The Race to Cure Diabetes

Yesterday I was trying to find some races in the Chicagoland area in the fall, but found something even better - a race that supports diabetes research. The Dash to Cure Diabetes is located in Barrington, Illinois in May, and you can guarantee that I'll be participating in it next year.

When I found out about this race, I intuitively clicked on the link to go to the website. In bold font, it states: "Imagine you have an incurable disease... ....now imagine that you're 4 years old." As a matter of fact, that is how old I was when I was diagnosed with diabetes. However, as a 4 year old, I didn't really understand what diabetes was, or that it was incurable. In my young mind, it was just something I got and meant I couldn't eat some things.

I have never imagined that diabetes is an incurable disease. I can remember my first meter, the size of a small notebook, which took over 2 minutes to read my blood sugar. I had to take out the test strip and wipe it off in the middle of the reading. Needless to say, those days are long gone. Technology keeps getting better and better, with new insulin pumps, CGMS, meters and more things available today.

Right now, there is no cure for diabetes (I wish there was, though!). It is hard for me to imagine my life without it, since I don't remember my life before it. But, I have always believed that a cure was attainable. Growing up, my parents always said that although there was not a current cure, there would be one in the future. They supported diabetes research, through JDRF, and more recently, through the SpringPoint Project. My brother raised money and ran for SpringPoint during the Boston Marathon a few years ago.

I believe there will be a cure for diabetes in my lifetime. But, until then, I'll support research to make that possible while doing one of my favorite things - running.