Twenty-six years ago my daily routine was very stressful both at home and work. During one of my frequent business trips I decided I should go to the doctor, since the foot tall airport signs were blurry and I didn't wear glasses. The doctor took the requisite tests and the first thing he said to me was "How long have you been diabetic?" I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. I didn't recognize all the symptoms that I was displaying...frequent urination, loss of weight, blurry vision and a feeling of fatigue on a regular basis. I had always been a rigid diet person so that didn't seem difficult but everything else seemed really overwhelming. After a few weeks on my new regime I again went to the doctor. My blood sugar was now higher than when I went in for the first checkup. After more testing, it was determined I was a Type 1 diabetic! That many years ago there weren't any people in my diabetes classes that found out they were Type 1 at the age of 39. How did this happen to me? Well, I now know more about diabetes than I know about anything else, even though most people I either know or don't know feel free to tell me daily what I should or shouldn't be doing to correct my health problem. I've learned patience and that not eating that snack is okay because I will feel better. I've learned when my mother explains if I eat a certain diet I will be able to stop taking shots, to let it roll off my back. A really good day is feeling normal and I can do what it takes to get that "normal" feeling. Is it easy? No, but I've grown used to appreciating routine and the positive benefits that routine brings me. I find it comforting to see the advances medicine has made in the field of diabetes in the last twenty-six years, and I look forward to living longer than most people with my illness did twenty-six years ago.

Anonymous
Murrieta, CA