Katelyn Robertson

When I was twelve years old I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This was a huge adjustment for me with eating habits, middle school, and sports. I had to learn to make smarter and healthier food choices and stay away from sweets that my friends did not have to stay away from. Becoming a Type 1 Diabetic in the middle of the school year was a learning experience through trial and error. Most often I had to leave class and miss lessons to go to the nurse because my blood sugar was low. During high school, I played two different sports, cross country and softball. I learned quickly that running helped keep my blood sugar in control while playing softball proved quite difficult. Choosing the best insulin delivery device was the main problem. An insulin pump helped keep my blood sugar in control during the day but was difficult to wear during practice and games, and an insulin pen was more convenient to administer a bolus in between innings. Throughout all of this, I met other Type 1 Diabetics through a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation support group. Joining the support group and going to meetings was helpful to me, especially as a teenager. I felt that my friends could not understand what I was going through and meeting people my age with the same struggles made me realize that they had the same problems I had. It proved that living as a Type 1 Diabetic is not only manageable but can be enjoyable too. I can do anything that I could have done before the diagnosis–it does not lead or control my life. Receiving the Children With Diabetes Award is important to me because it shows newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetics that while their journey will have struggles, it is manageable and it does not define you. You are more than your diagnosis.