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This is one of the contributions to:DIABETES ESSAY AND POEM COMPETITION 2010
When you think of diabetes, what springs to mind?
I’ll tell you now it is awful, as you have probably heard from others. But concentrating on those awful factors relating to diabetes; injections, testing you blood, eating what food and when doesn’t really do anything, doesn’t achieve anything. There has to be some good- or something not as bad, mustn’t there? No, I’ll be completely honest, there doesn’t seem to be anything positive that comes out of diabetes apart from the insulin injections which seem to make me feel better than before.
But when I think that my mind seems to trail back to that ever lingering thought- why me in the first place?
However writing something that elaborates on how awful diabetes is simply makes me feel worse- as does reading pieces to a similar effect. Therefore I have decided to write about what diabetes is not stopping me to do. I won’t write about its positives- because to me there are none. I’m not a pessimist, in fact I feel quite optimistic in these circumstances knowing diabetes is another obstacle that I need to get around. It won’t stop me doing anything- and thinking this, believing this, will surely bring me hope.
I swim almost every day in intense training sessions, what will change? Nothing. Because I will simply adjust my insulin to my needs, sure it will be hard at first but there really is nothing I can do to change it. In fact, it may improve my performance and help me achieve more and gain more out of the sessions. Being able to work at the level I am working at now with diabetes is what I am going to do; being able to work above that level is my aim. And in all honesty- I feel that an aim is easy, with the average amount of work any other person would have to put in.
So you see I am not fazed or depressed because of diabetes, I am simply a little sad. Sad that this has happened to me and sad that it may mean big changes for me and my family. But I will shortly adjust, no- I have adjusted and with that adjustment comes my new life. A life with diabetes, and I’m sure in time I will know no other. In fact, I may grow to like it... You never know what diabetes may bring, as I’m sure a lot of you know.