What do you remember about being diagnosed? Was it hard adjusting?
     I remember everything!  My mom picked me up from school at 2pm. I had a doctor's appointment for  2:30.  We went in, he checked me out, asked me my symptoms, and sent me down to the lab to get blood drawn. Ten minutes later I was in his office being told I had diabetes.  I checked into the hospital at 4pm, and spent three days there.  I adjusted well at first, the full reality of it all didn't hit me till about a month after I was diagnosed.

What kind of treatment are you on? What do you like about it?
     I am currently on the pump with novalog insulin.  I love everything about it!  I love being able to eat virtually what I want, when I want.  I love being able to sleep in on weekends without having to worry about getting up and taking my shot on time.  I love being able to got out with my friends and not have to worry about giving a shot or eating on time.

How did you tell your friends about your diabetes? What was their reaction?
     I go to a very small school and word gets around fast, so all my friends knew about my diabetes before I got back in school.  They were worried about what I was eating. It took a while to dispel the myths about diabetics not eating candy or anything with too much sugar! Other than that, once they saw that I was living almost the same as I was before, they were very supportive of me.

What kinds of things do you do for fun and how do you make sure diabetes doesn't interfere?
     I like to do a lot of things with my youth group.  We go to concerts, all day festivals, camping, all sorts of stuff.  So this takes some adjusting.  I check my sugar very often, and make adjustments as needed.  I also pack lots of extra supplies like set changes for my pump, insulin, lancets, and strips.

What is the hardest thing about living with diabetes?
     That would probably be people's reactions to you.  People are so uneducated about type 1 diabetes, they have this stereotype about them.  The general public tend to think that if you're a diabetic you're overweight, eat lots of sugar, and generally live an unhealthy lifestyle.  Once I even had someone say to me, after they had learned I was a diabetic, "Wow, you must have lost a lot of weight!"  That bothers me a lot!!

Do you have a good experience that has come from having diabetes?
     Meeting all the awesome people I've met through camp, support groups and fundraisers.

Why do you think it's important to have support from other teens with diabetes?
     Diabetes is tough, and sometimes you just feel like you can't deal with it anymore.  This is where support is essential.  You need to talk to others who are going through the same things.  Parents and other adults are great, but only other teens truly understand what you're going through.

If a newly diagnosed teen came up to you and asked you to tell them three things they should know about living with diabetes, what would you say?
     1. If your friends or others can't accept you for who you are, they aren't truly your friends.

     2. Take care of yourself, it'll be so worth it!

     3. Accept the help of your doctors/educators/dieticians.

Have you ever been depressed about having diabetes? How did you deal with that?
     Oh yeah!  I just cry, I talk to my mom, and she reassures me that it'll be ok, that I'm not in it alone, that my family and friends are there supporting me.  Talking to her helps me so much!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
     A nurse, possibly a CDE.

Who is your inspiration?
     That's a tough one.  I look up to a lot of people. :)  But probably my parents most of all.