I throw the covers off and stumble out of bed. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and look at my phone for the time. I check my CGM for my blood sugar level. I put on some pants and clip my insulin pump to the waist line.
You told me six years ago that we were going for a ride. I didn’t know then that the ride would never end. And for those six years, I’ve been searching for a way to get back home, but after all that I’ve experienced and all that I’ve seen, can I really go back?
Today marks my six-year anniversary with Type 1 diabetes. Six years ago at this time I was waiting in the exam room of Xavier University’s health center for results on a severe skin rash. But the results of that skin rash, among other symptoms and an out-of-control blood sugar reading, pointed to Type 1 diabetes. I was admitted to the hospital a few hours later and so began my journey with this autoimmune disease.
My anniversary coincidentally follows #IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes Day (April 22, 2015). I felt a sense of solidarity with the diabetes online community as I read through the various hashtag tweets. And I feel like my small contribution to the day evinces how I truly feel about the disease and others’ perception of it.
#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes affects my everyday; I’m just good at hiding it sometimes.
— Tracy Gnadinger (@TracyGnadinger) April 22, 2015
#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes is like taking out another student loan that never gets paid off.
— Tracy Gnadinger (@TracyGnadinger) April 22, 2015
#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes has made me a better person but that doesn’t mean it’s okay.
— Tracy Gnadinger (@TracyGnadinger) April 22, 2015
#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes wasn’t my fault.
— Tracy | T1D (@sugarcoatediab) April 22, 2015
Sugarcoated 