By Sasha Amiscaray, a CDF Advocate
Diabetes sucks. There isn’t really an easier or better way to put it. Over six years ago, on November 11, 2011, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now I’m 15, a junior in high school, a competitive dancer, an amateur photographer, and I really enjoy hanging out with my friends. I guess you could say I’m a normal teenager, except I also have diabetes.
Before I was diagnosed I was showing a lot of the symptoms of T1D. I was very skinny, drinking lots of water, using the restroom a lot, and I was constantly fatigued and didn’t have a lot of energy. Thankfully my mom caught onto the fact that something was wrong sooner rather than later and she made me a doctors appointment. At the appointment they tested my blood sugar and checked my ketones, and soon I was on my way to the hospital because I was told I might have diabetes. On the way to the hospital I ate pasta, which probably wasn’t a great idea, but how was I supposed to know? When I was diagnosed, I was only 435. I was given my first insulin shot and sent home.
I’ll be honest, I never once gave myself a shot when I was using pens. I wouldn’t even prick my finger for the longest time. It scared me, all the needles. I even had my parents count down when they would prick my finger so it wouldn’t be so scary for me. Eventually I started using an insulin pump and CGM. I didn’t even insert my own site until five years into being a pump wearer. It’s ok to be scared though and I think anyone could tell you that. There is nothing wrong with being scared, it’s completely normal.
Right from the start I was always open about diabetes. I loved talking about it and telling others about it. I would let my friends watch me test my blood sugar and I enjoyed showing them the cute stickers I put on my insulin pump. One year I was given the opportunity to talk to my entire school about diabetes and I don’t doubt that is where my passion for advocacy began.
Being a competitive dancer, I’ve had many different opportunities to represent the diabetes community from the stage. On many different occasions, I have had parents and other dancers approach me because they saw my CGM and realized I have diabetes. Once I had a mom approach me at a dance competition and mentioned her daughter, who also has type 1 diabetes, saw my CGM and thought it was so cool that I wore it on stage. For me, it was always about the moments like these. If I can inspire just one person to show off their pump and CGM, it makes everything worth it.
This year I decided to become a CIT (counselor in training) at two different diabetes camps. I wish I had done this before because it was an incredible experience. In the two weeks I spent being a CIT at camps, I learned more than I could have anywhere else. One of the girls I spoke to at camp said the one thing she wanted to do while she was at camp was to do what she loved and not let diabetes hold her back. I think my favorite part was seeing these kids live their best lives and doing anything and everything they want. Diabetes camp is a great place for them to not only see that they have no limits, but also try new things. I love being there for the kids and being someone who they can talk to and look up to. Being older than them, these kids are able to ask me questions about my experiences with diabetes, even though some of them have had diabetes for even longer than I have.
Like I previously said, diabetes sucks. Now, while that is definitely true, it doesn’t always have to suck. Trust me, I’ve spent many nights wishing I never had diabetes. I lost normalcy over six years ago and sometimes I wish I could go back to that. But because of diabetes, I am who I am today. I have been given some opportunities of a lifetime and I’ve met some amazing people too. I met some of my best friends because of diabetes, and that is something we all share and have in common. I wouldn’t be here advocating if it weren’t for diabetes and for all this I am thankful. Diabetes sucks. But it is our job to find the good in the not-so-good.
