University is a seriously stressful time for most students. Dreaded deadlines creep up on you quicker than you'd ever imagine, not to mention the countless lectures, study periods and reading you have to keep up with. Now imagine dealing with all of these time consuming commitments, as well as having a debilitating disease you have to manage every single day, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day... for the rest of your life. This is my life.
At ten years of age, my life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. My health began to deteriorate worryingly fast, I lost a lot of weight, couldn't keep food or fluids down and began to violently vomit, constantly. I was rushed to hospital and my parents were told that the next few hours would be critical. I was in DKA (Diabetic Keto-Acidosis), which leads to a coma but thankfully in my case, not death. I spent a while in intensive care and was later transferred to a ward.
The first few months, even years living with diabetes was horrendously hard, not only for me but for my family. This disease takes over your life and every little thing that could affect it, does. Stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, hormones, the weather. You name it, it has an impact on my health. On average I have lost 2519 hours of sleep and injected myself over 30,940 times! It's a daily battle but one that I am not prepared to lose.
I was scared to go to university, mainly because I was adamant that I would not tell anyone about my condition, I was completely ashamed of it.
Three years later, I am weeks away from finishing my degree in BA Broadcast Journalism but above all I am successfully managing my condition whilst studying. Of course, at times it has been horrendously hard. I have constant clinic, hospital and doctors appointments that I have to keep up with, along with a pretty poor immune system that means I am regularly ill or run down. I will not and have not let this stop me though. I have had numerous days off, normally spent hiding under the duvet, dreading my blood sugar reading or crouched over the toilet seat, screaming for it to end, in-between vomiting of course, but it's manageable. However difficult this disease gets, it won't beat me, or my desire and determination to achieve a degree.
I make sure all my assignments are started with plenty of time before the dreaded deadline day, I never know when I'll be next attached to a drip for a few days or bed bound with a tummy bug. I make sure I regularly check my blood sugar levels, inject (every time I eat!) and always have plenty to snack on and drink. When I sit down to study, with my laptop in front of me, a juice box is never far out of sight. I always manage to submit work to the highest standard possible, although it may take me slightly longer, with all the 'diabetes breaks!'
I refuse to let this disease win. I refuse to let it take over my life and stop me achieving my dreams, obtaining a degree being one of them! Yes, balancing a life long medical condition with endless assignments and essays is tough at times but with careful time management and a positive attitude, anything is possible! After all, I am a 'Super Student!'
Watch "My Secret life....Living With Type 1 Diabetes" here!
