You Don't Know What You Have Until Its Gone by Madeline

You Don't Know What You Have Until Its Gone by Madeline - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

I think the most valuable life lesson I've learned outside of a classroom is that you don't know what you have until it’s gone.
When I was 12 years old I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This means every day I have to test my blood sugar about 7 times and give myself an insulin shot every time I eat something.
Getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes took away my freedom. Since I was 12 years old I was just starting to gain some independence. My parents were starting to let me go to movies or the mall alone with my friends. But now that I had diabetes my parents were nervous about letting me go anywhere without them. They were worried I would have a low blood sugar which could cause me to pass out and my 12 year old friends would probably panic and not know what to do.
Diabetes also took away my ability to be carefree. I have to constantly worry if my blood sugar is too high or too low. I have to worry about having enough food with me all the time in case my blood sugar gets too low. I also have to make sure I have enough insulin and syringes with me if I am going somewhere out of town. I have to think about counting the amount of food I eat. I have to think about how much exercise I’m going to do because if I do too much my blood sugar will get low. I have to remember to test my blood sugars every 2 hours and any time before I eat something. Diabetes is something I’m constantly thinking about.
Before I had diabetes I didn't have to constantly think about food or exercise or insulin or blood sugars. I didn't realize how nice it was to not have to think about these things all the time until after I was diagnosed. Now that I've been living with diabetes for almost 7 years I realize how much easier life was when I didn't have to think about all of these things all the time. It really is true that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.