DIABETES AND ME

A woman with Type 1 diabetes describes living with the condition and offers advice to others in Novak’s memoir.

The author was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 7. She inherited the condition from her father, who was diagnosed with the disease when insulin treatment was relatively new. Fiercely independent, he chose not to share with others that he had the condition. Novak also felt compelled to keep her illness a secret outside of the family. As the author grew older, the hormonal swings of puberty made it more difficult to maintain stable blood sugar; this complication was exacerbated when Novak began drinking alcohol at college and neglected her blood sugar monitoring. Even more serious complications arose when she later became pregnant, and in later life, she suffered several strokes and seizures. “Diabetes is simply a fact of life for me,” states Novak. Her approach to writing is equally clear and matter-of-fact, as when she takes issue with the term “bad diabetic,” referring to those with the condition who break lifestyle “rules”: “that way of thinking really isn’t fair, and it doesn’t help people move forward with their lives in healthy and productive ways.” Novak’s exploration of how having diabetes has shaped her identity proves both illuminating and empowering, emphasizing positive character traits she's developed in response to the disease, which has taught her “how to be strong, adaptable, and resilient. I think it has helped me develop empathy for people in difficult circumstances.” Useful fact boxes highlighting subjects such as the symptoms of low blood sugar make it easy for the reader to glean important information. Novak describes some events, such as her vacations, in digressive detail, such as when she recalls the baboons who liked to break into camp and steal beer and Snickers bars out of the fridge. While this provides levity, it also dilutes the narrative’s focus on living with the condition. Still, this is a sharply written memoir that will inform and inspire other sufferers.

An honest and insightful account of living with Type 1 diabetes.