Hi, my name is Sydney Berner. I'm a sophomore and this is my first year at Wooster. Something you may not know about me is that I'm type one diabetic, I've actually had this illness for fifteen years (I'm sixteen now). It's actually a pretty crazy story of how I was diagnosed. It was July 5th 2005, I was just a baby, only fourteen months old at that time. A few months earlier, I had Coxsackievirus. Doctors believe that is what may have brought out this disease in me. I was really sick, and I just kept getting worse. My parents had brought me to the pediatrician who diagnosed me with an ear infection. My parents had a wedding to attend that weekend so they brought me and my sister to the Catskills to have my grandparents watch us. However, I just kept getting sicker and sicker to the point where I wasn't acting right. My mom recalls me trying to drink my bathwater and thinking it was cute since it was summer and I must have been trying to cool myself down. Since I wasn't getting any better, my parents decided to take me to the local urgent care. There, they turned us away and told us to let the antibiotics kick in and it was nothing to worry about since it was "just an ear infection." Again, I just kept getting worse. My family finally had enough of this waiting game when I would stay unconscious and I would only wake up to vomit. They called the doctor who instructed them to bring me to a major hospital. When my family retells this story, my dad always talks about how my breathing wasn't even normal. He remembers me as a baby and my chest just pumping in and out. My parents then brought me to the nearest hospital, where a male nurse picked me up and smelt the ketones on me (where the fruit odor on the breath comes from). He told my family "she's type one diabetic." The hospital didn't have an endocrinology department so they wanted to airlift me in a helicopter ambulance to a different hospital that had one. However, they couldn't due to the bad weather conditions. So, instead, my mom went in the ambulance with me and my dad followed behind in their car. From there, I went to Maria Fareri Children's Hospital where I spent four days in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and 10 days in normal care. For two of those days, I was in a diabetic coma. This story will forever impact my family as it was a serious event that changed, and continues to change, all of our lives forever.
Therefore, my life has been severely impacted by this disease. It definitely changed my childhood. My parents kept a very close eye on me as they were afraid of me getting into a serious accident due to this illness. I hope my story helps others understand that although I may look perfectly normal on the outside, I have and do struggle with a lot on a daily basis. However, although being a diabetic impacts my life immensely, I am lucky to have been diagnosed and to know what to do if need be.
Things you probably shouldn't ask or say to someone with diabetes:
"Can you eat that?"
-Unless it has poison, gluten or tree nuts in it then I can!
"You can't eat sugar right?"
-I can have as much of it as I want as long as I cover for it with insulin!
"My grandparent has that!"
-You probably mean type two diabetes.
"I got you this sugar free one instead."
-I appreciate the gesture but sugar free food/candy sucks (in my opinion). I really only like sugar free drinks like diet coke.
"Hey Sydney, do you still have diabetes?"
-Yes!( Someone really asked me this last year). I will always have diabetes unless there is some medical breakthrough and scientists cure it. That is highly unlikely.
Telling someone with diabetes how to care for it
-It's just not your place or business. So if you aren't a medical professional just don't.
"Hey, I heard about this cure where they reverse the disease and you should get it."
-There isn't a cure for type one diabetes.
Though there are a lot of things you shouldn't say or ask a diabetic, never be afraid to ask questions! I love talking about this disease and I never want anyone to be afraid to ask. Mistakes are ok, it's how we learn!
Some things I would like people to know about me and this illness!:
I always have about 100 different things on my mind, but you can treat me like anyone else! Yes this disease is a huge burden, but it's not yours to deal with. Be yourself around me there's no need to treat me in a different manner. It's my responsibility to advocate for myself and tell others what I need. So, I appreciate the concern but you don't need to worry about it. Another thing is that I always have to manage my symptoms and care for myself, so if anything I just ask that others try to be patient with me. Sometimes I also have bad nights or days with blood sugars and that can take a huge toll on me mentally and physically. This often leads me to have to miss some school or time with others so just try to be understanding. But most importantly don't worry, I've dealt with this for almost my whole life, I got this! As long as I'm taking care of myself (which I usually am), I will be okay.
If you have any questions about type one diabetes don't be afraid to ask me or reach out to me!