Shot: Staying Alive with Diabetes

by Amy F. Ryan

Shot is an intimate portrait of a young woman's sudden transition to a life of insulin dependence.

Treatment for a routine infection one Monday morning yielded, with stunning speed, to a glucose monitor, test strips, and a life-altering diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

In Shot, Amy Ryan shows what it really takes to live with and manage an incurable disease. She charts the essential duties that keep her stable while revealing the daily concerns, the simple rewards and victories, the fears of highs and lows, and the psychological strain of depending on herself, a drug, and a network of health care providers to stay alive with diabetes.

People who manage life-threatening diseases will recognize their own struggles in Amy's compelling story. The millions who care for and support family, friends, or patients with diabetes will have their eyes opened to the human side of living with a chronic condition.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Nikki Penda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book could have been my story. It was nice to read that others had the same sense of confusion, frustration, and fear with an adult onset type 1 diabetes diagnoses

[Steven Santoyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person with Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) for over 7 years, I have never been more inspired. The writing was clear, concise, and engaging. The chapters were brief, yet poignant. The experiences were powerfully relatable.

I believe it is important for every person with T1D to understand that everything will be OK, every bad day will at some point get better, and ultimately, you will discover someone in life just like you...someone who knows exactly what you are going through. In short, Shot is a reminder to any person with T1D that they are not in this life alone. I encourage every person living with T1D or loving someone with T1D to read this book -- it just may change the way you view your life.

I would also like to thank Ms. Ryan for being a personal source of inspiration, and for also reminding me that although some holes in our lives may never fill, the answer will always lie in believing that they can.

[Cary Calhoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and moving!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping this book would have more stories and less jargon. I can read about A1C levels, shots, pumps, and so on from any variety of websites - I don't need a book, as Amy herself wished she'd had, pre-internet. What I wanted to hear was how she integrates this into her identity and what it means. That's what makes or breaks a memoir for me - translation of experience into meaning.

Life is often meaningless, and of course I understand that there was no cosmic "reason" why Ryan got diabetes. At the same time, I have read a couple of blogs from people who tell stories about their Type 1 diabetes (see: http://sixuntilme.com/wp/2014/06/04/d... for a great example). It's a mixed bag of technical terms and heart-wrenching stories, but it's the difference between talking about your glucose level and number of units in your last dose of insulin at a dinner party, and telling the same party guests how these numbers told some greater truth: something everyone could relate to. That's what good memoir (and good story in general) does - it connects with readers who have not experienced what the author has, but can still relate on a deeper level of shared humanity.

Ryan has short bursts of this, and those made the book readable. Such as when she talks about outing herself to a colleague (or pointedly not doing so), and how that changed her relationship to herself. The strain of having to ask for help when expecting to be independent. I loved when she talked about control and how none of us are in control, whether we have diabetes or not. Unfortunately these moments were not enough for me to really enjoy this book. (It also didn't help I found a few typos... ughhh...)

I wish there were more books about type 1 diabetes out there, either memoir or fiction. Ryan takes a good stab at it (pun intended), and I hope others follow.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Ryan tells a difficult story. And yet it is a story infused with hope. I appreciate Ryan's refusal to paint a pretty picture of a woman who survives and makes a good life with Type 1 Diabetes. And while she does tell this very story, she also tells the raw truth of what it is to live with a chronic illness day in and day out. I am learning in the wake of my daughter's diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes that most people do not have a clue as to what that means. Ryan's book goes a long way to correcting many false notions of what it means to be diabetic.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative and helpful I am currently still reading it. It is informative not only about diabetes but also raises the level of empathy for yourself or others living with chronic illness. A great read!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Ryan paints an honest picture of the challenges of living with Type 1 Diabetes.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a newly diagnosed 16 year old, I found this to be very insightful. He has just recently chosen the same pump that she has & is loving his new freedom!!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I knew what diabetics went through, but I had no idea. Amy Ryan really opened my eyes. The book is totally accessible to everyone and a must read for anyone who knows a diabetic.