I was 17 years old when I was diagnosed with diabetes. My breakfast at the time consisted of a donut and a soda. I usually skipped lunch or just grabbed some chips and another soda. Dinner was whatever fast food my friends and I could afford which pretty much meant anywhere with a dollar menu of some sort.

Diabetes threw a major wrench in my teenage life. It was my senior year and I was drum major of our marching band and now this! My life was crazy enough. How could I handle this?

I did what so many people do, I ignored it. I should say that I did not completely ignore my diabetes. The "D" does not really let us type 1's do that for too long. I always took my insulin and stayed away from sugar but that was about it. I rarely checked my blood glucose level.

Since I was 17 my mom let me handle it all myself. God knows I knew everything and did not need anyone telling me how to take care of myself. Yeah right!

Years went by and I just kept doing my thing. It took ending up in the hospital to get my act in gear. My A1C was 12.5 and suddenly major complications seemed inevitable.

That was when I decided to take on the idea of being a "born again diabetic." Being a self proclaimed B.A.D. guy means I read, I learn, I listen, and I own my disease.

I cannot let diabetes get the best of me. It is a constant struggle. I am always concerned that I may give up one day but my kids, my wife, and my family make it impossible to quit.

If you are feeling like you do not or have never really, truly owned your disease then I would challenge you to take on the idea of being a "born again." There is always time to start over and re-learn all the things you learned when you were first diagnosed.

Sometimes that fresh attitude is the start you need to take control of your disease.