Mary (22) cycle in spite of diabetes to Barcelona: You think all the time that disease, even during sex

Antwerp This summer cycle Maartje Roskams (22) to Barcelona. Even for the most experienced cycle tourist with a solid 1,500 kilometres. And especially for someone with diabetes. “You think you every hour of every day on your disease, even during sex, still a taboo. But stop me to have my life to lead? Jamais.” With the ride you want to Mary as the vice president of Young & Diabetic her illness to bring to the attention.

We meet Mary on a terrace at the Dageraadplaats, together with friend and companion Myrthe Winters (20). Young twenty-somethings, one leg firmly in the life, fun dresses, even more upbeat faces. Nothing going on so. “You ziét not to us, but itself, we think, without ceasing, to our disease,” says Maartje. “Everything we eat and what we do, we keep one eye our sugar levels in the holes. Is our blood sugar is too low, a hypo, then we can feel dizzy, weak and confused, sweating, and, in my case, also very very moody. Such a hypo you can have if you have too little sugar, too much insulin injected, but also when you are stress, nervous. Even during sex, something very spontaneous, you need to think.”

Drunk

All in 1921, is the first diabetic patient successfully treated with insulin. However, there is still a lot of misunderstanding. “People do not always know how they should respond to us”, says Myrthe. “We put a syringe, then we are sometimes strange views. Do you have a hypo, then it seems as if you're drunk. Set aside on a first date, but that is the result of your blood sugar and not a rosé too many. I date sometimes also prefer to be with guys who themselves have diabetes. It is blessed each time to have to make.”

I date prefer to be with guys who themselves have diabetes. It is blessed each time to have to explain

Myrthe Winters (20)

Mary: “I may here also find! You need to also not be ashamed for your pump, or explain that you have a syringe. We come with a manual and you'd have to explain. You you should not have to justify your ‘weird’ behavior during hypo's and all the ups and downs. It's still hard to open up to someone out of fear for awkward situations. That is also the reason that I my trip to Barcelona take. Everyone knows about what diabetes is, but what it implies: people have no idea. We can do everything, but really young and thoughtless are no more. You can your blood sugar a day to ignore, but you feel it the next day. And believe me: you can really feel bad. Yet we dare not always say. Even ask half an hour earlier from work to leave, falls hard for me. Because you ziét not that I am sick.”

Maartje is vice-chairman of Young & Diabetic. They organize weekends and camps for peers. “But we'll talk there, so not quite the day about our disease, he. Absolutely not even,” she says. “It's nice to be in a group not the exception, to without to have to think a syringe. A lot of young people do still sneak. Quite a shame, but totally understandable. It is not good to be ‘different’. A week at camp is "normal" are: sat-am. I have one big dream: I would like that someone one day all the worries about my disease of me takes over, my insulin calculates, for me cooking, my pump in the holes. But that may not. A lot of people want to do, but in your head keeps you always busy.”

Mont Ventoux

Mary already has 7 years of diabetes, Myrthe already 10 years, half of her life. “I can't remember when was the last time I have eaten without first thinking: I need a syringe”, says Myrthe. “But we can't do,” says Maartje. “This summer I will prove that we are everything. I saw on the map that I passed the Mont Ventoux is a must. Then I take that as. Voilà. I want to live with diabetes, not suffering from diabetes.

Maartje support can support.diabetes.be/project/21226.