I celebrated my first National Diabetes Awareness Month in 1990. I was twelve years old, had just started seventh grade, and was very aware of Type 1 diabetes – I’d just been diagnosed with it. Aside from the distinctive smells of insulin and alcohol swabs, I don’t remember much about the time I spent in the hospital after my diagnosis, or about those first few months at home. I do, however, remember the sense of bewilderment that accompanied my family home from the hospital, and how uncertain we were about how our lives would proceed with a chronic condition to manage. If I could go back to that November, there’s so much I would tell my younger self about the reality of living with diabetes. Unfortunately, I can’t – so I’m sharing what I’ve learned here. Don’t panic. It’s true that diabetes can (and will) infiltrate every part of your […]
