Maggie 14.

Maggie asked to share her story on the blog this week.  Take a minute and read about her scary experience with diabetes, and how she sees the disease from a teenager's perspective in today's post.

"People at first always thought of the disease before me,and that was hard,because you ARE NOT your disease,you are you,and it is your choice to control the disease,or let the disease control you."

I remember feeling sick,i had a sour taste in my mouth,and i was always going to the bathroom.

i had just turned 8 when it started,but i didn't know that it was a problem,i just thought I was the problem.Going on trips with my family was impossible,every 10 minutes we had to pull over to a gas station so i could use the restroom,and i drank water out the wazoo!On one trip i made with my family,about a month before i was diagnosed,we stopped at a diner for dinner,but sadly,i didn't make it in time to the bathroom,and cried the whole way home about it.This happened a lot,i felt upset,and sick,i couldn't breath right,and my parents didn't know if it was serious,or just something i was going through that's natural.I remember the day before i was diagnosed we went out to my favorite pizza buffet to celebrate my parents anniversary,but i didn't want to eat. I wanted to puke the moment we walked in,and just drank a glass of water.I tossed and turned all night long,until finally i fell asleep,only to wake up and realize i couldn't hardly breath.I ran to my mom and dads room half crying and choking for breath,and tried to tell my mom what was wrong,but she seemed to see the problem.she lay me down on my back and gently pushed on my chest,then flipped me over on my stomach and did the same to my back.I started to calm own and feel a bit better,but my breathing was still bad.My mom called my Godmother,who is a nurse practitioner ,and right away she came over.When she arrived she said she didn't understand the cause of this,and that my mom needs to take me to the Emergency Room.My dad picked me up and then looked worried."She's as light as a feather," he said.They rushed me to the hospital and right away the doctor said: its diabetes.I was at the highest level of diabetic ketoacidosis,i had lost more than half my weight,and my body was being eaten by the ketones.From there on,i remember little,but they did hook me up to an oxygen tank,and put in an ambulance to be taken to a different hospital.I remember being so hungry,and i thought there were pies inside the ambulance on the shelves,and i asked the nurse if i could have some.She looked at me like i was crazy and told me there where no pies.I guess i fell asleep,because the next time i woke up was around midnight,there were nurses all around,and i was cold and hungry.I cried for my mom but didn't see her,though she might have been there,i can't say.I woke up the next morning and heard voices around me,but didn't open my eyes.It was a doctor speaking to my parents,and this is the first time i had heard i had a disease,and he was explaining it to my parents.I wanted to cry,i felt like my whole world was falling apart,and the things he told them about shots everyday and pricking my finger,did NOT sound nice.When he left i opened my eyes,and my heart skipped for joy at what i saw.Both of my parents where there,leaning over my bed smiling,telling me its going to be ok,and my two sisters where there too,my older sister and my younger,who was just a baby still,though she could walk and kept trying to run after the nurses in the hallway.I felt so happy to be with my family,and asked lots of questions about my brothers at home,and what is diabetes,enc..They had brought my favorite stuffed animal,kyle,and my sister gave me some stickers from her sticker collection.After a while,my dad left to take my sister home,and i took a nap.When i woke up again i had yet ANOTHER surprise!My uncle had driven all the way up to see me,and was talking to my mom when i woke up.My mom said she was going to go get some lunch,and that my Uncle was going to stay with me.Then,for the first time in what felt like forever,i got to eat!I got chicken noodle soup and chicken fingers,-but i couldn't feed myself.The nurses had put my IV in my left arm,and i couldn't bend it,and i was left handed,so my uncle had to feed me.I also received a mystery bear,it came into the room with a fake flower,and i never knew who sent it!From there on things are a bit the same,i sleep,eat,and repeat for about a week.I was in a room with another person,who was on the other side of the room.I remember several times when people would rush in the room and close her curtain,and while i lay there listening i would here the voice of a man call: CLEAR! and then this odd thump like sound.When it was time for me to go home,i was feeling pretty good,i could stand up and walk around and was ready to go home.Before we went home we had to attend a meeting helping us get started with my diabetes control.But after that,we were home!I was welcomed by my 10 brothers and sisters,and what a warm welcome it was!I laughed when my little brother asked if i died,and smiled when my sister said she cleaned my room up all nice.Things were hard,it was tough adapting to my new lifestyle,but i did,and moved on.I was in the hospital a lot,always getting sick and getting ketones,and soon enough all the ER nurses knew me.When my Grandmother died my diabetes went out of control,but over time things healed and i am a healthy,young teen with a chronic disease.People at first always thought of the disease before me,and that was hard,because you ARE NOT your disease,you are you,and it is your choice to control the disease,or let the disease control you.I thank God everyday for everything he has done for me,and for all the people who prayed for me,or offered their mass intention for me,the priests who gave me blessings,because without all that i may not be here today,and i wouldn't be able to tell my story. The End

Elle 25.

