VSP Blog

Laura Ely, Team Type 1, Triathlon Team

Guest Blogger – Laura Ely competes as a member of Team Type 1′s Triathlon Team. She works as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Marketing Coordinator for the University of North Carolina Diabetes Care Center Clinical Trial Program and is also a communication coordinator for DiabetesSisters, an online diabetes community for women. Laura was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four.

I have a very vague memory of my initial diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.  I was four years old at the time.  After showing the telltale signs of diabetes, weight loss and constant thirst, I was told by my mother that I would need to go to the hospital that night.  I have a horrific memory of my four-year-old self, sobbing as doctors in a small room surrounded me.  They tried to settle me down, gave me IV fluids and placed me in a room to try to get a good night’s rest.  However, as soon as I arrived at that room, I looked down at my hand with the IV needle and saw blood seeping through the bandage and tape.  More crying and horrific thoughts ensured and thus began my life with diabetes.

The next year was my first year in kindergarten. My mother came to school each day at lunch to check my blood sugar to make sure that it was at an acceptable number.  As a pretty modest child, I did not like the extra attention.  I refused to talk about my disease and refused to tell any of my friends that I had diabetes.  I was convinced that if anyone else found out I would be a social outcast. 

The years progressed and I continued to keep my diabetes a secret.  At times I did not want to eat snacks during the day to avoid the stares from the other kids wondering why I could eat and they could not.  I got low blood sugars during class and instead of treating them by eating a snack I would will my blood sugars to go up on their own.  Obviously, that did not work and I’d finally give in when I’d be shaking so hard it was difficult to write, sweat dripping down my back. Read more »