My Introduction

Hello! My name is Adam and I will be a junior in high school this fall. I am vice president of our student body, active in many groups at school, play tennis, swim, volunteer at my church and I am passionate about protecting our environment. I am also a type 1 diabetic.

Type 1 diabetes is a challenge but doesn’t prevent me from doing any of these things. I must always plan ahead: know what my blood sugar is before I start any physical activity, make sure I have juice with me at all times in case my blood sugar drops, make sure I have my glucometer, lancets, and strips with me and of course I wear my insulin pump 24/7. Even though I check my  blood sugar constantly, it can fluctuate wildly in a day depending on my physical activity, what I eat, or if I might be fighting a cold.    

This July, I am so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the JDRF Children’s Congress 2013 and I will travel to Washington DC along with 150 other type 1 diabetics from around the country ages 4-17. Together our voices will combine to ask Congress to continue to support type 1 diabetes research. Our hope is to one day live free of the burden of this disease and its many complications.  

What I hope to accomplish with this blog is describe what life is like for a type 1 diabetic teenager. Starting in June, I will be participating in the Tyson Environmental Research Fellowship (TERF) which will allow me to do field research with a Washington University professor. My type 1 diabetes  will present some challenges out in the field but it will not prevent me from taking full advantage of this incredible opportunity to learn as much as I can about our environment and field biology. Stay tuned!