Auto Immune DisorderS!!

I went to Catholic school for a part of my formative years (grades 4-8). I was baptised and confirmed and was certain that I was going to be the first female Priest!

I became sick of the 'school politics' with the girls, and insisted that I move to the public school right around the corner from my home. My mother told me... "Susan, you will encounter this throughout life - changing schools isn't going to change human nature"

I chose to ignore her advice, and moved along to public school where I discovered (then and still today) that my mother was right.

 So....what does this have to do with diabetes?

When I was diagnosed with type 1 in my last year of high school, there was a lot going on in my family life at the time. I therefore ended up staying an additional year in high school and graduating with too many credits, but not the last two OAC (Ontario Acedemic Credits) necessary to move onto university. I look at this 16 years later and understand why I chose to leave home, but still regret not having stayed to complete those OAC credits. But ultimately, I recognize that had I moved onto university at the same time as my friends did, things would have fallen apart. Intially I contracted a virus (actually, most of my family members did), but I just never got better. Of course I saw the fact that my clothing was practically falling off of me, but since I have always had to work extra hard on my weight, I only saw that as a blessing. My best friend had left to visit family at the time, and when she returned a couple of weeks later, she didn't even recognize me. I lost nearly 30 lbs over the course of a month. When I did eventually go to see my doctor, she was apparently having a nervous breakdown, and I practically had to beg her for a requistion. I received a call from her the next day, telling me that I had type 1 and that I would need to see a dietitian and nurse 'in a few days'.

The relationship between my sharing my Catholic experience and diabetes is that I thought, well, this is going to be it. God wouldn't give me MORE than just type 1.

WRONG!

I actually started to develop ottosclerosis shortly (according to my Mom) prior to developing type 1. I now have it in both ears and actually hearing aids in both ears!!

When I finally accepted the fact that I would need to use these for the rest of my life, I did actually get hearing aids, and am totally fine with that now.

HOWEVER

Then I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. I am living as well as I can, but really with FEAR - you know... what's next?!!

Most days, I accept.... I know that I am not able to change this, and to focus on the negative is going to lead to MORE bad. So, most days, I am sunny. Other days, I feel helpless, and somewhat hopeless. I have been advised by my neurologist that due to all of these diseases, to add pregnancy would further complicate my life.

OK... i do NOT want more complications, but how come I have all this other garbage??!!

Now.... that leads me back to the God thing.

ARGH!!!!!