I was diagnosed with type one diabetes when I was 11 years old. I started loosing a lot of weight, thirsty all the time and was going to the bathroom a lot. The day I was diagnosed started out with a visit to the doctor. The doctor could tell i was very sick just by looking at me. When I stepped on the scale, I was only 70 pounds. Once I was admitted into the hospital, I spent four nights and five days there, one of those being in the ICU. The doctors told my parents that they were surprised I hadn't slipped into a diabetic coma. I was a lot sicker than everyone thought. On the outside I looked very skinny, but the inside I was so sick. My blood sugar was in the 900's, it's a good thing I went to the doctor when I did. I was put on Humalog and Lantus and stayed on syringes for about 2 years. Then I moved up to the pump and was on that for about 3 years. I started getting tired of the pump, I felt like I was being held back, so I got off of it and went back to injections with Novolog and Lantus and have been on them since. All of the times in the doctors offices helped me make my decision to go into the medical field. I am now a Freshman in college and majoring in Radiology. I may have been faced with diabetes but I have not let that stop me from doing everything I've wanted to do. I like to say I am a person with diabetes, not a diabetic. I may have diabetes but it's not holding me back from living up to my dreams.

Paige Hastert
Machesney Park, IL