Thankful

Living with diabetes in Suburbia, USA is not without difficulty. We get frustrated dealing with:

• Meter problems and insurance issues
• Site changes gone bad
• Worrying about children out without us
• Lost sleep
• The challenge of guessing carbs
• Medical professionals who don't live up to our expectations
• The Pharmacy
• Nutrition labels
• Whether a bionic pancreas will ever come on the market

And that's just a list of things I've blogged about this spring.

These issues are legitimate and challenging to me, and to many of you.  Yet some days it's important to be reminded how much harder it could be.

This video about children living with diabetes in Ethiopia puts it all in perspective.  Please take a few minutes to watch it.

After viewing this, I'm incredibly thankful because:

• My child did not have to move in with other relatives in order to access care for her diabetes
• We don't have to dig a hole in the ground in which to store our insulin
• We can get in our car and drive to our diabetes clinic
• We own at least 4 glucometers
• We have a refrigerator and pantry full of food
• Our doctor's office has a waiting room, allowing us to get many minutes of uninterrupted care
• My child has access to multiple types of diabetes technology
• We are equipped to educate ourselves in the best ways to care for her
• There is more than one pediatric endocrinologist in my country.

Of course we must continue to fight the good fight, counting every carb, urging research and demanding the care our insurance should provide.  Yet there's value in keeping in mind that the resources we have are immeasurably far beyond those depicted in this video.  The difference borders on incomprehensible.

***This video was produced by Novo Nordisk to document their charitable efforts. If this video left you curious about how to help kids in similar situation, check out the International Diabetes Foundation's Life For a Child program, which also provides much needed supplies and education to children in developing countries.