I know I often get caught up in my head and wonder if my whole life is a dream (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this). Now add being a diabetic on top of that and I gotta say... it's a complete mess. When I sit down and think about having this chronic disease for the rest of my life, it often scares me.
But while diabetes is the worst, it has also opened up so many doors and wonderful opportunities for me, introduced me to incredible people (such as my Dr. Prakasam and Nurse Susan), as well as made me appreciate my life more.
With that said, I thought I'd go through the years and try to recall important diabetic events that have happened since my diagnosis!
2004 - I'm officially a diabetic! Oh, and I also turned three this year. Entered pre-school, met my [then] best friends Sin Claire and Zoe! Had fun, didn't really know what was going on. My parents had to start giving me shots... I cried.
2005 - Not much has changed since 2004. I'm still on the shots! My mom starts coming into my classrooms to give me shots.
My earliest memory about diabetes was one day (in 2005) it was lunch time in pre-school. I was eating at the table in the classroom with my friends and my mom has to come up and give me a shot. I used to eat a loooooooot of these wafer cracker things to treat lows when I was younger:
2006 - Yay! It's finally kindergarten! I also turned five this year.
I also graduated from pre-school this year (obviously since I said I started kindergarten).
2007 -My mom stops coming to all of my classes because I'M IN FIRST GRADE!!!!! I start just going to the school nurse instead. My school nurse during first and second grade was Nurse Victoria. Everyday I would go to her around 10 AM to check my blood sugar and she would help me decide what to bolus and she would log it down for my parents to check later on. Then, during lunch she would come to the cafeteria and help me bolus for lunch too.
Story time: One day at lunch I got school lunch with the vegatables and all and I didn't eat them all (I mean like... who does?! AND THE NURSE MADE ME EAT ALL OF THE VEGTABLES. YES. ALL OF IT. AND I MISSED RECESS AND SOME OF CLASS. I STILL GET ANGRY ABOUT THAT IF YOU COULDN'T TELL.
Also I still don't know how to spell vetables. Vegatables. Vegetables. Wait yayyy I got it finally.
Here are some more pictures from 2007!
2008 - Nothing much has happened.... I'm now a second grader!
2009 - I switch schools! I now have different nurses - I actually had three in third grade - Nurse Nga, Nurse Terry, and the other one I forgot her name... sorrrrrry!
They were all so kind! Everyday one of them would come in around 10 AM to test my blood sugar with me, and then again around 12, before lunch.
2010 - I move schools again!!!!! Here, I meet Nurse Susan!! Everyday, we would meet at lunch to go over what to bolus. But other than that, I start learning to test myself on my own. I also get a phone to text my parents.
Everyday at 10 AM, I tested my blood sugar and texted my parents what it was, what the pump wants to give, and what was on board and they would respond what to do. For any parents out there with younger diabetics this is a great solution for communication at school!
2011 - I slowly stop going to Nurse Susan for diabetic help (I still went to talk to her because she is the best Nurse!!).
2012 - FIRST YEAR AT BEARSKIN MEADOW DIABETIC CAMP!!!! (Family) What a great experience! I met so many new friends, was introduced to numerous diabetics and support!
10/10 reccomend everyone to atttend!!
2013 - It's middle school! No more nurses! On my own for the most part, occasionally texted my parents about blood sugar but I was pretty independent in terms of correcting myself, bolusing, etc.!
2014 - Bearskin Meadows Diabetic Camp for the second time, but now it's Kid's camp (no dad or brother there with me!). This was the first time I was ever really on my own. It was such a great experience being on my own! I also learned how to play EGYPTIAN WAR!!!!
2015 - HIGH SCHOOOOLLL!!! Fun fact: I actually went to two different high schools freshman year!
2016 - First year with Yes2College! I was a speaker and spoke about scholarships and financial aid!
2017 - Second year with YES2COLLEGE! I'm now the organizer! MC.
2018 - Third year with YES2COLLEGE, second year as organizer!
Diabetes has been quite a journey to say the last. Fourteen years. Wow. I am excited to see what the future has in store for me and I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such a great community with supportive parents and amazing doctors. Diabetes has opened up so many new opportunities for me and I feel fortunate to have the chance to share my journey with you all!
While I can't say I'm happy to be a diabetic, I'm glad that it doesn't hold me back and I know that one day there will be a cure with all the great minds, innovators, and thinkers out there!
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