My name is Mindy, and I have type-1 diabetes. I am an Army Veteran, and a Registered Nurse. I graduated from University of Colorado with my Bachelors degree of Science in Nursing. I joined the Army shortly after graduating high school in 1995. I was stationed in Germany and was deployed to Bosnia in the following year. Unfortunately, I became very ill while I was out there and had to be taken to the hospital. I had appendicitis and pancreatitis at the same time. The first time I was hospitalized, I spent three months connected to IV therapy, and was not able to eat or drink anything. I would be getting my nutrition thru an IV called total parental nutrition.

I had pancreatitis for almost ten years and multiple surgeries to include a Puestow, a Whipple, and a Pancreatectomy. I also had to have my appendix and gallbladder removed because the infection spread like wildfire to other parts of my body. These procedures were done to try and correct the pancreatitis, but unfortunately the only surgical procedure that fixed my pancreatitis was having my pancreas taken out (pancreatectomy).

This is why I say I am not your typical diabetic. I was not born with this disease, but somehow it manifested its way into becoming a Diabetic. I was told by someone that I was "pancreas challenged" which is a very funny way of thinking about becoming a Diabetic. If I think about it most diabetics are challenged in their every day life. I became an insulin dependent diabetic when I had my pancreas taken out in 2004. I never realized that having diabetes would change my whole life. Some things became better, and some were not. It forced me to calm down and think about what I was putting into my body. Now I am forced to plan ahead of time if I want to travel, or if I am working long shifts such as 12.5 hours long.

After all of the hospitalizations and medical issues I have endured, I decided to become a nurse to make a difference. I volunteered for Camp Colorado two years in a row. This camp gives children with diabetes a great vacation away from their everyday life. They get to meet other kids that have the same disease process that they have, and it is a blast. These kids get to make friends with other diabetics and play without feeling embarrassed about it.

I also try to get to the walk for diabetes every year called Step Out. I try to surround myself with positive people, and strive to remind myself that testing my blood sugars on a daily basis is just something I have to do. I am choosing to participate in the Tour De Cure to prove to myself that nothing is impossible with the right positive mental attitude. Despite the variances of blood sugar changes on a daily basis, my hopes for a cure are very high. I ride for others and myself with diabetes in hopes that one day we will find a cure.

I know that I am making a difference in this world just by getting my story out to the public. My hope for the medical community is to become open minded in regards to the changes that need to happen for diabetes. Unfortunately, many people with diabetes still face discrimination in the workplace. Many people have been misinformed about nutrition. A lot of my friends and family at first would ask, "Can you eat that piece of cake?" Of course, I would always reply with a simple "yes" but I must say there have been times when I would dive into the whole explanation that just because I have diabetes does not mean that I can never eat candy, cake, or goodies. It just means I have to give myself insulin and maintain a healthy diet for the most part, and exercise at least 4-5 times a week.

I am very excited for the opportunity to meet others with diabetes while participating at events like Step-Out and Tour De Cure. I would like to meet others with diabetes to gain more support and just for feedback. Everyone has a different way of managing their diabetes, so I think if anything, it is interesting to see what others do in regards to managing their diabetes when traveling, exercising, etc. I wear an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor to help stabilize my blood sugars. I hope that my story inspires others to live life to the fullest, and to realize that you can do anything you want with the right attitude.