The Cost of Living

To most people the cost of living is a group of things that they need in order to survive and also have enjoyment in their lives. A person may consider the groceries, housing and the expenses that come along with having a house, clothing, and things like a backyard pool or a motorcycle to me the main things. Of course we all need food to survive, clothing on our backs and shelter along with the goodies that we can't say no too. But when I think of my future I know that the cost of living for me will be a little more expensive than I imagined before having diabetes.

We can discuss my food intake, how it feels to give myself needles and what I am doing to change the face of diabetes but there is also something about diabetes that I have not yet talked about, the cost! It's amazing the amount of supplies that come with being a diabetic, glucagon, needles, lancets, insulin, strips just to name a few! These things although partially covered by my mother's work add up quickly when cashing out at the pharmacy!

In ways I've felt that this was the perfect time to get diabetes. I am done high school and I am old enough to grasp it. In a way though this was a hard time to be diagnosed because of the economy. Although both my parents work hard and have not lost their jobs it is still hard for all of us. This money isn't growing off a magical tree in our backyard, my parents are working very hard in order to be able to pay so that I can live.

This puts a whole new meaning to the cost of living. For me, I need this stuff to survive, just like I need food, water and shelter. My medication is extremely important. I can only imagine what it would be like for families that do not have coverage and have to pay hundreds of dollars monthly in order to keep their child healthy and alive. It breaks my heart that there may be a child out there who can't take all their insulin or check their blood sugars as often because there just is no money available.

When I am older and not covered by my parents I will have to make sure that I have a job that will support me. I need coverage and I need to be able to make enough money to pay for the odds and ends that comes with living with diabetes. Instead of worrying so much about the brand name purses and newest cosmetics I must put my health first and understand that it is not going to be cheap but it sure is worth living.

Kayla