Tuesday Topic: The Pros & Cons Of Being A T1D Mentor

The DDG was contacted by a wonderful woman from the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center about a pilot camp rolling out this summer. We jumped on the opportunity to meet with Heather to learn more and offer our help, should she want it. As the conversation progressed, she said they were looking for a few T1D camp counselors. In years past I volunteered at a leadership camp for high school seniors. I felt confident in my ability to lead the youngsters and still be 100% myself – but would I be able to do the same for a group of T1Ds?

This thought inspired me to weigh a few pros & cons that came to mind.

PROS:

• I have 31 years under my belt and plenty of stories to share.
• A1C is 6.3 (Not bragging, just proud of my hard work)

• I test my blood sugar regularly.
• I eat a well balanced diet and don’t shy away about asking for special requests while dining out.
• I blog about my experiences in order to share real support for the diabetic life.

CONS:

• I would be brutally honest.
• I might cry while talking about certain diabetes related topics.
• I wouldn’t sugar coat the rough times.

Ironically, the lists are similar, just worded differently. Struggles had, battles won, lessons learned… There were really rough times that helped me evolve into the person I am today – An intelligent woman who chooses to live a healthy life and devotes great time to my mind, body and spirit.

Would I have ended up a different person if I had a mentor like myself growing up? I’m not sure, but I think it would’ve made the journey an easier one. Until meeting Ryan and co-founding the DDG, I never spoke about diabetes. I feel confident the DDG and HHDC camp will help fellow diabetics find comfort in their journey and aid them in the ability to share their stories.