Have you ever had a friend or family member ask you questions about diabetes, like “What is it like to have diabetes?” or, “What is diabetes?” or, “Can’t you get rid of it?”
People have asked me these questions millions of times, but I have never had a concrete answer. Diabetes is a hard disease to explain to people who have no relation to the disease. But people keep asking questions. There is a lot of curiosity surrounding the disease – even questions that diabetics like me, do not have answers to – so I try to give others a glimpse into my life as a diabetic.
We all know that type one diabetes has no known cause, no known cure, and can only be monitored through machines like glucose monitors and pumps, and a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, these are facts that a lot of people know, and from this point, the deeper questions begin to appear.
When people ask me the ultimate question, “What’s it like to have diabetes?” I usually just tell them that it is a part of my life that I have learned to live with. Even though diabetes is usually a pain to deal with, I make sure that I monitor my levels and keep things in check in order to stay out of danger. As much as I may hate having diabetes, this is the life I was given, so I try to make the best of it.
I am glad people are curious about this disease – a chronic illness that affects millions in the United States. Explaining the disease from my perspective allows me to correct misinformation, change people’s perceptions, and involve them in the possibility of a cure in the near future. Keep the questions coming!
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