Sick and Pretty

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m planning on trying to get myself through all of the Diabetes Blog Week prompts as a way to jumpstart my brain into blogging mode, because otherwise, I’m so insanely busy all the time that I think I will leave this poor little blog to wither and die.  “But why are you so insanely busy?  Don’t glamorous diabetes bloggesses sit around eating sugar-free bonbons and accidentally bleeding on things?”  Well, imaginary conversation partner, sugar-free bonbons are generally pretty terrible, and I think you’ve just illustrated the necessity of an introductory post!  Maybe I’ll eventually be motivated enough to turn this into some sort of “About” page.

Basically, I’m a 20-something lady-betic, living in one of those big-ish coastal cities, working full-time and attending grad school at night to try to follow a career path that my 12-year-old self decided would be awesome.  So far, 12-year-old me was pretty spot on with her assessment, but it’s also been hard as hell.  The hours are long and unpredictable and the work is stressful, but  get to spend my days learning from people who are smart in ways that I hope to learn to be and my nights righteously ranting about the fact that they let full-time day students register for evening classes that would ideally be filled with other people who work.

As far as diabetes goes, I’m a relative newbie.  I wasn’t diagnosed until well into my 20s, after I lost about 30 lbs one summer and became super grateful that my desk at work was right down the hall from the ladies room.  When it comes to chronic illness, though, I’m an old-hat at this.  I first started experiencing symptoms of autoimmune arthritis in my teens and finally convinced a doctor to listen to me long enough to not just diagnose the pain as “athletics related” in college.  Basically, my immune system started munching on my body long ago, and only recently decided that my pancreas would be delicious as well.

I spent about a year doing MDI (multiple daily injections) before I decided to try a go at robot parts.  Since my high school battle to get a diagnosis for my pain, I’ve become a tad bit… pushy when I want something from a doctor (some might say that I over-advocate) and long story short, I went from MDI+10 tests/day to wearing a pump and CGM within about 5 weeks of deciding that was what I wanted.  My epic battle to start both at once will have to be chronicled at some later point, but I was sort of a badass (or a completely arrogant jerk, depending on which side of the story you’re on).

Most days, my diabetes really doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on my life.  Testing and treating have just snuck their way into the routines and rituals that make up my day, and there are very limited times when I truly feel inconvenienced by this whole “busted pancreas” thing.

Other days, my diabetes just makes me want to curl up under the covers and not come out until there’s a cure or at least a way to deal with diabetes that doesn’t involve a single sharp pointy implement or off-brand juice box.

Happy Diabetes Blog Week, ladies and gentlemen.  Let’s get this party started.