And then I found ME

Life continues

"Oh My God Aarti. You lost so much of weight! You look prettier than ever!"

"Is that you Aarti?"

"Oh please give me some of your weight loss tips. I'm dying to lose some weight!"

I loved to receive such compliments daily, from my near and dear ones, when I dropped from a hefty 85kgs to a megre 50kgs in just 6 months!

And guess what? All this when I never really did anything to lose weight. No Exercise, No dieting. Amazing, isnt it?

Shhh. But dont tell anyone ok. That was my little secret! I love to keep people guessing what I did to lose weight.

I was enjoying the new ME to the fullest now! The guys who always walked past me, where now dying for my attention. The *pretty* girls of the school, for whom earlier I was a 'good for nothing fatso' now looked up to me as even I was someone important.

Seriously, how people's way of looking at you changes when you look different! Well, good for me though. I was more than enjoying the attention I was getting. Not to mention, feeling a lot better about myself.

My mom has a strange habit of being suspicious over everything. She sat me down one day and asked "Tell me the truth Aarti, are you taking some pills or doing something to lose weight?"

"No Mom. Why would I do that? I mean, without telling you?"

She cupped my face worriedly, looking over to Dad and back to me "In that case sweetie, I guess its best we consult a doctor to find the reason behind this."

"What are you saying Mom? I dont need any tests." I said, not understanding what Mom was trying to say, or maybe, not wanting to understand.

So willingly or unwillingly, I found myself sitting in the doctor's cabin. He heard us out patiently and said

"So much weight loss in just six months is unnatural. So as of now, lets first do some medical tests to find out the exact reason behind it."

I couldnt believe he just said that. I mean, tests and all? Hello... I dont need that. I'm absolutely fine. Duh! No one was listening to me.

Mom dragged me to the lab for doing all the prescribed tests. The thing I feared the most in my life is a 'blood test'.

I remember doing it two years back when I got malaria. It was so damn painful. Arrghhh I dont want to do all this. My mind was screaming but again No one was listening!

So after all the tests (plus the drama I created), it was now time for the reports to come. Mom Dad were very tensed about it, Mom the most. And here I was, still sulking over the 'blood test pain'. Ouch. It really hurt!

We went to the counter, asking for my reports. The receptionist shuffled a few reports, before finding mine and handing over to us.

Mom was the first one to open it. Her face instantly went pale after seeing it, eyes widening as she sat down on the chair with a jerk.

Now it really scared me when she did that. She showed it to Dad and even he had a similar reaction.

"What happened Mom? Dad? Why are you both reacting like this?" They looked at me worriedly, and I could say, there was some moisture too in their eyes.

I figured they weren't going to tell me anything so I myself went through the report. But I swear, I didnt understand a word in it. After all, I was just a 14-year old school kid!

I was dragged to the doctor again, silence throughout the car ride. My Mom sat in the back seat with me, wrapping her comfortable hands around me, kissing my forehead and what not!

Confirmed! Something was wrong! Very wrong. But by then, I myself was too scared ask anything. The biggest fear in the world is the fear of the unknown. And currently, I was experiencing exactly that!

The doctor scanned the reports one by one, reading everything on it, ever so carefully. I saw his eyes getting stuck on a certain page, and his face too going pale.

My mom was holding my arm tightly, looking at the doctor. And my heart was going crazier than ever, dying to listen to what comes out of the doctor's mouth.

And what came out of his mouth, blocked my mind "Diabetes"

After coming home too, I cried. A lot! I thought this was something that happened only to people after a certain age. But me, I'm just 14! How was this possible? The doctor said, though rare, but this is possible, and many factors contribute to it : obesity, passive lifestyle, lack of exercise, non-healthy eating habits and so on.

While I tried to understand what he was saying, most of it over my head.

I was again put through a series of tests, now, to find out the type - ie type 1 or type 2.

Reports said, I was a Type1. Which meant, my lazy pancreas are not producing enough insulin for my body! I was put on oral medicine + Insulin shots! Yup! A girl, who gets scared to death while going for blood tests, had to now take Insulin injections - daily! Fate is a funny thing sometimes!

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Now, after two years of living with diabetes, I no more find it that scary like I used to during the initial days.

So what if I couldnt eat my favorite chocolates, cakes and icecreams to my heart's content, I could at least taste a few. So what if I couldnt eat and drink mindlessly like most other teenagers, or maybe, most other people? Life isnt only about eating, right? Its lovely to see your family happy for you, you doing well in your life and most of all, its lovely when your doctor says "You're doing good."

And seriously, now when I see people indulging in sweets, junk food, aerated drinks and all sorts of non-healthy foods, I internally pity them. Thinking, why are people being so careless and having these slow-poisons instead of other healthier options!

But then again, not all people will develop the same problem right? But still, today I feel, its always better to have all these at the minimum! Nothing is more important than a healthy you!

Its not that I never feel down, but whenever I do, I tell myself that what I'm going through, is not even 1% of pain what someone somewhere in the world might be going through!

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After fifteen years, I still remember the day when I first discovered my disorder. I nearly broke down. Being a person who always believed in God, a daily temple-goer, doing all sorts of fasts and everything, I broke down thinking, why God did this to me!

But now, I guess all that happens, happens for a reason! And in my case, it helped me find the aim of my life. I decided, I will believe in myself, and find a way to help others too. It made me a stronger person in myself! It helped me find - ME!

Today, I myself am a Diabetologist, helping people better, because somewhere, I connect with them at an emotional level. Today when I see someone whinning about how they cannot eat their favorite foods, how they have to undergo blood tests from time to time, and how their life has changed, I tell them "God gives problems to only those, who He has the faith can handle them! You're the chosen one!"

When life pulls you down, brace yourself, its going to give you a strong push upwards. Be ready to fly!

Consider yourself The Chosen One when you face some problems in life. Dont just sit and cry, praying to God for a miracle. Get up, and be the change! Help others! Smile and make people around you smile! We all've heard that saying "God helps those who help themselves!"

Cheers to life! Be happy, be positive, be blessed! God loves You!

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People,  having a disease or disorder dosent mean your life ends there, it gives a chance to live differently and betterly than the others. Be happy, stay blessed :)