So I have told you about the diabetes. Yes, I am fortunate enough to have this lovely disease that wreaks havoc with your life. I was 19 when my mother found me in a semi-comatose state on my bathroom floor. She and Dad rushed me to the hospital where I was admitted for a 6 week stay. The first day was kind of a blur for me. Unfortunately, not for Mom. She was told that I was in bad shape. They tried over 20 times to put in an IV but I was so dehydrated they ended up putting in a subclavian IV into the heart. They did it with no anesthsia because they were afraid I wouldn't wake up. I can tell you it was incredibly painful. I remember looking at my Mom, standing in the window of the door watching me...and I remember our eyes locking when the procedure was going on. I never moved, never made a sound. My Mom said later that after they were done, she tried to take a step away from the door and she almost passed out. Dad was there to catch her. She said it was, and remains today, one of the worst moments of her life. There are a few other worst moments too, and most of them have me in the starring role. Poor Mom...she deserved so much better. Anyway, she slept at the hospital for a week, until the danger had passed. Then it was ok for her to go away and let others handle her daughter and teach her what she needed to know about the rest of her life. It was going to be up to me to take care of myself and as she put it, it was time for her to let go and let me learn to be independent again. And I did.

Anyway, the point of telling this horror story is to illustrate how close Mother and Daughter can be. My Mom is one of the strongest women I know and I am proud to be almost as tough as she is. She gave me the strength to learn how to manage my diabetes so I could manage my own life. She never wanted me to be dependant on her and for that I will always be grateful.

There was another time, about 23 years later, and about 5 years ago now, that reinforced our bond. I'll tell that story next time.