Unless you see me testing my blood sugar, fiddling with the buttons on my insulin pump, or if we are good friends, changing my infusion set, you probably wouldn't know I have a chronic disease. You would be more likely to mistake me for being really drunk than realize I was having a low blood sugar. You would probably assume my insulin pump was some weird lame-looking mp3 player. You would think I had a bit of gas and was chasing it with Tums rather than know that I was gobbling up glucose tablets to treat a low blood sugar.
"But you don't look diabetic!"So, I'm a bit late, but here's my 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know:
1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 Diabetes
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2007
3. But I had symptoms since: five or six months prior
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: um, all of it
5. Most people assume: That I'm so in control that my disease isn't really a problem.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Leaving bed.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Does this count?
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My insulin pump.
9. The hardest part about nights are: Eating a brownie too late at night which forces me to wake up at 3am to check my blood sugar.
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins: I take a multivitamin, that's it.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: Wish I could fix this with herbs.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Can't I just pick "no illness?"
13. Regarding working and career: I work a lot, and sometimes wish I had more of a career.
14. People would be surprised to know: I consider myself extremely lucky, health-wise.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: Being judged.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Shove 2 inch long needles into the softest part of my stomach!
17. The commercials about my illness: Annoy the crap out of me since 99% of them have to do with Type 2 diabetes, which is only ever referred to as "diabetes" leaving some people to worry when they see me eating cake. Brimley is awesome, though.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Wearing bikinis without any tubing coming out of me.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: Eating without thinking.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Counting carbs! I'm better than a teenage anorexic at estimating carb and calorie counts.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Walk, no, skip, no, DANCE around naked eating cake.
22. My illness has taught me: I'm much stronger than I thought.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: Can you eat that?
24. But I love it when people: Understand.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Keep on keepin' on
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Don't worry, you're in control.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: How normal being "abnormal" can feel.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Visit.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I've got one.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Grateful you care.
I wish I could give you my pancreas for a day so I could watch you dance around nude eating cake.
ReplyDeleteI love you Darlin'
oh, jess of the weeks, i'd take it away if i could.
ReplyDeletewhat if you just dance around nude covered in cake? it feels nice.
ReplyDelete