juliaf

Today would have been my father's 59th birthday and as I was thinking about him I started thinking about all the people who have been important in my life and especially in my diabetes life.

My band director in high school was the one who asked the now fateful question, "Are you feeling okay?" It was drum rehearsal on Monday October 2nd 1990. I told him I was feeling a little light headed but that was it. He said that I looked pale and that was something I don't think I had ever heard before in my life. I have very dark skin since I am both Puerto Rican and Cuban so pale was not a norm for me.

My mom who picked me up early that night and took me to urgent care. In her heart she had a feeling something was wrong since I had dropped so much weight recently and looked almost sickly!

Dr. Perts who diagnosed me that night. He told me to be in the next morning for a blood draw and a shot of insulin. I do not remember much of what he said that night since I was too busy trying to stand up after having the rug pulled out from underneath me.

Mrs. Bailey, our school nurse. She always took care of me and checked on me often. I could go in if I was having a low and she always had juice and would talk to me about my care. It was great having someone at school that could help and wanted to.

For all of the people that were there for me, there was hundreds more that I ignored for a long time. I ignored my disease so I never talked it about nor did I want to hear about it. Not until a few years ago when I got an iPod and heard about podcasts.

Diabetic Feed was the show that changed my life and ultimately brings us to this moment. I heard about blogs online that were all about diabetes and type 1's like me! I started surfing and began blogging and now here I am.

All of you readers, bloggers, lurkers, and what not are a major part of my diabetes team. You all inspire, inform, and help educate me. Not to mention keep me busy reading and writing. I love this online community very much and I am thankful that I am apart of it.