The way I am

    Recently on Facebook, one of my second mom's who just happens to be the mom of my BFF and fellow T1D shared one of my blog posts and thanked me for being open about the disease and sharing my feelings in a humerous manner. And that got me thinking about how I got to this point, where I am freely sharing my story.

    The amazing girl pictured above is the reason. I met E when we were 7 years old in learn to skate classes, and we became fast friends. Over that summer, E was diagnosed T1D. I remember my mom explaining to me that now E had to give herself "medicine" to help her but that she was still the same friend I had always known and nothing had changed. I remember the early days when she had to wait to eat at certain times. One of my biggest memories was her excitement about getting her first insulin pump because she was able to eat snacks whenever she wanted to.
    There were some  crazy times too. Like when we were at skating competitions and sometimes E would not being feeling well. Back then I did not understand why, but now I know that it was an adrenaline induced high BG. She never let it stop her, and was an amazing competitor. Another time, E was sleeping over at my house, and announced her reservoir was low. I did not know what the heck a reservoir was, but her dad came, they refilled it, and  she was good to go. Then there was our trip to Colorado where we were so excited that insulin was accidentally left in the car and was spoiled by the hot Colorado sun. But never fear, you can get prescriptions transferred to any CVS in the US, so the problem was quickly solved and a new insulin vial was in their hands.
   So when I was diagnosed I was prepared. I had the most amazing friend sister by my side and numerous experiences to look back on and say to myself, "I can do this too". From day one, I knew a pump was in my future because I had seen first hand what an irreplaceable tool it can be. When things would go wrong at the beginning, instead of getting upset I would just think about how E would handle this situation. By her actions, she made me see that D is not a deal breaker, just a bump in the road of this crazy life. Beyond all that, she is one of the smartest, most caring, and talented people I know. I am so thankful to have her and her family in my life. I would not be where I am today without them.

Friends forever & always