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National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
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National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
September 14-20, 2009
My pal Crystal, over at PUMPedUP, did a post yesterday about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. She was inspired to do this list from another blogger, Rachel, so I am going to follow their lead!
30 Things About My Invisible IllnessYou May Not Know
1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 Diabetes
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1986
3. But I had symptoms since: October 1986
4. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: being and adult and really taking care of myself, not living in denial.
5. Most people assume: I did or ate something wrong to get diabetes. That and I must have been a "fat kid" so that is why I ended up with diabetes.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Waking up!
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Dr. G, it's morbid but I can't help it,LOL
8. A gadget I couldn't live without is: Blood glucose meter.
9. The hardest part about nights are: making it through the night without having a low blood sugar.
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins: 8 pills but no vitamins. Gotta love getting additional autoimmune disorders because of diabetes 
11. Regarding alternative treatments: I have not tried anything.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: That's not really a choice, no one should have an illness. But since Ineed to put an answer here, I would choose an invisible illness.
13. Regarding working and career: diabetes adds a layer of complexity just because you never get a break from it. So whether things are going smooth or stressful at work, your diabetes is there and being affected.
14. People would be surprised to know: I'm not as put together as I seem!
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: many years of denial and poor self care preceded my born again status of being a "compliant" diabetic. Letting go of the anger I felt all the time about how unfair having diabetes is was the hardest thing. Not to say that the anger doesn?t sometimes show its ugly face every now and then.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: complete my education.
17. The commercials about my illness: are so off the mark, no wonder most people don't understand diabetes! By the way, can we have a real blood sugar number on that meter please? Not the diabetes nirvana number of 103?
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: eating without thinking about what the carb count is of the food I am about to eat.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: when I was diagnosed way back in the day I was told I could not eat anything with sugar in it. There were few sugar free choices and no one carb counted back then. Needless to say I didn't really give up the candy, cakes, & cookies, I just got good at sneaking them.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: I have had lots of hobbies since age 13 so I don't have a witty comment for this one 
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: go to Orlando and go to all the theme parks, ride all the rides, eat all the junk food, and finish off the day with a fancy meal and cocktails!
22. My illness has taught me: I can do anything I put my mind to, anything!
23. One thing people say that gets under my skin is: You know, if you just stopped eating carbs and took this herbal treatment you wouldn't have to take insulin anymore.
24. But I love it when people: let me get my plate first at get togethers! I use to hate this because it made me feel like I was different or defective but now I realize I am special and I get first pick of all the goodies on the table, LOL
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy. - Albert Ellis
26. When someone is diagnosed I'd like to tell them: You are not alone, connect with others online or in your town through the ADA or JDRF. Isolating yourself makes it harder to deal with diabetes.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: How capable I am of truly managing this illness. I was also surprised how much easier it got to manage when I connected with other diabetics online and in person.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: Gaveme a long, awesome hug.
29. I'm involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I am not embarrassed by diabetes anymore and I realize that isolating ones self, does not work.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Honored, truly honored.
Be Happy,
Suzanne
Categories: Type 1, Living With Diabetes, Coping Skills
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2 Comments
#11 I'm trying to do the low-carb thing. Taking out all artifical products to see if it will lower my need for insulin, thus, lowering my resistance to insulin, thus making my control more accurate and sustained. I hope it works! Taking it slow.
#16 Live. I've looked death in the face so many times with this stupid disease and for a few years, I basically pulled myself into a fetal position and tried to "wait it out". Obviously, I've figured it out more since, but... it was REALLY hard.
#17 Abso-f-ing-lutely! That, and how about we figure out a way to protray type 1s differently than type 2s. I mean, I do a fundraiser at work, and though the type 2s dont understand the difference and end up helping me out with my walk a thons, it's sad to see that even though they're in the midst of the disease, they don't even understand the difference.
#19 Being carefree. I went through a lot of junk as a kid (as most do), but when I was diagnosed at 14, I suddenly was thrust into adulthood and responsibility, always planning for the future. Suddenly realizing that things that I do in that one moment will affect me later on down the road was a tough lesson to learn. Retnopathy is one of the complications I've faced so far.
#21 I would sleep in late (not worried about my BG schedule), go to a fine dining restaurant and try many bits of concoctions of foods (not worried about how they will effect me later), and make tons of love (not worried about if my BG will drop in the middle- or if I should get up in the middle of cuddling to have a few gulps of juice)
#23 Me too. I just want to stab them and then test their blood sugar to show them what it's like. Maybe the neck isn't necessary, but I think it will bring the point home quicker.
#24 take an interest in my disease. My older brother has recently gotten in the habit of finding magazine articles about diabetes, and then he calls me to read them to me. Most of the time I have already read the article, (I don't tell him that!) but I really love that he has taken an interest and wants to figure this out for me. He is a great support system.
#25 "Never give up. Never, never, never give up."- Winston Churchill
#26 "Yes, it sucks right now. But, it will get easier and you will be happy again."
#27 How much work it is just to live a normal life- How well I can multi-task -How much I expect of myself when everyone else is just asking me to be alive. - Perfection is not entirely possible, and that's okay.
#28 I was getting loopy, I was slurring and it came on very suddenly. I was okay one second and literally five seconds later, I was stumbling and almost incoherent. He took my hand, took charge of the situation without me having to tell him what I needed. He bought me a danish at a deserted bake shop we were nearby to (even tho I was telling him that I wanted ice cream? But there was a long line at the ice cream shoppe, so he was smart to ignore me)
He sat with me while I ate it, and rested with me for a half hour until I felt better.
#29 I'm still one of the invisible ones. If my friends flnd out about it, I won't hide it and I talk freely about it... but I'm still concerned with having Health Police around me all the time, so I don't talk about it to strangers or co-workers. Most don't understand and when I'm having a low or a high, I'm really not in the mood to explain it... so I'd rather take care of it myself and not have to worry about the added aggravation of nosy people.
#30 It's a great list.
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