Written By: Christopher Henderson, IU Student

You can go through life never really knowing why something happens, nor why it happens to you. I think a lot of Type 1 diabetics may feel this sense of uncertainty from time to time. I myself wonder this very topic on the daily. It can affect the way that you see things during challenging times in your life. It is hard to stop once it starts. The important thing to remember is that it is never as bad as it seems. Although you who are reading this now, whether you struggle with Type 1 Diabetes, Depression, a loss of a limb, a loss of a loved one or maybe you haven’t gone through anything troubling, it could be understood that the question “Why me?” would always pop up at one time or another. Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear answer to that type of question. It is merely out of our hands. Uncontrollable if you will.  We are so desperate to try and control every aspect of our lives that when something goes awry, our whole foundation starts to crumble. The only way to combat those types of thoughts, is to find an answer.

Unfortunately, answers do not come so clearly. It is nice to know that something like Type 1 diabetes wasn’t something you can prevent. You could blame your parents for the genes, or yourself for a faulty immune system, but ultimately it is just one of those things that that you just sort of, deal with. You overcome the struggles one struggle at a time. Low sugars are combatted with something to eat, high sugars are done with insulin. Being prepared for your daily activities by making sure you have test strips, extra needles, maybe some extra pens of Insulin. Or you have the Pump and you need to keep extra batteries, injection sites and cannulas for emergencies in your car or person. Being prepared is just one way to help deal with it, but ultimately, the best thing you can do is just not let it get in your way of doing the things that you want to.

The more I read on JDRF about others and their struggles, the less alone I start to feel. I start seeing that a lot of people used to let their disease control them even though, like me, they thought they had a good grasp on handling it. That subconscious thought of “Why me?” creeps back into your thoughts and sometimes it is hard to deal with. I find comfort in knowing I am not alone. I find that the more I share my experience, and help others understand, the easier it is to take care of myself, instead of making excuses for not being able to play sports, or do a big presentation in front of others out of fear that my sugar may drop because of the stress or anxiety. Don’t let the disease define yourself, instead let yourself define the disease.