Hi Diabetes,

You grabbed me by the hand in February 2013; I was just a girl in the 8th grade enjoying life without a care in the world. But hey, guess what, we came so far; we made it through the first day of high school, secretly taking shots in the bathroom until we were comfortable enough to actually use the nurse's office; sophomore year, we made it through COVID, scared we wouldn't make it through. Junior year, the first time we put our Dexcom CGM on our arm to show the world who we really are. We danced the night away at our senior prom, battling the lows with a juice box in hand. We even competed and won a conference championship. We raced together on the biggest stage, and guess what? We even graduated college with our bachelors. I'm sitting here today writing this to you because I am not mad or angry, but honestly grateful that we have come this far. Through the highs and lows, you have always been there, making sure I'm always prepared, and even when I wasn't, you made sure I knew how to ask for help. So thank you, Diabetes. You know me better than anyone else, and every day I am still learning you.

Forever yours,

Kya