My name is Elise Read and I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in 1994. The week before I was diagnosed, I realized something was wrong because I was no longer able to pop out of bed in the morning, was quickly losing weight and had such poor vision that I could not drive. On the day I was diagnosed, I did not worry about the fact that it would mean years of injections, I just looked forward to being able to treat myself so that I could start feeling better again. Soon thereafter I began working with a dietician and a team of diabetes experts, and learned that with a healthy diet, lots of exercise, and a fair amount of discipline, I would be feeling better than I ever had up to that point. By May of 2000, I was able to start on insulin pump therapy, which is proving to be one of the most positive changes since my diagnosis in 94.

Because it takes more than just eating right and monitoring blood sugars to stay healthy, I took on mountain biking, snowboarding, running and hiking with much more enthusiasm. Regular exercise is not only a part of my life, but a fun and unique way for me to challenge myself. For me it’s not only a physical challenge, but a mental and emotional one over my diabetes. Knowing that I was able to succeed in any given activity, while at the same time maintaining steady blood sugar levels, provides me with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

One of my passions in life is travel, and I have not let my diabetes stand in the way. In fact, the week after I was diagnosed, I was given a full-ride scholarship to study in China for one year. Because of the "poor" timing, my doctor suggested I forgo the scholarship as it would just be too difficult to live in a developing country. Fortunately, I was able to persuade he and my professors to allow me to study for one semester. Since then, I have lived, worked and studied in countries such as Russia, Mexico, Japan and Nepal.

Throughout my travels, I have become keenly aware of the needs of diabetics in the developing world. They simply do not have the luxury of having access to the tools I take for granted to keep me going on a day-to-day basis (insulin, glucometers, syringes, etc.).