Good Enough for Nick

I will be the first to admit that I was not the easiest patient when diagnosed with type one diabetes in 2006. At thirteen years old, I was combative, headstrong, and willing to call people on their bluff when threatened. So when my third endocrinologist told me that I would need to get on an insulin pump before receiving further advice from him I crossed my arms, sat back, and shut my mouth. The appointment, and my cooperation with him was over, and what began was a nine year period of my formative brain rebelling on all levels against insulin pumps, just to prove him wrong.  Bless my angel of a mother for putting up with me during that period.  In my, well, juvenile thought process, I had every intention (and eventually did become) a film actress. So getting an insulin pump was simply out of the question. How could I possibly play non-diabetic characters with this very obvious device that argued otherwise.  I even fought my mother on getting a routine TB shot around the same age because I did not want the classic scar mark one receives after the vaccine. She won this argument, claiming that most ‘real’ people have this exact mark and in fact not having it would narrow my roles even further. Jokes on both of us after developing active cavitary tuberculosis in 2016. All that debate and a scar over something I ended up getting anyway. (Disclaimer: As an immune deficient individual, I’m more susceptible to illnesses like this, and it in no way means that vaccines do not work and my personal recommendation is that everyone gets their required vaccines) It was not until I was twenty-one years old that I realized the more intelligent observation about my health.  What kind of life would I lead (still thinking that acting was the long term plan) if my diabetes was not well-controlled.  At the time, managing with MDI (multiple daily injections)  I was hovering in the low 8’s for my HbA1c test, which is not exactly a recipe for success long term.  Type ones aim to be below 7.0 for this test, and ideally in the high 5’s, low 6’s in order to live a life with reduced or no complications.  It was around this time that I was ushering at New World Stages, had just completed my first leading lady role in a feature film, that I was a part of the Broadway Bowling League with Robert Schneider as our capitan. The hot news in the bowling league was the arrival of Nick Jonas, starring in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’.  One of his fellow teammates, Michael Park, saw me taking an injection off to the side and approached me, asking if I was diabetic as well. I replied yes, of course, probably nervously gesturing to my current activity of injecting, and he stepped off to pull Nick over to where I was sitting.  Nick was the most famous and relatable type one diabetic I knew of, and to be introduced to him, I was thrilled. Here was someone living a life of performance, undoubtedly with more resources, but seemingly unencumbered by this condition that had been weighing me down personally.  We chatted briefly, he raved about his insulin pump, and then told me that costumers would sew an additional pocket into his costumes next to his microphone pack for his insulin pump.  It was only then that I could see a life where I had this device attached to me, and that folks around me should be adapting to my needs, not the other way around. If it was good enough for Nick, it was good enough for me.  ~ KLS