June, 2011 - Jane Belyea - "Living With Diabetes"

Royal Braintree’s Jane Belyea is a lot of great things – a great nurse, for one – but she’s nothing if not a survivor. Jane recently celebrated (and she doesn’t use the word lightly) 53 years living with diabetes.

“Living with diabetes is like the tag line for the reality TV show Survivor,” says Jane. “Outlast! Outwit! Outlive!”

Jane recently spoke at the world-renowned Joslin Clinic, where she was among more than 40 people who received medals for having lived courageously with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years or more. Jane is going on 54 years with the disease. She says is doesn’t define who she is, but it has contributed to who she’s become.

“I had to learn at an early age to be responsible and resourceful. I was diagnosed just after my eighth birthday, and I’ve been giving myself daily shots since I was ten years old. I’ve never allowed my illness to keep me from doing things. I rule it; it doesn’t rule me.”

Jane is part of an extensive Joslin study now underway which seeks to identity the common link among the “medalists” to determine why they have been able to function as well as they have for so many years. But Jane knows as well as anyone that it hasn’t been easy.

“While we look like we’re all gliding across the water like swans, we are all paddling like heck under the water where no one can see.”

For more information on the Joslin study:

http://www.joslin.org/news/ultimate_diabetes_survivors_the_joslin_50-year_medalists_give_clues_to_cures.html