Good morning. My name is Marley. I live in Thornhill, Ontario. Thank you for having me here today. I am 13 years old and I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago. My mom was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was a child. She's lived with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years now.
Like any other person, when I was diagnosed I was scared. Even though I had my mom and all her experience living with diabetes, it was still difficult to learn to cope with this disease. I had to learn how to count carbohydrates, take blood tests, give myself injections, and explain everything I was doing to other people.
Now I am using an insulin pump. I love it. It gives me so much more freedom to do the things I love, like dancing and playing sports. I'm able to eat when and what I want to, sleep in, and take a lot fewer needles.
Things can still go wrong. Sometimes my catheter gets bent when it's inserted or it's ripped out accidentally. If we don't realize that this has happened, my blood sugars go extremely high. When my blood sugars are high, I feel really sick, and it takes a really long time to feel better. A great addition to the insulin pump is the continuous glucose monitor. It helps me to prevent low and high blood sugars. I have only used it a few times, but it has made a huge difference with managing my diabetes.
Even with the insulin pump, I still take 5 to 10 blood tests a day, and I have to watch everything I put into my mouth. There is never a time that I am able to forget that I have diabetes. Sometimes that makes it harder for me to participate in the things I want to do, or do them to the best of my ability. In gym class, if my blood sugars go too low, I have to eat, sit out, and wait for my blood sugars to go back up before I can participate again. Sometimes when I go out with my friends, if my blood sugars are too high and everyone else is buying something to eat, I can't. I have to take more blood tests, take an insulin injection, and then wait to make sure I get my blood sugars back in control. I find I'm missing out on all the fun stuff my friends are doing because I am worrying so much about my diabetes.
A cure for type 1 diabetes would mean everything to me. It would make my life so much easier and more enjoyable. I wouldn't have to worry about diabetic complications. I wouldn't have to worry about my children also being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I think that together we can make a difference in the lives of all people living with diabetes and ultimately find a cure.
Thank you.