So Much More

Before our family lived with Type One Diabetes, 

We didn't have to bleed our fingers,

We didn't have to give insulin, 

We didn't need to wear an insulin pump,

We didn't have to stick ourselves with a needle every three days,

We didn't have to worry about a bad site,

We didn't have to worry about hitting capillaries,

We didn't have to experience a low blood sugar,

We didn't have to feel the sting of insulin, 

We didn't have to carry sugar,

We didn't have to inform those around us about glucagon,

We didn't have to give the glucagon,

We didn't have to monitor our blood sugars, 

We didn't have to track blood sugar trends, 

We didn't have to worry about our bodies rejecting ports,

We didn't have to understand hypoglycemia,

We didn't have to understnad hyperglycemia,

We didn't have to test for ketones,

We didn't have to worry about DKA

We didn't have to draw blood every 3 months,

We didn't have to order supplies,

We didn't have to carry bags of supplies, 

We didn't have to give shots in the middle of the night,

We didn't have to worry about insulin-resistance,

We didn't have to worry about sugar in our urine,

We didn't have to consider long-term complications,

We didn't have to count carbs,

We didn't have to worry about bad A1Cs,

We didn't have to worry about hurting our pump,

We didn't have to change our infusion sites,

We didn't have to eat sugar at 2 A.M.,

We didn't have to constantly use needles,

We didn't have to change out lancets,

We didn't have to think like a pancreas, 

We didn't have scars on our fingers,

We didn't have to constantly explain our disease,

We didn't have to worry about night time lows,

We didn't have to worry about running out of insulin,

We didn't have to worry about insulin spoiling,

We didn't have to worry about not waking up,

We didn't have to depend on insulin for life.

With T1D, there is no easy path- no quick way out- no alternate route. It is not a cured disease that is easily managed . . . it is so much more.

*Inspired by "Before I Was Diagnosed," by Ellie Huckle