Pros of Being Diabetic!!

Throughout life, we go through many experiences and challenges. Some are good, others are unfortunately bad. And the select few are awful. Today, I thought I'd write a blog about the pros of my awful experience - diabetes.

On my blog, I write a lot about tips on how to improve diabetes and make your life easier, tell my stories, post some random-nothing-to-do-with-diabetes-pictures, or just give a shpill (never really figured out how that word is spelled...).

However, since it's DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH, I decided there's no better time to write something a little different and tell the readers of my blog what the pros of being diabetic are, at least for me! Enjoy!!

1. The cliché... the people you meet!
This is an overused, cliché reason, however important to specify - the people you meet as a diabetic are the best!! You are able to connect with them on so many levels and you share many of the same values and interests - for example, whenever my A1C goes down or something exciting, diabetic related happens to me, I tell my friend Mia about it.

My friend Mia!

Also, my endocrinologist, who I have known for 13 years, is basically like family to me. I see him every three months for my diabetic checkup and truthfully, the majority of the appointment, we just talk about what's going on, school, family, etc. and cram diabetes in the last five minutes.

Dr. Prakrasam and me at Yes2College

Diabetics care for one another and understand what everyone is going through. It's a tight-knit (or is the saying "close-knit"? I never know..) community and I am honored to be part of it!

First time I went to Diabetes Camp (Bearskin Meadows)

2. You gain a lot of responsibility
As a diabetic since my toddler days, I noticed that I was often more mature and responsible than my peers. Not to say that I was better or more knowledgeable than them, but when it came to learning to remember things and take care of myself, I was usually more on top of it... because I had to!

By forgetting my test kit at home, or a bottle of tablets, that could result in serious, possibly deadly situations. Being a diabetic, I quickly learned to be more responsible.

3. Food! Perks! Parks!
This is going to seem like such a small pro on the big picture of diabetes, but another advantage of being diabetic is the fact that I get to bring food and water with me whenever I go!

Disneyland!

Four years ago!

For example, most movie theatres and parks (Disneyland, state fair, etc.) don't let you bring in outside food or drinks/water. However, as a diabetic I need it so they legally have to let me! Which means I don't have to spend $10 bucks on a bottle of water when I can bring it in myself (:.

4. You have something you can educate people on and be passionate about.
If you couldn't tell already, I'm pretty into teaching others about diabetes and spreading awareness. If I wasn't a diabetic, I don't know if I would be as passionate about something as I am about diabetes.

Diabetes plays a large role in the person I am today and the person I want to be in the future. I'd like to be a lawyer possibly, or someone who works to make laws or decisions, the government or state so that others can have a better life. Diabetes has helped me reach that decision because of how I suffer and I don't want others to have to with anything either!

5. It's kind of cool if you think about it.
I've always thought that diabetics are kind of like doctors in training... Let me explain..

I test my blood sugar, put on Pump sites, Dexcoms, change reservoirs, etc. basically all my life and if you calculate all of that:

• Shots: four times per day, for the first three years of me being diabetic: 4 (number of times per day) x 1095 (number of days for three years) = 3285 shots
• Pump sites: two and a half times per week, for the last ten years: 2.5 (number of times per week) x 520 (number of weeks for ten years) = 1300 pump site changes
• DexCom insertion: one time per week, for the last two years: 1 (number of times per week) x 104 (number of weeks per two years) = 104 DexCom insertions

Pricking my finger: so I'm gonna spread this out between the years because it has drastically changed...:

• First three years: my parents probably tested my blood sugar an average of five to six times per day for the first three years of me being diagnosed: 6 (number of time per day) x 1095 (number of days in three years) = 6570
• Years three to six: I lowered it down to about four times per day: 4 x 1095 = 4830
• Years six to ten: about three times per day, breakfast lunch and dinner: 3 x 1460 (number of days per four years) = 4380
• Years ten to thirteen: I've only been testing about two times on average for the past couple years probably: 2 x 1095 = 2190

So if you add everything up, I have had...

• 3285 shots
• 1300 pump site changes
• 104 DexCom insertions
• 2190 finger pricks!!

And these are all super conservative numbers because I usually have to do more than what I listed above! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it's just kind of crazy what I have done as a diabetic and cool to think about!

I hope you enjoyed my post and happy diabetes awareness month!!