Sunday, May 16, was the final day of this year’ s Diabetes Blog Week — which I hope will be an annual affair. The closing topic was life after a cure. I must admit that weekends are reserved for my family, so I didn’t participate in real-time, but the topic is fascinating!
Of course I could go on myself about how I’d don my hiking boots and run outside to trample all my diabetes supplies, or eat a stack of pancakes with a full cup of ooey-gooey syrup… But I decided it would even more fun to take a look around. What was the consensus among the community, if any?
What would we all do if our pancreases suddenly snapped back into working order?
I spent yesterday reading my way through the thoughts of many of the 142 participants in this unusual blog rally. Here are the sentiments that seemed to be trending:
* Serious Skepticism *
From DBlogWeek organizer Karen, reflecting the thoughts of many of us:
“Yeah, well, when I was coming up with post topics this seemed like a fun way to end Diabetes Blog Week on a high note. But as I sit down to write this post, it’s tough… Because, to be honest, I don’t believe I’ll see a cure.
“Don’t get me wrong – I do believe in a cure. I believe the children with diabetes now will see a cure – it’s the reason I still do diabetes walk-a-thons. I just stopped believing in a cure before my time runs out.”
“…All of the things I do to manage diabetes have worked their way seamlessly into my life and doing them has become second nature. I would be overjoyed not to have to do them anymore. But I’m pretty sure I’ll always have to and most of the time I am okay with that.”
* The NEED to Believe *
From Saucy RedHead:
“I think believing in a cure is what keeps me going. If I had to readily accept that I would be injecting myself every day for the rest of my life or live attached to needles and tubing, I don’t think I could.”
“I’ve been trying to focus on the positives of this disease. I think of all the people I’ve educated who will no longer say, ‘Are you sure you can eat that?’ I think of the technological advancements so that pumps no longer require tubing, glucometers no longer require a pint of blood and you can test your blood sugar without ruining your fingertips. I think of Islet Cell Transplants, The Artificial Pancreas Project & discovering pigs can’t develop diabetes (read it here). We’re getting closer and closer to a cure every day. This is thanks to countless researchers, scientists and PWDs & their supporters who are spending time and raising money to make this dream a reality.”
* Smart-Ass Humor 
*
From Olivejooice:
“If they find a cure, I will keep you updated on how this goes. Maybe do a blog post from jail for running down the street naked. Do you think they will let me use their wifi?”
And from Kelly Kunik:
“I’d take all the money I spent in diabetes supplies and buy myself a nice beach front property, because God knows I’d have the down payment for one since I no longer spent money on diabetes related supplies, medications, doctors, etc. …
“And when I went out on my boat, (HELLO, I live on the beach, so I will most definitely need a boat) I’d be able to leave the house with just my keys (on one of those keychains boaters use that have a little floaty thing in case they drop in the water) instead of a mini pharmacy.
“I do know for absolute certain I’d throw a party and invite the D-OC. … I’d have CRUMBS BAKE SHOP cater – it would be fabulous and filled with carbs – and no one would think twice.”
* A Little Vengeance *
From Michael Hoskins:
“The mission that would take up the remaining time of my day… replacing the injections and D-Management that had previously been my reality: hunting down every doctor who ever told a Type 1 kid or parent that diabetes would be cured within five or even 10 years. I’d take a syringe and stab them in the abdomen, arm, or leg with it – ensuring that I hit a muscle so that the pain seizes them completely and radiates throughout their body. Blood would likely gush, as I’ve seen so many countless times in my own life.”
And from Meri, a mother of 3 kids with Type 1 diabetes (more painfully funny than vengeful, actually):
“I would go to the pharmacy and tell the pharmacist that I have an important message for him, and then I would lean in very secretive like, like really close to his face and stick out my tongue and give the biggest, fattest raspberry right in his face, with the greatest force I could muster, and then walk out not saying another word.”
* Freedom!! *
From Ophir at The Conscious Diabetic:
“I would be able to do more physically: Exercise when I want and how much I want without the fear of lows and highs. I could go into a pool or the ocean and not have to worry about my pump sitting in a bag unattended, or how much time I’ve spent without it attached. I could eat almost whatever I want to eat whenever I want to eat it (I do still have celiac). Hey, perhaps some of the complications I’ve developed would reverse and my body would heal?”
