ORANGE PARK – I have thought I was relatively healthy for most of my life. No health problems, nothing to stress me out, just healthy. A few colds here and there. I think I got the flu once, but never anything severe.

Fourth grade, when I was 9, was different.

On Christmas morning, my parents surprised me and my sister with a trip to Disney World. The trip was planned for January, and I was excited to know I only had to wait one month to go to Disney.

Symptoms started a few weeks before the trip. It wasn’t anything noticeable at first. It just seemed like I constantly needed to drink water and constantly, and I needed to use the bathroom. I really just let the whole thing pass me by. I didn’t think anything of it then because I was more focused on Disney.

While at the Magic Kingdom, I thought I would be having a good time. The rides were fun, but I constantly felt sick. At the time, I thought it was because of the heat.

I was wrong.

One night really got my parents worried. Before bed, I was drinking a ton of lemonade. I was constantly thirsty. Even though I made sure to use the bathroom later that night, I woke and found the bed was wet. I was HUMILIATED. That’s something a little kid does. Not a fourth grader.

When we got home, I thought things would go back to normal. I was excited to go to school and tell my friends about my Disney trip. But my mom told me we were going to the doctor.

I hated the doctor.

Once I arrived, the nurse took me into the room and ensured my heart and lungs were fine. Nothing too strange. Next came the worst part – pricking my finger. Shots are bad, but someone sticking a needle into your finger is a lot worse. You never know when the nurse will do it, and it really hurts.

I wasn’t sure why they did it, but once that was over, the nurse left, and we waited for the doctor. The next thing I knew, the doctor rushed in and said a ton of stuff I didn’t understand. Something about glucose, ketones and blood sugar, but the one thing that stuck out to me was the word ER.

“You need to go to the ER right now!” he said.

Only sick people go to the ER. Like, really sick! How sick am I, really? I thought I just had an allergy or something. So, my mom rushed me out of the doctor’s office and called my dad. I couldn’t listen to what she was saying. I was so freaked out. I had never been in an ER before. Was I going to die?

After stopping by my house, we headed to the ER. My parents told me to pick a stuffed animal. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was for comfort, but I picked Eeyore. I just got him from Disney, and he was my favorite.

I’d heard about Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital on the television a few times, but I’d never seen it in person. When I walked in, my heart started pounding. People were coughing. Some with an injury and crying. Every now and then, someone would rush by with a stretcher. The smell was indescribable. It definitely wasn’t a good smell. I guess it was clean. My parents and I walked to the kind woman at the desk and told them about my “problem.” While waiting, I was super scared. Nobody would tell me what was wrong. Then, the nurse called my name. That meant it was our turn.

The back of the ER looked interesting. It wasn’t how I expected it to look: rows of hospital beds surrounded by curtains. I thought it would look more like the hospitals I saw on TV. It was really scary. I wasn’t sure where I was going or what would happen. The nurse brought me to a hospital bed, sat me down and told us we needed to get started on an IV. At the time, I had no idea what an IV was.

The nurse came in with a tray of supplies and got ready to insert the IV. Then my mom covered my eyes so that I couldn’t see anything. I guess the nurse did a good job because I didn’t feel anything, either. We returned to my room and I saw a hedgehog on the wall. It was super cute. I just set my stuff down.

Once I was settled, a doctor came in. My mom was crying. I think my mom and my dad had the same fear I did, the fear of death. The doctor came in to inform us about my situation. She said I had Type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes? I thought that was something only old people got when they were overweight. How could I have diabetes? The doctor informed us that it was an autoimmune disease that can be treated with a constant intake of insulin.

Then the learning started. It was as if I had to relearn how to eat.

There were new rules about what I could and couldn’t eat. Sometimes, I had to wait 5-20 minutes before eating if my blood sugar wasn’t in range. And then there were the needles. I had to do a total of four shots daily, and that was if I DIDN’T eat a snack. I also had to prick my finger a minimum of six times a day. In the beginning, it was really hard. I couldn’t have a snack anytime I wanted. I couldn’t sip sugary drinks anymore. That included Gatorade, Sprite, Fanta, etc.

I was discharged three days later. I was adamant about going back to school as soon as possible. I knew it would be different, but I wasn’t scared anymore. I knew it would be a rough start, but soon enough, it would become the “new normal.” My parents have always called it that. It’s one of the quotes I live by.

Before returning, my mom and I met with my counselor, teacher and school nurse. They were all very open to the new concept of a student with Type 1. Then, later that day, my teacher informed the whole class about my diabetes. She explained how I had to go to the nurse daily before lunch and needed someone to walk with me when I went up there.

At the time of diagnosis, I thought I wouldn’t survive. Then, I thought that everyone would hate me because I was a diabetic. It turns out that I have had so many opportunities just because of my diabetes. I have met many amazing people through this autoimmune disease and had the chance to teach so many people about it.

Not every situation is as bad as it seems, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. People may call my “problem” a curse, but I think of it now as just another part of who I am. It’s my new normal.

Emma Tinsley is a 10th-grade student who’s been a competition and company dancer for the last seven years. She competes with the 4H Archery Club, Girl Scouts Troup 5709 and the theater program at Ridgeview High. She’s also the secretary for the Prowler, the school’s newspaper. She hopes to attend Georgia Southern and major in a science-related field.