March 20, 2013

10 years ago today I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 30. It would mean the world to me for my friends and family to support my fundraising efforts to meet my $1,000 goal this year of my Diabetes Anniversary.

Why I Ride: Until There's a Cure...  Diabetes Never Takes a Vacation

Hello Friends and Family,

On June 1, 2013 I will be cycling 50 miles in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure event in Alton, IL. This will be the 9th time I have participated in this event.  As in the past few years, I have joined Team Two Bits, led by a long time customer, Sarah Gwillim Mansholt.  Diabetes has affected every member of Team Two Bits in some way--from watching a loved one experience and eventually succumb to the devastating complications that can go with this disease, to some of us living with and managing the condition in ourselves on a daily basis.

My Story: I am a RED RIDER

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in March of 2003 at the age of 30. I had been feeling very sick for several days and was experiencing extreme thirst and hunger constantly. I had lost several pounds over a few days, which I attributed to the upset stomach I was experiencing. My symptoms were dismissed by a physician as having a stomach virus and it needed to run its course. My younger brother Matt had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 10 years prior, and that evening I was having dinner at my mom's house. He and my mother recognized my symptoms immediately. They insisted I use an old meter of Matt's to test "just in case" it might be my blood sugar. My blood sugar was about 500 mg/dl, which is extremely high and dangerous. I knew my life would be different from that moment on.   I am proof Type 1 is not just "Juvenile Diabetes"-it can happen at any age. March 20 marks 10 years since my diagnosis. A cure would be one of the best things to ever happen.

I manage my diabetes through the use of an insulin pump, watching what I eat, and lots of exercise. During the spring and summer months, much of this exercise is in the form of cycling. I also use a continuous glucose monitoring system and test my blood sugar several times a day.  Through diligent management, care from the great group at the Washington University Diabetes Center, and support from family and friends, I am very healthy and free of complications from diabetes.

If you've spent time with me, you've likely noticed me testing, giving myself an injection, or if in the past year programming my insulin pump. If you've been lucky {insert sarcasm here}, you've been witness to the clammy shakiness of a low, or the moodiness of a high blood sugar. While the tools available to us are wonderful, and have come such a long way in the short 10 years I've been living with diabetes, there is still much work to be done. I would love to see a cure in my lifetime.

Diabetes is a 24/7 job.  It doesn't take any time off. It's not always pleasant, but there are more good days than truly unpleasant ones. A recent slogan of the American Diabetes Association is: "It takes extraordinary effort to live an ordinary life when you have diabetes". This couldn't be more true. The money we raise for the American Diabetes Association will go towards research in finding a cure as well as making life better for all people with diabetes until there is one.

Please consider supporting me in my efforts in Tour de Cure.  Interested in riding? Please consider joining Team Two Bits.

I will be adding more to this page as Tour de Cure 2013 gets closer.

Support Me in Tour de Cure!

Wishing a year of health and happiness to all,

Becky