Anniversary and Type 1 Diabetes Sucks and Cure Please

Today is my diabetes anniversary.

A year ago I was diagnosed with a chronic auto-immune disease that impacts every hour of my life. I decided today that I wasn't going to default like usual and write a light, funny and smiley post about diabetes. I do plenty of that. I decided this because sometimes I worry that I may not truly be portraying the whole picture of what it's like to be a person living with type 1 diabetes in my daily life and on this here blog. I feel like from the outside, it may look easy. That from the outside it may look easier than other diseases. You know cause for the most part, type 1 diabetes can be an invisible disease. If it wasn't for glimpses of my insulin pump and medical ID bracelet, most people wouldn't know that my body is any different than any other healthy 20 something year olds. They can't see with their eyes that my body cannot stay alive any longer on it's own without daily medical treatment. They can't see that my body is dependent on a medication to stay not only healthy but alive everyday. They can't see that a medical emergency constantly but quietly hangs over my healthy looking body.

"Well Courtney, but why does it really matter if type 1 diabetes looks easy or not to people who have functioning insulin producing beta cells?"

I say, it matters a lot. You know why? When things look easy, they have the opportunity to be put on the back burner. I don't want a cure to be put on the back burner because someone with type 1 diabetes looks healthy enough or normal enough from the outside. I don't want a cure to be put on the back burner because type 1 diabetes doesn't look "bad" or "life threatening"  enough to the American public (who most don't even know that there is more than one type of diabetes) to really crank out a real cure.

I want a cure, because this disease sucks. I want a cure because I don't want anyone I love to have to live with this disease.

So I would like to cheers my first year with diabetes with an Internet toast.... cheers to the reality of type 1 diabetes being properly recognized and to a future cure, maybe not in my lifetime but in someone else's life time.

Tonight I'm going to celebrate a hard ass year by going out with Mr. Hubbalicious and stuffing my face with some amazing desserts. and I'm going to maintain amazing blood sugar numbers while doing it.

Diabetes sucks, misewell make it cute.

Amen.

The annoying thing about type 1 diabetes isn't just that one of your vital organs doesn't work anymore, but it's also that EVERYTHING related to type 1 diabetes is lacking in attractiveness. From the shots to finger pokes to medical ID's to carrying cases to extra tubing hanging around it's all just bland and blahh and medically sterile. and since I can't do anything to change the fact that blood comes out of fingertips when I poke them rather than glitter and sparkles, I give diabetes an infusion of cuteness through mainly accessories. Let me show you my most recent contribution to increasing my own personal diabetiliciouness.

First, let me show you the standard diabetes medical supply/carrying cases that the medical world/diabetes supply companies/"the man" provides as options to people with diabetes. Here's a standard glucose meter case.

Umm, I don't know about you but that's not what I consider a good time.

"But wait Courtney! You can attach and wear that "classic" looking glucose meter case on your hip. Easy access!! We have included a loop on the back of the case to allow for you to slide it right onto your belt. It's so convenient for you." -Manufacturer in my imagination, example below.

Manufacturer, that's just mean. I would rather go outside and find a stick and then take that sick and use a butter knife to widdle down a pointy tip and then use that jagged tip to poke my finger to draw blood to check my blood sugar over and over again rather than wearing that case on my hip in public for 5 minutes. Convenient my diabetes butt.

Here's what I suggest as an alternative.

It's my new D-bag. Cosmetic cases from Target. There's two but the little one fits in the big one. See, cute.

The little plaid bag is for my glucose meter, lancet and test strips.

and the red medallion bag carries everyday type 1 diabetes stuff that needs to be with me all the time (insulin pens, extra insulin pump supplies, emergency/life saving stuff).

and diabetes just got cuter.