I’ve been looking forward to this day all week, because I get to tell you about what I’ve done because of diabetes, and that’s positive!
Because of diabetes I am a life-long camper. I attended Clara Barton Camp for years as a camper, counselor, student nurse, nurse, and Clinical Director. In between my Barton years as camper and counselor, I attended several other (non-diabetes) camps and had a blast! Now I am a camp nurse at Camp Calumet every summer and I LOVE IT!!
Because of diabetes camp I met many friends who I could never replace. They are the ones I call when I’m happy, sad, frustrated, perplexed, amazed (in a good or bad way), you get the idea. I call them about EVERYTHING – not just (and much less often) about diabetes. I would not trade these people for not having diabetes in a million years.
Because of diabetes I have had and continue to have a great career. I was the Director of Clinical Services and Education at The Barton Center, then I developed and ran a hospital based Diabetes Education Program, and now I am Program Coordinator/Faculty for a first-of-its-kind Master of Science in Diabetes Education and Management Program. I have met amazing campers, parents, staff, nurses, physicians, dietitians, patients, and now colleagues and students, who have taught me more than I could possibly teach them.
Because of diabetes I wrote a book, which I hope to get published soon.
Because of diabetes I started a blog and put myself out there, in a way I never thought imaginable.
Because of diabetes I am aware of my health, my body, my quality of life, what is important to me, what my priorities are, how I find balance. And I make it a point to accomplish all of it!