One More

I was told at the tender age of five that there would be cure for diabetes by the time I was sixteen. It left me hoping that I would eventually get rid of this tumultuous disease. I've been asked many times, "What would you do without diabetes?" The weird thing is that I have never said, "I would be ecstatic," or "It would be the best day of my life." Instead I have always answered along he lines of this statement, "I don't know." And that is the truth about it. I don't know what I would do without this disease.

Diabetes is a constant part of my life, and I cannot ever see it going away. When I wake up, I check my CGM and test my blood. What would be my morning ritual like without these crucial steps for my well being? I go to school and when I eat lunch, I test my blood before lunch. (Or sometimes in the middle if I forgot...) How would I eat lunch without automatically counting carbs and trying to remember what I ate? And after lunch, I am always greeted by the slightly annoying beep of my CGM telling me that my blood sugar is above 200. What would I do if I never heard that bothersome, but reassuring beep of the device that monitors my blood sugar at all time? And what about bedtime, when I am always nagging myself to check before I fall asleep. I may forget earlier in the evening, but I can guarantee that every night, I will remind myself to check my blood sugar. What would I do when that nagging feeling takes over?

And what about all of the experiences I have had because of this condition? Diabetes caused me to go to Camp Kudzu, one of the best places I could ever go to. Camp is one of those places that makes being diabetic completely normal, while the few non-diabetic counselors are the weird. (Weird in a totally fun and affectionate way, of course.) Diabetes has also introduced me to blogging on this very website and a plethora of supportive friends in the diabetic online community. Diabetes has showed me that social media can be a great way to get my thoughts out, and a way to connect to people similar to me in many ways!

A cure for diabetes would be wonderful, but I don't think I would be one of the first people to get in line for the cure. Diabetes affects me in my daily life and has introduced me to so many amazing places and people. Without this permanent condition, I have no idea about how I would live without it. Diabetes has been with me since the beginning of 2004, and it is still with me in the year 2013. It has been in my genes since the day I was born. (These genes are said to be on chromosomes 6, 7, 11, and possibly more.) Diabetes has and will always be with me for over half (64% at the moment) of my life. Diabetes and I have survived the Mayan "apacolypse," middle school, and we are almost finished with my freshman year of high school. We have been to Camp Kudzu for six years, and we plan to become counselors in training, then counselors at Camp Kudzu. Diabetes has been with me since before I can remember, and even if there was a chance of getting rid of it, I don't know if I would; luckily, I still have one more year to decide.