If You Were Able to Come Face to Face with Diabetes, What Would You Say?

Go ahead. Vent your frustrations. Share how you persevere in the face of the everyday struggles of having diabetes.

Hello Type 1. When we met in 1964, you were introduced to this 2 year old as Juvenile Diabetes. My then 7 year old brother said I had “diet beetles”. You introduced me to peeing in a potty, with the 7 year old brother being tasked with using a dropper to put pee in a test tube, my 9 year old sister dropping in the clinitab, all under the supervision of our then 10 year old brother. My mom and I used the term “shocky” to alert to feeling like my sugar was low. T1, we grew up together, and I don’t recall a time you weren’t with me. As a teen I confess I didn’t pay much attention to you, and paid the price with a bout of DKA.

With age comes wisdom, so we continued our journey. You determined if and when I could have a baby - my soon to be 28 year old son is proof we did well. I sometimes wonder why you decided to move in but since I can’t evict you, I set some roommate rules: we share the same living space so don’t be an asshole. I try to be the best landlord but sometimes you are the worst tenant. You break a lot of the rules I set, and I have to remind myself that sometimes even with my rules you’re still going to throw raves. So until I can serve you with an eviction notice, please try harder, as it’s disheartening when I set and follow the rules you still break them.