Today is World Diabetes Day

I am wearing my blue sweater and my blue RoadID band with my new Medic Alert badge.

Today is World Diabetes Day. I have had Type 1 Diabetes since 2000 at age 19. Diabetes doesn't ruin or destroy my life but it makes day to day operations different and sometimes more difficult. Low and high blood sugars can put a small or large damper on normal activity.

My Diabetes isn't the same as any one else's Diabetes, we are all so different. I can't go more than one day without a low blood sugar and some people can go two months without one. That is why we are different. One low blood sugar left unattended to can kill me. One month without insulin will kill me, if I am lucky to make it that long. We all are hoping for a cure someday and hoping to wake up one morning without taking insulin. I am not disabled, my pancreas is disabled so therefore doing the work it is suppose to can be a daunting task at times.

Controlling Diabetes isn't really something you can do, you can manage it but you cant control it. My pancreas is what is suppose to control my blood sugar. You will have highs and lows no matter what type of control you try to get. My Diabetes is always changing, it is never same from one day to the next and then you throw in hormonal monthly changes and it gets even harder. I am not asking for sympathy just understanding about Diabetes and less uneducated comments about how I should manage my Diabetes or how my Diabetes is going to make me go blind someday, I am aware of the possible complications. Telling me about your great Aunt who lost her leg doesn't help me. If you want to help me, ask me how you can help. I am doing the best I can with the tools I have available to me.

JDRF states: Despite significant advances in blood sugar (blood glucose) level monitoring and insulin therapy, people with diabetes still spend significant portions of the day with too high levels of blood glucose, placing them at risk for the development of diabetes complications. However, maintenance of normal blood glucose levels is currently unattainable with today’s tools. Thus, unfortunately within their lifetime, people with diabetes remain at risk for developing diabetes complications.

This is why we as Type 1 Diabetics are really looking for better treatments or a cure and want the world to know that sometimes no matter how hard we try we still end up with complications and the judgmental words and stares don't really do us much good.