My Life Belonged to Diabetes by Ahmed Roble

  Ignorance is the deadliest thing in the world.  Diabetes does not care what race you are.  I never knew about diabetes when I was living in Ethiopia.  It is very sad to leave.  I left my home, but my heart never left.  My name is Ahmed.  I was born in 1994 in Ethiopia in the city of Dire Dawa.  I left my country when I was 14 years old.  I came to America as a refugee.

My first day in the United States of America was Christmas Day.  I did not knew anything about Christmas and I saw some people who were wearing big red hats.  I thought those people were crazy, because I did not see those kind of people in my country.  I did not speak to them because I did not speak any English.

Day after day, I was very sick and went to the hospital. I could not use English to explain my sickness.  I was weak and tired with headache after headache.  The doctor contacted someone who interpreted between me and him.  However, when he contacted the interpreter  we did not understand each other because we spoke different  languages. I told the doctor that we did not understand each other. The doctor said, "Ok" and he also asked me, “What kind of food do you eat?”  I said, “me no English.”  I also said,  “waxaan rabaa bariis”? (That means I need rice.)

The first American food I ate was pizza.  I never saw food like that in my life.  I  said, “I hope I can go back to my Ethiopia. I will have someone who can help me”.

Three days later the doctor came to me and he told me, “You have diabetes”.  I asked him, “What was that?”  He explained to me the different types of diabetes. He said, “Use insulin and check your blood sugar”.  I was angry and sad.  I did not know how to use the insulin.  When I tried to use the insulin it hurt my entire body.  I went into a dark place and started to cry every day, because I was always feeling something bad.

After a couple of  months I learned step by step how to test to use the insulin. Since those two months, I asked myself why am I still here?  Earlier, I did not understand this disease.  Some in my community didn’t know anything about diabetes. They attacked me verbally.  I  ignore them and I will ignore for the rest for my life.

In conclusion, I have learned how to take care of my life.  I control the disease, It does not control me.  Now I know how to use insulin and to test my blood sugar.  I speak and communicate in English.