type1grace

On World Diabetes Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share this piece of my heart with you. In collaboration with fellow type 1 diabetics, I finally finished the post I've been working on since 2016. 14 November 2018 The hardest part about having an invisible illness is that it’s invisible. From the outside, nothing seems to be wrong. Being able to see and visualize something makes it so much easier to understand. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want your pitty or sorry’s. Explaining an invisible chronic illness to someone is similar to explaining colour to a colourblind person. In a way, you can image or guess what it’s like, but you can’t possibly fully comprehend it. The reality is that an invisible illness is something you don’t “get”, until you get it. What you see, is an ordinary woman or man, girl or boy, living alongside you. Doing what you do, liking what you like and talking like you talk. What you see, are tired eyes and some bruises; which go by...

Best part about being chronically ill: How I choose to see my inabilities. Never before that day 8 years ago, did the thought occur to me that one day I would wake up, and one of my biggest nightmares will be evolvi ng in front of my eyes: the nightmare which became an inevitable part of me. The reality that, from that day onward, my life would be different.  And how different it is. From that day, the fight for survival is actually a fight and the certainty of life tomorrow is in fact, uncertain. There are countless bad and terrible things that make having type 1 diabetes such a burden and punishment to live. Partly maintaining your homeostasis is not a piece of cake. Ha ha. Yes, the insulin shots do hurt sometimes. The deep bruises are from thousands of needles and the hard fingertips are from countless pokes. Yes, when you get a cold, I get pneumonia. Being sick for weeks on end when the world is supposed to carry on for you too, is harder than imagin...

Brave. It's a foreign  word. Not a word often spoken about. Unless you live in Marvel. Why? Because people claim the word for no reason. Or they accept and apply the meaning to their lives... This morning in one of my classes, I knew something was not quite as it should be. It’s the start of the flu season in the Southern hemisphere, and any infection always gets to those who have weak immune systems first. I felt feverish and high; and checked my blood glucose. Just my luck; I’m high . 430mg/dL or 24.2mmol. That’s pretty high. If I were to walk through the doors of any emergency room, I would be classified as a patient in desperate need of medical attention. Clearly something went wrong with my breakfast this morning. Even though my breakfast was exactly the same as yesterday’s, and the day before and before... Or maybe it’s because I’m getting sick… Who knows. When you are high, you would give yourself a shot, and drink plenty of water. Now, giving a shot unnoticed is ...

Mind over matter, or matter over mind? Dealing with life can be tough for the emotionally strongest, healthy people. Having to deal with the shock of a chronic illness, like type 1 diabetes, changes the ball game completely... Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It's a mood disorder that causes a continues feeling of sadness and total loss of interest in events that previously excited a person. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. Being positive is hard, and thoughts of suicide is likely to cross the persons mind. Depression is not something that can simply be "snapped out" of. Usually, depression is oppressed by medication and psychological counselling. Some people can be "cured" from depression, while others might always have a slight or major depression.* I had a lot of personal conflict after my diagnosis. I was in complete denial that something like this would just hit ...

Everyone wants to be normal. But what is normal? Normal people are healthy, happy and has hope. Type 1 diabetics? Not normal at all. As soon as people notice that you are different, bullying and teasing becomes a big reality. I spent 8 nights in hospital after my diagnosis. I only went back to school after a month. I was physically and emotionally tired. I was really happy to be back in my old environment. To see all my friends, to be part of something again and to show my injections off (so typical of a child). My mathematics teacher was the only rude one to me after I returned to school. I remembered how I greeted her and told her that I am back. I went to my chair, and in front of the whole class, she said that she waited for my death certificate. Everyone had a slight laugh and then looked at me. Even now, I feel like shedding a tear about that day. I felt so useless and idiotic. When looking back on those few months, those few words from my mat...

Explaining what's going on and how to go on. After a coma and 3 weeks in ICU 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa About me: My name is Ané. I'm 20 years old, and I live in South Africa. My parents lives in Bloemfontein, and my brother and I are studying in Stellenbosch. I have decided to start writing about being a type 1 diabetic, depression and anxiety, a young lady, university student, want-to-be-mother in the future, etc. All rotating around my useless pancreas. I want to share my story with you, so that you can learn from my mistakes without making them yourself. I want to speak for both small children and for their caregivers, giving advice (I'm not a doctor, but boy, I have experience) helping both cope with the stress involving diabetes. As a child, I've been the healthiest girl there could be. Years went by that I never went to the doctor, not even for a fever or flu. I was always skinny, although I have a huge bone structure. I started swi...