Growing up with a father who was an organized accountant and a mother who was involved in every parent organization and volunteer committee possible, to-do lists were an important concept to me. As a 17-year old high school student, I had a pretty ambitious lifelong to-do list: attend college, study abroad, find a fulfilling career working with children, get married, raise children, and so forth. Managing a chronic illness was nowhere on this list, so a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes came as quite a shock in 2003. To me, the whole point of a to-do list was the accomplished feeling of checking items off and knowing that I completed a goal. Diabetes would never be checked off my list, so why make it a priority? 

For the next 6 years, throughout high school and college, I pretended I didn't have diabetes and did my best to stay "normal," hiding my pump from friends, checking my blood sugar in private, and eating everything my peers did. Besides a few skittles for lows, lethargy after days of high blood sugar, and getting told by my endocrinologist that my A1c was too high, I didn't "really" have diabetes, or so I told myself.

When I moved to North Carolina for graduate school last year, I decided to make it a goal to find at least one other person with diabetes who I could relate to - maybe through a support group, educational forum, or online network. In my search, I found DiabetesSisters and signed up for the Weekend for Women, hoping to meet a fellow diabetic in the area. At this event, I met so many women living with diabetes, and living well. I looked up to those who said "Diabetes doesn't define me but it is a part of me" or "Diabetes has made me stronger and taught me to value my life." Continued friendship and sisterhood with these women has taught me so much about moving beyond my denial, working hard day to day to manage my diabetes, and knowing how to receive and give support.

Each morning when I make my to-do list, I know I've come a long way when I add one important item to the list: "Manage my diabetes to the best of my ability today." That's something I can feel proud of for accomplishing and checking off my list each day. Diabetes isn't my enemy anymore. It's just another part of Lindsey and I'm glad it keeps me connected to of all my DiabetesSisters. Thanks to each of you for being a supporter, a friend, and a sister - you help me live well with diabetes.