Thirty-three years ago today, my mother took me to the doctor’s office thinking that I had the flu. I had been home from school sick for 3 days and was not getting better. One look from our family physician and we were sent immediately to the ER. Within an hour my parents were told I had Type 1 diabetes. Something they knew nothing about, we had no family history of this disease. I was admitted to the ICU, where I was in a coma for the next 3 days. I was 9 years old and from that moment my life was changed forever. I do not remember a lot of my hospitalization, but there are bits and pieces. I remember one amazing nurse who inspired me to go into nursing when I grew up. I don’t remember her name but I remember how she made me feel, that it would all be okay. I remember I could not leave the hospital until I had given myself my own injection of insulin. The orange was easy, my stomach, however, not so much. I remember sitting there, holding the needle almost against my skin, wishing I could just bring myself to push it in, so I could go home. I remember getting cards from my 4th grade classmates, wishing me well and hoping I would come back to school soon. And I especially remember the terror of going back to school because I was now different from everyone else. Would they all treat me differently? I had no idea in my little 9 year old brain, how truly different my life would be. Fear, was the number one feeling I went home with.
Over the years, I have had so many struggles. I am thankful that I have an amazing family, who is very supportive of me. My mom was always my biggest cheerleader. Every year on December 7th, no matter where I was she would bring me a cake and a card and balloons to celebrate another year of living with diabetes. I am sure it sounds morbid to some people, I mean who celebrates a chronic illness right? It was not the celebration of the disease, but the celebration that another year had come and gone and I was still here!
Today is my 33 year diaversary (that is correct, there is now a name for a diabetes anniversary) and what can I say? I am still here, I am still alive and still going strong. I am a little older, but a lot wiser. I have grown. I have educated myself and I am standing tall. I have chosen to not let diabetes own me, instead, I chose to own it. We all have the power inside of us, to fight this battle every day. We can learn to keep getting up whenever we get knocked down (which will most likely be at least once a day). Diabetes is to me, not a curse, but a blessing. I believe that I was given this disease, so I could help others deal with their diabetes. To be like that nurse 33 years ago who let me know, during the scariest time of my life, that I could do this. Diabetes is my passion, it is my life, every second of every day, diabetes is my constant companion. I am starting this blog and this website to help other patients with Type 1 diabetes learn to live with it. To embrace your diabetes and to let it make you better, stronger and more amazing.