So I missed Invisible Illness Week, but I still wanted to contribute my own “story” for the cause.  So here it goes …….. 

1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 diabetes.

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1981.

3. But I had symptoms since: Probably not too long before I was diagnosed.

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: I don’t really recall any adjustments. I was only 5 so I don’t remember life before having diabetes.

5. Most people assume: That I have the “bad” type of diabetes. To quote one of my D friends, type 1 is the “best” type 🙂

6. The hardest part about mornings are: Getting up 😉

7. My favorite medical TV show is: Grey’s Anatomy or House.

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: Do I have to pick just one? I literally probably couldn’t live without my glucose meter however I really wouldn’t want to live without my insulin pump or my Dexcom continuous glucose monitor. Those two gadgets have kept my diabetes in check better than anything else in the past 29 years.

9. The hardest part about nights are: Worrying about low blood glucose levels that could be fatal.

10. Each day I take _6_ pills & vitamins.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: Tend not to believe a word of any of it.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Neither please.

13. Regarding working and career: I have had a very successful career so far. Sometimes, as I’m getting older though, it can very quite tiring.

14. People would be surprised to know: I didn’t always take care of my diabetes the way I should have. (or maybe you’re not surprised?)

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: I can’t really answer this since diabetes isn’t new at all to me.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Anything I’ve ever done.

17. The commercials about my illness: Usually make me chuckle. The portrayal of diabetes is usually very far off from reality.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Hmm. Not being diabetic?

19. It was really hard to have to give up: Again, I don’t remember life before diabetes so I can’t recall having to give up anything.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Being a diabetes advocate.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Want it to last forever and ever.

22. My illness has taught me: Strength and positivity.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: Can you eat that? Please don’t ever ask me that question.

24. But I love it when people: Ask me about diabetes – what it is and how it is managed, etc.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: When live gives you one hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have one thousand reasons to smile.

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It can be hard but I’ve been doing it for almost 30 years and I’m still here and thriving 🙂

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: The lack of knowledge that people have about it.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Get me something to drink or eat when I was low.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: There are so many invisible illnesses that people live with yet outsiders have no idea what they are like. People may have it harder than is shown on the outside.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Accomplished. I hope I’ve taught a thing or two.