9 years 9 lessons

I thought of writing something special for today, but I will be lying if I say it hasn’t been overwhelming to even think about it. I have spent the past nine years thinking about how different my life would have been if I didn’t get admitted today, and truth be told, after everything I have been through in my life, I wouldn’t change a thing. I am grateful for every lesson I have learned along the way, and I thought I would share a few here in honour of completing 9 years as a Type 1 diabetic.

1. Everyone around you thinks they know more about your illness than you do. And they will force their opinions on you (cue WhatsApp university).

2. Some days feel easy, and good. But some days are the opposite, and you will find yourself just crying out of helplessness.

3. A lot of times, there is truly nothing you can do to rectify your high sugars. Sometimes, you just have to wait, and it is hard.

4. You will doubt yourself even years after you’ve dealt with every possible symptom, and you will still try to find someone on some forum who is going through the same thing. But trust yourself, you have been doing this for a bit now, and you know the answer, even if you think you don’t.

5. Anyone who doesn’t have diabetes will never truly understand what you go through, and sometimes, some diabetics won’t either. It is frustrating, but it is also the truth.

6. A lot of people will leave you or stop talking to you if you talk about your struggles. But it has nothing to do with you,and everything to do with them. They will try to evade the topic or call you “negative” and try to slap on a “be more positive” comment on to you, and it will happen a lot more than you think, and from people you least expect it.

7. You are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. All the people who doubt you would never be able to make it out so well. Give yourself the grace you deserve.

8. Sometimes a pizza won’t spike you, but a fruit might. You just hope for the best.

9. Trust me when I tell you, I still cry my eyes out because there are days when I just can’t be strong, and those days will always be there. I know how hard and lonely it can be, but don’t swallow those emotions. You are allowed to break down, and sometimes you have to, in order to stand up taller.