I should be dead, not once but twice I had a brush with death. I had a Hypo to the point of having a seizure. Once should be enough to scare someone straight – but no I ignored it. A month later it happened again. That’s when I realized that if I did not get my diabetes and my life under control I would not live to see that Christmas. In January 2004 I changed. It took a split second to realize that I wanted to live and in order to do that I needed to get healthy.

Over the past few years since that scary day I have run 4 marathons, 5 or 6 triathlons, I lost 25 pounds and have had the biggest adventures and best life. Once I made a simple change of eating better other things started to change, I started exercising and once I started improving my life I realized I had to quit the horrible job I was working in. I went back to school to fulfil my dream of getting my art degree. Not only did I do that but I went on to get my Masters and then moved to Australia to do my PhD. While there I met my soul mate – we got married this July.

If I had died I would have missed the most fantastic life. It only started after I decided to change. I realized that finishing a marathon is so much better than cheese cake, losing weight is much better than sitting on the couch watching TV, travelling is more exciting that living at home watching others do it.

Dreams do come true – but you have to get off the couch to get them.

Amy Zurrer
Type 1 diabetic – diagnosed 1983 – age 5