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Last month, a friend of mine had to build a website for a class project, and the site focused on people with diabetes who had multiple health problems.  I was really struck by the title and slogan that she came up with for the project; it was "Diabetes Plus: because it's rarely just diabetes."

Those words rang true for me, as I know they do for many people, because I'm a person with type 2 diabetes, and I have several other health problems, too.

On top of diabetes, I live with congestive heart failure and related issues, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, acid reflux, a hiatal hernia and other gastrointestinal issues, migraines, and sinus/allergy problems.  There may be something I'm forgetting, but you get the idea.

And there's an equally crazy list of medications that accompanies that list of health problems.  They are as follows:

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Today has been yet another day in which I've had to deal with the stomach issues I've written about previously.

I don't know what's causing the problems; maybe they are side effects of the mix of medications I take each day, or maybe there's something within me that's just not working properly. Whatever the source, I'm tired of the frequent nausea, diarrhea, and those lovely sulfur smelling burps.

It’s hard to get anything done around my house or at work when I’m constantly running to the restroom for one reason or another. It’s hard to stay hydrated and nourished when everything wants to come back out. And I’m exhausted because of the lack of sleep that the issues are causing.

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This morning, I went for a second opinion on my current reproductive status. Back in late August, my Well Woman Exam turned into a possible endometriosis diagnosis. So I decided to go for another opinion before pursuing further treatment options.

And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the doctor. New doctors are always interesting, especially those related to gynecology. But this doctor reinforced the idea that doctors can actually be helpful, understanding, and interested in what you actually feel or need.

So his opinion was that endometriosis is the likely choice as to the causes of some of my reproductive issues. Since I've tried most of the obvious treatment choices (NSAIDs, birth control pills, and pain management), the next step for a woman my age is surgery.

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I'm a self-proclaimed adventurer. I love to try new things, go to all sorts of places, and I'm always up for a challenge. So college seemed like it'd be one huge adventure in life. But three years ago, I sat down to apply to colleges and had no idea as to what I wanted. Plus there was one major issue looming over me: my health.

I've always known that diabetes would keep me a little more cautious than most. But I've never let it stop me. I played sports, I took trips, I even went zip-lining through the jungle last year. Diabetes means that I plan much more than the average person, that I don't just pick up and leave without extreme consideration. I never thought it would hold me back.

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I despise politics -- political or office or otherwise. First I don't really understand much of it and second I just don't see why people have to act like high school all the time.

It's only been recently that I paid much attention to the presidential election. I remember voting in my first presidential election; I was a senior in college and voting by absentee ballot. I felt it was my civic duty to vote, but I couldn't figure out what the real issues were because there was so much mud slinging. The guy I voted for won, but I remember thinking "He hasn't done such a bad job the last four years, so he's probably the lesser of the two evils." Yes, that's seriously what I based my vote on.

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I have voted in every presidential election I've been eligible for. Even casting an absentee ballot my senior year of college, which I believe was my first presidential election. All of which seemed rather obligatory to me. I voted because I was supposed to and because it was my right and privilege to do so.

Until this year. I waited in line for about an hour this morning to cast my vote. I've never waited more than several minutes to vote in an election. This is my first presidential election since being diagnosed with diabetes. The first presidential election that I was actually interested in, paid attention to and in some ways looked forward to. The first election where I really looked into the issues to base my vote on how the person in the Oval Office would affect my life.

Selfish? Yes. But I have reason to be selfish this year.

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I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to come fully back to the blog quite yet, but there is something heavy on my heart tonight. Something that I know only you guys can understand so I've decided to break the silence and post it here. We'll see if the coming days prove to hold more words for this site or if I'll recede back into the quiet.

As I drove home from work this evening and had my usual phone call with my mom, we got onto the topic of work and money and responsibility. Right now, my situation is that I work part time (24 hours per week) and I planned to attend graduate school for the next two to three years. On that arrangement, my dad generously offered to help pay the rent and supplement my part time income while I finished graduate school.

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There's an old saying about leading a horse to water but not being able to make him drink. I've been trying to make a certain horse in my life drink water for some time now.
 

I recognized the signs a long time ago. I knew she needed to see a mental health professional. I begged, I pleaded, I guilted. I tried to reason with her. But it's hard to do that long-distance. And over e-mail.
 

I consider myself a good listener. Someone who can listen to someone non-judgementally and offer advice. But there comes a point when experience isn't good enough.
 

It's hard to watch other people suffer. And this person was suffering. There were so many issues that need to be addressed and she always said she was too busy. It's even harder to watch someone suffer when I have experienced the benefits and relief that come from professional mental health help.
 

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When I first moved away for college back in early 2007, my health was really at its worst. We still had no idea what was going on with me...just a list of symptoms and doctors who couldn't tell me what was wrong. So I moved out on my own into a 1 bedroom apartment a little over an hour from my mom's house and less than an hour from my dad's house.

The first semester was extremely rough. I had several breakdowns on my bathroom floor, several moments of desperation, several calls home that left my parents worried. I tried to stay on top of things, but the stress made it nearly impossible.

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