30 Things About My Invisible Illness

Apparently there’s a bit of a trend amongst medical bloggers as part of Invisible Illness Week to make a list of 30 things to do with their “illness”. So, with some of the answers copied from Kerri’s list (because they are true), here we go:

1. The illness I live with is: type 1 Diabetes.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1997.
3. But I had symptoms since: I don’t know. I went into hospital on a Saturday with a blood glucose of ~44mmol/l.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: every little day-to-day, moment-to-moment change.
5. Most people assume: that they know everything about Diabetes.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: when they start out of range.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: I don’t watch TV.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my glucose meter.
9. The hardest part about nights are: having low blood sugars in the middle of them.
10. Each day I take 2 pills & vitamins: Only insulin, nothing else (touch wood).
11. Regarding alternative treatments: Poppycock.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Neither, thank you.
13. Regarding working and career: No problems, prejudice or people problems so far.
14. People would be surprised to know: that it’s not as easy as we make it look. Sometimes it hurts in every way.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I have very little memory of the “old” reality.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Drive. I now know that I can, but the diabetes still scares me too much to learn.
17. The commercials about my illness: We don’t have any in the UK.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: I really have no idea.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: snacking!
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: None.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: be footloose and fancy-free.
22. My illness has taught me: That it’s always darkest just before the dawn.
23. One thing people say that gets under my skin is: “Are you allowed to eat that?”
24. But I love it when people: try to understand, be helpful and supportive.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: I don’t have one.
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: that they aren’t alone. And they’ll be okay.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: what you take for granted.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Help me.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I saw this on Six Until Me.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: that I’m not alone.