Wednesday 22 September 2010

Wow! Take it in ...

We had a call and a message left on our answer machine this evening.
After two articles about the support group we have begun, and a live interview on BBC Essex with my husband, an 83 year old man felt he wanted to call us.
He left the most amazing, heart-warming message.
At eighty-three he informed us that he has had Type 1 diabetes for 75, count them, SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS.
Since the age of eight.
He credited his good health and long life to the efforts of his lovely wife, whom he has sadly lost.
He said he is very careful with his diet and counts carbohydrates.
Let us get this clear in our heads.
This man was diagnosed in 1935.
He is still alive.
So, my lovely, supportive and so exhausted friends look at those numbers and smile and hope. We carry the weight of what might happen with us all the time.
I ask you here and now to add this to what you carry.

9 comments:

  1. That is so awesome! Good for him. :)

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  2. Amazing and what an inspiration!

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  3. LOVE IT! AND man he has been through the whole gammut of care...loose control, tight control, pee strips, blood strips, carb exchanges, to carb counting...I cannot even imagine what else he has seen/done/heard. VERY COOL.

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  4. I love stories like that! It gives me so much comfort! Thanks. :)

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  5. Love the inspiration! It's always great to hear stories of success when dealing with type 1 diabetes...75 years, that's just amazing :)

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  6. Thank you. Stories like these provide me more encouragement than anything I think.

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  7. Thanks for telling about this guy! I just ran across a woman who was featured in something for having diabetes forever...I can't remember if it was that long though?! If I can find it again I'll report back, this guy may have had it longer than her!

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  8. Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing! :)

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