Marisa’s Story

When I was 18 years old, I found out my senior year of high school that I had type one diabetes. I felt overwhelmed, embarrassed, and lost. I already had so many things to think about, considering I was preparing myself for college in less than a year, and I was not expecting diabetes to be one of them. To be completely honest, after I had calmed down after being in my hospital bed for a while, I began to think to myself, “Wait, what is diabetes anyway?”. I had no idea how it worked, what it entailed, or how it was caused, other than the stereotypes I had believed for years. I was immediately discouraged in the days to come after I had been diagnosed, as my ears were filled with what sounded like nothing but limitations on my new normal. There were so many, “you can’t”, “no more of”, and “you won’t”, that I felt as if my entire life would forever be lived differently than others, and I immediately longed for my life before. However, with just a little practice and education on my new normal, I quickly realized that there are no benefits for feeling bad for myself, or wanting sympathy from others. Rather, I ask for empathy from others, and feel thankful that I am able to educate people on Type 1 Diabetes! I live my life like everyone else does, just with a few extra steps that have now become so routine I hardly think about them. I have found joy in talking about my disease, and it is my hope that everyone can recognize the things that make them unique, and embrace themselves for who they are, for it is our differences that make us special! I can’t say living with diabetes is easy, but it is simply a disease that does not define me, but contributes to the person I have become today!

Marisa Warta