You Say the Sweetest Things...

This week, my endocrinologist said the most wonderful thing to me - "Well. Type 2 diabetes and Type 1 diabetes are two completely different diseases."
Hallelujah!
If you are NOT a diabetic, you may be wondering why this is so important to me.  (You may also be wondering what the differences are...more on that later...)
But to explain the significance of the distinction in my life, let me take you back.
As a child, I attendeded lots of group activities - Girl Guides, swimming lessons, birthday parties - where my parents weren't present.  Pretty common, I know.  But at each of these outings, my mom would always carefully explain to the grown up in charge how to care for me in an emergency, how to read my medic alert bracelet, and give the list of approved foods.  And each time she explained, the word DIABETES always loomed over my head.  I would hear comments such as, "But she seems so healthy" and "Isn't she awfully young for that" or even "But she's not overweight at all."
It bothered me then. It bothers me now. Yes, I'm holding a grudge about it.
As a teenager, I grew defensive about it. "No, I didn't get this way from drinking too much Pepsi or snacking on too many unhealthy foods."
As an adult, I'm even more quick to shout out my status as a Type 1.  Because I STILL did not get this way from having a pre-disposition toward the condition and leading a lifestyle that helped it along.  I cannot control my diabetes through oral medication, through just diet and exercise, and I will not "get better" from trying to do those things.
So, hearing it from my endocrinologist in those blunt terms was more warming than a hot bath.  More exciting than getting a dozen roses.  More empowering than getting re-Tweeted by Ellen DeGeneris.  More satisfying than bringing down a blood sugar of 20.9 to 5.9 in an hour.
I am a Type 1 diabetic. (Hear me roar.)

For info on the differences between Type 1 and Type 2, please ask a doctor. Or use Google.  I'm not reliable as medical professional.
But here's the Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus