Ten Years

This morning, ten years ago, I was headed to the diabetes educators office for my pump.  I had had my saline pump for one week, but insulin was starting on this day.  I had no idea how my body would react.  I didn’t know what my future held, but I did know that I didn’t have to eat at specific times anymore.  I never did the Lantus thing; I went from Lente & Regular to pure Humalog.  There were days it was bad, and there were days it was good.  On this day, my mother & I drove down to see my grandmother for a lunch of fried seafood.  We ate at 1:30 and normally I ate at noon.  I was SO hungry.  It was the first time I hadn’t eaten according to my schedule.

In the span of one week I went from a non-driving, living on a strict schedule diabetic teenager to a driving, no longer has to have a schedule teenager.  Talk about growing up fast.  If you had asked me then what I would be doing today, I would tell you that I would be a teacher.  I would tell you you’re crazy that I would graduate from Plymouth.  I would tell you that never in my life would I have DKA.  I would tell you that there would never be a year I didn’t go to camp.  I would tell you that my diabetes camp friends are the only ones I’ll ever need.  I would tell you lots of things.  But please don’t blame me, I was sixteen years old.

My life is immensely different than I imagined, and I wouldn’t change one bit of it.  Just look at what I’ve done in the span of 10 short years:

I spring-breaked in Puerto Rico with my best friends

I've donated my hair. Twice.

I've celebrated my Irish heritage with the best of 'em in Boston.

I graduated college.

I flew to Oregon to spend the summer with kids with T1, and then did it again.

I've interned with a Child Life Specialist

I ran a 10.5 Mile race.

I celebrated 21 years of Diabetes.

It’s been a good ten years, and here’s to another ten!