How to explain...

This time, 7 years ago, I was sitting in a hospital room in Walter Reed Army Medical Center learning how to live with diabetes. The plethora of information that my family and I received at the time of diagnosis was completely overwhelming and ill fitting. I wasn’t a kid with diabetes- I was a young adult with established habits that needed to learn how to make diabetes work with my lifestyle. I was initially put on a regimen of NPH and Regular insulin, but for a 17 year old with afterschool activities, a part time job, and a budding social calendar, that simply wouldn’t work. Also, in all the pamphlets and brochures I received, nothing mentioned the emotional effects that diabetes would have on my life. Nothing talked about the social issues that I would encounter from having diabetes. Nothing explained what to tell people when they asked about diabetes.

7 years later, I’m sitting in Montana visiting my grandparents and am thrown into the situation of having to explain how my diabetes is different, why I don’t take shots, why my pump doesn’t have tubing, why I check my blood sugar as much as I do, etc. to various members of my extended family. I’m the anomaly in my family and the only one with a chronic conditions (“yes, I’ll have to do this for the rest of my life”) This is the first time they’ve seen me since I’ve worn a pump and the first time they might be brave enough to ask the questions that they have. And sometimes, despite the fact that I’ve had diabetes for what seems like an eternity most days, I just don’t know the answer or how to explain it to someone that has no background knowledge.

So to you veterans with diabetes, or anyone else- what is the most concise way to explain type 1 diabetes in 2 minutes (bonus points to people wearing the Omni-Pod and can explain that.)? I have a large family bar-b-que to go to tomorrow and it’s bound to come up. I don’t want to give the biology of diabetes (which I can do at work, since I work in healthcare and people seem to understand), just the facts.

Thanks in advance for helping to eliminate another awkward conversation where I might start talking about my islet cells going rogue.