Jennifer Clouatre

I was diagnosed on October 31, 1973. I was lucky to have supportive parents who helped me on this journey. They always treated me like a normal kid, so that I could grow up to have a normal life. I learned some hard lessons along the way, but managed to succeed and stay healthy. I’ve been married for 33 years and I have a wonderful son who is 23 years old. I have been through all of the phases of diabetes. When I was diagnosed, all we had was pee sticks and shots that guest how much insulin you needed. I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to have a glucose monitor. It was the size of a large book. And took nine minutes to take the test. I felt very fortunate. It helped me learn to manage this illness as best I could. have had very few side effects and have always accepted this disease for what it is. I am lucky enough to be able to live with it, and I felt it was better than the alternative. I’ve had supportive family and friends through my whole life. I have a wonderful husband, who supports me through the hard times, and the good times. We love to travel and get outside and adventure.