Happy Birthday, Nick Jonas

I have been informed that today is Nick Jonas's 16th birthday. For those of you not following along, Nick is a member of the latest boy band who has diabetes. He wrote a song called "A little bit longer" that kind of chronicles his life with Type I. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceHlXAZ5_U0 for a listen). He talks about having to stay in the hospital a little bit longer and goes on to say that he has hope for a cure if he only waits a little bit longer. Because Type I usually gets diagnosed when you are a kid, it has been called juvenile diabetes. Nick was diagnosed when he was 13, I was 26. The same symptoms of excessive weight loss, constant thirst, irritability (ask the the ladies I live with!!), headaches, and shakiness drove both of us to seek medical attention. I was fortunate enough to have asked my doctor at a well baby visit for guess who (it is dawning on me that my beaner is my Type I angel!). By contrast, Nick, and so many others, find out by having to land in a hospital. The Type I comes as an immune system suppression. One day for me, it cracked and my pancreas stopped functioning properly. I went undiagnosed for about 9 months. So, if anyone has been feeling different with some of these and other symptoms, go ask a healthcare professional.And, to Nick and all those other young folks battling the "highs and the lows", happy birthday! Let's all work hard and have hope a little bit longer!