I’ve mentioned a couple of times recently that I decided to go back to education in 2020, I’ve finished my first semester and as I was starting semester two last week I was knocked over a bit by my diabetes diagnosis flashback: how it interrupted my life and took it in a direction I don’t think I would have chosen for myself and now how I seem to have come full circle. It’s only taken 28 years!
Diagnosis in College Years
I was 20 years old When I was diagnosed with diabetes and I was in my second year of a two year diploma in performing arts studies, or as it was called back then, drama. I did my leaving cert when I was 17 and had no idea back then what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wasn’t a big fan of school, the one thing I did know was that I had had enough of books and teachers so I ruled out “proper” college. College attendance was low in my area and it definitely wasn’t hugely encouraged, so this wasn’t an unusual approach.
Jump ahead to my diagnosis where I was already feeling that the choice I made for a career was probably not going to work out but I was determined to buy myself some procrastination and finish my course. In steps a diabetes diagnosis and completely turned my world upside down. My confidence in being an independent adult fell to the floor and I clung to security and stability. I found myself incapable of making any life decisions - I let others take over for a while.
The Impact of My Diagnosis
I moved back home to my parents (a safe place) and took up the summer job I had the previous year. At the end of the summer I still had no plan. I was simply just getting through each day. My summer job was stretched out until October, bless my manager at the time for allowing me to stay so long. Still no plan though. My mother suggested I do a computer course that her friend could organise, I didn’t object or protest, I simply agreed, grateful that someone was organising my life for me. When I look back now it seems that I was unable to make any big decisions for about a year and was very happy to let people step in. I think it was what I needed at that time.
When I finished the computer course I was able to pick up work here and there until I got my first office job that meant I could think about being an independent adult again. I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up but it didn’t seem to matter anymore because earning a living was more important to provide me with security, so I didn’t waste any time on it anymore.
Pick up where Diabetes Interrupted
This week in college, there is a lot of discussion about what we want to do once we graduate, a lot of my classmates are trying to figure it all out for the first time, like me and most of them are almost the age I was when I was diagnosed and that’s where all this is coming from.
I thought about how diabetes interrupted my life when I was twenty and how it impacted and changed the course of it. What if, instead of reeling from my diagnosis, I could have spent that summer looking at college courses finding out what options I had? I got lucky though, things worked out great for me, I met my soulmate, I was able to be a stay at home parent for a long time, I was encouraged to explore all interesting opportunities while staying at home and I finally figured out what I want to be now that I’m grown up. Better late than never. However, I wonder about those who may not have been so lucky and didn’t have family support, didn’t regain their confidence after diagnosis, and are maybe still struggling with this ever so subtly in their subconscious.
The impact of a diabetes diagnosis can be invisible but does feel like being punched in the stomach very hard. The support we have in the beginning determines how we survive it, Psychological support for everyone diagnosed would make sure everyone has that chance of not just survival but living their best.
College & Diabetes
While I’m on the topic of being in college with diabetes I do have some questions for students. My first question is have any of the college students registered with the campus disability offices? Is this something I should do too?
And my second question is do any of you make it known to lecturers that you have diabetes in case of lows during exams?
I would love to hear what others have done to help me decided what I should do in this respect. TIA