Last night, Mark's hospital hosted a dinner with some really cool speakers: Phil Southerland and Bob Eldridge, founders of Team Type 1. It's a bicycle racing team made up of (you guessed it) people with Type 1 diabetes.
The team's first big challenge was the Race Across America. It's a 3,000 mile bike race from Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ, which they completed in 5 1/2 days. The first time they competed, they came in second place -- they lost by just three minutes. The next year, they won, by three hours. And this year, not only did they win, they set a new record!
Phil and Bob were awesome. They were funny young guys in their 20s, close friends, and inspiring speakers. Phil was diagnosed as a 7-month-old baby. The doctors told his mom he'd never live past 25, and that he'd go through renal failure and be blind by then. (Hey, thanks for the healthy dose of optimism, doc!) Joe was diagnosed later, at 10. Both of them were very proud that not only had they lived past 25, but they were healthy, strong and thriving.
They showed a video of them training and racing. In some parts, you could tell Phil felt low, because he was really straining just to keep on the bike. At one point, his worried mom was pacing, trying not to freak out, but obviously concerned. I got a little teary at that -- I know that feeling sooooooo well. Even though Phil is strong, tough, and manages his diabetes, she's still his mom -- and moms never stop worrying, especially when their kid's got a chronic illness.
It was really inspiring to hear that not only did these athletes manage their diabetes, they actually became better because of it. They monitored their blood sugars religiously, found the range that worked best for them, and used that as a competitive edge over the non-diabetic racers.
It was also really cool to hear all the technology they used during races -- they can't stop during the race to test, so they left their meters in the car. Instead, they wore continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) inserted into their skin; that way, they could merely glance down at the monitor to see their blood sugar, and eat if they needed to.
(I am so grateful Mark was born in this time of handheld meters and CGMs, instead of even 20 years earlier, when they boiled urine to check for sugar, and used HUGE needles they sharpened once a week!)
The pizza dinner was good, but the talk was phenomenal. Past speakers included other athletes with Type 1, including Sean Busby, a professional snowboarder, and Gary Hall Jr., an Olympic gold medalist. I love taking Mark to these events, because I want him to know he can do anything he wants, and diabetes can't stop him. I want him to be inspired and have good role models he can look up to.
But the funny thing is, that whole plan backfired. I take Mark to inspire him, but it's really me who is inspired. I can't help it; these guys all advocate great diabetes management, and following your dreams. Their optimism and determination is infectious.
And although that doesn't impress Mark yet, it sure impresses me. It reminds me how important it is to constantly manage diabetes. As Mark's primary caregiver, it reminds me to stay vigilant and test him often.
Mark's 9 years old; he doesn't think long-term yet. But I do, and hearing from these amazing people encourages me. Mark may not grow up to be a professional snowboarder, bike racer or Olympic athlete. But if he can manage his own diabetes when he grows up, if he lives a long and healthy life despite diabetes...well, that's worth more than any gold medal to me.
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