Shh…

Todays topic encourages us to spill the particular parts of diabetes that we would usually keep from the public sphere – the aspect of diabetes that we tend to keep to ourselves, away from our family, friends, and, well, the entire internet.

There is one aspect of diabetes I choose not to blog about. And that, my friends, is my hope for a cure. No one wants a lifelong, chronic illness. With diabetes, I never want my friends to see me at a low. Just like I never want my family to see me on a bad diabetes day.

Deep, deep down in the bottom of my heart there is a candle that flickers with hope for a cure. And while I may go my lifetime without this never becoming a reality, that flame will never be extinguished. As long as there is life within me, there is hope. But that’s not what keeps me going. What carries me through life is the faith I have in myself: Faith in myself to jump from the world’s first commercial bungy despite my fear of bridges: Faith in myself to jump from Australasia’s highest bungy despite my fear of falling: Faith in myself to Skydive from 15,000ft despite my fear of heights. Faith in myself to white water raft despite my fear of rivers. Faith in myself to cross the Thailand/Cambodia border solo and in the middle of the night . Faith in myself to do a season in the snow despite trying snowboarding once in my life. Faith in myself to travel the world despite my shy and timid nature. Ultimately I live with the faith in myself to live the life I want with my health securely in my hands.

A small part of me will always hope for a cure, but it will never dominate my life. My faith takes up too much room.

: The Nevis Bungy, the highest bungy jump in Australasia

: The Karawau Bridge Bungy – the world’s first commercial bungy jump

: On the summit of Ben Lomond

: Franz Fox Glacier

: 15,000 ft above Queenstown, New Zealand

: Grade 5 white water rafting

: The Remarkables Mountain Range

: On top of the Remarkables Mountain Range

I wrote this post for Diabetes Blog Week – an annual blogging event designed to share different perspectives over the same topic, and to make connections and better understand Diabetes. Today’s topic is ‘Keep it to yourself’ and aims to look at the aspects of diabetes you usually keep to yourself.

9 thoughts on “Shh…”

Frank says:

May 12, 2015 at 9:14 am

Awesome photos, thanks so much for sharing! Also didn’t get to say yesterday how much I love your blog name. I was playing around with the words diabetes and beat when I was trying to name my blog but I could never quite come up with something.

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type1diabeater says:
May 13, 2015 at 4:20 am

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Thanks Frank! I was actually originally Type 1 Dialicious because I started my Instagram first and was very focused on the food aspect of diabetes, but then I thought Diabeater had more of a ring to it! 🙂

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Kelley says:

May 12, 2015 at 4:49 pm

Amazing photos! You make me want to travel now! Also, I am jealous of your adventures-I want to bungy jump so bad!

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type1diabeater says:
May 13, 2015 at 4:18 am

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Thank you! I actually never thought I would ever be able to do a bumpy jump! I’m petrified of heights – but when it was the 25th Anniversary of the world’s first commercial bungy they reduced the price for 1 day and there was 1 space left, I just had to! (Then when they did a ‘local’s day’ (reduced price again) for the Nevis bungy I couldn’t say no again) … then I did one more – the first bungy again, but this time on my birthday, for free, dressed in a giant number 7 costume for a TV show commercial! 😀

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