Q:  How did you discover that you had diabetes?  What were your symptoms?

A:  I actually thought I had mono, so I went to the doctor to check it out.  I was really thirsty and really tired all the time.  I would sleep like 17 hours a day and drink gallons of water.  I missed like 32 days of first period because I just couldn’t get up.  The doctor actually asked me how I was still alive.

Q: What type are your diabetes?

A:  I have Type 1, which is when the immune system attacks the pancreas so the insulin isn’t productive.  Type 2 is usually caused by obesity.

Q:  Is your type of diabetes life-long?

A:  Yes, it’ll never go away.

Q:  How has it affected your life?  Is it easy to live with?

A:  It made me get a lot healthier.  You can live with it, it’s not hard to live with, it’s just a big lifestyle change.

Q:  What types of changes have you had to make?

A:  I exercise more.  I eat less pasta and bread and I do a lot of math problems to figure out how much I’m eating.

Q: How do you regulate your blood sugar?

A:  I used to have an insulin pen that I used and whenever I ate, I would give myself a shot.  Now I have a pump that I use to check my levels.  If I’m low, I set it and it automatically gives me insulin through a needle in my (abdominal area).

Q:  How did you feel when you first found out you had diabetes?  How do you feel now?

A:  I didn’t know how to feel, I didn’t know what it was, I thought I was going to die.  Now it’s just routine for me.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is a group of diseases (Type 1, Type 2, or Gestational) that occur because of high glucose levels which are caused by the body’s inability to generate and use insulin.  Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is used by the body in order to remove and use glucose from the blood. Almost 26 million children and adults in the U.S. (8.3% of the population) have diabetes–only 18.8 million of those have been diagnosed.