Hello!
My name is Ariel and I am seventeen years old. I have been a Type 1 diabetic for six years now. My mother and my sister also have Type 1 diabetes and my grandmother has Type 2 diabetes.
I was diagnosed in May of 2005 when I was in elementary school. I had been going to the bathroom a lot and had been drinking a lot of fluids. When I tested my blood sugar it was 364. That was extremely over the average numbers and it was obvious that I had Type 1 diabetes. I had known about diabetes beforehand from my mother who has had Type 1 diabetes for over 30 years. My initial reaction was becoming upset and annoyed. I didn't want to be stuck with this disease all my life. I knew my mom could handle it well because I had been watching her control diabetes with such gracefulness my whole life but it still was scary for me. I was afraid I wouldn't know how to take care of myself or inject myself with insulin. My mom told me I would be fine but at that moment it felt like the end of the world. The whole next week I was out of school and at Children's Hospital. The doctors were really helpful and helped me to understand this disease more clearly. And as it turns out I was okay with having it. I got the hang of what to do and had no problem testing my blood sugar and giving myself insulin injections. My moms positive energy about the whole situation really helped too. And as time went on diabetes became part of my everyday life.
But as the years past and I started growing up I realized that a lot more people in the world had the same disease I had and many more people knew about it, yet their attitude was entirely different. I would be talking with my friends or other people and if I mentioned that I had diabetes they would give me a sad smile or a reassuring remark. I always wondered why though, diabetes wasn't that bad. But to many more people in the world it was and still is today. I grew up in an atmosphere where diabetes was not the enemy but a companion that was with you every step of the way. This was not the same thought process that other people had.
As I went into junior high I saw it even more. I would be meeting new people and would happen to mention diabetes and people would have the same reaction. To me it seemed unsettling that so many people had this negative view towards something that was definitely manageable and not so negative. I knew I had to do something to change this outlook towards diabetes.
So in January of 2008 I came up with the idea of creating a web site. I figured it was the easiest way to get information out to people about diabetes and how it can be positive. I launched it and started to give advice about diabetes and living your life with it instead of against it. And this is the product of all that, diabetesrock.com.
I'm proud to say that I have been keeping this web site up for three years. I have gotten e-mails from people across the globe and it delights me to know I'm helping people get through this. My goal for this web site is to help people across the world understand that diabetes does not have to be the enemy. And I feel that I have somewhat reached that goal. But I'm not finished. I will always be encouraging and trying to be a positive influence through this web site and daily interactions with people. And I know you will too. I believe that everyone of you who has diabetes in this world was not given it as a punishment but as a obstacle that you are strong enough to overcome. I hope that you see how strong you are and how you can manage this. This web site is to help you get into that mindset, that you are able to do this. I wish you the best of luck with it and I hope this site is helpful and resourceful for you.
Take care,
Ariel
