I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago. I use math every day to decide how much insulin I need and how much food I can eat for my meals.

I need two injections of insulin each day. Each injection is made up of two types of insulin - fast acting and slow acting. I don't ever change the amount of slow acting insulin, but I have to change the amount of fast acting insulin based upon my blood sugar levels. I need one extra unit for every four points that my blood sugar is above eight. I have to use math to calculate how much extra insulin I need.

I have to test my blood sugars at least four times every day. If my blood is not in the range of 3.5 to 15, then I have to either eat or have extra insulin. I have to use math to determine if I need to do something.

I have to have three snacks and three meals each day. I need to measure the amount of carbohydrates in each. I have to read the package and add the carbohydrates together until I get the desired amount for each snack or meal. I have to use math to calculate the amount of carbohydrates per portion and add these portions together to get the right total.

I really do use a lot of math in my life. Without knowing math, I wouldn't be able to live life as well as I can now.