This is one in a series of interviews of people facing the extraordinary challenge of living with diabetes.
Meet Ronni, a woman I've had the pleasure of getting to know. Ronni is a woman who believes that life is a precious gift that must be treasured. Here is her story...
What do you do for a living? "I am retired on disability after working in casino gaming for 35 years."
What are your passions? "Costa Rica, cooking, crossword puzzles and saving dogs."
How long have you had diabetes? "Since I was 15, or about 42 years."
What type of diabetes do you have? "Type 1."
What medications do you take to manage it? "I use 2 types of insulin now, Novolin R and Humulin N. I was on Lantus and Humalog until I retired to Costa Rica."
What strategies do you use for managing your diabetes? "Maintaining tight control of my glucose. You can't manage what you don't measure... so I test, test, and test more. Here I am over 40 years later and now am just having a few problems. I was able to have 3 kids that were healthy. I believe that I would have many more problems if I had not held such tight control."
"I would also like to say that I will not allow diabetes to kill me the way it killed my mother. She did not have the products available that we have today to stay healthy. My beloved Mom died at the age of 59 and I refuse to do that."
What is nearest and dearest to your heart? "My children and grandchildren."
What is your philosophy on life? "This is not a dress rehearsal.... so please do it your way and slow down and enjoy."
What keeps you going when you're down? "Knowing I will dance at my granddaughter's wedding. I promised her, unless I got hit by a bus," Ronni says with a smile. "She is 13."
What makes you stand out in a crowd? "My natural red hair that is now graying."
What would you tell someone who was newly diagnosed with diabetes? "There is much to learn so don't rush to do everything at once... it is overwhelming.. Test and test, every person with diabetes is different and gets different results. Be kind to yourself and never be complacent. It does get easier."
Ronni adds, "It is not the end of the world to be diagnosed. I have never let it stop me from doing anything. I like that it is self managed and I can choose my way to be healthy."
Real Life With Diabetes is a regular feature at the beginning of every month. If you, or someone you know, has diabetes and also a positive outlook on life, and would like to be featured in our next interview, please email me, Deb Manzella - your guide at diabetes.guide@about.com
