When I was in 3rd grade, I had bronchitis for the first time. Shortly after my bronchitis had run its course I was losing weight, eating way too much for a 9 year old and drinking what seemed like gallons of water, (and, of course peeing all the time).
I ended up going to Disney Land with my dad and his wife for vacation, that's when my dad started to notice the amount of weight I've lost and how I couldn't seem to get enough water. When we got to my mom's house after our vacation he kinda mentioned my behavior. (He was a little familiar with the symptoms because his dad was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes not too long before all of this happened). My parents seemed concerned, but I was 9, and I wasn't. I didn't know what it was, or what it meant.
That weekend I went to my mom's dad's house and I guess she must have said something to him because he kept trying to get me to check my sugar. Uh, no thanks. Anyway, it didn't happen that night. So, in the morning, while I was still sleeping, he checked my blood sugar and I was over 300! After that, I was taken to the ER and when my mom told them why we were there, the nurses looked at us like we had 8 heads, and kinda took their time...then they checked my sugar, 489! They kinda picked up the pace after that.
It took 9 people to hold down a little girl just to put an IV in...9 people. I spent over 2 weeks in the hospital, I WAS SO BORED!
The bronchitis ended up being the culprit. Apparently it left behind a virus that attacked my pancreas and voila, Juvenile Diabetic. I'm now 22 years old and it's been tough, but there's no way I'm letting something like diabetes keep me from living my life to the fullest.
To all of you, stay strong!
-Katelyn-
MESA, AZ
