World Diabetes Day

Current Bloodsugar: 130...after a long walk with a friend, I feel pretty content about this number, not bad, not great, but diabetes is not on my mind at the moment.

Today's Prompt: World Diabetes Day – Today is World Diabetes Day, recognized by the United Nations, so across the globe people are taking an action to raise diabetes awareness. What about you?

As important as advocacy is for diabetes, I am not doing much of anything today to raise awareness.  Well, I am blogging and I will post some links and information on various multimedia and social pages, but that is the extent of my activism for the day. 

I think it is so important to have World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness month, I do not intend to discredit the value of these events by not putting forth more effort for diabetes awareness today.  I guess it is my tendency to be shy which prevents me from standing on my rooftop and screaming about the importance of education and activism.
 
So what am I doing to promote awareness for diabetes?  I check my blood sugar in plain view of others.  I don't go through extreme measures to hide my pump.  I vocalize my needs to others.  Sure, I don't say to people..."Hello, my name is Melissa and I have Type I diabetes" when we first meet, but I don't hide the fact if it comes up in conversation.  I answer questions and ask questions and dispel myths when I get a chance.  I proudly wear my medical ID bracelet and welcome questions and comments.  I do these things every day.  This is my way of advocating.  Diabetes is a invisible disease.  I look normal on the outside but I am not.  How are folks to learn more about this disease if I hide it from the world?

It's Sunday and I am spending the day relaxing and spending time doing the things I enjoy.  I am living my life and trying to be normal and not letting diabetes get me down today.  Sometimes that is all the activism I need.