This post is my April entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2012/april-dsma-blog-carnival-2/
Who needs support? I don’t need support. As the local diabetes educator, I came to the conclusion that people don’t need support when time after time no one (or only a few) showed up for the “support group” events I planned. Then I got an idea: I changed the name to “discussion group.” Still not many came, and eventually I stopped trying.
I am fortunate to have been involved with diabetes camp, which is the Mecca for diabetes support. When I entered the Diabetes Online Community a little over a year ago, I discovered that it’s like camp online. My biggest diabetes support still comes from camp friends whom I can call anytime. We don’t even have to talk about diabetes – we just get it in the context of whatever is going on.
I have read many twitter posts about “meet-ups” that have left me feeling envious and somewhat lonely, because I live in the middle of nowhere and can’t join these fun groups. I have thought about getting together with the small group of women who have type 1 in our town. I’ve considered starting an exercise group or just getting together for a glass of wine. But I haven’t done it. Probably because everyone is so busy, and I’m afraid it won’t work out. I also think I avoid doing this because it would require focusing on diabetes and enough of my life is focused on diabetes already. Hmmm.
That’s lame of me, though, and I am going to give it a try.