Hey. You already know me. I’m Kelly, have T1, blah, blah, blah. That covers quite a bit. I love my life, my family and my career. I’m first a wife, second a dog-mom and third a career-woman. Late in my teens and early into my twenties, when I was trying to figure out, What am I going to do with myself? I told myself that I would have a career and be forever able to support myself. Not only did that happen, but **BONUS**, I met and married a man that supported that mission. It isn’t easy finding a man that is confident enough to have an equally confident woman. You can see how handsome said-man is below.

I’m a registered nurse (RN) and Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). I take my job seriously, mainly because I love what I do. When I decided to become a nurse, I didn’t have a good reason (or really, any reason, if we’re being truthful). Now, though, I can tell you exactly why it happened as it did. I was destined to do this. My diabetes has been the answer to the why of my profession. Cheesy and dramatic as it may seem, my disease and career go hand-in-hand. Emergency nursing was never something I dreamt of. But it’s everything I ever thought “nursing” was (even though it’s such a small portion of what “being a nurse” actually is), and I love it with my whole heart. It is a part of who I am. Diabetes education has an obvious root in my personal history.

Let’s talk about my husband. For so many reasons, he inspires me. His wisdom is far beyond his years, and he constantly humbles me. He reminds me daily of the good in this world.

My kids. They are my everything. They are constantly teaching me about unconditional love, and they remind me of what vulnerability and trust are. Most days I feel that dog lives are more worthwhile than humans. On my worst diabetes days, they keep me above water.

My friends. YOU. GUYS. They are the best. Taking care of your diabetes (not just living with it, but actually paying it mind in public) can be real cumbersome, detailed and intrusive. These girls don’t think twice about my self-care; they don’t care about needles in a restaurant, sneaking my own food in, blood sugar checks. If I’m low? These girls got it. My girlfriends are some bad B’s.

It’s evident I have so much to be grateful for. As I become a more whole person and learn more about myself and what being graceful is like, I continue to see how blessed I am to have the friends and family that I do. Not sure if I’ve mentioned, buuuuuut… I have type one diabetes, and it’s hard ((PSA: This is a blog about living with diabetes. If you continue to read, you might as well sit back and become real comfortable with hearing about T1)) I would be the basket case I am times a zillion (scary!) if I didn’t have the support system I do. Mad props to my husband, the best Type 3 (T3) I could ask for, as well as my amazing friends that are constantly looking out for me, making sure I can eat wherever we go and loving me when I’m a complete jerk.