To whom it may concern, I have demonstrated very poor eating habits which have drastically impacted my life in a negative way. I have type 1 diabetes and the excuse I have been using is insulin. Insulin slows down fat cells and creates extra stored fat. This doesn't mean I cannot lose weight. It just means I need more self- discipline than someone who is healthy. That being said, I have no excuse to continue gaining weight. I myself had lost my way for a few years. I had let diabetes take over my life. From my unhealthy lifestyle I became ill seven different times. Each time I was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on an insulin drip. This should have been my wake-up call. Instead of channeling these thoughts into creating a solution, I self-loathed and created excuses. This only made things worse for me. I ended up with over two million dollars in medical debt, lost my job from constantly missing work, and I absolutely hated myself. My plan is to stop using insulin as an excuse to be obese. I created a plan in which I am eating high protein, medium carbs, and low fats. I am eating around 1200 calories per day. I also joined a gym. I noticed at first I was going to the gym about 3 times per week. I then started making excuses not to go. Since then I decided to set alarms on my phone to basically be my conscience for me. I have had low self-esteem for the majority of my life. This stems back to my childhood and the influencers in my life. I constantly have to remind myself that I have evolved from the person I was back then. I know for a fact that I am doing better than the people I was surrounded with as a child. That being said, I still struggle from time to time with demonstrating confidence. The solution to this is stepping out of my comfort zone and I've been pushing myself to achieve my goals even when it doesn't exactly feel comfortable. I am planning to study diabetes after I finish my undergrad in business. My long-term goal is to be part of the solution of lessening the complications that diabetes bestows on the life of a diabetic. By creating solutions rather than focusing and wallowing in self-pity, anyone can accomplish anything they set their mind to.

Growing up in a Christian town and household while is never easy when you're gay. Listening to everyone around you bashing and condemning what you feel inside can break you. This is exactly what happened to me. Being able to pull away from that toxic environment and create the life I have around me now was the most courageous thing I've ever had to do. I've now been married to my husband for 6 wonderful years. Everything seems normal and we never think twice about our same sex marriage.. That is.. Inside our home. When we leave the house, the public still reminds us of constant hate that spreads throughout the streets. We can not hold hands in public without drawing attention or having hateful comments yelled out of a car window. At the end of the day I brush it off. I brush it off because it's all worth it. It's worth it because I get to be me. I don't have to pretend to be someone else anymore. I don't have to live my life like a movie watching other people be happy while I'm on the side lines. At the end of the day I have my husband by my side every step of the way. As for my career goals and aspirations. I currently work for Liberty Mutual Insurance, but my long-term goal after all my schooling is complete is to become an endocrinologist. I want to study diabetes and help those who suffer complications on a daily basis. I myself am type 1 diabetic with multiple complications. After multiple long-term hospital stays and testing, ect. I am inspired to be part of the solution. I'm not saying my expectation is to find a cure for diabetes. Being realistic, my goal is to learn more about management and methods to aid the disease. Finding a cure would be fantastic. Obviously that is the ultimate goal in the end, but realistically I just want to make an impact in the lives of as many ill people as I can.

Gastroparesis has affected my life in many ways. Surprisingly, there are both positive and negative effects the condition has bestowed on my life. Through proper management of a controlled diet and exercise, I have been able to minimize the negative effects of the condition. There have been many times I was ready to give up completely, but was able to be resilient and come up with solutions rather than dwelling on the negatives. Through education I seek to aid those who are also experiencing difficulties with this condition and encourage them that there is hope. Going back to 2019 I had my first GI issue. It started out with flu like symptoms that did not seem to let up. In fact, they went on for days. At this point from the constant vomiting, I became severely dehydrated and was unable to stand on my own without passing out. I was rushed to the ER and immediately put on fluids to hydrate me. I was given anti-nausea medication to aid the vomiting which did not work. I was then moved to the ICU and informed that I had diabetic ketoacidosis. I was placed on an insulin drip for a week. The lack of energy, appetite, and motivation was astounding. The GI doctor came to the ICU. He talked with me to fully understand my symptoms. There were many recommendations made for treatment that frightened me. These included a pacemaker, surgery on a muscle in my stomach, a feeding tube, etc. Over time in 2019 these symptoms and episodes continued to occur. I because financially, mentally, and physically unstable. I had no value left for my life. My career no longer meant anything to me and I just wanted to lay in bed because I literally had no energy to function. I had test after test done. From scopes, to gastric emptying studies, to making trips down to IU health in Indianapolis. I came to the conclusion that nobody was going to be able to help me. After a trip to Indianapolis meeting with a highly recommended doctor, I started an all-liquid diet as well as a different medication. Miraculously, the episodes stopped. I stuck with a healthy diet and exercise, I joined some support groups on social media, and I started putting back together the pieces of my life. I was able to dig my way out of financial ruin, start making goals again, and here I am now ready to go back to school. Today I sit here with new goals in mind. These goals were inspired by my illness. My goal is to finish my business degree with Devry University, complete an accelerated one-year nursing program, work bedside in the hospital, and then apply for medical school. I want to study the conditions that took me down in my hardest time. I want to be part of the solution and help to minimize symptoms for those with diabetes, gastroparesis, and other GI issues.