My Relationship with an Uninvited Disease

I would like to encourage anybody living with a chronic condition ... don't allow it to hinder you from achieving your dreams and goals.

Author: June Aluoch

My name is Aluoch. I am 19 years old and a second year University student in Africa.

I am also a type one diabetic.

I am insulin dependent. My pancreas does not produce its own insulin.

My diabetes story started way back in 2013 when I was just in the 7th grade. First I was diagnosed with asthma since diabetes in children is not that common. The signs were extreme thirst, irritability, fatigue, excessive toilet trips, weight loss, bed wetting, and mood swings.

For months, I was in and out of hospital because I was constantly sick. While in hospital, they did test after test trying to figure out what was causing me to be so ill. Then finally, the doctor comes in with a diagnosis.

After the correct diagnosis was done, I was hospitalized for seven days and that was the beginning of my diabetic journey.

When I went back to school, life was quite easy because my friends and teachers were always supportive. Furthermore, because I was in a day school, I had the privilege of always going home to my mother who was also my doctor, my nurse, and my dietitian.

In 2014, I finished my Upper Primary level of education and was awaiting the examination results that would determine the quality of school I would be going to. After the results, I received a calling letter to a very good High School in a town far from where we lived. This only meant one thing. I was going to be in boarding school and away from my mother who had been helping me through my new Diabetes journey.

Things started changing in 2015 when I join my new boarding secondary school. To begin, the meals were horrible and a bigger percentage of the food was carbohydrates. Simple Carbohydrates are Diabetes' #1 enemy.

My doctor decided to increase my dose to cater for the excess carbohydrates.

Unfortunately, the increase in insulin led to weight gain which is still an issue which I struggle with even today. At first , I was finding it hard to adjust to the new school lifestyle. I wanted to transfer, I wanted to go to a day school.

Things were not easy for me because I was shy and introverted. However , I began making friends and they made my school life bearable.

Over the four years in High School, I had some Diabetic attacks, some bearable, and others, pretty bad. My mum would sometimes have to be called to the school because it was that serious.

One particularly bad episode with my Diabetes was during my final exam period in my final year of High School.

It was 2018 and I was sickly and bed ridden during my major final exams. In my country, the final exams are compulsory by every student as the grades one receives are used to determine whether I would graduate from High School. To mine and many other peoples surprise, I was even able to achieve an A-grade in mathematics, a subject that many struggle so much with.

Having diabetes is definitely like being on a rollercoaster. But through all this, I have been able to overcoming my fear of needles. I am even able to inject myself multiple times a day, waking up in the middle of the night either to check my blood sugar or to visit the toilet.

One thing too that all diabetics truly appreciate, high on the priority list, is a good nights sleep. As these are rare.

Diabetes has made me learn a lot of things about myself. I have learned that it is especially important to take care of myself. I have also learned to be very responsible for every action I take.

I would like to encourage anybody living with a chronic condition of any kind that, even though it can be tough, don't allow it to hinder you from achieving your dreams and goals.

Remember, life is short.

Be you! Do you!