Today is the 11th anniversary of my initial diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure. My goodness, what a rollercoaster ride it has been.  Many things have changed since that day in late December 2008. My diabetes diagnosis chief among them.  I actually live with LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or Type 1.5.

Wow, eleven years. Eleven years of knowing, caring, surviving, and sharing.

Eleven years of knowing that I have two invisible chronic illnesses for which there are no cures. Eleven years of knowing that I’m not alone in my fight.  That there are millions of others fighting the same things. Eleven years of getting to know some of the most amazing people around.  Lots of love to everyone in the Diabetes Online Community.

Eleven years of caring more about my well being.  Eleven years of doing everything I possibly could to beat the odds against me.  Eleven years of caring for those around me, both online and offline.  Eleven years of being me.

Eleven years of surviving the many challenges before me.  Eleven years of enduring the daily routines required to stay alive.  Eleven years of painful medical procedures and tests to monitor changes both good and bad.

Eleven years of sharing my story with the world.  Sharing both my victories and my defeats, showing what it’s really like to live with these conditions.  Sharing the message that it is possible to live well with both. And that there is no shame in being diagnosed with them.

Eleven years of a little heart doing big things.

You’ve surely noticed the repetition in this post by now, and you may very well be ready to leave it.  And, honestly, I really can’t blame you.  I’d love to leave it all behind too.  But I can’t.  That’s life with a confusing pancreas and broken heart.