Sometimes I am shocked at how invisible diabetes can be. I was having practice at church the other night for the contemporary band when my Bass player asked us to pray for him.

"Of course! What is going on?"

He explains to me that he is having surgery on his eye to drain fluid in it and would just like us to keep him in our prayers. He started telling us about how he had this same surgery on his other eye and that it worked really well so he his hopeful that this surgery will be another success. I asked him what causes the problem he is having.

"Diabetes."

Whoa. I had no clue he had diabetes. So of course I tell him that I too have diabetes and a new bond was formed. We shared our diagnosis stories, medication we take, and complications we have faced. He told me that his brother died a few years ago from complications of diabetes and that he had given one of his kidneys to his brother when his failed. I had no clue.

We continued on through practice and spoke more about our struggles with diabetes after practice. It was cool to have another person to talk to about diabetes but at the same time, very scary because he has so many complications. Is this my fate? Who is going to give me a kidney if mine fail? Or should I say when?

He told me about his brother losing his legs and going blind and he was in his 40's! I am less than a week away from my 35th birthday. Where does that put me? What has diabetes done to my body that I will find out about in my 40's? It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

But how can I not?