Elle was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was 18.  She emailed me today with this amazing piece of writing about her perspective on what it is to be chronically ill.  So worth sharing!

Sentencing

It starts when they say, simply, that you will have it for the rest of your life.

Surreal. The words are only words. Unlived.

The covert meaning waiting in the shadows of everyday life.

Chronic. Persistent.

The world expects you to grieve, but only now, and only for a while.

It is expected that you move on.

That you deal with the situation.

You break apart, and put yourself back together.

That you improve.

Be strong and unaffected.

Day by day, it starts to sink in.

There is no escape, no vacation, and no time off for good behaviour.

A daily battle must be waged.

My chronic is diabetes.

An invisible illness to those blind to the intimations.

A circadian rhythm of blood tests, numbers, calculations, and injections.

Interrupted only by the rare trauma of low blood sugar.

Yet, those are merely what people glimpse.

The outward warfare caused by my inability to produce insulin.

The inward skirmish is all mine.

Few people comprehend its blanketing nature.

The highs and lows that take physical and emotional tolls.

The terror that comes with the repetitive threat of dying.

The embarrassment, and the guilt. Capricious.

If I was only better at controlling this uncontrollable thing.

My chronic is diabetes.

The quotidian battle, though excruciating, creates equilibrium in my life.

Perilous moments.

Creating moments of gratitude and wonder.

How can others live in this phantasmagorical world so dismissively.

Understanding the struggle.

Forming a nexus with others manacled to this same chronic.

A bond formed only through the universal chronic experience.

Being chronic is a life sentence; it is not a death sentence. 

Jess 22.

Jess is another Type 1 Diabetic who was featured in a blog post called The Black Dog Interviews: 'Sorry, I'm diabetic', written by Steph Wilderspin (stephwilderspin.wordpress.com).  The blog is run by Operation Beautiful, a society at the University of East Anglia that promotes individuality and self-love, both mentally and physically.

The interview highlights the day-to-day experiences Jess has with Type 1 Diabetes and her views on life lived with diabetes.  Check out why Jess says diabetes is like a "golden retriever" to her!

The Black Dog Interviews: 'Sorry, I'm diabetic'

"It’s not something I’m ashamed of. I’m proud of what it’s made me. Sometimes I’m lying in bed thinking, “why the hell do I have this?”I’ve done my stint, now it’s somebody else’s turn. I’ve done fifteen years of this through probably the hardest part of a lifetime. I want someone else to take it. I feel that a lot."

Melody 22.

This week I had the pleasure of connecting online with Melody, who was just diagnosed in June of this year with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 22.  As a brand new diabetic, Melody has wasted no time in raising awareness and educating family and friends through her blog.  Check our her story and her incredibly positive spin on this new chapter of her life on her blog at:

D is for Diabetes

"My view on life has altered a bit. As I was never an ungrateful person, it just opens my eyes to except things as they come. I never thought bad things could happen to me because I've always had all the luck in the world, but I was wrong. Anything can happen to anyone and it's better to live your life for you and do the best you can with it. I still do normal things as everyone else, I'm just a lot more cautious of the consequences."

Are you Young&Chronic?

It's been a few months since I started this blog, and in those few months I have moved to a new city, planned a wedding, married my best friend, and started a new job.  Although I never intended to set this project on the back burner, it ended up there.

I've decided to take the initiative to get this blog going for real this time.  I have reached out to a number of connections, asking if they would be willing to contribute.

If you have a chronic condition, are under 30 years old, and would like to share your "Young & Chronic" experiences (as creatively or un-creatively as you desire), please email me at mcqueen.h@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook.

Looking forward to your stories!

I am young, and I am chronic.

Young&Chronic is my new experiment in the blog world.

I am a 24-year old with Type 1 diabetes.  I am young, and I am chronic.

Over the past 6 months I have shared my personal battle with diabetes and mental illness on my blog.  I have learned that honesty paired with connection can educate and empower.

My goal now is to multiply that effect by sharing the stories of young people who also face a life ahead of them full of challenges related to a chronic condition (CC).  

While tales of grandiose achievement are uplifting and inspiring, I want to fill this virtual canvas with accounts from the everyday battlefields of a CC in the life of a young person.

The purpose of this blog is two-fold: 

1. To educate those who live outside the walls of CC about the reality of daily living hand-in-hand with disease.

and 

2. To empower young people with a CC to illuminate their struggles, reach out for help, and above all, fuel a flame of hope.

If you'd like to share your story, please send me an email!