My Story

     Hi, my name is Katie and I'm 19 years old. When I was 11, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Over the years, I have come to realize that there are no support groups or anything for teenagers or young adults who have diabetes. That is why I wanted to make a blog. I want other young adults and teens, that are living with this disease, to know they are not alone. I also want the people that don't have diabetes, to have a better understanding of what it's like to live with it and how difficult it is.

My Story:
I was in 5th grade when I started getting sick. I was about 5'5'' and weighed about 84 pounds. I was absolutely sick looking. I was always thirsty and it didn't matter how much I drank. I was still thirsty. I had headaches every day and I was even peeing the bed in the middle of the night. Even through all that, my parents and I never thought anything was wrong. During summer vacation I was still having the same symptoms but never thought anything of it. That year I started middle school. I was going to the bathroom several times during one class and I constantly needed a drink of water. In October, we had a surprise party for my Dad's 40th birthday. I was drinking  A LOT of soda that night because I was so thirsty. I drank so much I felt sick to my stomach. I finally went to my Mom and told her I wanted to go to the doctor because I thought something was wrong. We scheduled an appointment for later that week. When I went to the doctor, they checked my blood sugar. My blood sugar was so high it wouldn't read on the glucometer. I was terrified. I was immediately put in the hospital. After one night in the local hospital, I was taken to A.I. Dupont Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. During my stay, I was taught how to check my blood sugar, how to count carbs, how to give myself shots, etc. Looking back now, I would never have thought my life would be like this. I never imagined taking care of my health would be this hard or time consuming. Diabetes does not keep me from doing what I want. I just have to be extra careful with some things I do. I would never wish this on anyone but I would like to help other people that deal with this same disease.