Is it just me or..?

Having diabetes isn't something you can see. Well, if I am in my bikini, then yes, you can see my insertion site with 23 inches of tubing connecting to my pump which has a fabulous "skin" sticker on it in a turquoise water design. But, without that... most people have no idea I am diabetic unless I tell them.

Type 1 is a 24 hour disease with no vacations, no coffee breaks, and no points for good behavior. It will be there regardless of if I have had a good day or bad day. If I exercised or not, and if I want it or not. Yay me.

I have never tried to hide it, in the 11 years I have had diabetes. I tell people when it comes up, just as I would tell them I have a blister on my toe from running barefoot. It is part of me.

When I go on vacation, I usually meet about 3-4 people who either are type 1 or have a family member with it. being in bathing suits exposes my "true self" and I get a total kick out of the people who come hollering over or waving me down to say "hi!" You have type 1!" and then say goodbye to the next hour while I compare stores and gadgets, etc with my new best friend.

In my little world where I live I am the only one with type 1 I know except for a friend of mine who I rarely get to see, being busy moms. I mostly get my support from my family and online with social networking sites. I can't imagine life without being able to chat and write about my day to day issues now. Anytime I need to vent or give a good report, bad report, I can write about it and hundreds of people are there to read and post back. As much as I am a "lone wolf" out here, I am not alone in cyberspace.

I have a friend who, when she was 10 had a crush on a boy. he found out she liked hi and word came back to my friend that he "would " like her back, but she has diabetes. She from that moment on, hid having diabetes from everyone. She ate pizza, candy, drank soda, and never tested or took shots in front of anyone all day. At one point she said to me she was only testing maybe once a week.

She now has had kidney failure and receive a kidney/pancreas transplant at the age of 35.technically, now she has no more diabetes, but will spend her life on immune suppressants and risks infections. Grass is greener on the diabetes side for me I think...so far at least I am complication free.

Perhaps if my friend had a way to post, blog, email - all the ways and tools we now have to get support and connect- she wouldn't have kept herself hidden for so long. I am not alone in this. I can now look at faces of people just like me in their little picture squares on my screen and know they understand. And I am grateful for that.