I'm coming up on 16 years here pretty soon of being a diabetic and my family and I usually celebrate the date. It became somewhat of a tradition for us since I was so young when I was diagnosed, my parents tried to put a positive spin on me having diabetes. As I've grown up, we keep the tradition out of habit and still get together every May. We do the normal family stuff: have dinner, eat some cake, and just observe the signifigance of how much changed when I was diagnosed. Does anyone else "celebrate" when they were diagnosed? Or observe the date in anyway?
nope.
my mom doesn't remember what date i was dx and my endo's office apparently doesn't have that date in my file either..so it would take waaay to much research to find out. All i know is that it was a few weeks after my birthday (early October) but before December, so most likely early November.
my family moved on and we just dealt with it. (I was 6)
my mom was, and still is, really big on not making my diabetes a big deal in our family so i was raised to not really think about that kind of stuff. i was raised to believe "i have diabetes, diabetes doesn't have me" so doing something special on that date or acknowledging it at all every year, doesn't really fit into that idea for me.
I am not sure of the exact date I was diagnosed and it was 30 years ago so I don't celebrate. however, my daughter was diagnosed on May 13, 2008 and we do celebrate it. We get cupcakes and make a big happy deal out of it. She is only 6 so I figure if I keep it upbeat now maybe later on she won't let it get her down. She is already planning on bringing cupcakes to school this year to share with her friends for Diaversary as we call it.
I was diagnosed in November of 1986....don't remember the exact date....don't want to really. I remember having to spend an entire week in the hospital, away from school and away from friends....and being really scared. Don't want to really remember that.
This is very interesting to me. I was just diagnosed last October as type 1 at 29 years old. I never thought of celebrating the date, but it may be something that I could do for my 6 year old. I think he worries about my diabetes and is very concerned with everything. He draws pictures about it at school and he talks about carbs. So if we celebrate it maybe it will ease his mind. hmmm thanks! :)
I celebrate survival of diabetes rather than getting the disease. One of my diabetic friends and I call it "Life Day," wishing each other a happy Life Day when it rolls around. My Life Day falls on tax day, April 15th, so there is no way I will ever forget when it is, ha!
I think it's important that we commemorate our survival of this constant battle called diabetes. I celebrate in my own ways, by telling my family and friends the significance of the day for me, and enjoying their support (and welcoming presents, always).
Allison
I was diagnosed type 1 on Feb 3rd of this year, 2 weeks before my 30th birthday. It's been quite an experience, and i'm still coming to terms with it. I'm sure I won't forget the date, but not sure if I plan to commemorate it each year. That could be a good idea, though.
Tony
Well my date is a couple days before my birthday but I dont know the exact date. I don't do anything specific for it though. I spent my 20th bday DKA in the ICU so it wasnt exactly a happy time.
I was diagnosed Feb 7, 1992 and every year my Mom and I would celebrate it (if you want to call it "celebration") by saying "Happy _ Anniversary!". And it never failed that I would either forget to test that day or I'd forget a shot. Never failed, for years! And through the years, there has always seemed to be something that comes up on that date. This year, I had reconstructive surgery on my foot. Oh how I loathe that date!
I was diagnosed Nov,4 1994. I will never forget the date but we never celebrated it. The only thing special about it was my father thanking me for the lovely medical bills for his birthday since the anniversary was a day after his birthday. always thought of it as a glum day. thanks for the idea, maybe my husband and I will start a new tradition
It will be 27 years for me in June. I don't do anything special.
I just celebrated my 13 year anniversary. I was diagnosed on April 11, 1998 when I was 11. At first I celebrated with my friends and we would just go to the movies or to dinner. The last couple years though it just happend that the JDRF walk fell on or around my anniversary so I got to celebrate by walking to find a cure. I never meant to start a tradition of celebrating the day I was diagnosed...it just kinda happend. But I'm glad I did. It reminds me of how far I've come, how many advances have been made, how much I have changed and reminds be to be grateful that I got to celebrate another year.
I don't remember the date, I just know I was in first grade~ 37 years ago!
I do not celebrate sad events. I accept and live a good life, but after 39 years... I can only think that I am grateful to not have too many complications.
I've been diagnosed more than 15 years now. I almost never talk about my diabetes with my immediate family. (Very Catholic, and you just suck it up and don't complain.) My partner is VERY supportive and encourages me to make that day special.
I always make sure that I take the day off. I usually try to plan a vacation around it. I try to do good things for myself like get a massage, have a special dinner, or have something sweet (with carb count and appropriate insulin dosage).
I celebrate my 'diaversary' quietly with my family. My date is November 30 but it is bittersweet since it is close to Thanksgiving.
Today is my Diaversary!! 4 years strong :)
I've never really celebrated mine, but I'm thinking I want to start.
I remember my father's he was diagnosed March 27th, 1986, two weeks after I was born. So it makes me think of my parents more because they gave me life. My father passed away 2 years, 1 month and 6 days before I was diagnosed on September 17th, 1999. So for me I go fly a kite, or something fun.
I was diagnosed just over a month ago. 4-26-11 at the age of 43. I think I will plan a nice outing with my wife and kids 4-26-12 to say thinks for the support they've giving me :)