“I would be able to wear clothing and not see a bulging pump underneath my shirt. I wouldn’t have to prick my fingers or change my pump every three days. I wouldn’t feel guilty anymore for not using a CGM (I find the needle
way too big and so I just don’t use it). I wouldn’t have to excuse myself and check my sugars when others are socializing.
I would feel free.”
* Maintaining Connections *
And last not least, the sentiment — which I share — of not wanting to lose the amazing connections we’ve developed through social media, with others who’ve lived through this thing:
From my good buddy Scott Johnson -
“I imagine basking in the positive feeling of my body healing itself of any and all diabetes related damage. I imagine having a bunch of extra mental energy and capacity, which I could direct toward something besides diabetes.
“I imagine all of us staying in touch, growing old and sharing stories of our lives after diabetes, because that is what friends would do.”
* The End *
(Or is it…?)
This was such an amazing week. I loved getting to know the wonderful bloggers of the DOC! But as a side note, I feel like I should explain that I don’t have a thing against Pharmacists in general…just MY pharmacist. He thinks it’s funny to give me 1 vile of insulin when I go in to fill my THREE boys perscriptions. He says he’ll mail me the rest, when the rest doesn’t come for over a week and that vile only lasts 5 days. He has been my nemesis for many years. My visits with him are ALWAYS blogworthy!
That was my favorite prompt to write about and read about. And what was cool was how different people spun it.
I too hope DBW is an annual event. I am sure it will be since it was so successful!
Diabetes Blog Week was fantastic!
It gave me a better understanding of the bloggers I normally read, while introducing me to a whole new crop of dbloggers !
And thanks for the shoutout Amy- I’m honored to have made it in the “Smart-Ass Humor” category
Kelly K
Hi Amy,
Thank you for the mention! Thinking about a cure has definitely been thought-provoking. Thank you for continuing to keep the diabetic community informed. I actually read your guest post on the new Revel minimed pump, and found it to be very informative when making a decision on a new pump.
I also absolutely enjoyed Diabetes Blog Week and getting to know my fellow d-bloggers and d-community! I look forward to reading your blog and getting to know you better!
Ophir, The Conscious Diabetic
It was very interesting reading those posts. After almost 38 years with Type I, I still believe that the disease will not be cured during my lifetime. I have never dreamed what I would do if I didn’t have Type I. Rather, I try to think back to those days, so long ago, when I didn’t have it. However, I can barely recall them!
Great round up Amy – and thank you for the mention!
I got a kick out of everyone’s stuff here – and am happy to see some new blogs I need to go check out!
And because I’m perpetually behind in my blog reading, I’ll be working on catching up with everyone’s blog posts for WEEKS!
Great recap, Amy! Thanks for the shoutout, though I’m sorry to have been so “vengeful” in my writing about Life After a Cure… Didn’t start that way, but the more I thought about how long it’s taken, the more bitter I got. Anyhow. Like others, I’ll be catching up and reading posts for weeks! Hope it is an annual thing.
Other than infectious diseases, no chronic disease has ever been cured within the last century (not one!) . It’s time to wake up to the idea that diabetes will always be part of life.
I would demand a refund of all the money I have spent on diabetes supplies just trying to stay alive! Yeah I know that would go over like a lead balloon lol !
Just image that would be some refund having type 1 for almost 34 years!
I believe in a cure because I’ve been functionally cured of type 1 diabetes through an islet cell transplant clinical trial. Life now is wonderful
If you want to learn more about my story or just check out the trial I was involved in with the Chicago Diabetes Project go to:
http://www.chicagodiabetesproject.org/overview/testimonials/
I don’t really know what too say, I’m affraid if there will be a cure I’ll have damage, And it wont work. But I pray every day that there will be one, Because I wanted to be in the Marines…..I’m not interested in being that guy at the desk, Thats for when I’m retired…And if even – so, I don’t think I’ll be interested in a desk job then. So back too the topic, I understand they are going through all these tests and stuff, Think of the FDA….They want money. I belive, I will never get too see one in my life time, And that it will be a while.