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tavia vital

A Message from Me to You!

You are a person living with diabetes.  You are stronger than you know!  You are not alone, my Sisters and Brothers Living with Diabetes!

The things diabetes, several excellent Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, and Mental Healthcare Providers have taught me along the way are many.

I have learned to

  • persevere even when times are very tough
  • a strong self-advocate
  • teach others to advocate for themselves
  • be an excellent planner
  • feel like I’ve failed miserably, but also, to have the strength to get back up and keep going forward
  • separate my glucose levels from my perceived mental capacity, knowledge, or skill level
  • listen when new ideas are presented, even if the ideas are different from what “I know” to be true
  • hear other people’s stories and experiences in a way that will let each person know that they are heard
  • help validate other’s experiences and emotions
  • keep learning every day
  • forgive myself when I don’t follow what I know

me

I am not My Numbers.  My numbers do not define ME.

I am not a robot.  My life is full and varied.  My numbers will vary and that is ok and expected.

I can have a lousy glucose day, but that doesn’t mean my WHOLE DAY is lousy.

I can live with “good enough” and not aim for the impossible “perfect”.  This thought for me, especially, is very freeing.

What human being alive today is Perfect?  That’s right…. NO ONE. Why should I strive to be exactly like NO ONE?!?!?!  I would much rather strive to be ME.

What I can do each day is do my best in each situation with what I have available to me in the present moment.  I can accept when things do not turn out the way I planned. That is an everyday part of life, really.

I can talk through what I am thinking, feeling, or frustrated by.  I can pray. I can feel all emotions as they come and acknowledge them (even if I don’t like some of them).  I can live with uncomfortable feelings and explore them to process them in a healthy way.  I can ask for help when I notice signs or symptoms that I am stressed, overwhelmed, feeling anxious, or angry.

I don’t always LOVE having T1D.  I don’t love how glucose variability makes me feel, or how the slightest change in time or attention can cause glucose to move in a pretty impressive way.  I don’t love the tiredness that occurs after a time of lower or higher glucose levels.

Upon reflection, I can say that living with T1D for many, many years has given me strengths in several areas that I may not have developed without living with T1D.

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meet Tavia VitalMy question to you:

What mantra or saying do you use to remind yourself that you do not need to aim for PERFECT diabetes management?

From:  Tavia Vita BSN, BA, RN, CDCES, Living with T1D for 42 years and counting!

September 2023 Newsletter