Life Lessons I’d Whisper To My Newly Diagnosed Self

Rolling into the second half of my 34th year of living with Type 1 diabetes, I can’t help but reflect on what has led me to my current state of T1D affairs. It wasn’t until meeting fellow Diabetes Daily Grind co-founder, Ryan, that I began talking about my life with the disease. This journey has brought on an incredible number of “ah-ha” moments, recognition of suppressed anger and “moving on” milestones. 

If I were sitting with a newly diagnosed adult or parent of a T1D kiddo, I would share the following life lessons:

• There’s no one to blame. Take a deep breath. It does NO good to be angry with God, your parents, your ancestors, etc. – you have Type 1 diabetes and you get to choose to be angry or live life to the fullest.
• Don’t be scared of technology
  • I stayed in my daily diabetes regimen since diagnosis for WAY too long because I feared technology and didn’t want to mess up my routine. Albert Einstein knew what he was talking about. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
• Challenge your endocrinologist
  • Do your research and inquire as to their knowledge of the newest diabetes technology and medications (Dexcom, Afrezza, GoodGlucos, etc.).
• NO shoulda, coulda, woulda! Be present and remember your current actions (diet, stress, attitude, etc.) absolutely effect your disease.
• Your body is different. Don’t be ashamed to be honest with others as to what is going on with your diabetes… BUT don’t be a drama queen either.
  • If you’ve had a rough night with lows and aren’t feeling like yourself – it’s okay to say to your professor, boss or family member that you’re not feeling up to speed.

I feel confident these moments of clarity will continue to surface moving forward on my T1D journey. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – find your diabetes community, whatever that means, because every once in awhile you need to be reminded that you’re not alone.

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