This survey has been going around the diabetes blogs I read lately so I thought Id fill one out.
1. The illness I live with is: type 1 diabetes
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: January 1985. I thought I was three but with this date it appears that I was 2. My father informed me of this when I was like 25 years old.
3. But I had symptoms since: Not too long before.
4. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: Constantly carrying a glucose monitor with me and wearing an insulin pump.
5. Most people assume: that I have not had diabetes as long as I have.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Never really knowing what my blood sugar is going to be b/c you never know what could happen during the night.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House!
8. A gadget I couldn't live without is: my glucose meter and pump.
9. The hardest part about nights are: having to wake up to check my blood sugar on nights where I eat foods that I dont know how it will affect it.
10. Each day I take some pills & vitamins: I take one for blood pressure, iron pills every other day and a vitamin D pill twice a month.
11. Regarding alternative treatments: Insulin is all I want to try as it works!
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: No illnesses!
13. Regarding working and career: Everyone at work knows I have diabetes and since I work in a hospital I feel rather safe most of the time!
14. People would be surprised to know: That this is a constant 24/7 disease where I am always thinking and counting and examining and planning on how to manage it next.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I have no memory of what life is like without this disease.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: run a half marathon.
17. The commercials about my illness: Are always about type 2 which may have the same name but is a completely different illness.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Dont know! too little to remember!
19. It was really hard to have to give up: Eating as much pizza as I once did, but not eating that much has helped my A1C level improve!
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Reading diabetic blogs.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: wow. I cant think of that b/c to me it still seems like a miracle to make happen.
22. My illness has taught me: To always be thinking.
23. One thing people say that gets under my skin is: When they know people who have had complications and assume itll happen to me.
24. But I love it when people: Ask questions that are appropriate and want to see the insulin pump.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Probably my Dad's attitude when something would go wrong diabetes wise and how he always said it was going to be okay and not to overreact.
26. When someone is diagnosed I'd like to tell them: They can have a normal life.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: It is manageable to still be healthy if you do the right things!
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: Rub my head.
29. I'm involved with Invisible Illness Week because: We need to raise more awareness to make this disease go away.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: that you wanted to learn more.
