Case of the Mondays

Write about something that gets you down, burns your out, or makes you sad. Purge it in a blog post. Turn it around at the end. Tell Tuesday why you're ready for it.

There certainly has been a lot of buzz around the DOC the past few days in regards to the big ad that JDRF ran in last week's New York Times and Wall Street Post. In case you missed the ad, here it is:

This is Piper.

One in twenty people like Piper

will die from low blood sugar.

It then went on describe how the FDA can help lead the way in medical innovation by approving and bringing to market the artificial pancreas.

There's been a lot of mixed reaction over this ad. Some think the ad is too shocking, while some think it's way overdue; some think the numbers are inflated, while others believe the actual number of deaths is higher. Regardless of what we think, JDRF has made a bold statement. A challenge almost. So the question becomes, will the FDA listen? I think it's safe to say we all agree on the answer: We hope so.

So how does this relate to the #NHBPM prompt for today? Personally I have mixed reactions to the ad. I think it's terrific that JDRF is standing up and challenging the FDA. I think this ad is effective at spreading a bit of awareness to the non-diabetes community. In fact, I love everything about the ad and the way JDRF has approached it. 

What gets me down is that I am a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, so that "1" in twenty could be my child. Or the child of someone I know, or an adult member of the DOC with type 1. The stat itself is not new to me.  Since Dylan was diagnosed in 2005, I have always known the risks and been all too aware that low blood sugar can be deadly. It's the disease itself that gets me down; the fact that we live with it 24/7 and that the dangers are ALWAYS there. That's what sucks.

What can I do to turn this around? I'm already doing it. I can continue to blog, spread awareness, and advocate for my child. I can provide the best possible care that I am capable of in order to maintain Dylan's health and reduce the risk of complications. 

And we can hope that the FDA listens. Let's hope they approve the artificial pancreas and pave the way for a better life for millions of people around the world affected by diabetes.