will never forget that - and each time that I am at camp - and had a camper who did a shot (wherever) for the first time - I ALWAYS made it a huge deal - because, well, it is :)
-LD
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