Life of a Diabetic, Part 1 : The Waking Realisation

A golden brown furball approached the sleeping girl with his wet nose, waking her up to receive pats and a 'good boy'. The girl in her late twenties woke up, looked at her lovely dog and with a sigh reached towards the black Pandora box. The box was her glucometer and the digits it displayed would decide her unconscious mood for the day, as it did for the last one year. 

Being from a medical field, she had always known what diabetes was, how many types were there and what was the management and precautions for it. But, what she didn't know how the society reacted to it. The laymen associate this chronic illness as a life style disease of fat people. They categorize the patients as unhealthy, without knowing the cause. There are around 6 types of diabetes and only one of them is because of the messy eating habits. She never had once realized that she would have to educate the people on different types while telling them about her diabetes. She blames the lack of awareness on the part of the education and media.

Then, she opened the box and set everything right. Drew a drop of blood from her index finger and placed it on her glucose meter. It takes a few seconds to display the results. In the back of her mind, the memories began to replay. The day of her diagnosis when she was half unconscious, diabetes type 1. The daily struggle to explain everyone the difference between the type 1 and type 2, admits the insulin injections. The manner in which the second consultant told her not to tell anyone about her disease, because of the society. Her rejection from the interview because of not being fit enough. Securing a top position in MBA, still feeling like a failure in life. The fear she saw in her parents' eyes for her. How she thought she could get used to the glucometer and the injections but not as yet. She doubts her own confidence of being adaptable. 

The beep of the result from the glucometer brought her back to the screen flashing her sugar levels were at a high of 198. The result just took two or three seconds, and the whole year had flashed in her mind. Now, the whole day would be of extra precautions and higher dosage of insulin with a frown. 

All she wanted was a carefree life. 

Its the time that I was unbound

Which I miss,

Untethered like a wild horse

Running, jumping, trotting

Carefree 

Reckless 

Fearless

With a life filled with 

Dreams and desires. 

As life is,

With change just around the corner

Coz that's the only thing constant. 

The horse had to be tamed

Broken 

Leashed in

Shackled 

For it to survive. 

I carry the orange and

the grey lucifer 

Alongside the black Pandora box

With a ghost of the hope,

In search of peace and calm 

For my mind.

To muster up courage

Gather all hope

And live the life

That I aspire. 

All she wishes now to get her hold back on her life.

Love

Isha

P.S. It would be an honor to help discuss the problems you or your loved ones face while dealing with diabetes.