I am not going to lie, I had no idea how to title this post. So I went with the obvious, as I am writing this post over the weekend. So yeah. I have two things to talk about. First of all this post. This post is number 200. My 200th blog post. How the heck did I manage to pull that off? Easy. You guys. The inspiration, the support, sometimes the suggestions on grammar and paragraph spacing. You my friends and readers are the reason how I have made it to 200 posts. Thank you . To celebrate I called Macy’s and asked for some fireworks in my blogs honor. They told me they would set one off next fourth of July for my blog. However, I could not wait that long and what if I took a picture of the wrong firework? That would be horrible!!!! So here’s the next best thing.

Thank you for reading me. I appreciate it. You guys are all awesome.

Now the second part of this post. This was originally what I have been thinking about since Friday, when the information crossed my twitter and Facebook account. JDRF is running a mobile challenge called Be T1D for a Day. Mind you some sarcasm and poor humor choices may pop up during the rest of this conversation. Mind you I am not trying to be jerky about things. That is not the case. Nor am I trying to be sarcastic, too much.

I love the premise of this:

“Throughout November, we’re asking people to better appreciate what people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience every day, every hour by taking part in a unique mobile-based challenge: T1D for a Day.

When you sign up for the T1D for a Day text challenge, you agree to receive as many as 24 text messages over a 24-hour period that simulate the constant blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary decisions that confront people with T1D.

While no virtual campaign can recreate the many needles required or the physical and financial tolls of this serious disease, T1D for a Day seeks to deepen understanding of the many heroic steps our friends and loved ones with T1D take each day.”

The idea of trying to get people to see the emotional toil that people with type 1 face on a daily basis. The choices, the decisions, the battles we face, is amazing. I would not want to be the one who gets the complete poop dumped on them with 24 texts of work. I mean for people to realize that we make some conscious and unconscious decisions. Why sometimes we can eat the huge pumpkin pie (pie….)and other times why we run away screaming from the exact same thing. It can be confusing. Not to mention why people sometimes really don’t get it and why the stupidy stereotypes happen.

However, I was just thinking about the one line mentioned in the post by the JDRF, “While no virtual campaign can recreate the many needles required or the physical and financial tolls of this serious disease…” I couldn’t help think about some of the other things people will not experience. The feeling of the finger prick or needle injection. Maybe convince the person each time they need to do this they snap their wrist with a rubber band or arm or something like that. However, what about the other things they can’t get a text to do. “Blood sugar over 350 for two hours, drown yourself in 4 bottles of water and go to the potty over 15 times an hour” or “Feel lethargic and grumpy, act sullen. Have someone ask you if your sugar is low and tell them to *&%$# off.” Worse, “Your sugar is below 40. Go lie in the corner and ‘black out’ for 25 minutes” or “Low blood sugar while sleeping, wake up pour warmish water (not pee/sweat) all over yourself and your bed struggling to try to get someones attention or to get the glucose tabs.While shivering. Take a hot shower trying to warm up.” Maybe, “Stubborn low attacks drink 3 cups of OJ, wait 15 minutes see that the sugar hasn’t moved and drink 2 more glasses of OJ. Creatively start to curse.”

Alright, now that I got the sarcasm out of my system, I apologize. I really do like the program, I am in no way slamming it intentionally. What the JDRF is trying to do is a great idea. It goes back to that entire comment our friends/family half assedly make. Well Brian if I could take your diabetes from you for a day, I would. I love that comment (NOT). That is just a pity comment and frankly, I doubt you could really deal with it. Bitter much? Not normally, that comment just really gets my undies in a bunch. We can all make an offer for something that one most likely will never need to make. It is pity from most people. I know that there are some people who legitimately mean this, but others just say while at the same time in their head going, “yeah like that is ever going to happen.”

If people saw the real struggles we face, the serious injustice in the cards we have been dealt maybe they might be bigger advocates of some of the programs out there. Maybe they might see why we need a cure. Why insulin is only a small part of the big picture. I mean to some people it is referred to as insulin therapy, not an insulin cure. Obviously, if this is just a therapy, it is not a cure. Alright, let me seriously try to get off this soap box. I didn’t mean to do that. Where did that come from? Anywho, I give serious props to the JDRF for what they are trying to bring about. Just a small insight into the lives of those people living with type 1 diabetes truly face. Maybe some people will GET it. Maybe some people will continue to be just as ignorant. “You know Brian, I tried that text thing from the JDRF, I only got like 6 texts and there was nothing to concerning for me. I don’t see why you think this is such a burden.” Those people will never get it.

However, maybe others will. Thank you JDRF for your continued advocacy for us, your continued ideas and support, and most especially your continued search for that elusive “five year” cure. You guys rock.