November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

Hey Everyone and thank you for taking the time to read this post as I know life can be hectic. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and I wanted to write up some Diabetes realated posts this month. After seeing @ddrfr33k raise money for Extra Life. (Go show him some love) I really wanted to do something to gain awareness for my cause as well.

After speaking with my Diabuddy @Impaulius we both have decided to donate all of our earnings this month to Diabetes. Not sure just yet where I will be sending my earnings but I want to choose an organization that is not only helping to find a cure but also helping fellow diabetics like myself who might not have the resources that I do.

So for my first post I would like to just talk for a little bit about my diabetes journey. I have been a diabetic now for 24 years, type 1 to be exact and there is a difference! This post is not going to be educational per say so stop right now and go google diabetes and look up the difference between type 1 and type 2.

At a young age I had to grow up in ways very quickly. At the age of 4 my world would change forever but I think I am lucky that I could not remember what not having diabetes was like...that's not the case for some. I became very independent at a young age so that I could function daily activities without having my mother or father tag along to check my blood sugar or give me an insulin injection. I started checking my glucose levels at the age of 5 and shortly after was able to give my own insulin shots on my own. Some of my very favorite memories was going to diabetes camp with other kids that were just like me for a week every summer and that's where I joined the belly club to finally be able to give a insulin shot in my stomach (for some reason it was terrifying for me as a child)

I was on insulin shot injections until middle school. When I was in 7th grade I got my first insulin pump and I loved it. It worked out great for me for many years until college when it didn't. My doctor seen that I needed a break from the insulin pump for a while. I would basically let my pump do all the work and I just did not focus on my diabetes much at all. Pumps are great machines but they are not meant to babysit you all the time, there does require some effort on your part as well and I was just not doing that. Taking a pump vacation did not go well for me and I was hospitalized shortly after my doctor made that decision and I went back to pump therapy for a few more years.

I started just hating my insulin pump. All of the cords and the constant beeping and having it attached to me at all times. Certain clothing would be a no go with my pump. I would try to put it in my waste band and it would fall down and jerk out of my stomach or my tubing would get caught on the handle of a drawer and rip out my pump site. After years it was just wearing on me and it was a prime time in my life....COLLEGE. After getting staph infection in my pump site on my leg and having MRSA to having my pump malfunction on me in the middle of the night and waking up feeling like DEATH. I made the call to switch to insulin injections again.

After being on pump therapy for many years it was an adjustment and honestly I am just now getting my body use to taking injections again. That is the tricky part about diabetes it's an ever changing maze and finding the perfect doses and diet are all a work in progress everyday. It doesn't help that I have insulin resistance either...I will be making a more updated post soon going over my current struggles soon and what my victories and failures lately have been.

Please comment if you have any questions I am an open book and would love to find some new diabuddies and also if you just are curious I would love to engage with you! Please help me get these posts out there by resteeming if you feel anyone in your circle may be interested in helping us give back to the cause. Again please check out @Impaulius posts as he is donating his earnings this month as well! He has some great content and is a great all around guy!