Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Googly Eyes and French Toast.

For all the times in life that I'll have to explain and re-explain, then re-word, or just give up and nod about diabetes to others (others = people with fully functioning pancreases), there are probably just as many times that someone close to me gets it totally right. I'm lucky to have a few people like that in my life. My husband, Aaron (yep, that's who "A" is - the secret's out!), has become one of those people.

It wasn't always like that, though. Not through any fault of his own - he just didn't have any experience around someone with type 1 diabetes. When we first started dating back in 2005 (We didn't even have Facebook back then! And we had to walk uphill both ways to get anywhere!), diabetes wasn't center-stage in my life, like it tends to be now.  The idea of wearing an insulin pump was something I scoffed at, a bit. I was on injections of Lantus and Humalog, didn't test a whole lot, and the subject of diabetes never really came up until I had to take a shot for something.

Here's the part where I border on bragging: Aaron has picked up on a lot over the last six years. He doesn't always know where I am BG-wise or anything like that, but he's been through enough to know what to do (and what not to say). He's a good listener, a quick study, and possibly the most patient person I've ever met. He knows how to fill a pump cartridge, tape down the Dexcom sensors I can't reach, and use glucagon (though he's never had to use it, yet). If I need to have my blood sugar checked while I'm driving, he's all over it. Out of pockets when we go for a walk? He's happy to stash glucose tabs, Jim, or whatever else in his.

Sometimes, his awesomeness leaves me with nothing else to do but grin and stare at him with admiring, googly eyes.

For example, this past Sunday morning found him up and around a little while before me. When I awoke to the smell of cinnamon-y goodness, he greeted me with: "Wake up and bolus!" It was endearingly cute - and so accurate - because he knows I have to bolus well ahead of stuff like french toast to minimize the otherwise ridiculous BG spike.

Friday night found us at a bar downtown with some friends. At some point in the evening, I noticed what the cheese quesadilla I had downed earlier was doing to Jim, (It was reminiscent of a NASA launch) and Aaron heard me react. He leaned over to look at the screen.

"Wow. I haven't seen you go that high in a long time."

"I know, right? I have no idea why, either. I was 75 and trending down before we ate."

One of our friends overheard the conversation, and asked, "So, wait...   that thing's in you?" I was all ready to launch into the normal "here's what a CGM is" program, but something pretty cool happened instead.

For the first time I can recall, Aaron took charge of explaining to someone else how Jim works, while I just sat there and kinda marveled at him. He expertly clicked through the different graphs, and explained where "normal" fell on the scale. He knew how often a new reading showed up, and how to describe what the sensor looks like. He was telling our friend things I never knew he paid attention to.

If living with diabetes is supposed to be a marathon, we can think of these kinds of people - our "type 3's" - as part of our relay team. Aaron takes a turn carrying the baton once in a while, without me ever asking him to.

I love him for a million reasons, and this is another to add to the pile.

12 comments:

  1. Awww, that is so cute! Trey being the engineer that he is, loves all my robot parts because they fascinate him. Meant to be, I guess.

    We started dating in 2004, also pre-FB. We had to use these brick-like devices with numbers to communicate. =P

    BTW, I make an awesome French Toast. ;-)

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  2. Wow. He makes breakfast AND knows your diabetes?? You've got a good one there, my friend. :-)
    Same here as far as when I met my other half - started dating Erik in 2005. But Erik hasn't quite gotten to where your Aaron is. He just knows I handle my Diabetes stuff and kinda knows the jist of it. It kinda freaks him out to help, which is sorta my fault for letting him stay freaked.

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  3. How sweet! Since I was diagnosed so recently, my husband and I are still learning together. But sometimes he's reading something and I look over to realize it's something diabetes education-related. It makes it so much easier having that level of support!

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  4. Yes. Husbands can be the best type 3's ever. My hubs has gone from having no idea at all to educating coworkers and being the person I go to when I need help doing things like inserting sensors (he went to training with me! LOVE!) He was my biggest d-advocate when I was giving birth.

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  5. Hi Kim! I have been reading your blog for about a month now and really enjoy your point of view. I myself am a Type 3, as I have an 8yo with T1 diabetes. I just had to comment on this post because I think it is so sweet :). I pray my daughter will find a man as wonderful as yours. Thanks for sharing such an endearing moment!

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  6. He sounds perfect! I need a good type three (or just another hand...) to help with the tegretol dance.

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  7. Loved reading this!
    Aaron is truly a great husband.

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  8. You da man, Aaron!!

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  9. Hi Amy - nice to meet you! :)

    Thanks, all. He's pretty neat-o.

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  10. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW that's too adorable!

    I may have gotten a little teary reading about your awesome husband and maybe even slightly jealous.... ;o) He's definitely a keeper.

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  11. All I have to say is God truly blesses our lives with "Type 3's". That is my new favorite description. I also have two Type 3's (ironically one named Aaron) who can trend my BG and reactions almost as well as me; it's been such a blessing to have them around for the 11years of learning.

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