Crystal Bowersox

Nobody thought for even a second that Crystal Bowersox’s second-place finish on “American Idol 2010” meant that the 26-year-old was headed back to her native Elliston, Ohio, to resume a quiet life.

Instead, she moved 2,000 miles west to a new home in Los Angeles and quickly began a hectic round of recording studio sessions and public appearances. Today, along with her always frantic schedule, Crystal has to manage motherhood and type 1 diabetes. The result is a life without many pauses.

Recently, Crystal was kind enough to slow down and answer some questions from Diabetes Health publisher and editor-in-chief Nadia Al-Samarrie. In her wide-ranging responses to Nadia, Crystal tells why she kept her diabetes a secret from “American Idol” producers, talks about what it was like growing up, and names her biggest musical influences. She also reveals that acting was once her first love, and she describes how her father’s fierce dedication helped her as a young girl and teen in her struggle against diabetes.

Now working with blues legend B.B. King on “LifeFirstTM,” a diabetes awareness campaign sponsored by OneTouch, Crystal relates some profound lessons she’s learned along the way.