Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. - Og Mandino

OOOk, well, just a little bit about me - I am just a southern girl with diabetes. I have been diabetic since I was 4 years old, and am 23 now. I have had a terrible time controlling it until recently (Thanks to my new endocrinologist that is FILLING me with information and is working with me weekly until my glucose levels are under control). I have been a pumper since 2000 and have had the Disetronic H-tron + pump for most of the time, but have been on the Accu-chek Spirit for about a year now. I'm waiting on my warranty to run out though because I would like to switch to MiniMed Paradigm with realtime glucose readings. Anyway, I have been on Apidra insulin for about 2 weeks now and am LOVING it! I was on Humilog since it came out, and my new endo switched me at my last appointment. It has worked wonders with my glucose levels! Something I never thought I'd be able to acheive with Humalog!
I have slowly realized just how much God has used me with my diabetes in my life. Being diagnosed at 4, I really don't know any other way of life than the mathmatical equasions of insulin dosages and carb counting. I feel that one reason that I have it is that most of my family is very over weight, and I feel in a way that I have had my diabetes from such a young age so that I'd know how to control my eating habits. I stayed on shots until I was 16. Then, I volunteered at a camp for diabetics as a counselor in training. I went to Camp Adam Fisher that's held at Camp Bob Cooper on Lake Marion here in SC. That year was the most amazing year because I was old enough to understand enough about what was going on in my own body to try to explain it to the group of 9,10, and 11 year olds that were in my 5-G group. The other counselors and I were there to help the girls in our groups to learn how to overcome obsticles, like even something as simple as pricking your finger to something as difficult as mixing your long and short acting insulins in a syringe for their mealtime shot. It was such a blessing to feel needed because of my experience. I've wanted to go back as a councelor, but I'd have to build up some time at work to do it. I miss the atmosphere - you don't feel like you're the "odd-ball" because you have diabetes...EVERYONE DOES!. So, for a week and a half, you are in a world surrounded by people who are just like you, with the exception of the doctors, of course. Maybe I can get the time to go next year! :-) Also, that year I learned about the insulin pumps and when I came home, I immediately got one. I have been on the pump since then. I don't mind having it clipped to my side, and don't mind the questions that are asked by people who don't understand because I love to talk about it. There are so many people who are not educated about diabetes and I love to explain it any chance I get that it's not a death sentence for people, it's just another way of life. Also, a few months - maybe even a year - after I got my pump, a lady that my mom knows's mother found out her T2 was getting out of hand, so her doctor put her on a pump as well. One night, her mom was having trouble with inserting her sites, and so she called us. We went to her mom's house and I was able to help her insert her site, which also happended to be the same one I used at the time. Those are just three things that stick out in my mind, but I'm sure there are more. All I know is that God has been looking out for me for a long time and I can only pray that He will continue to do so. :-)
I am also recently married and trying to manage a new home and also a new job, so there's been a lot of stuff going on already in 2008 for me! Since I am recently married, I am trying my hardest to get things under control for future family planning reasons (maybe 3 to 5 years in the future if I can help it!!).
....And that's about it! :-)