Sharing My Story: A Poem about Diabetes Awareness

Written by Pamela Roller, who lives with type 1 diabetes. Dedicated to all diabetics and their families.

On November 14th every year
A day diabetics hold so dear
Sadly, diabetes has been on the rise
Many have it, but don’t realize
To stop diabetes, make people more aware
Diabetics are not alone; others do care
Internationally, we all must unite
To hope, survive, and to win the fight
The diabetes ribbon and symbol are blue
Diabetics need a cure and support too
Blue for the sky we all share
In a circle for unity everywhere
Grateful for the co-founders of insulin
To treat the disease of friends and next of kin
Twenty-four seven, three hundred sixty-five
Taking insulin and monitoring blood sugar to stay alive
A full-time job with no pay, vacations or breaks
Only injections, finger sticks; doing whatever it takes
Diabetes is frustrating, exhausting, expensive, and scary
Hope, faith, courage, and strength keep diabetics from growing wary
Feeling like a scientist, trying to figure it out in a laboratory
Numbers always changing; like solving a detective story
Measuring and weighing food, and doing the math
Is all part of diabetes’s challenging wrath
Highs, lows, blood, sweat, and tears
Only God can calm our fears
Pumps, pods, sensors, meters; we try
Transmitters, receivers, lots of bags, oh, my
Needles, test strips, lancets, calibrating
A cure will be worth celebrating
Counting carbs, exercising, and plenty of rest
This is how to manage diabetes the best
Those who have diabetes can never quit
Help find a cure so we can get rid of it
November is recognized as the month of blue
Diabetics fight to survive all the other months too
The circle of life is the blue circle
Warriors, survivors, conquerors wanting a miracle
Everyone fighting daily for a cure
It will happen in our lifetime; we are sure