Sole (Soul?) Mates...

For those of us lucky enough to have that significant other thrown into the mixture of our lives, I'd like to spend some time today examining the virtues of the "diabetic partner". I am so blessed to have a man like Bob in my life, and hopefully, he'll agree with how blessed I am to have such a patient Bob in my life! hehe.....

I can imagine that at the outset, perhaps being with a diabetic doesn't seem too challenging. There are a couple extra tubes and wires....There is maybe a few sharp pokey things (steer clear of those and for GOD'S SAKES MAN DON'T GO THROUGH MY PURSE! or ya might get poked....), and then there is the fake candy that kind of smells like candy but upon further examination (taste test trial) those glucose tabs just really don't pass the "candy yum" test.

As things progress and get more serious, you perhaps begin to realize that there is more to this than just tubing and pokey (hokey) stuff. Perhaps the first clue is upon going out to dinner....He likes Olive Garden, Im just really not big on pasta, and I haven't been big on pasta since I tried to eat it soon after diagnosis at age 13 and was snoozing with the high blood sugar sleepeies 45 minutes later. But WHY? WHY DOESN'T SHE LIKE PASTA? WHY MAN???!!!!

Then things progress even further, and we begin to spend time together that is more quantifiable and involves things OTHER than eating and making out, which believe me, both have their own "lightbulb" .... oh I see moments on the part of our significant others. From here, we move into crabby pants land. I don't know about you, but when my blood sugar is <70, I start to get crabby. Sometimes the only real symptoms I'll have with a low is extremely obtuse and argumentative behavior followed by I'm a crabby pants and I am gonna crab at you, FOREVER, behavior. Poor Poor guy. Its a wonder he still loves me! But feed that low and I will start to be sweet again, I PROMISE!

What kind of person does it take to understand the highs and lows (both emotionally and physically) of insulin dependent diabets? And If they can't or don't understand the physical aspect, how completely can they manage and assist us with the overwhelming lows? There is something to be said of the man or woman who calmly does not react to irrational low behavior. There is something wonderful to be said for the person who "gently so as not to piss us off" recommends we check our blood sugar.

Our diabetes takes our loved ones for a ride with us. I make the dinners around here, I do the shopping around here, My family eats in a controlled carb environment. My children "understand" that my pump is not for touching. Bob eats my experimental foods, usually not relishing it, but he does eat it, as we experiment with new and better ways to control my blood sugars. Because lets face it, if Im in control, we are all happier and much more mellow.

There is no way Bob will ever be a pro on my diabetes, and I don't want him to be. I want him for the quiet, supportive man he is. I think that all of us diabetics who have managed to corner a sweet soul to be our sole mate in this life have really been given a gift that keeps giving.

So here's to the BOB's in our life (and that doesn't mean bolus on board, I was referencing my Bob) and here's to their neverending (haha, hopefully they read this and realize we HONESTLY EXPECT NEVERENDING....) patience and their ability to bring peace and understanding to even the least peaceful and understandable situations.