Diabetes awareness

November is national diabetes awareness month. I figure by now most folks knows about diabetes. You know that fat person disease lazy people get from eating too much sugar. Come on, that's your first thought when you think of diabetes. I'm here to tell you that it's not mine.

I'm diabetic, and have been since I was 10 years old. I didn't have the excessive thirst that many get when diagnosed. I was just really sick the week before, and feeling really weak. I had missed school, and my mother threatened to take me to the doctor if i didn't go to school the following Monday, April 1st. Have to say at that point I didn't care, told her to take me to the doctor. A test here, a test there and sent home. By that evening we get a call from the hospital wondering why I wasn't there yet?  Say what?! Guess they said I had diabetes, and the family just figured it was going to be like type 2 with diet and pills. Nope, it was the nasty ole Type 1. Off to the hospital I got to go for a week long stay. It was so boring there. I begged for my homework from school so I could at least have something to do.  

That was over 28 years ago and well I'm still dealing with this disease. I have to say, its not as easy as just take insulin and watch what you eat. Golly, gee so many things factor into EVERYTHING I do regarding this disease. Stress, illness, activity, food, dehydration, sleep.  Normal stuff everyone deals with. But these things can swing the blood sugar pendulum all over the place. Wildy all over the place. There are times when there are just no reason what so ever that it happens. So I deal with it. Constantly looking at that little judgy meter that measures just how good of a person I had been today. Was I bad? The meter will always tell.  Stupid thing can be helpful or rather quite annoying. 

So now after all this time, little things are popping up. Like the blood vessels in my eyes are starting to show signs. They look pretty good for as long as I have been diabetic, but they are concerning. Kidneys are functioning but the wear and tear has been going on for awhile. They are functioning but compromised some what. Think it is about time to have the kidneys tested again.  But now I also have nerve issues. Not sure if that is exactly what it is, but i can get extremely achy on days when the weather changes quite abruptly. Haven't had that issue before, but the last year it has been getting worse. I also live in a climate that the weather can change every 15 minutes. So that really is quite helpful.   Plus there is also all the fatigue issues. The sugars swinging, which they do like young monkeys on a jungle gym.  Getting old and wearing out.  How much longer will I have?

Until the lord calls me home, or there is a cure. I think I will hear the calling long before a cure ever comes available.  Diabetes is a billion dollar industry, actually billions of dollars. But maybe, just maybe there is a chance that I will be free of the needles, finger sticks, glucose and tubing (insulin pump). Maybe.. but I think folks need to be more aware of what diabetes really means.  It means to constantly have your life in the control of your hands. Constantly reminded of the fact that you have this inside of you that is slowly hurting you. So slowly that you don't know it over night. It's the moss that takes years to grow up your leg, into your heart and down to the tips of your fingers.