"30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know"

I'm really excited to be participating in "Invisible Illness Awareness Week" for the first time. And while my responses are a week late (doh!), the process has been not only thought provoking and reflective, but cathartic.

1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 Diabetes. My son has type 1 diabetes, but our family lives with it each and every day.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: Dylan was diagnosed November 21st, 2005, at the age of 4.
3. But I had symptoms since: About a week prior to diagnosis.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Letting go of doing all of the diabetes care myself, and realizing that Dyl is responsible enough to start doing some of his own care. 
5. Most people assume: That we have Dyl's diabetes "under control" (man do I hate that phrase. There is nothing controllable about type 1 diabetes).
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Everything. Mornings are crazy in our house; diabetes simply adds an extra element to the madness.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House M.D. Love his sense of humor.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: Dyl's insulin pump. I never want to go back to syringes.
9. The hardest part about nights are: The worry. Need I say more? Every D parent knows EXACTLY what I mean...
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. Just insulin; lots and lots of insulin.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I:  Would try anything for a cure.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Invisible, I think. That's a tough question and I have mixed feelings on both sides.
13. Regarding working and career: I work on call (teacher) so that my schedule can be flexible.
14. People would be surprised to know: That it DOES get easier.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: The unpredictability. That one day everything can seem ok, and the next day diabetes kicks you in the butt.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: N/a. We have never let diabetes prevent Dylan from doing anything, and we never will.
17. The commercials about my illness: What commericals? They're all for type 2 diabetes...
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Leaving the house without all of the extra supplies.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: n/a, see #16.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: cycling to raise awareness and funds for type 1 diabetes. 
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: n/a, see #16. This is our "normal".
22. My illness has taught me: That life is the most precious gift we are ever given and needs to be cherished as such.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: oh boy, don't get me started, there are too many things people say about D that bug me...
24. But I love it when people: Understand what we're going through.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away."
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: You can do this and you are not alone.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: That we have never let diabetes define us, or stand in our way.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Listen.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I am passionate about spreading awareness about type 1 diabetes and will never give up until a cure is found.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Grateful. Not alone. Understood.