What Is a Diaversary?

"It's your dia-what?!" This is the reaction we get from most people when we tell them it's our diaversary. A diaversary is essentially your Type 1 Diabetes' birthday. Mine happens to be today, October 5th. And in our community, it's something we celebrate.

Why would we celebrate the date we got a life changing disease? Because it's not a celebration of the disease itself, we can all tell you that. It's celebrating another year of living with this monster that we didn't ask for. Another year of pokes and injections or site changes. Another year of dealing with something we don't want to deal with all day every day. Another year of surviving.

It's my 12th diaversary and I don't really remember much from 2005. I have vague memories of sitting in the Diabetes Educator's room and it feeling like school and just wanting for it to end so I could go home. I remember being surprised that I had to give myself my first injection that very night and not impressed. I remember being told not to eat chocolate if my blood sugar went low, because it's high in fat and wouldn't work as fast. And that's about it.

Now, 12 years later, so much has changed. I don't have diabetes-related pictures of myself from back then because for some reason I was ashamed of having it. I just wanted to be like everyone else. Today I can say I'm proud that I've kept myself alive for 12 years. I'm proud that I get to write about Type 1 and educate people who don't know about it. And I'm grateful for the people I've met because of my diagnosis. So today I celebrate being alive (Thanks Banting and Best), the friendships I've made through this community, and the fact that I have the privilege to spread awareness!