Reactions

One thing that I make sure to do on the first day of class, in all of my classes, is to talk to my professors about the importance of keeping my cell phone handy and the reason why. I haven’t had to do this in over a year since I took online courses for the 2010-2011 school year. I have gotten used to a range of reactions when it comes to this. There have been a few of my professors who knew all about diabetes so they were perfectly fine with me keeping the phone handy. Other professors understood the situation and were still okay with the cell phone. But there is one reaction I get that still surprises me to this day.

When I spoke with my professor, with whom I have two courses with this semester, he/she visibly paled. When Deacon was still a toddler I got that reaction a lot. I assume it was because he was so young when he was diagnosed. As he has gotten older I have gotten less of this type of reaction.

The effect of my teacher’s reaction didn’t hit home with me until I sat down in the hallway near my next class and thought about it. My first thought was, “Wow. I hope I didn’t frighten the guy/gal. It’s only diabetes.”

Okay now then that may get me in hot water on the net. I know diabetes is far more than “only diabetes.” I have experienced the worry, fear, anger and a range of other emotions. But when I thought that it was because of my surprise to the reaction along with the fact that I am several years down this road. I have come to understand that even though this is a demanding, emotionally tolling disease, Deacon could have more serious diseases. I have felt the twinge of sadness when I walk into a hospital and see a child or adult battling a far more debilitating, life threatening disease. I have had the reminder that this could be a lot worse and have taken it to heart.

And even with that thought I thought, I still kept a close eye on my phone all day and I also called my father more often than I normally would. I was like a mother who just left her new baby with the babysitter while she runs errands. Deacon was not far from my thoughts that day.