There's three types of diabetes. Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes. I don't know much about Gestational diabetes, but it occurs in pregnant women. Type 1 diabetes is where you do not produce insulin anymore. Type 2 diabetes is where you are not as receptive to insulin, and you usually don't produce enough insulin. Type 1 diabetics need to inject insulin into their bodies to maintain a healthy blood sugar, while type 2 diabetics can manage their blood sugar with diet and pills. I'm a type 1 diabetic.

I'm not exactly sure when I was diagnosed, but I think it was around early 2000. I was at my high school's MIFA theatre competition, and I was noticing that I was always thirsty and had to pee a lot. The MIFA theatre competitions are a bunch of 45 minute shows, and at the end of each one, I would run out to the bathroom to go pee. I would also need to drink a ton of water to quench my thirst. This seemed rather odd to me, but I didn't pay much attention to it, figuring it would pass and I would go back to normal. But over the next few days, I kept having to pee every hour or so, and I could never quench my thirst. I always carried a bottle of water around, and I refilled it several times a day. So I went to the doctor, and they tested my blood sugar. A normal blood sugar ranges between 80 mg/dl and 120 mg/dl. My blood sugar was around 600 mg/dl. Quite high. The doctors came back to the room and told me that they were pretty sure I had diabetes. I didn't really know what that meant, but I knew it was a bad thing. So they had me go to the hospital that night. They ran a bunch of tests and things, and they said that yes, I was a type 1 diabetic, meaning that my pancreas was no longer making insulin.

I lost a lot of weight too. Around 30 pounds or so. I had just joined the diving team, so I thought that was the reason for my weight loss, but it was just because of my diabetes. My vision also cleared up. Many people experience changes to their vision when they first become diabetic, and for about a week after my blood sugar was under control, I had nearly perfect vision. I couldn't wear my contacts because they were too strong for me. But that didn't last very long and my vision eventually went back to normal.

So I spent a couple days in the hospital, and they gave me some insulin and got my blood sugar back to normal. Then I learned some basic information about diabetes and learned how to give myself shots of insulin. They had me practice on an orange using saline solution. You give the shot in the subcutaneous fat of your body, so it's not like you're putting it directly into a vein or anything. You can inject yourself around the abdomen, the fatty parts of your arms and legs, and your buttocks. You just pinch up some fat and inject. It's not that hard really.

So I gave myself about 3 or 4 injections per day for a long while, then my doctor said I should try an insulin pen. They're like shots, but the insulin is part of everything. You screw on a needle tip, then pull the plunger out to the right place and then stick it in and press down. Then you throw out the needle tip and put the cap back on. That's a bit easier since you don't have to carry as much stuff around with you, and you don't have to keep drawing the insulin into the syringe and all that. So I used that for a few years, and it worked out pretty well.

Then about 7 years ago, I got my first insulin pump. I had been diabetic for a while, and my doctor thought I was ready for one. It's a lot easier and can keep your blood sugars in more control, so it's sort of the best way to manage diabetes. I started out with a Minimed 508 pump, and that worked fine for the time I had it. Then after 5 years, my insurance could pay for an upgrade, so it was time to replace my old pump. And boy what advances they've made to insulin pumps! I got the Deltec Cozmo about two years ago, and it has some nice features. Like being able to enter in the amount of carbohydrates you eat and it will determine the right amount of insulin to give you. On my old pump, you had to do that calculation by yourself. My new one also has a blood sugar meter right on the back, so I don't need to carry around an extra blood sugar meter, just a small vial of test strips and a device to prick your finger. Here's a picture of someone wearing an insulin pump. It's the same pump as mine, but the infusion set (the thing that goes into your body) is slightly smaller on mine.

I've only had one major problem with my diabetes. Spring of 2007 I was at college, living by myself in the school apartments, and my blood sugar went really low during the night. I remember one time when I was in high school and my blood sugar went down to 32 during class. I just left the classroom and stumbled down to the nurses office. I had a really hard time walking, and I was stumbling around a lot. One teacher even asked me if I was drunk. But I just ignored him and stubled down to the nurses office. I finally made it there and the nurse gave me some apple juice. I was very low that day, but I was awake so I could realize it and do something about it. Up at college when I got low during the night, I didn't realize I was low and I just didn't wake up. My parents called me later that day, and when I didn't answer all that day or the next, they got worried and drove up to investigate. My dad found me passed out unconscious in my bed and took me to the hospital. I woke up in a hospital bed in another city, since my college town didn't have a very good hospital. I was in a coma for about a week or so. But after several days in the hospital to make sure everything was alright, I got back to a normal life.

Now this must sound like a life changing and horrific thing to have, and it sort of is, but generally, I feel pretty normal and don't even notice that I'm diabetic. You get used to checking your blood sugar levels and counting the carbohydrates you eat and giving yourself insulin for any that you eat. It sort of becomes second nature. But I can do just about everything a normal person can, and most the time it doesn't really impact me. I just have to watch what I eat, and be mindful of my blood sugar. I guess what I'm saying is, diabetics are pretty normal people.

Anyway, this is sort of a jumbled mess of talking, but it's part of who I am and I thought I would share it, since today is a day to recognize the diabetics of the world and for all diabetics to make sure they're taking care of themselves. If you have any questions about diabetes or the deviations below, don't be afraid to ask

Here are some deviations that are related to diabetes.