Welcome to this forum goose55,
I suggest you view Diabetes as a manageable medical condition and not a disease nor an handicap!
I went through the same stage last December when I was diagnosed with T1 db overnight, I understand what you're going through and let me tell you that once you accept your condition everything will be better.
Many people with Type1 diabetes go on living there lives as anybody else and some even better than others. My nurse from the diabetic learning center once told me that the life style that diabetics have to follow is nothing special, it's the life style everybody should follow. As a future marine/navy you shouldn't have any problems managing your db since discipline and self awareness are the essential tools in db management!
If you manage to maintain your BG under control, maintain a great log (shouldn't be a problem with Glucose Buddy
) and learn how your body reacts to carbs and insulin, you'll be able to ask your endocrinologist to switch you to the pump. If it works for you, you'll soon realize that you can do what you want and when you want. Ok, the part about eating anything you want and whenever you want that's another subject and unfortunately something you'll have to let go
, you'll just eat what you need when your body needs it.
As far as I'm concerned T1 db isn't a life sentence, it's just a new way of life, a better way all together. I admit it, a life with it's occasional inconvenience of the insulin injections but not that bad!
Enjoy this forum, it's full of great info and many people in your situation.