Dear Jane (at 16),
You are having an amazing time in high school (Go, Falcons!). You are studying hard, playing hard, working, and involved in extracurriculars. You are beginning to think about college, because your sister is heading there in just a few months.
When you think about college, you think about living in a dorm with a stranger. You think about hard classes, but you can figure these things out.
What you aren’t thinking about is how you’re going to take care of your diabetes in college. I realize that’s not the most important thing for you right now. You do what you’re supposed to do (sometimes barely), and nothing more.
In college there will be many threats to your health. Fortunately, you’re not a huge partier, and that will be a benefit to your body. But other temptations will be nachos in the snack bar, donuts in the coffee shop, vending machines, pizza at every get-together. You will want to pull all-nighters to study and it’ll be tempting to use caffeine and chocolate to stay awake.
The cafeteria will be another temptation – all you can eat, three times a day for four years. Here are a few suggestions. Stay active: go for a walk every day, or take up tennis or broom ball. Choose healthy foods most of the time: the cafeteria has a good salad bar and fresh fruit. Keep healthy snacks in your room.
College is going to be fun, exciting, and very stressful. If you take care of your body, the stress won’t have as big an impact on you. You deserve to get the most out of your college years, and making unhealthy choices will just drag you down. Oh, and one last thing: you will have an opportunity to be in a huge, ground-breaking (diabetes) study while you are in college. Please say yes!!
Love,
Jane (later on)