Diabetes Decorating - Unintentionally Intentional

Oldest Daughter's Bedroom

After making the recent Naturally Sweet Sisters Walk To Cure
Diabetes video, it occurred to me that much of our family décor is type 1 diabetes related. 

While no one seems to really notice, subtly and not - so subtly as the case may be, type 1 diabetes is there and in every part of our lives.

Going on our seventh year, well, I guess you can say that we are all good with that thought.  Wait, go back and re-read that last sentence out loud and say it like this, 'it's all good!"  Because that is how I would say it if you asked.

Type 1 diabetes is just another part of our daily life.

It simply co-exists. 

Dad, Mom, Sister, Sister, Cat and Diabetes.

In my oldest daughter's bedroom, her nightstand is casually (and neatly - with mom pride, I might add!!!) covered with necessities such as an alarm clock, a bottle of floral Bath and Body Works hand lotion and a fashionable zebra lamp.  Like threads woven into a tapestry, type 1 diabetes is represented with a meter, a water glass, candy, and lancets/strips in a decorated butterfly box. 

In our youngest daughter's bedroom, her hodge-podge of type 1 diabetes gadgets are less subtly placed.  Her nightstand includes a vial of glucose tablets, extra strips, her beloved Sigums and One Touch Ping Meter all boldly placed in the open. 

Yet, what I focus in on most, is that our youngest daughter keeps a small picture of her big sister close at hand, even though they are sleeping literally steps apart from one another. 

    

Youngest Daughter's Bedroom



In our home, there is the now displaced 'linen' closet which has been morphed into the 'diabetes supply' closet.  Once in a while, I wonder what we will have to do with all of the supplies if we ever decide to put the house on the market.  Would that be a selling feature?  Are there people looking for a four bedroom, four bathroom and oh, a diabetes supply closet? 

Want to the play the game of what is behind door #1?

Would you guess this?

Because this is what a diabetes supply closet looks like.

And yes, that is enough to keep two children alive in the case of a pharmacy apocalypse.

The closet area is also our command central for site changes, sick days, training, supply ordering, pump wear and overnight supply bags. 

Less obvious but still part of the décor is the mini-refrigerator in the upstairs hallway that houses juice and multiple long term and short term insulin.  The ever faithful mini-lanterns for night time blood glucose checks are present along with the annual school days picture of each daughter. 

 

 

Decorating with type 1 diabetes wasn't planned.  It wasn't something that I hoped would find our way into our home.  It wasn't even something that I wanted.

 

But now that it is here and I see the pictures, I also see the unintended beauty. 

 

Life is good.