Today Marks Two Years

Anniversaries are funny, they make us recall all the emotions when something first started. Whether the anniversary commemorates a positive event like a wedding, class reunion, or birthday or a negative event like the diagnosis of a disease, accident or worse emotions are stirred and memories are hard to ignore. Today marks the 730th day that I have known I have juvenile diabetes.


Over the past 730 days I have accomplished more while managing this disease than I could have ever hoped to accomplish without it. I completed my first Ironman Triathlon, gained acceptance into a top MBA program, found a tremendous summer internship in an unbelievably tough economy and managed to fall in love. I know with certainty that the first and fourth things on that list would not have happened without diabetes and while diabetes will never define who I am, the disease has given me the motivation to fight for a cause.


I will never forget the shock and fear I was struck with when my diagnosis was delivered, but I will also never forget the resolve I felt to combat this disease when my diagnosis was delivered. Over the past two years I have been determined to spread my message that a chronic illness does not define who you are. I have been given an opportunity to inspire others and have tired to take full advantage of that.

My desire to continue spreading this message is as strong as it ever has been. I hope to start Ring The Bolus foundation, become a Medtronic Global Hero next year and complete a second Ironman in 2010. On this second anniversary of my diagnosis I feel a passion to help improve the medical technology that helps us manage our disease but a comfort knowing that the available tools are far superior to anything offered in the past.

While managing my blood sugars has now become habit, I will never forget the daily struggle it took to get there. I can only hope I accomplish as much fighting this disease over the next 365 days as I have over the past. Thank you all for the support