Well, its official (especially after my last few birthdays) I’ve been a grown up for quite some time and in some circles, I'm considered a bona fide lady - and I use that term with a wink and a smile.
I am no longer considered a cute & fuzzy child with type 1 Diabetes.
Here's the thing; while I still have a child like wonderment when it comes to cupcakes and manatees, and actually uttered the term “Ohhh, look at the Bunny!!” when I saw one running across the street the other night in an urban area, this former child with type 1 has grown up, like MILLIONS of my type 1 compatriots.
And on a side note: Growing up with Type 1 Diabetes is never a cake walk (no pun intended,) but for those of us 35 and over, it was quite the challenge.
We survived the archaic time in history (occurring after the Diabetes Ice & Prehistoric Ages) known as the Diabetes Dark Ages.
A time when “checking your sugar” meant urine testing, which required fizzy blue pills and test tubes that burned our fingers. When we needed to test on the road, Urine Test Tape was slightly less messy and definitely more portable, but just as inaccurate.
Only three types of insulin existed, Regular, Lente, and NPH, and there was no such thing as sliding scale o insulin.
Carb counting was unheard of and EVERYTHING super delicious was off limits.
It wasn’t easy, and many suffered complications from living in those dark times.
But I digress...
We, ALL the former children with Type 1 Diabetes, managed to grow up, and that’s a wonderful thing!
It's also a testament to not just "us", as people with diabetes, but to our parents and their never ending devotion to us- their children with Type 1 Diabetes.
We’ve transformed from children with type 1, into adolescents, and then to teens, and in what seemed like a New York minute, we have morphed into adulthood, just like the rest of the society.
We find jobs; we find (or our looking) for significant others. Many get married and have families.
We work the 9 to 5 daily grind and bitch about taxes, and the cost of our diabetes health care. We take care children and aging parents, while juggling all that life throws our way, including managing our diabetes 24X7.
We exist and are productive members of society.
So why don’t you remember us more?
Bottom line, we’ve done a great job managing not only life, but life with diabetes.
If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here.
Kids with diabetes grow up and become adults with diabetes.
Don’t forget that fact, or us.
We exist, and will continue to do so.
Thanks for hearing me out!
Your friend,
Kelly Kunik
P.S. Inspired by all those type 1's who have grown up; like Leeann & Hannah.
Those who didn't have the opportunity,
and those who are are still cute & fuzzy~
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