This is my perspective on Type 1 diabetes. I will have been a Type 1 diabetic for 23 years in just a few months. In many ways, it's all I've ever known. My memories, pre-diabetes, are few and far between.
I have shared stories on this blog in the past about my diagnosis. I have shared tales of good days with diabetes, and bad days with diabetes.
I have shared the frustrations of many other Type 1's, as we are too often grouped in with Type 2 diabetics, and told to "exercise" or "quit eating junk foods".
In this online world, I have found others who share my triumphs, my trials, and my daily life that is constantly wrapped up in diabetes.
My greatest desire is to have a more common understanding of diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, in the media and the general public. I want people to understand that I don't have "sugar", as many people like to call it here in the south. I have an auto-immune disease known as Type 1 diabetes that will stay with me for the rest of my life, unless there is a cure.
But there are a host of other wishes I have for my diabetes, and diabetes in general:
- I wish to be able to take a job without the need to interview my employer about insurance benefits.
- I wish to be able to tell someone I have diabetes and have the look at me like I am going to die.
- I wish to be able to keep the around $120 per month that I spend on out of pocket costs for my medicine. (This does not include my insurance premiums.)
-I wish to be able to go on a trip without taking an entire carry-on bag of nothing but meds.
-I wish to be able to know that if I chose to have children, they will not have to live with this disease like I have.
- I wish for my mother and father and countless other friends and family to not have to worry about me because I live alone.
-I wish to be able to tell people that I USED to have diabetes.
So, fellow Type 1's: RAISE YOUR VOICE!
4 comments:
Amen to every thing you said, Cara! Those are my wishes, too. Great post!
Here, here, Cara. Well said!
Hi Cara,
Found your link on aiming for grace.
I read your most recent post then moved to this one.
Hit close to home for me....
1) The Job
2) The Look
3) The "cost"
4) Family, friends not worrying (I live alone also...just recently my Endo was Very concerned as I went through a rough two weeks of serious lows)
Btw, I took The Job. I finally did not look at benefits. It was a Huge risk. 9 months into it, still no insurance, I still love my job and no one could ever replace the boss I found, ever.
T1 for 23 years myself. Live and learn, trial and error life...not easy but it has not stopped me from being me. ;-)
My best to you!
This awareness day was such a great idea and I sincerely hope it was a huge success!
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