back to the list of essays and poems BACK
This is one of the contributions to:DIABETES ESSAY AND POEM COMPETITION 2009
Hello, my name is Claudia I have type 1 diabetes I have had it for nearly 2 years. I have to face it everyday. I got it when I was only 7; I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on the 1st of may 2007 (14 days before my birthday) and rushed off to the hospital. I tried to stay brave but my only question was what’s happening to me? Of course I didn’t know what diabetes was and I was confused when I heard the doctor said “I’m sorry your child has diabetes and needs to go to hospital now!” At first we thought it was a water infection not diabetes. The signs were: Needing to go to the toilet a lot, drinking a lot. In hospital all the nurses were very nice and supporting, after hospital I came back home and then I had 4 blood tests and two injections a day and after them I felt faint. But I gradually got used to it and sometimes it does hurt but I’m used to it. I face challenges through the year like the flu jab and special blood tests at clinic. My mum has to come to all my School trips and has to come before my tea at sleepovers and early before breakfast otherwise I wouldn't be able to join in because I can't do my own injections yet. It is so annoying! I’m having so much fun with my friends and then I have to do my blood test and injection! And when my mum comes to school trips, well I don’t mind my mum coming to school trips but still it feels weird being the only one of my friends that has to bring their mum. Once as a school trip (Year 5) we went to France and of course my mum had to come. We were in the middle of abseiling when we had to do my blood test because mum thought I looked wobbly! When all my friends went for tea I had to stay behind and do my blood test and injection! WILL THIS EVER STOP?!? At school it’s not that hard, I have a lot of nice supporting friends, they know all about my diabetes and my teacher is really nice. Every single morning I have to set an alarm to remember my snack time but since I’m moving up to middle school I am using a watch. I do a blood test at lunch time; I have two buddies that help me with my blood test. I try to be brave but it secretly hurts. Last summer I had a very bad hypo and the school had to call the ambulance when i collapsed and had a fit. The paramedics gave me a special injection to raise my sugar levels. That was a very scary experience for me, my teachers and especially my mum. When we go on holiday we have to get a letter from Doctor S. (my Consultant) saying that “This child has type 1 diabetes and has permission to carry needles around in her suitcase.” The thing that I don’t like out of being diabetic is having a flu jab it is horrible and I absolutely hate it and it is incredibly painful to me. I know they don’t like giving it to me but I hate it. So that’s nearly all my life of diabetes, but all I want to happen is to have a cure for diabetes.