Editor’s note: This poem was written in the last few months during a particularly rough patch of diabetes management that I was experiencing. Diabetes can become unruly and difficult to control when anything else in life comes up – stress, an infection, etc. As we celebrate November’s Diabetes Awareness Month, I chose this poem to share because I think it is important we look at the many ways living with a challenging condition like diabetes can make us feel and be honest about the emotions we sometimes experience. If you are a friend or family member, you can rest well knowing I do not struggle like this daily. And if you know someone that has diabetes, show your support by checking in with that person once in a while. Let them know you care. Thank you.
What others don’t see
You don’t see how much I struggle
How scared I really am
How much this condition affects me
And how I’m really looking for people to understand
Why is it so hard