This is for all the Diabetics out there. It makes me sad to read some of your posts and replies to things , to see some of you say, " I was told to give up my dreams so I did. " . If you can dream it, and are determined enough, you can do it. Don’t let someone tell you that you aren’t able to do something because of type one or two Diabetes, because that is a load of rubbish.
To those who say Diabetics can’t serve in the military http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-forecast/jul2005/back.jsp . I also know a couple Diabetics currently serving in both active and non combat positions. To those who say you can’t do firefighting, wildland or structural, do not believe. An example of someone who told me I could not become a firefighter, police officer, or an EMT would be my own mother, she told me that I could never do something physical like that because my Diabetes would hinder any work that I might accomplish. I went through a fire academy that told me I couldn’t because of my Diabetes, but I proved them both wrong! I have a job with a wildland firefighting company that I will be starting next fire season. Yes, WILDLAND firefighting, where you have limited access to medical help, and can not be evacuated as easy if needed. In closing I have but one thing to say; fellow Diabetics, never give up your dreams, don’t let people push you aside or try and discourage you, if you want to do something bad enough, you will find the way.
Edit/ P.S. Another thing I have working against me that people thought would debilitate me is Celiac, which, for those that don’t know is an allergy to wheat/ and Gluten.
Wow. That was deep. I congratulate you on proving those losers wrong who say that we are incapable of doing things that quote “normal people” do. We are quite capable of doing these things, and I have no idea why others say that we can’t. Good luck with the awesome job that you are 100% capable of
Indeed we all are Judith, my article here is merely for all the Diabetics who have been discouraged by the masses, and by the people that do not believe that someone with Diabetes is capable. I have another Mini story one that could argue Diabetics becoming truck drives, Diabetics are not allowed to become truck drivers but you never know there’s probably some out there that do.
I ran into a few problems in Salem so I had to drive back to where I had previously resided, Salt Lake City, Utah. When I arrived home I realised I had to go back so I packed all my belongings in my car and set off yet again. I drove from Salt Lake City leaving approx. 10 in the morning and once I hit . . Pendleton I believe I decided to go to FT Lewis and buy some items. I stopped and checked my sugar every hour whilst on my Journey, except for the one I spent clarifying my papers and the couple I spent wandering around the Ft. Lewis Commissary . My sugar never went above 168, and my target is below 150, by 7 PM I proceeded to drive to Portland to sleep at my friends house for the night until the morning when I could drive to Salem. Once more I drove, checked my sugars every hour, hate semi decent snacks. When I arrived in Portland it was 11 PM ( Yeah I became lost the roads here can be a bit confusing ) I then went to my friends work to notify her of my arrival, then went back to her place, checked my sugars and ate. When I was in Portland my sugar was 168. ( Mind you when I hit Portland I had been up for 36 hours with no sleep. ) I went to sleep, or at least attempted, I received one hour of sleep that night and drove to Salem in the morning. The rest of the events don’t have much to do with driving long distances and keeping perfect sugars so I will omit them. Granted not all Diabetics have their Diabetes under control or are able to take on such tasks there are the ones out there that can, and I believe they should not be held back because of the few that can’t.
Hate to be a wet blanket, but right now it is next to imposable to go into the Military taking insulin. Different story if you develop the big D in the Service and have a needed skill. I have been trying to go in to the chaplaincy (a non combatant role) and right now I would be rejected because I take insulin. But others wise we need to keep try and not loose hope and give up on our dreams. I will keep trying.
I think sometimes as diabetics our own minds are our worst enemies. I decided to start setting goals on things that I want to do. I started getting lows at night this led me to get worried with lows during physical activities. With medicine is hard to know what the body will do. Some days it makes too much insulin and some days not enough. So I needed to know that I could perform physical activities that would last a full day. I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity build. I have been in situations before that where I would go from 160 to 70 in about 30 to 45 minutes of physical activities. So one thing that M Lujan talked about is the hourly test to make sure that I did not go low. I was scared at first but by the end of the day I felt great. My next step is to to the Race for the Cure from San Antonio to Austin. I have to prove to myself that I can still manage that type of activity. So congrats on the job and great work
I was also in the Army when I was diagnosed. There are a few policy issues from the ADA article that were not addressed. One is that the soldier was essentially a clerk with a desk job. That is when compared to an Infantryman, Cavalry Scout or the like where their primary place of duty is in a much more austere locale. I laud his hard work at maintaining his health under the most extreme conditions, but those conditions were substantially better than somebody stuck in a remote outpost in Afghanistan without vehicles, electricity and the like. Those rules which to us back home feel might be discriminatory exist for a good reason. The Army runs a risk of having to use aviation assets, medical support and other soldiers to care for a soldier with diabetes if something goes wrong. Those assets are finite, and better devoted to taking care of somebody who becomes wounded, injured or ill. If a diabetic soldier gets sick and needs to be evacuated from location “A” and another soldier in location “B” becomes wounded, who should get the medevac if only one helo is available? By keeping the diabetic out of theater, that dilemma is eliminated.
Even as a Type I with over 13 years of service, I’d give my left arm to be able to serve. But the simple fact is that I could not live with myself if my self-centered desire were to place another soldier in a bad situation. Therefore, I do what I can from the civilian side of the street.
I am so pleased to see such a positive post! Diabetes is a manageable disease. It is harder for some, but with perseverance it can be done! I believe we can do anything we set our minds too! It might take a little more work than a non-diabetic, but we can certainly do anything we decide to do!
Thank you.
Update for those of you who might be following my uninteresting life; I am back in Utah for a Paramedic interview. Drove here on Friday night, was up for close to 40 hours no sleep, only had 1 high blood sugar but it did not affect me. ( it was 220 at around 4 AM ) . Once interview and testing is complete I will be driving back to OR, straight shot as always hopefully keeping sugars in check, as always.
