I was 13 years, nine months and three days old when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was a midfielder in the football team, and we were about to play our first game on the 5th. I had complained of feeling excessively thirsty and was losing weight – symptoms I attributed to my demanding practice schedule. The following morning, I underwent a blood test. The next afternoon, the doctor called my parents and told them that I had to immediately be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) – that my blood sugar was 1050mg/dL. None of those numbers meant anything till then.
My Life Changed Overnight
On the 1st, I was Jazz Sethi- a midfielder, literature major, dancer, fries addict, injection phobic and stress surfer; then, it all changed overnight. Diabetes and I are now that till 13, I took life with attitude rather than gratitude. Things came easily to me, be it academics or the creative fields. I mistook popularity for respect and found that the more I did to ‘outdo’ someone else, the less I got in return.
I still remember how my bouts of ‘why me’ slowly and steadily transformed into a lens of ‘what if’. Suddenly, it was not what I could not do, but what all I could do. I started actively taking notice of my friends and their lives. I started listening with my senses. I wanted to remove any ‘limitations’ that diabetes brought with it. And it felt good. Good to give back – to both– diabetes and life.
I Have Now Made Peace With Diabetes
It took me a decade to truly make peace with my diabetes, and in turn, with the life, I was living and would continue to live. I thought I wasn’t afraid of permanence, I have 18 tattoos and all that jazz, but a tiny portion of me thought maybe life would be different. That changed when I decided to start my organization that brought together diabetic patients. I felt proud of creating a community that is built on empathy, courage and strength. The greatest thing that diabetes gave me was my purpose.
The last 11 years have not been easy. I cannot eat french fries without injecting and need to have a needle in my body all the time. When I am stressed, my blood sugar levels will fluctuate, and I am not even aware of the long-term effects on my body. I know one thing for sure – it’s not the quantity of life you are given, but the quality of life you live that makes it worth it.
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