I was watching Bret on the Doctors just now about staying positive with diabetes and how to give people hope. I agree and love to offer support as well. I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 16. Hard age….I wanted to go out with my friends and I was just coming to the age of independence. I was feeling the opposite. I had to rely more on my parents and the doctors. I was admitted to the Children’s hospital for 4 days, after my diagnoses. I was feeling sorry for myself and alone. I decided to walk the halls and looked in the rooms of these little kids, sick and alone. I remember sitting by this small kid and him looking at me and asking his mom if I was a big kid with diabetes and how cool that was. It was then I decided to be the “big sister”. Basically, I bucked up and realized that if these teeny 4 and 5 year old can handle this, then so could I and I was going to dedicate my life to staying positive about it. I went into the medical field and have been a Medical Assistant for 8 years now. I have given birth to 2 beautiful children and have wonderful people who surround me every day. I am very open about having the disease and have a conversation about it or tell someone about it daily. They always give me the look or say how sorry they are for me. My response has always been “I am not sorry I got this disease. It has taught me how to live and be healthy”. Sure….there are days and I of course could stand to lose weight, but I don’t let it be about the disease. I am responsible for my life and to learn to live with this disease. Diabetes does not control me or who I am, I control my diabetes!!!!

I just wanted to say thank you to Bret for being such a spokesperson and always offer advice and support to these children.

I agree 100 percent every time I see him talking about it. And I just love the way he carries himself. Reminds me, of me!!! We have to be able to show these kids who never get the chance to control diabetes by diet and exercise that it’s going to be okay. And that you can live a normal life. It is not a curse…..it’s a lifestyle!!!!