Below is a comment I received on MOB (my other blog) on the post where I announced "Death of a Pancreas":
Karen said...
To encourage other parents like me by captioning your blog with "Death of a Pancreas"? How morbid and stupid is that? if your goal is to encourage and enlighten us who have kids with diabetes, you might want to be more positive and check your facts first. The pancreas DOES NOT EVEN DIE with diabetes. Geez.
December 2, 2008 7:26 PM
Here is my response:
Joanne said...
Okay, so I was going to just delete the above comment since it most likely is a drive-by comment from a crazy, but on the off-chance that this person is being truthful about who she says she is, I'll address her rather snarky comment.
1) Believe me, I know EXACTLY what diabetes is. I've been living this hell for the past three months. But "Death of the Pancreatic Beta Cells in the Islets of Langerhans" just doesn't have the same ring to it. My daughter's pancreas has failed to function as it should, and to me, it feels like a death. TO ME. Got that? ME!
2) I'm so sorry that you are so easily offended by a simple blog title. If you really are a mother of a child with diabetes, you should know that the only way to not let this disease get you down is to have a sense of humour about it. You should read some of the things we joke about on the diabetes board I frequent. Actually, no you shouldn't. Your head just might explode from the offensiveness of it all.
3) Since you have blocked your ID, I have no way of knowing if you are a crazy or not. I have no animosity towards you, or your comment. I even welcome a response to my comment if you are so inclined. But please, you handle diabetes your way, and let me handle it my way... We're both (supposedly) fighting the same enemy anyway, right?
I was disappointed that she never came back to reply. My point is this; if you cannot find anything to laugh about while battling this horrific fight, then you are already beaten. If Elise grows up seeing me grim-faced all the time while giving her a shot, then that is how she's going to deal with it too. You need to show your child that their life will be what they make of it, not what diabetes makes of it.
I choose to laugh at diabetes (when appropriate, of course), and respond in my own sarcastic way. It's how I deal, how I show diabetes that it's not the boss of me. So, you can choose to let diabetes bring you and everyone around you down, or you can face it with a smile, laugh, or maybe even a jig... because who on this earth can be sad while dancing a jig?
I really don't understand why people write negative things on other people's blogs. If they don't like what they read, there is an easy solution - don't read it. You are doing a great job and sound like a fantastic mother. You have been given a challenge and haven risen to it!
ReplyDeleteBetsy
I don't know, Joanne, "Death of the Pancreatic Beta Cells in the Islets of Langerhans" does have a nice ring to it.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me sad that someone would be so pointlessly critical, but don't let one comment get to you (but you know that)! :) I think your title sums it up and hits the nail on the head. Getting a diagnosis of JD really is a death of the life you once knew, where sleeping schedules and eating schedules and carb counting become all consuming instead of just diaper changing and playing with toys.
Hang in there!!
Maria
I finally took the time today to read back and catch up on this, your other blog. And you GO GIRL! I regularly read another blog of a mom who has a "big girl" (in college) with Type 1. She is also sarcastic and witty and fighting back with humor when the going gets rough. I respect you both. Her daughter recently had a DKA episode and ended up in the hospital. It terrified her, but she faced it with her comedic grain of salt. You have to laugh so you don't cry. Don't apologize for who you are and how you are handling the death of a pancreas. You are a very brave mom and you're doing an amazing job!
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