Being 17 at the time of diagnosis gives me some understanding of this years World Diabetes Day theme of "How Diabetes affects children and adolescents.

It was my senior year in High School. I had become Drum Major of the band. It was going to be a fun year but of course, diabetes had another plan.

I look back and remember the disbelief. The confusion that there was no cure. That I was destined to take insulin for the rest of my life. It was too much to handle on top of classes like Government and American Lit. (READ MORE)

Before I could get the green light to start a family, I had one last appointment to keep, the endocrinologist. I've been to specialists before, but I didn't realize what a challenge it would be to get a first appointment with an endo.

First off, my insurance only offers a small selection to choose from. Location is my main criteria for picking a doctor. Thankfully, the one closest to my home is affiliated with the hospital that's closest to my home. The good news: he's one of the best endos in the area. The bad news: getting an appointment with him is damn near impossible.

It didn't help my case that my control was classified as excellent. With an a1c well under 6, he's got plenty of higher priority patients on his caseload. But after much begging, I was able to secure an appointment for four months later. (READ MORE)

This morning as I changed my infusion set I decided to revisit abdomen sites. It has been a few months since I have had my site anywhere but my thigh. It is not like me to change things just for the heck of it but I decided to switch it up. It reminded me of a time long ago,

Way back when I was first diagnosed, I only gave myself shots of insulin into my thighs. That was how I was taught and so that was the only way I did it. I remember several times I would hit a tender spot and be in a lot of pain. Or the worst was when I swear it felt like a knife stabbing an apple. I don't know if that was just scar tissue or my imagination but it was enough to really scare me on several occasions. (READ MORE)