Diabetes – a personal story
I have lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 27 years now - and it hasn't always
been an easy journey. Today I live a healthly, fulfilling and balanced life with
diabetes, and I dare say I have done so for many years, but it hasn't always
been an easy thing. Being a student with diabetes is tough. Anytime you need to
raise your hand and say that you are different, leave a class because you are
experiencing low blood sugar caused by hypoglycemia, have to urinate four times
in an hour because of a high blood sugar, it stinks. The first date - starting
to sweat profusely, even when it isn't hot outside because of your diabetes, it
isn't always so fun. With that said, the truth is, those events were few and far
between. Diabetes never stopped me from travelling the world as an exchange
student in university (I was in Durban South Africa for a year), competing in
some of the toughest endurance races (the longest cross country ski race in the
world, Vassalopet).
So what are my top 7 pieces of advice for students living with diabetes (in no
particular order):
- Remember that diabetes can't stop you from doing anything - besides eating
poorly. Just find a way to achieve your goals.
- Get active - people with diabetes especially benefit from exercise and sport.
It will teach you how to control your diabetes better and prove to yourself that
you can manage it.
- Tell your teachers and closest friends about your diabetes early - they need
to know what to do in case you ever have any problems
- Test your blood sugar a lot.
- Be prepared- have your blood sugar meter and something to eat with you. There
is nothing worse than being unprepared for a hypo.
- Take pride in the fact that well controlled diabetes means you likely live a
healthier lifestyle than most of your friends who don't eat well and don't
exercise.
- Allow yourself to live a little sometimes.
Note on me:
Having successfully managed 27 years with diabetes from Kindergarten through
gaining a Master’s degree, John is not fully immersed in helping other people
with diabetes live a healthier, safer life with diabetes through Timesulin (http://timesulin.com).
Timesulin is a timer enabled replacement cap for insulin pens, that helps people
with diabetes avoid the anxiety faced by not remembering if they took their
insulin and the associated dreaded risk of a double dose. Read more about what
John and the Timesulin team is doing at
http://timesulin.com/blog
This is article is kindly donated by
Timesulin
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This article published on
18 July 2013
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