Recently I have discovered the amount of talk about type one diabetes. I guess I should start my first blog post on here by giving a little background of who I am and what I stand for. Remember, if you don't like any of the things said here or have a hard time reading the honest truths of T1D, then there is an "X" at the top of your screen!
My name is Erin Shorosky and I am a 20 year old woman living in NJ. I was officially diagnosed with type one diabetes on October 4th, 1997 at only 13 months old. The previous month I was battling what they thought was the coxsackie virus, always giving me different antibiotics but I was never really getting any better. On October 4th, 1997 everything changed. My mom put me down for a nap in my crib like any other day and continued on with her day cleaning and preparing dinner for my sister, brother, and dad for later in the day. She said she was in the midst of doing a few chores when something in her told her to go check on me. When she entered my room assuming I would be fine she noticed that I was not actually asleep but unconscious while faintly breathing. She rushed me to the emergency room and our family D.R. was out sick that day, which made my mom even that much more uneasy. A few minutes went by that felt like hours, when the new D.R. finally emerged and told my mom "Your daughter has type one diabetes, had you waited even 5 minutes to check on her, she might not be here with us now". Time stopped for a moment after those words felt like they were blurted out. My mother was in shock. What next? What is diabetes? Diabetes has different types? Would I ever be able to function on my own? All these questions circled around the room as my dad and siblings arrived at the hospital. My dad says he remembers coming into my hospital wing, seeing me all wrapped up with wires and medicine while I played on a red wagon the nurses pulled me around on while I laughed and smiled with not an ounce of sadness in my body. I ended up staying at the hospital for a week, each day my family was informed on how to care for me because I could not even speak yet. The only word I was ever really saying at this time was "wahwah" which was water. Diabetes managed to steal my first word from me. Mom says she always thought "wow I have such a healthy baby, she doesn't want juice she just wants water!" Little did she know my cells were actually severely dehydrated. When my mom and dad finally were able to take me home they said for the next few months they called the doctor on average about 5 times every 24 hours! Growing up with diabetes was no walk in the park, hell, growing up at all is no walk in the park! But like everyone else, I have managed. I have more than managed. I fight T1D every second of every day. I don't get to decide "I'm tired of this, I'm done, I'm not doing this anymore", because the second I decide that, is the second my life ends and my heart stops beating. Diabetes is not just a battle, it is a war filled with highs, lows, seizures, black outs, doubt, hurt, anger, happiness, acceptance, hope, desire and so much more. It is a war that so many people are fighting. I was not the first diabetic and I was not the last, but I hope this blog brings you all to the reality of diabetes, the realness of it all. I will not sit here behind a computer screen and tell you all "my numbers are great, look at me kicking butt against T1D!" I will sit here and be as honest as humanly possible with each one of you reading. I want to show you the hard work and dedication it is just to function every single day like someone without diabetes does without even thinking. I want to show you that it is okay to feel like diabetes has won, when in reality it hasn't. I want to show you that it is okay to be down, but know also that when you are down, you must pick yourself back up and keep fighting. I want to show you that YOU are worth more than this, that you deserve more than this. I hope you all come back next week to see what life has thrown my way diabetes wise of course! I also hope you guys have a safe and joy filled week until then! XX-E
