Today marks 15 years since I was diagnosed with diabetes. During those 15 years I’ve gone from MDI to a pump back to MDI back to a pump. Here are a few interesting stats I’ve come up with…(yay, math!):
- Today is my 5480th day with diabetes.
- For the 26 total months I used MDI, that means I’ve given myself at least 3200 injections. Don’t you dare complain to me about your yearly flu shot! 🙂
- Assuming I check my blood sugar an average of 8 times a day, that is 43,840 finger sticks. (Who wants to treat me to a manicure?)
- I’ve gotten blood drawn for A1c Tests, thyroid monitoring, etc. about 60 times. And it hasn’t gotten easier.
- I’ve changed my pump site approximately 1550 times. I still suck at doing it left-handed.
- Zero. That’s the number of times I’ve clobbered someone after they have made an uneducated, rude, ignorant comment about diabetes. Do I get a prize for this?
Fifteen years. That’s a long time. That’s longer than most Hollywood marriages. It’s been a hell of a ride with this whole diabetes thing. It’s made me a stronger woman, more compassionate towards others, more patient, some days a little angry and blue, but mostly, I’ve just been me. I don’t know any different and I think if you told me that there was a cure and I’d be able to live life free of a pump, finger sticks, and worrying about how that food/exercise/adult beverage/sleeping in will affect my blood sugar, it’d be an interesting adjustment period. One that I would welcome, of course, but it’s hard to grasp the concept of a life without diabetes! Could you imagine? It has been such a big part of who I am, but not all that I am. I am also a friend, a sister, wife, daughter, kickboxer when I’m not lazy, wine lover, cartographer, blogger, Phillies fan, pasta eater, aunt, volunteer, beer drinker, (Volunteer beer drinker? Sign me up!), Homeland watcher, employee, baker…I am not just a diabetic. I am Laura. There’s so much more to me than diabetes.
a1-Conceive! 