I became diabetic (don't really like the word) at the end of the summer of year 6 so that would have been August 2002. We had been on holiday in Cornwall when it became apparent that something was wrong with my health. My dad also has the condition so it was obvious what it was but I didn't want to accept that. I just kept thinking I would be fine in a week and tried to ignore it. We got back from holiday and found some sticks to do a urine test on so we could see how much sugar was in me. Obviously I didn't want to do one. And then, in what felt like a big rush, the doctor came round and I was off to hospital. I was crying. I don't think I stopped for a while. Needles were also a big fear of mine so I was just thinking this was the end of 'happy time' for me. Hospital wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience. Having needles shoved in me wasn't my idea of fun, especially with my phobia. At one point I had to be held down... The thought of having to do injections for what could be the rest of my life was crushing. Not to mention having to regularly visit the hospital and be different from all of my friends.

The above was the one of the small parts of my life that I like to try to forget. Now I am happy happy happy. To be honest I forget most of the time that I have it (still don't like that word though) . The main thing that pisses me off is other people worrying the whole time. It really isn't that bad. I hate reading articles about people who think that it is great that someone did something, for example ran a race, even though they have the condition. I don't think it's a big deal. I mean congratulations on doing the race but does it really need to be mentioned that that person has that small irritating thing? That is all it is. IRRITATING. It would be less annoying if people did not fuss so much. Fussing just means talking about it and that is one of the things I try to avoid. If I have a high sugar then I just think 'Oh well' and that's it. I quietly put in a few extra units of insulin and bob's your uncle my sugar level is fine again. Easy. You may be thinking 'Her sugar levels must be up and down all the time'. Well I can assure you that they aren't. I'm not the type to brag but my average readings every 3 months have always been around 6. I think that's good enough proof that your life does not have to revolve around it. All it is is a thing that you just have to deal with. Sometimes you do need to think a little bit longer about eating than others but that's it.

Eating is another thing that annoys me. When I say 'eating' I mean when people say 'Oh, you're diabetic, you can't have chocolate'. That's a load of poo. I eat whatever I want. If I want more food then I just put in more insulin. Simple. Not exactly difficult. Maybe I will appear in one of those articles one day... "Golly gosh this girl ate chocolate AND she's diabetic". When I get to know someone new I love telling them that I do 4 injections a day. The look on their faces is just priceless. I don't think that doing 4 injections is a painful ordeal anymore but it's fun to see people's reactions. It's even funnier when I tell them that it doesn't hurt. They seem to think that I'm some kind of walking legend.

My general attitude towards the condition is that it's a pain and I would rather not have it but I know that if I do not treat it properly then it will bring along more problems later in life, for example when my dad was younger he did not receive the correct treatment and one year ago he had to have a kidney transplant due to long term damage. That is something that I do not want to have to go through so I look after myself by injecting when I want to eat. I know that parents worry about their child that has the condition but worrying does not get you anywhere. You might as well let us kids and teenagers get on with things ourselves because we know best about how we feel. The point that I am trying to get across is that (oh dear, I think I'm going to have to say it) diabetes is not a condition that stops you from doing anything. Like actually nothing. Yes, some things have to be adjusted, for example giving yourself injections, but let's face it; it does look impressive to those sitting at the dinner table next to you. And if someone says 'It's not a meal time therefore you cannot eat' then I like to prove them wrong and bring out the injection, impress them with the old 'injection trick' and eat away. You only live once so why not enjoy it? I'm not saying I think people should rebel and forget about it completely, I am just saying it's easier to take control of your own life. If someone were to describe who I was then I know that the first thing that would come to their minds would be 'She's insane and happy' and not 'Oh yes, she's that diabetic one'. The reason why the condition is not the first thing people use to define me is because I don't moan about it all the time, I just get on with it. I like to live life in the fast lane and really enjoy it. The condition is just in the background and not something that is always on my mind. Easy.