Plush red velvet curtain opens...
"Come one, come all to the greatest show on Earth! Tonight for your viewing pleasure you shall witness the miraculous talent of our lead ballerina as she walks a tightrope balancing high and low blood sugars, weight management, and the art and technique of professional ballet...all in pointe shoes no less. She will amaze you, shock you and make you laugh till your abdominals have been thoroughly exhausted. You will never know she fights hard against a difficult disease on the surface but it lies within every fiber of her being. She is painted with exquisite makeup and dressed in a sparkly tutu but underneath that tutu is a Dexcom 7 and an Onmipod keeping her alive. She is a survivor, a thriver and even a brilliant driver. You will will be filled with awe when you watch her work her magic. So ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy the show!"...thunderous applause
Ok, so if I ever had an announcer before one of my shows I hope he would be as enthused as this fellow I dreamed up. A dancer can dream right!
So hello all in the DOC (Diabetic Online Community) I have created a new blog to share my story and add a new PIC (partner in crime) to our merry band of diabetics. This is my first post as you have noticed and so I think a little introduction is in order.
Type 1 Diabetes was my Christmas present this year. I became so ill over the Christmas break that as soon as January 2011 rolled around I had a hefty diagnosis on my hands. I didn't know much about diabetes back then so I immersed myself in the DOC and found a buffet of blogs and websites to give me the information I so desperately wanted, but couldn't seem to get, from my doctors. I have learned considerable amounts of information and I think it's my turn to share my story and help others.
I was just starting my dance career in Montgomery Alabama (roll tide) at the Montgomery Ballet. My rehearsals were filled with blood sugar checks, panicked phone calls and texts to various medical professionals and me spouting swear words in the dressing rooms when ever I got a high number...which was 95% of the time. It was extremely difficult. I was immediately labeled the sick dancer in the company and lost all roles that could have existed if I were healthy. To make matters worse I sustained a severe ankle sprain that took 6 months as well as a freaking scary surgery to fix. After the injury I finished my short stint at the Montgomery Ballet and was offered an amazing opportunity with Arova Contemporary Ballet in Birmingham. So I moved to Birmingham Alabama (again, roll tide) to heal after my surgery and get back to my job of performing. As I write I am almost healed from it. I am happy to announce that I have been reconditioned and am fit to return to rehearsals next week a soloist. I am so happy to be in a company like Arova. I remember my early diabetic days when the artistic director would yell at us and I would check my blood sugar and sure enough it would be 200 plus. Stress is a nasty little thing. Arova is my family and nobody bats an eye at my pump or my dexcom in my spi-belt during class.
I also have just started working with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation chapter here in Alabama. I'm a part of their junior board and also answer to the name "envelope stuffer", "bags of hope builder" and "coffee collector". They are my diabetic family here.
So I have my dance family, my diabetic family, my real family and my online Beetus buddies. What more could a girl want? I know... a venue to over share on the internet! Ok, not crazy over sharing... I know I'll be getting a lecture from my mother if I give out my phone number, address and a list of my fears on my blog so I'll leave that out.
I'm just so excited to share the fusion of ballet and diabetes that is my life. It's been extremely difficult trying to keep both sides of my life happy and I almost quit ballet in the process but somehow I kept going. I hope you enjoy my blog now, and for years to come.
I shall make it as entertaining as my announcer...announces.
-Exit Stage Left
