After reading “Dear Diabetes,” by Kaily McGurk, mixed feelings of respect, sympathy, and understanding swirled endlessly within me. I’d always recognized how difficult it was to have any disease, regardless, but Kaily reminded me of strength and perseverance in ways I never imagined, and I want to thank her for that.
Within the article, she describes the challenges of diabetes and her own struggle with the life-altering metabolic disease. Starting off comically, Kaily describes its effects on the human body and how others would look at her when she told them about it. However, this sense of humor dissipates as she begins to portray her frustration. Different scenarios are mentioned, ranging from calls to her mother to the burden of carrying around a pump everywhere- each of them making you realize what others experience and appreciate what you have.
With every sentence that I read, a deep feeling of sympathy and respect grew for Kaily. For me, the story was personal, my grandmother having been diagnosed with diabetes before I was born. Although I knew she had the disease throughout my life as well as what others experienced, I’d never really taken the time to process it on a personal level. “Dear Diabetes” reminded me of my grandmother’s strength and the pain she endured not just physically, but emotionally as well. It’s inspirational to see how people, like Kaily and my grandmother, can persevere and conquer challenges put before them. I hope to be nearly as strong as these two women in my lifetime. Thank you Kaily for teaching me to not only be aware, but to acknowledge and understand what others experience, a lesson I will never forget.