I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when I was 25. I thought I was too "old" for juvenile diabetes. My fasting blood sugar was 545! My world changed in a minute. I was mad, I was sad, I was scared!! I didn't want a disease! Since that day I have learned so much about how to manage my diabetes but it is a daily struggle. When I was diagnosed my husband and I were trying to start our family. All of that had to be put on hold until I got my diabetes under control. We now have two beautiful girls but each pregnancy was a struggle and each of my babies were born early each around 10lbs. My second baby spent the first 2 days of her life in the NICU because her blood sugars were in the 40s. Her little body was producing a lot of insulin to keep up with my high sugars. Once she was born, her body continued to produce too much insulin. We made a decision to not have more children because it was too hard on me and the baby. I struggle knowing I won't have more children but I know it is best and I am blessed with two little girls I love more than the world. Being a busy mom of two pushes my diabetes management to the back burner and I know I have to put it front and center if I want to live a long life to watch my girls grow but it is hard. As parents we tend to put ourselves second and a diabetic can't do that. I pray every day my girls don't inherit my diabetic genes because I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone else. People think diabetes isn't that bad but it's a forever disease that you battle every single day. I hope and pray for a cure!!!

Jen
Story City, IA