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Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on June 13, 2012 at 3:34pm

Here's the link to a blog I wrote about my dad.

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Permalink Reply by Marie on June 14, 2012 at 12:28pm

My dad is near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town on Father's Day, but we've got a special bond.

I grew up with my dad being a type I diabetic. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see all the lancets and syringes. I knew the smell of insulin well. I also knew his story, but when I started having similar symptoms (the weight loss, the thirst, the craving of sugar), I fought the diagnosis tooth and nail. I was formally diagnosed as a type I diabetic on January 3rd of this year after being informally diagnosed on December 23rd, 2011. My dad has been my rock through it all and while I know he feels guilty for passing this disease onto me at times, I don't see it as being his fault. I knew growing up I had a 6% chance. What I didn't know was exactly how hard this was. My dad was always a person first and I hope to be able to become that soon enough because right now I feel like I'm a walking blood sugar reading. Haha. The question of "how are you?" instantly makes me look down at my Dexcom, but my father doesn't let diabetes define him. Growing up, he'd be the first one to eat half of a pizza or a huge slice of cake. He never told me his blood sugar numbers, although I knew what he acted like when he was low and could tell when he was grumpy that his numbers were high. He didn't let it slow him down and I hope to get to a point where I can take my numbers with a grain of salt and know that they're just numbers... They're not me.

That being said, he has not always been the most disciplined diabetic, but he's there to remind me to breathe when I'm panicking over the fact that one piece of pizza that I bolused for shot me up to 200 or when I hear the ignorant comments about being "too young" to have diabetes or being "too skinny" to have gotten it. My dad is 54 years old and to date hasn't had any diabetes complications. Here's hoping to a complication-free rest of his life and for my own good health in the future. I can't imagine becoming diabetic without having a fellow diabetic for support, and I'm so happy to be blessed with someone who can make me see diabetes as character building rather than a flaw.

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Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on June 19, 2012 at 11:07am

"Character-building" it most certainly is! My parents and I used to joke "enough with the character-building, I've got all the character I want right now!"

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on June 15, 2012 at 11:50am

last year, Manny posted this discussion about Father's Day
http://www.tudiabetes.org/forum/topics/happy-day-to-all-the-fathers

when I was looking at the pictures he took at this year's ADA Scientific Sessions, one reminded me of Manny's dad (maybe it's the similar glasses)

http://www.tudiabetes.org/photo/proud-of-the-big-blue-test-poster

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Permalink Reply by Linda G on June 16, 2012 at 5:22pm

Mon papa!

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Permalink Reply by Stemwinder on June 17, 2012 at 12:19am

My Dad. My dad was a rock. He rarely ever lost his temper. I can only remember him loosing it because someone wronged one of us boys not when we did wrong. If you found yourself on my dads bad side it was because you had done something wrong not because he was annoyed with you and you knew it because that's the way he was.

My dad showed no anger and rarely showed affection but you knew he cared because of the hardship he endured for us. He poured his life into raising me and my three brothers to be the honorable men we all turned out to be. He is what I have patterned my life after.

I lost my dad from cancer long before I was afflicted with T2 diabetes but had he still been alive he would have been the well from which I would have gone to draw strength.

My dad never openly said I love you but he didn't have to he said so with his actions. He served us well while he was with us and I still miss him very much.

Thank You Dad

Gary

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Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on June 19, 2012 at 11:03am

Gary, this is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

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Permalink Reply by Linda G on June 17, 2012 at 4:31pm

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to ALL DADS out there....and ALL DAD-LIKE ♥
♥ Our son and his wee son shaving ♥

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Permalink Reply by Stemwinder on June 19, 2012 at 7:56pm

Definitely a Kodiak moment. Cool picture.

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Permalink Reply by Linda G on June 19, 2012 at 9:02pm

Thanks :) Taken by our daughter-in-law! Our son had "frozen" for the pic....it was only taking on the task of getting the 2 year old in the moment...easier said than done! The little monkey is now 4!

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Permalink Reply by Lorraine on June 18, 2012 at 5:32am

Caleb's dad is making it possible for me to serve on the BOD of DHF. Without his support and commitment to taking everything over when I travel for meetings throughout the year, I wouldn't be able to do it! I'm late to reply because of the craziness around here with end of school year insanity. Caleb's dad spent his evening on the ball field coaching Caleb's team to the championship tonight!

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Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on June 19, 2012 at 11:08am

Holy moley, you guys. I'm so loving the stories and photos!

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