These words should never be spoken to anyone, let alone by a gynaecologist to a patient.
Unfortunately, for Wendy Vogelpoel from Mooropna and many individuals nationwide living with type 1 diabetes, discrimination is just one cruel side effect of the disease.
“(This was said) when I fell pregnant with my daughter after four miscarriages ... I was devastated,” Wendy said.
“But three months premature, my daughter was one of my greatest achievements.”
This achievement can never be topped, but it cannot sit on the mantel like her most recent one.
On Saturday, November 16, Wendy received a Kellion Victory Medal, acknowledging living with type 1 diabetes for 50 years.
The annual award program was named in honour of Claude Kellion, who established a foundation to promote diabetes research after his son died from diabetes complications.
It recognises the strength and diligence required to manage the complex condition over many decades, with individuals living with diabetes for more than 50, 60, 70, or even 75 years eligible.
Diabetes Victoria chief executive Glen Noonan described the medal as a celebration of the “significant milestones of the remarkable people”.
“Diabetes is a serious, complex and relentless condition that requires 24/7 management,” he said.
“To live with diabetes for more than 50 years requires incredible resilience and tenacity.”
In 1974, type 1 diabetes struck Wendy without warning.
While grappling with the pain, she had lost weight, frequently urinated, and had a wound that wouldn’t heal.
“He (my doctor) sent me for bloods, and when we returned to his office, he told my mum it was a toss-up between kidney disease, leukaemia and diabetes, and diabetes was the best result,” she said.
Wendy received her diagnosis and a lifetime supply of insulin injections to go with it.
She was prepared to navigate the tightrope between low and high blood sugar levels, but that didn’t mean she always stayed on the straight and narrow.
Wendy admitted she was not the most compliant patient, and after refusing to take her insulin without informing anyone, she ended up in the hospital.
“When we finally got home from the hospital, I found Dad downstairs crying but didn’t understand why,” she said.
“He told me he thought I might die, as he thought most children died from this.”
He wasn’t the only one who thought that.
A year after her diagnosis, Wendy’s specialist warned her that if she did not start taking care of herself, she would never reach the age of 25.
However, with the unwavering support of her family and ongoing diabetes research, she has now entered her 50th year of living with type 1 diabetes.
“The research improves how we manage diabetes and also how to best support people affected by diabetes,” Mr Noonan said.
“Our Kellion recipients have experienced first-hand many advances in diabetes technology over the decades, which leads to an improved quality of life for people living with diabetes.”
Upon receiving the prestigious award, Wendy said she felt acknowledgment for all the ups and downs people living with diabetes go through.
It’s a symbol of strength, no matter what anyone says.
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