Six months ago, when I wrote my first ever blog post, I was so nervous.
I didn’t think for one minute, anyone would be interested in anything I had to say and so I decided to approach it with the view that it was to record memories for the boys to look back on when they are older; to remember all the fun times we had and the places we went. And if a few people were interested in our little lives along the way then so be it!
Today, I woke up to 1,000 followers on Instagram and I can’t quite believe it!
In just 6 months, blogging has brought me so many opportunities and allowed me to “virtually meet” so many people.
I have befriended the most gorgeous little girl Katie and her mum Sonja from Melbourne, Australia and I look forward to seeing her beautiful pictures and reading her posts. She inspires me with her positivity and writes so eloquently for a 9 year old girl.
I have received support from other mums in the middle of the night when I have been battling to keep Fin’s levels up, making me realise that I am not alone in all this and there are plenty of others out there fighting the same battle; day in, day out.
I have picked up tips on the latest gluten free foods released in stores and found delicious gluten free recipes to try.
By others sharing how they administer different percentage splits of insulin doses, I have managed, through trial and error, to prevent huge blood sugar spikes after “problem” foods. (Shout out to dougiesdishes – you are doing an amazing job!)
I have spoken to people who are newly diagnosed and given them advice on carbohydrate counting and had mums of newly diagnosed children message me privately for support after the shock of a diagnosis.
I have been asked to be the parent representative in the All Wales Diabetes group by the Local Health board and have been speaking to Dexcom’s representatives for Wales to discuss the promotion of the G6 and to work with them to improve the postcode lottery of NHS funding for the CGM sensors.
Fin has been asked if he would like to be “the first Welsh mini ambassador” for Dexcom and we are looking forward to collaborating with them on some local events in the new year.
And on days, where I feel like a rubbish mum who is doing a rubbish job, people I have never met are there, with encouraging comments and a reminder that tomorrow is a new day!
It’s been a mad, crazy journey so far but I have loved every minute and I would never have dreamt of being in touch with so many different people all over the world in such a short space of time.
Out of all of these people there are 2 messages that I have received which have stuck with me and made me feel grateful that I took the plunge and started this blog.
The first was a message from a mother of a Type 1 child who after watching the video of Fin inserting his own sensor, sent me the following:
“I just wanted to say thank you for posting this. My 11 year old son has always needed numbing cream for G5 changes and has never been able to do a sensor insertion himself. We received our first G6 kit this week, and tonight, after watching this, he did his own sensor with no numbing cream. Your T1 hero inspired my T1 hero to become more independent in his care and I am ever so grateful.”
The second was from a lady who has a daughter with a number of health conditions, including Type 1, who sent me this:
“I have been working with a counsellor who has done lots of work with families of children with chronic illnesses when she was training. She told me that there are 3 types of parents who deal with a diagnosis.
Some who bury their head in the sand and do nothing.
Some that feel it’s the end of the world and find it hard to see past the illness (that’s me)
and
Some who show their children that whilst they may have this illness, it doesn’t need to stop them doing anything and they can still achieve amazing things (I believe that’s you).
At the moment whilst, I am the 2nd parent, I want to be like you, the 3rd, and I am getting better at it.”
Both of these messages made me incredibly emotional because once upon a time, I was the 2nd parent who couldn’t see past the illness and I had a little boy who was so terrified of needles, that I had to do cannula changes by commando crawling into a bunk bed with a head torch in the middle of the night.
And so, to think that we have come so far, that other people are looking to us for inspiration is totally overwhelming and makes me extremely proud of us both.
I always said that if this blog helped one person on their journey, then it would make all the hours I plough into it worthwhile. In 6 months, it has exceeded my expectations massively and I am so glad that I took the plunge and pressed that very first Publish button.
Long may it continue.
Beth
xx
itsatype1derfullife.com 