I wanted to write about why I love to blog and how I gave my blog it’s name. In 2004, I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. My sister and I had transferred to a new school and the transition was okay and the classes were…well, they were the classes. But I often felt like I was the only one with diabetes out of the hundreds of people there; much like the way I felt when I was diagnosed at age 4, having no one to relate to and talk to about diabetes. Other than the 2 diabetics in school that i never met, the only person who reallyunderstood diabetes, beside me, was my twin sister, Jackie. Even though she doesn’t have diabetes, she was always there for me and I loved every minute of it. We had every class together. We ate lunch together, we walked to our classes together. But what makes Jackie so special and me so lucky is the fact that she knew when something was wrong with my blood sugar and always responded to my needs like the day I was low in geometry class, (but didn’t know it) However, in the blink of an eye, Jackie managed to slip a juice bottle on my desk that was already opened with a little tiny note saying, “are you low? do you need juice Moll?” She had a way of covering me in my classes, for example, one day in math class, each student was supposed to read a problem out loud and explain how they solved it. They apparently got to me, I was so low and I didn’t know it was my turn. There was no way I was able to read the problem let alone explain my answer. Jackie subtly raised the juice bottle to the teacher and he picked up her signal that my blood sugar was low, and skipped me and went on to another student. To some, this may not be a big deal, but if I had been left to read a problem in that state of mind, let alone answer it, I would have looked like a fool. So having Jackie, as my Diabetic Angel, always supporting me has not only helped me through diabetic emergencies, but on more than one occasion she has saved my dignity.
Jackie, being my sister and guardian angel, always knew when I wasn’t quite myself. Her back pack always carried at least three extra snacks and juice bottles than mine; she is always ready. I think I am telling you about Jackie and what she means to me, because when I was having a hard time, Jackie was always there and it’s Jackie who encouraged me to start blogging.
I started blogging that year so I would have a means to remember what my life with diabetes was like in my teen years. Furthermore, blogging is and always has been a way for me to vent my feelings and frustrations, as well as a way to help others through my experiences. Not to mention all of the wonderful people I have gotten to know who also have diabetes and realizing there is a whole community of us out there blogging and trying to help each other.
The truth is, yes, I blog for a variety of reasons, but I don’t do it alone, as always, we even blog together, which is why I titled my blog, “curemoll and jackie too!”
