The Longest Swim

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This post is brought to you by The Longest Swim. Please note that as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

I consider myself to have a very close relationship with my parents. I was also very close with my Grandma, my Mom’s Mom, when she was alive. I have mentioned before in the past to people that one of the reasons I decided to have Lap band surgery back in 2009 was because I did not want to continue the trend that was building. The trend I am referring to was the issue of me developing the health issues that my Mom suffered, and in some cases that my Grandma suffered also. Diabetes was one of those issues that both women shared.

I am more familiar than some with diabetes. I learned how to give insulin shots early, after my Grandma had to have her leg amputated due to gangrene caused by her diabetes. I learned how to test blood sugar. They are hard lessons for the young to learn, but so important when someone you care for has diabetes. To date I have escaped a diabetes diagnosis, despite my morbidly obese pre-surgical weight of 374 pounds. Doctors were always surprised when I didn’t test positive. So was I. I didn’t want that diagnosis. I still don’t want that diagnosis. They still test to be safe. Better safe then sorry. Along with myself I worry that one or both of my boys will develop the disease.

A lot of people have heard about diabetes but don’t know much about it. People generalize that it’s a “blood sugar thing”, but many don’t know some of the things that can happen. Seizures for example. Some diabetics can have seizures.  If you don’t know what a diabetic seizure can look like, or how quietly and quickly it can come on, you should check out the new movie The Longest Swim.

Before you start to wonder if The Longest Swim is a boring medical documentary, I can promise you that it isn’t.

The Longest Swim follows two friends, Ben and Matt. Ben has recently been diagnosed with Diabetes and his friend Matt hasn’t really been there for him. While vacationing at a Vermont lake house, Matt is awakened by loud piercing screams and groans coming from Ben’s bedroom. He discovers his best friend Ben: convulsing, shaking, gagging… His legs straight and stiff like a statue, his arms flailing, fists clenched; foam bubbling from his lips. Ben is experiencing a very dangerous diabetic seizure and it is up to Matt to save his best friend’s life. No phone, no hospital within 30 miles, and the closest inhabited house is the one directly across the lake. Matt’s only option to save his best friend is to swim The Longest Swim…

I watched the movie with the hubby. We both enjoyed it. The family-friendly movie is actually quite heart-warming, and is just as much about a long-term friendship as it is the impact diabetes can have on one’s life. The movie has a number of flashbacks, to help you understand how the characters developed to who they are today. As young adults (present day) Ben and Matt are best friends. But when they were kids, one actually met the other after being bullied by him. Imagine becoming best friends with your bully! Basically as a boy his Mom taught him that old adage “kill em with kindness”.

Through the years the two boys grow and become closer and closer, spending summers at a lake house in Vermont. It’s during the first summer that the legend of “The Longest Swim” is shared with the audience. You come to learn why one boy was a bully. It’s ironic that a victim of bullying could actually be the one to make a positive difference in the life of the bully. In the late teen or college age years a rift is put into their friendship when a new girl moves to the lake community one summer. The legend of “The Longest Swim” is still going, but has adapted slightly with the age of the boys. You might wonder if the boys’ friendship will remain intact. Somehow it does, but it’s different. During present day the two best friends have drifted apart. They return to the lake house of their younger years to unwind and try to reconnect. When the two meet up with the girl from the past things don’t really look any better. And yet, when Ben starts having diabetic seizures after a late night of partying, Matt is the only one able to attempt taking action to save him. There is no phone at the house. There is no car. There are no neighbors. He must face his fears, his memories and the legend and take “the longest swim.”

Will Matt survive the swim? Will Ben survive the diabetic seizures? You’ll have to watch to see. I can tell you the story and the ending do not disappoint. The movie has lots of great moments ranging from comedic to dramatic to sad to inspiring. It also provides a small insight into what life is like when you live with someone with diabetes, and how important it is to be aware of their disease and actions to take.

Here’s the trailer for the movie.

The movie The Longest Swim is available to buy on Amazon and at Best Buy

Do you know anyone whose life has been impacted by diabetes?