I have type 1 diabetes. It's part of who I am and has been for as long as I can remember. It comes with me everywhere, attached at the hip, or maybe at my lazy non-functional pancreas. And I think about it a lot, there's never more than a few hours that pass by without me thinking, what is my blood sugar? Am I high or low? Did I take insulin for what I ate? Did I count the carbs correctly? Have I exercised? Am I planning to exercise? Did I remember to refill my pump? Am I nervous or stressed? And the list goes on..... there is a lot of thinking that goes on with diabetes and although the finger pricks and shots are less than ideal, the constant emotional battle for me is harder.
Diabetes is hard, it's complicated to explain but take my word for it. And when you live in a rural town in a third world country it doesn't make it much easier. Just the other day I was so low that I was barely able to form complete sentences and sweating profusely while trying to convince a mother to let her daughter go with me to a camp. Needless to say the entire community thinks I was drunk and if you wanna try and explain low blood sugar symptoms to a person that's never heard of diabetes in a third language with a different cultural context you can be my guest. I choose to just let it pass with time.
But I have that choice. I am able to serve as a peace corps volunteer living with this disease. With a ton of preparation, stamina, support, and a little luck I can do anything I have my heart set on. And for that reason I am one of the lucky ones.
I have access to insulin when I need it and a fridge to keep it cool, I have supplies to check my blood sugar up to 10 times a day. I have the luck of having an insulin pump to make control easier. I have access to an endocrinologist, and the knowledge of how to keep myself safe and healthy. And for that I am lucky.
Many children don't have access to insulin in developing countries around the world. Their life expectancy is less than a year from diagnosis. Here in Paraguay, people have to travel up to 10 hours each way to the capital to have access to insulin and even then the majority of people cannot afford it.
This neat organization http://www.p4dc.com/spare-a-rose/ , is asking you to buy one less rose on valentines day and donate the saved money to give a child access to insulin for a month. A dozen roses would give a child a whole year of life.
Unless people like you care a whole whole lot, nothing will ever change. Let's help give kids all the opportunities and education to live the healthy life with diabetes that they deserve.
Flowers die, children shouldn't.
Gracias!
