Sheila’s Family Diabetes Story & Mom’s Message

Joshua JDRF mag “Someday, you will never want to change what has happened to Joshua,” my friend Joyce told me, as we stood outside of Joshua’s hospital room. Our elder son had just been admitted to the hospital with a blood sugar level of 800+ mg/dl.

Joyce’s words shocked, confused, and angered me. Even though she had prefaced her comment with “I hope you will trust that what I am telling you is because I love you.”

“What a thing to be telling me now,” I wondered, holding back tears while Joyce hugged me.

I would come to realize that Joyce was the only person I knew who could relate to what I was going through. In 1983, her younger son, Barclay, had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Through the years, Joyce’s friendship and insight has given me strength, reassurance, knowledge, and support. I have shared her advice with others, who, like me, were first stunned and later appreciative of her candor and wisdom.

Joshua sky diving #2Joshua Glazov The Jumper: Keeping Blood Glucose Steady “Diabetes Forecast” magazine article May 2014. However, I am no longer the driver, and Joshua is no longer the passenger. He is the driver—a healthy and accomplished man, husband, father, sky diver/jumpmaster, and attorney,

I am the passenger—a mother, grandmother, and author, writing books to educate children and families living with diabetes, as a tribute of my love and admiration for my son Joshua.

I wrote Purr-fect Pals because I can relate to your journey. You may not be living in the middle of nowhere, as I was; however, you might feel like you are! I want to be your Joyce and give you and your loved ones comfort and perspective when living with the “highs and lows” of diabetes.
I appreciate how difficult it is to be courageous when you are frightened, strong when you are exhausted, prepared when you are overwhelmed, composed when you are angry, supportive when you are disappointed, esteemed when you are frustrated, communicative when you want to cry, self-caring when there aren’t enough hours in the day, and patient when you are confused.

I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on the road and believe in yourself! Eventually, you will recognize the value and contentment of seeing your child take good care of him/herself, feel loved, esteemed, and make healthy decisions about his/her life!

In the meantime, I will continue to keep extra orange juice in my kitchen; wake each morning and go to sleep each night thinking about how grateful and blessed I am for Joshua and our family; write books to help other families; throw pennies in fountains; and wish the same birthday wish when I blow out the candles on my cake each year―A cure for diabetes for my son and your son or daughter!

My Mom’s Message is dedicated to my cherished friend, Joyce Bourdeau (of blessed memory), who was a source of knowledge, comfort, and my Purr-fect Pal!

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1 Comment

  1. My Mother’s Message About Diabetes on December 1, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    […] Sheila’s Family Diabetes Story […]