The Hupke family from left to right: Hanley, Jamie, Drew.

Jamie Hupke is an Administrative Support Analyst at Businessolver. She’s a mom, a daughter, a friend and a diabetic. She doesn’t let her disease define her. Here’s her story:

“I was 16 and found myself laying in a hospital bed in the ICU, practicing injection shots on an orange. This was not exactly the summer I had envisioned. I had just turned 16, got my driver’s license and had a new found sense of freedom that I had not experienced before. I was ready to take on the world. To be fair- the symptoms were there. This included frequent trips to the bathroom, thirst that could not be quenched, extreme hunger with no associated weight gain. I even mentioned the symptoms to my mom. Her response: ‘Maybe we should have you tested for diabetes?!’ I had a busy schedule and instead, I went about my daily routine until one day I became very ill. We thought it was just the flu as it was all the typical symptoms; vomiting, dehydration, weakness, etc. This went on for two days before my mom decided it was time to go to the hospital. I walked into the ER and collapsed in a chair. The doctors were able to smell the fruity scent on my breath right away which is a common sign of diabetes. The rest was a blur as my frail body was poked and prodded at with IV’s and blood tests. I remember looking at my mom and hearing her say ‘Is she going to be alright?’ The doctor responded with, ‘We are doing everything we can.’ I knew it was serious at that point.

I obviously pulled through and feel that I have lived a prosperous life thus far. I went on to college, got married and just had my first child. She is a healthy, beautiful baby girl who will be 9 months old this week. Life is good. But life is hard. My day consists of carb counting, blood sugar checks, insulin pump infusion site changes, high and low blood sugars and quite frankly lots of unpredictability. This disease is hard to live with, but it is manageable. The last 11 years have come with a lot of peaks and valleys. I go through periods with an ‘I got this!’ attitude and then periods of feeling sorry for myself. The bottom line is that this disease is not going away. I will have it for life and I have to make the choice daily to keep pushing forward. If not for myself, for my daughter.

I am truly proud to work for a company that comes together to support a cause such as juvenile diabetes. It gives me hope that someday we can create a world of Type Nones! I am grateful for the research thus far as I have the best tools available to help keep my life as ‘normal’ as possible. Living with diabetes gives the term ‘embrace creative chaos’ a whole new meaning. It is a challenge, but it has made me a stronger person.”

Throughout Quarter 2, Businessolver has been supporting JDRF and shedding light on a disease that affects 1. 25 million people, primarily adults. Learn more about the research JDRF is conducting to help turn Type 1 into Type None.