Silver Linings

You can drive yourself mad focusing on the negative aspects of this disease. Sometimes you just have to stop and look for the positives.

Silver linings (in a purely random order):

• Sáin is amazingly aware of EVERYTHING she eats
• Sáin can speak very well in front of large crowds
• We don’t have the portion control problem many people have. All our food has to be portion controlled
• No one in our family is afraid of needles. As a matter of fact, we have to do a sweep through the house before anyone comes over because we’re a little too comfortable with sharps and leave them lying around.
• I’ve learned the plunger from a syringe works really well if someone accidently locks the bathroom door
• We’ve met the most amazing people through JDRF
• I understand RF technology a lot better now that Sáin has the pump. This comes in handy working where I do.
• We probably would never have met all the politicians, celebrities and researchers if Sáin didn’t have diabetes
• Sáin and Aidan are learning at a young age how to fight for a cause
• If it weren’t for diabetes I would never have known the pure joy in receiving a donation from a complete stranger
• Both kids can count by 15s (carb exchanges are counted by 15)
• Midnight blood sugar tests give me an excuse to stay up to watch The Hour every night (and really, is there a better way to end the day than hanging out with George Stroumboulopoulos? Okay – George after a hockey game is slightly better.)
• The looks I got taking sharps boxes into the downtown needle exchange were priceless and I never would’ve gotten to do that before Sáin was diagnosed.

I’m sure there are many more positives but that’s just a few.

I promised Sáin a message in French so this is to her:

Je vous aime ma belle fille et je suis très fier de tout vous faites.