“After the match I went to the doctor who diagnosed my diabetes.”
– Jeff Bennett, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 50 years. Quoted from an article in the CRANBOURNE LEADER, “Cranbourne South man shows how to live with diabetes and make most of life,” July 6, 2014

I’ve noticed something about people who have lived successfully with diabetes over the long run: They OWN their condition. They regularly say “my diabetes.”

“I think keeping active and taking care of general health and the things I eat and having a wonderful family around me are major contributors to life,” said the 68-year-old Bennett, who recently received the prestigious Kellion Victory Medal from Diabetes Australia.

Bennett and other people like him are not victims of diabetes, as if it were some outside diabolical, villainous antagonist, a kind of Dr. Evil who is constantly scheming to terrorize their bodies.

I don’t know why I ended up with diabetes (it doesn’t even seem to run in our family). It’s simply the hand I’ve been dealt (I must admit, cards aren’t my bag, baby). All of us, whether we deal with diabetes or some other illness or circumstance in our lives, now have a choice: to own it and take control or to be a victim and let it be in control.

My diabetes: it’s mine to be responsible for, invest into, live with, and give my best to.  Until, that is, a real cure is available. And that will be quite groovy.