I first became acquainted with cartoonist, Haidee Merritt, on Amy Tenderich’s blog, DiabetesMine. 

Haidee is the new Sunday cartoonist in residence over there. And her weekend funnies are fantastic! 

There’s the absolute “getting it” as a girl who got type 1 diabetes at the tender age of two. And then there’s the living with it for the past 38 years.  

Haidee’s passion led to her book – One lump or two?. What began as a few doodles she says represents a lifetime of personal struggles and experiences. And they sit now here on my coffee table offering me a momentary release from the tedium of diabetes. 

Haidee said squirreling herself away to draw helps her temper her feelings about diabetes and the cartoons are a way for her to confront and accept things that are sometimes hard, and communicate with others. 

I know reading her work is a way for me to gain a reward belonging to this exclusive club – diabetes – I wouldn’t have picked for myself voluntarily.

Haidee writes in her bio, along with her artistic credentials, that her goal is to become a Celebrated Diabetic Personality, hmmmm…CDP, a new canon among the CDEs and NPs and LDs and MDs. Also, she says she has an opinion on just about everything, so just ask. Should you care to, you can contact Haidee at her website and also see more of the artist’s work. 

I told Haidee I’d rationed myself to one cartoon with each meal because each gives me such a lift I didn’t want to run out too quickly. She assured me she has enough material for book #2 and all she needs is the funding. So I’m personally appealing to anyone who appreciates the healing power of laughter and has a bit of a wad to spare to get in touch with this very talented and rising CDP.