Still being the best I can be

I LEARNT I was diabetic at the tender age of nine. I was a happy, hopping child who had suddenly lost almost all her body weight, and thought it was just puberty. I was hospitalised twice at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The first hospitalisation (2008) was upon discovery of my new illness, and the second (2017) was due to my own negligence.

In the beginning, I was receptive of my new treatments and reality that I would be insulin dependent for the rest of my life. However, later down the line, I was switched to a different type of insulin, which required four injections per day instead of my usual two. The drastic increase had affected me physically, as the pain I had to endure was now twice as much. I started to feel alone; I felt as if the world had abandoned me.

Nobody could truly understand how I felt, even if I described it in details. So I sought out diabetic friends and even therapy sessions to help me cope. My parents try their best to keep me motivated, but the true motivation has to come from within. Support groups are ideal in helping others cope, because this disease is not one to be taken lightly. It takes true perseverance to be a real champion.

Eleven years after my diagnosis, I still have difficulty adjusting to my regime, but that does not stop me from being the best I can be. As long as I take my medication on time as well as keep a balanced diet, I remain in excellent health.

CHELSEA JOHNSON Student Chef University of Technology