Hi I'm Angie I was born January 2, 1980 daughter of Ed Couch. Life was pretty normal until my 1st birthday. I was told I had been acting ill like I had the flu or something very lethargic wouldn't really eat but consumed fluids like I would never get enough. I was taken into the hospital where a barrage of test's were ran at first they believed I had rye syndrome, that came back negative so more test were done. Finally on January 5th 1981 they came back with the diagnosis the I was diabetic and my parent's had to go through a series of classes to learn the do's and don'ts of the disease. Growing up with it I never realized I was different until I started school and there were children eating foods that I honestly had never even seen. When I was diagnosed the doctors told me I would not live past the age of 18, and I would never have children. I'm now 33 with a husband and family. Diabetes doesn't control you, you control it. Having awesome family and friends for support and some pretty good doctors over the years has helped tremendously. NEVER let anyone tell you that you have to do this or that because it works for every other diabetic, You're an individual, and what works for them may not work for you. Don't be afraid to talk to doctors about stepping outside the box and doing things different. My bodys old school, I still count calories I don't do exchanges, and I have a set insulin routine, not a sliding scale. That's what works best for me personally. Always remember it's a disease it's not who you are you have to be a little more careful but you can still be a human being too.

Angie Brown
Tulsa, OK