The day my life changed forever

So 17 years ago today, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes, or type I diabetes. Stupid Disease. I was 12 years old and had no idea what that meant. Here's the story:
In November of 1991 my Grandma Creager was hospitalized. I use to spend EVERY night there with my mom. My mom started noticing how often I was going to the bathroom and that I was extremely thirsty. I also had the flu pretty severe and dropped quite a bit of weight, which no 6th grader needed to lose.
So on Friday March 13th, 1992 my brother picked me up from school and told me that my Grandma had died. I was so sad. My dad's sister and her family flew in for the funeral. On Monday March 16th, I had a doctor's appointment up at Herfordshire with Dr. Wood.
So we get there and we are back in the room and my mom asks him to check my blood sugar. OUCH! not only did they do it once, but they did it twice! It took a few minutes to get the results back but when he came into the room, I knew that something was wrong. He said "You have juvenile diabetes". I was 12, and never heard about that before. My grandma who had just died had it, and I was scared to death! He said that my blood sugars were at 625, not good, and that I needed to get up to the hospital A.S.A.P. So me, mom and dad all left the office, all crying, and drove over to my Grandma's house where everyone was cleaning. We walked in, tear stricken faces, and told them what was going on. My Uncle Cliff was there and he helped my dad give me a blessing. So we head home, I shower, get some things packed... like my favorite barbie and head to the hospital. Still terrified.
We arrive at the St Ben's (Ogden Regional) Monday night and got me all checked in. They checked my blood sugars again and I was still scary high. My mom spent the night with me and the next morning they had me giving myself shots. That first one was a kicker, and I did it in my leg. So scared.
Anyway, fast forward until now and I have been all over the board. I have had the highest blood sugars and been hospitalized. I have had the lowest blood sugars, passed out while driving and wrecked my jeep. I have been severely depressed, even suicidal. And I have been the happiest in my life. I have been crippled as an old lady with neuropathy where I couldn't walk and rode in a wheelchair most places.
I wouldn't change what I have been through with diabetes. I think it has made me stronger and have more sympathy for those with terminal illnesses. I could have a disease much worse than diabetes, so I am thankful that this is all I have. I really want to teach others about this disease. I want to get my R.N. so that I can go on to be a diabetic educator. I understand what others are going through. Lots of people I know that are diabetics have either been so tight with their regimen that they don't know how it is to be "out of control". I was told NEVER to try and get pregnant because they said neither me or the baby would make it through the delivery. Well guess what, I started really caring for myself and I had a very healthy baby. And I plan to have another, but won't push myself beyond 2.
This post is mainly for me. I like to talk about this disease that I use to hide from everyone. I met a little girl the other night that had this little pouch on her pocket and I saw some tubing. I went over and asked her if she had an insulin pump. She said yes and so I showed her mine. She was so excited. She said "mom look! She has one too!" She was only about 6 and had been diagnosed at the age of 4. I told her that only special people got to wear these. We are special, and she made my night.