Living & Thriving with Type-I Diabetes

If you don't have diabetes, or have never known anyone who struggles with the disease, it would be quite a shock to suddenly face that diagnosis.

It certainly was for special guest, Laura Kronen.

Laura's symptoms started in college, but they weren't necessarily the typical symptoms that a Type-I diabetic would expect. For instance, her lips, tongue and chin all went numb at times.

After graduation, on the very first day of her new job, she received a call from her doctor saying her blood sugar levels were off the charts and that she should get her blood tested again right away.

At first she didn't believe it (and neither did her doctor), because, again, she didn't have any of the typical symptoms.

When she came to the realization that she did, in fact, have diabetes, she initially felt alone and without answers.

Since then, and after countless injections and finger-pricks, she's learned a great deal.

For instance, Laura believes that laughter truly is the best medicine. You can sit around feeling bad and sorry for yourself, or you can use the disease to empower yourself with the mantra, "If I can handle this, I can handle anything."

Dealing with the disease will help teach you discipline, determination and perseverance, which will carry over into all areas of your life -- not just in relation to your diabetes.

Yes, there are a lot of negative aspects surrounding diabetes, both physically and mentally/emotionally. But the human condition lends itself to a humorous filter, and if you can weed out the doom and gloom, and focus on positive things, you can have a whole different outlook.

Of course, there are some technical things to consider as well when managing diabetes. You need to know how to count carbohydrates, you need to constantly keep track of what you're eating (and how it affects you), and you need to know how much insulin or medication you need to take to match what you're eating.

Testing your blood sugar multiple times a day is also essential. This will prevent you from swinging too high or too low on the blood sugar scale. Keeping your blood sugar in check will help you avoid the extreme complications of diabetes, including hospitalization and even death.

Type-I diabetics are often healthier than Type-II diabetics for this very reason; they've learned from a very young age that keeping on top of blood sugar levels is absolutely of utmost importance. Type-II diabetics may not initially realize this importance.

Tune in as Laura joins Lisa to share more about her experience with Type-I diabetes, as well as how you can manage, live, laugh and thrive, despite your condition.