Happy New Year!!

Hello everyone,

I am excited to start off the New Year with everyone and I think that we are going to see some changes in the life of diabetics. Every year, we all make new years resolutions…don’t we? Yes, we do. So, I think that the youth of the American Diabetes Association should make some together. So here we go:

First off, in school I think it is very important to make sure that we take care of ourselves and watch our blood sugar more closely because we need to do well on our tests, quizzes, and homework assignments. We also need to watch it more closely because stress can do it for anyone. When tests come up and you get stressed out, your blood sugar usually goes low causing you not to do well on your tests because you can read it very well, you are shaking because you are low, and you can think straight.

Second, we also need to show those “un”- diabetics that we are the same as they are, in sports, school, extra curricular activities, and just the every day life. We might not get to eat the same foods that they do, but really if you think about it, those foods, such as fast foods and candy aren’t good for them either! We can do just as good as they can in sports and even better. We have to take care of our blood sugar, check it often, and watch it closely when we play those sports, but that doesn’t actually stop us from playing.

I know a guy who is an Olympic Swimmer on the U.S. Olympic Team and he has diabetes. Sure he has to watch his blood sugar closely, and yes he has to give himself shots, but that doesn’t stop him from being one of the world’s best in swimming. That is an example to show you that you can do anything you want, when you don’t let anything stop you from doing it. If you want to you can check out his website at www.garyhalljr.com.

Third, we need to know as diabetics, that when holiday times come around that we have to watch our blood sugar more carefully. When Christmas time is here, or Thanksgiving is here we know that Grandma is going to send us that sweet chocolate cookies that we love…am I right? And so we have to remember that we need to check our blood sugar before we eat it and do a shot to cover that cookie that we are eating. ACTUALLY, it would be better, a whole lot better, if we didn’t eat it at all. But I know that it is way to tempting to not eat it.

So, as the holiday times have passed, and the New Year is here, let’s remember these three goals for ourselves. Let’s take better care of ourselves this year, as it is going to be an exciting and eventful year! I look forward to the New Year with the Association and you, as a youth with diabetes.

Justin Harris
National Youth Advocate
American Diabetes Association

I'd like to hear from you! Email me at nya@diabetes.org.

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