Saturday, January 29, 2011

Six have died - the rest of you keep living please

As 2/3 - the anniversary of Jesse's death - creeps up on me it forces me to try to make sense of things. I wonder sometimes if all the news I hear of deaths in the diabetes community are just escalating because I'm sensitive to the deaths, because facebook brings us all together, or if in fact there are more deaths.

Last night was a hard night for me. I have been struggling with how I will deal with Jesse's death on the actual anniversary. I had made the decision to stay positive and not think of death, or replay the day.

Last night, I learned of three more deaths in the diabetes world. All young. In fact, one was a 16 year old boy named Jesse. Horrible for me. Horrible for them. As I woke in the morning I learned of 3 more. All under the age of 28 (one was an 18 month old who's diagnosis was missed).

I wanted to take a moment to say to you all that are living with diabetes - please do not take my posts as a means to make you sad or scared. No, I repost and talk of these deaths so these families can find me. Because the best counseling I could get was from families who lost before me. I hope to be there for these new families and they transition to this new group that once again, no one wants to be part of.

So for those of you living with "d", live it large. :)

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you, Michelle. The heartbreak that seems to repeat itself over and over are reminders of how delicate life really is.

Not a day passes that I don't think of your sweet Jesse...images flash in my mind of the faces I've seen and the stories I've read.

We do keep living, but we are forever changed by losses such as yours.

Misty said...

Michelle, I want to say thank you for your strength, for your encouraging words. You are a very special person to reach out to these families, when I know that it is also so raw for you. Will be thinking about you and your Jesse as 2/3 approaches.

Hallie Addington said...

Oh Michelle, I agree with what Misty and Wendy said. When I read of Jesse- I immediately thought of YOUR Jesse. I think your reaching out is a lovely, brave thing to do. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you on 2/3- and every day. And I promise you this- we will LIVE with D. And we will live it LARGE!

jpnairn said...

It hurts to hear about those lost. It causes me pain, pain I could be spared if I never heard about these people.
But we can't keep quiet. The world has to know, so that the search for the cure is given something approaching the appropriate urgency.
Thank you.

k2 said...

Michelle -
(((((((HUGS))))))