And Awhile later...

Okay, so now it's been 8 months almost since I last posted here, but anyway.  My Name is Fulcna is released and available online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com and you can google it to find it elsewhere too.  Tis week is also Invisible Illness Week, so I'd like to post this list here:
30 Things About my Invisible Illness that You may not Have Known
1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 diabetes (diabetes mellitus)
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: September 2009
3. But I had symptoms since: Easter 2009
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: getting used to checking my sugar and doing injections, especially around other people
5. Most people assume: that diabetes means you have to do insulin and you're fat and you ate too many lollies and sweet things and it goes away
6. The hardest part about mornings are: getting out of bed after checking my sugar through the night
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Medical Emergency
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my insulin pump - no joke, if it failed and I didn't have needles around, I'd be in hospital within days
9. The hardest part about nights are: Having to get up through the night to check my sugar
10. Each day I take _0_ pills & vitamins. I have insulin infused every three minutes through a cannula under my skin and more when I eat.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: can't say anything about them since there are none.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: invisible
13. Regarding working and career: It's a pain at work because I have to keep stopping to check my sugar some days and if I had wanted to go into law enforcement or firefighting or paramedic or something I wouldn't be able to since diabetes stops you from being allowed to
14. People would be surprised to know: For the most part, putting in cannulas and giving myself injections doesn't hurt
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: having to count carbohydrate in absolutely everything I eat and not being able to snack freely anymore, even on the pump
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: eat junk food
17. The commercials about my illness: What commercials?  They're literally non-existent
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: eating without thinking about carbohydrate content
19. It was really hard to have to give up: feeling free to go somewhere without worrying about when my next meal was, where I had food, where my sugar kit was, etc.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: taekwondo
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: since I actually feel normal most of the time, I'll say that if I didn't have to worry about insulin for a day, I'd eat whatever I felt like, work without checking my sugar, do all the crazy, immature things I probably will never do now for that day.
22. My illness has taught me: that life can be so short and that we should never, ever take a moment, a person, a friend, anything for granted.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: 'Don't worry, you can still come to *event* because we'll have plenty of food for you that has no sugar'
24. But I love it when people: understand diabetes and treat me like I can deal with sorting out my food myself
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Psalm 27
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It's hard, it's scary, and no, it's never going away.  I know.  But as you get used to it and your sugar settles down, it does get easier.  If you need to talk, I'm here, so talk if you need to.  If you need help, tell me and I'll do what I can.  Just don't think you're alone.  There's 144,000 Australians who know exactly how you feel.  I'm one of them, so don't try to hide it, because I will know.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how much more I understand people's reasons for doing things sometimes.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: express concern and ask if I was alright, but still let me deal with it
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I want people to know more about how invisible illnesses impact our lives and how they can help someone who they know who has an invisible, or visible, illness.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: happy, because there is one more person who maybe understands a little better how invisible illnesses impact people's lives.