As we roll into the New Year, I’m reminded how living with Type 1 diabetes can make things a little challenging at times. In this episode, Justin shares how he wasn’t going to let his new diagnosis keep him from having the time of his life at Burning Man, an annual event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, where people gather for around nine days to celebrate artistic self-expression. Good times.
I knew Ermo Egberts would be the perfect guest after reading his post about attending an ecstatic dance party where he connected with others on a spiritual level. Ermo’s story is a testament to the power of self-awareness and self-care, and he encourages others who are living with diabetes to stay positive and hopeful while living life to the fullest.
Noah Averbach-Katz blew the doors off a recent Kickstarter campaign for a film that just began production. I believe his experience with live theater AND as a professional actor gave him the upper hand on creating TYPE 1, a short film chosen as one of Kickstarter “projects we love” after it was fully funded in under 8 hours. Stay tuned for more information on the release date and screening opportunities.
I’ve joked, and/or compared my diabetes management to OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), but hadn’t met anyone living with both conditions until interviewing Brett Ryan Stewart. Brett is a Nashville based producer who shared – “ultimately what OCD kind of comes down to is this inability to accept what you can’t control and then obsessing about a way to control the uncontrollable.” I’m sure many of you living with T1D can relate to this mentality and Brett’s ability to give us a look into his daily life was eye opening to say the least.
When Charles Mattocks was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, he was given little to no education on how to manage this disease so he took matters into his own hands. After getting his own health back on track, Charles is sharing his journey into advocacy, and how he is effectively trying to reverse the forward progress of unmanaged diabetes.
To all those who need to hear this – yes you can! This is the lifelong motto of Kristina Loskarjova, a woman who sets her mind to something and makes it happen while living her best life with T1D. She shares how taking a step back from the pressures of management could be exactly what you need to get back out and start living a fulfilled life. Kristina is an accomplished designer, entrepreneur and author who is sharing her story and those of other people living extraordinary lives with this disease.
While getting the diabetes diagnosis tends to put us on the back foot, we can choose to deal with it and refuse to let it define us. Tim White is a diabetes veteran who has been managing his diabetes for longer than I have. He is a well spring of wisdom and shares his story along with his experience on living his best life with diabetes for decades. Tim is a prime example that diabetes is not a death sentence, and its management is getting better every day. (more…)
I’m fascinated with diabetes care and advocacy efforts in other countries so I was thrilled to connect with Bridget, a fellow T1D making waves in South African healthcare. She goes above and beyond to ensure people living with diabetes have the information and tools they need to live their best life. South Africa has a long way to go and I feel confident Bridget will be leading the movement. (more…)
I don’t know about you, but in kindergarten I wasn’t considering space exploration as a career path, but April stuck to her guns and achieved this goal even after a T1D diagnosis. Her calm demeanor, passion and journey to become an aerospace engineer is inspiring to say the least. She deserves to be the first person living with diabetes in space and absolutely shares my personal mantra to dream big – diabetes or not.
Can you imagine being diagnosed with T1D and five years later stating you’re in the best health of your life? In this episode, we’ll be learning more about my new friend from the land downunda’, Astra-Lia ‘Ozzy’ England. Several years ago, Ozzy would receive news from the doctor that would shake her world; a T1D diagnosis. In a matter of weeks, she went from living a relatively normal life (albeit with Celiac disease) to being put on insulin therapy. Her fiery personality and unapologetic curiosity about life with diabetes made her the perfect guest.
