Q&A Part 1

Hey everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't posted in about two and a half months, but my hiatus from the blog is finally over (I hope)! I have been really busy for these past few months with finishing up junior year, working, seeing friends, and of course managing my Type 1 Diabetes. I finished up junior year with a 3.44 GPA and I also got inducted into the National Honors Society. Working hard in high school finally payed off. My Diabetes is something that I struggled with at first, but now it is something that I am completely comfortable with. There are some days when I actually like having Type 1 and I see it as more of a blessing rather than a curse. I started my Omnipod Insulin Pump back in April and after using it for about 3 months, I am glad to say that I absolutely love it. It was by far the best decision I have made regarding my Diabetes (besides refusing to let this disease bring me down in any way). I also started my job back in May during Memorial Day weekend! I'm a lifeguard at a local pool and I love it there. My bosses are awesome and my coworkers are really cool. I may or may not have gone bridge jumping with a few of them...

So I checked my inbox and people have been sending me questions for when I decided to do a Q&A session. Well askers, I am doing one now. I will be answering 10 questions for this post, and 10 more in the second part. Part 1 will be more for the Diabetes questions and Part 2 will be more for the fun questions! If you don't see your question/s answered then feel free to send it again or even send in a new one. I promise that I will try to get through as many as I can!

Q: What were you like when you were diagnosed with Type 1?
A: Physically: I Lost a lot of weight, my skin and mouth was really dry, I was really thirsty, I had to pee a lot, and I was very nauseous
    Mentally: I was very depressed at first. I didn't know why this was happening to me and I wanted answers. I was not comfortable with my Diabetes at all and I was in denial at first. After about a month of getting used to it, I came to terms with my Type 1 and I decided not to let it bring me down and to fight it.

Q: Where do you get treatment for your Diabetes?
A: I go to Johns Hopkins Hospital. All of my team is down there and everyone on it is awesome. My Endocrine nurse is also a Type 1 Diabetic so it's really cool having someone down there who I can relate to and who understands what I'm feeling and going through.

Q: How old were you when you were diagnosed? 
A: I was 16 at the time. It was about a month before my 17th birthday.

Q: Do you know anyone else who has Type 1? 
A: I do! There's my Endocrine nurse, my very, very, distant older cousin and my friend's roommate who also introduced me to others with it. It's really nice being able to talk to other people with it and knowing that you're not alone in the fight!

Q: If there was a cure, would you take it? 
A: I mean, if there was a cure for Type 1 then yeah, I would probably take it. I'm fine without it for now though. I actually like having Diabetes sometimes and having it has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

Q: What do you want to do when you're older? 
A: I actually want to become and Endocrinologist so that I can work with other people who have Type 1 and aid in the diagnosis and treatment.

Q: Do you prefer shots or the pump?
A: Definitely the pump! I love my Omnipod! I don't know what I would do without it.

Q: What pumps were you looking at when you were deciding on one?
A: I mainly looked at the Animas Ping, Tandem t::slim, and the Omnipod. These were the three pumps that stood out the most for me.

Q: Was Ketoacidosis fun? 
A: I mean, if you think that losing 20 pounds, peeing all the time, always being thirsty, tired, nauseous and having dry skin and high blood pressure is fun then yeah, it was pretty enjoyable.

Q: Has having Type 1 opened your eyes up to anything?
A: YES. It showed me who my true friends are, taught me not to take things for granted, taught me that you never know how strong you are until you need to be, and that family and true friends will support you no matter what. It's opened my eyes up to a lot more but it's late and I'm really tired.

I'll try to have Part 2 to this up within the next few days! Don't forget to email me if you have any questions or if you need to talk to someone. njsmith1282@gmail.com. Happy Independence Day Everyone!