When I was a teenager, I would experience above-average thirst and tiredness during the day. I also experienced unexplained weight loss. When I went to the hospital, the doctors diagnosed me with Type 1 diabetes. I remember sitting there and wondering why life was punishing me like that. The pain that my parents and I felt was unexplainable. The doctor explained to us that Type 1 diabetes is controllable. It is a condition in which the immune system of the body mistakenly destroys beta cells in the pancreas, thereby making it unable to produce insulin. He explained that dehydration was due to my constant peeing, while the weight loss was due to the loss of calories through peeing.
The cause of my Type 1 diabetes is genetic. When my parents and I heard the news, we felt pain, but the doctor assured us that I could control it. I use insulin injections to keep my glucose levels normal. Through it, I live a healthy life. In fact, if I do not tell anybody that I am a diabetes patient, they cannot know. Like a non-diabetic, I live a normal life. I manage and live with the condition despite the diagnosis that took place in my teenage. Besides the insulin injection, I maintain a healthy lifestyle. I check my diet and exercise daily. The doctor gave me a recommendation for the kind of food that I must eat and the kind of activity that are favorable for a person in my condition. Even though there is no special diet for a diabetic, the recommendation is to ensure that I take a balanced meal each day. I take fatty foods, proteins, and carbohydrates to make sure that my diet has a balance. I exercise on a daily basis by jogging and other forms of physical exercise. Through it, I can maintain a healthy life.

Furthermore, I make a sacrifice of 45 minutes daily to drive to attend the nationally recognized high school, American Heritage, which has great academic and athletic opportunities. I believe that it is the school for me because it gives me the opportunities to succeed both academically and athletically despite my health condition. In fact, I managed to keep a relatively high GPA of 4.28. It is uncommon for a person that has health issues like me to keep such a good record. My determination leads me to such achievements. Notably, I play lacrosse. I play at a high level for the Puerto Rico Men’s Lacrosse National Team. Admittedly, when I began taking part in the game, my parents and I felt nervous. However, when I consulted my doctor, he encouraged me and told me to take part in it because it would help me to deal with my diabetes. Being a part of the team does not make me feel any different because of my condition. In fact, there are also other players with diabetes as me. We encourage each other as we play and exercise. I plan to join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after graduating in 2018.

I cannot say that living with Type 1 diabetes is easy. I experience challenges on a daily basis. However, it is manageable. Not mention, the financial demands that it makes on my parents is substantive. Nonetheless, I live a normal life. I would want to encourage all the young people that have the condition. Life is full of challenges, but the most crucial issue is that one identifies a solution. If a patient of this disease lives a normal life, works hard to achieve academic and athletic goals, and does not perpetually pity self, then they can live normal lives. I maintain my academic objectives and work towards them. I also take part in the exercise, eat healthily, and interact with people that understand it.