Hello, My name is Flo, I’m 16 years old and have been living with type 1 diabetes for 8 years and was diagnosed on the 19th of November 2017 when I was just 8 years old.
At the time, I remember being really frightened as a young girl who had just been rushed into hospital unexpectedly feeling very unwell because of my high ketones to be told I had a chronic illness that I had never heard of.
After spending a few nights on the children’s ward, I then came home facing a barrage of information and a new life to get used to which initially felt so daunting and overwhelming despite having such a massive amount of support from my family in general, but especially my Mum who is a nurse.
I had to navigate carb counting, insulin injections, testing my blood sugar and the emotional burden that accompanies the condition as well as going to clinic and having blood tests very regularly.
Now to the present, I have recently started on a T:Slim pump and wear a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor which alleviates my anxiety and lets me live a happy and fulfilled life where I am able to predict low and high blood sugars, exercise freely without worries and most importantly enjoy life and have fun.
The reason I am telling you all of this is to reassure you if you are newly diagnosed that things really do get easier and better over time you just have to be kind to yourself and understand that mistakes are going to happen because none of us are perfect; we are all human and dealing with such a demanding and relentless 24/7 condition is really difficult and you should give yourself credit for that.
So, to finish here’s a few tips.. if you have a sensor or pump, get some cute stickers to pop on it and most significantly try not to be afraid to show it off, its incredible, it literally keeps you alive and you have no reason to be ashamed, if anything it shows your strength!
If you are going on holiday or a day trip, as irritating as it can be, make sure you take lots of supplies with you eg. extra insulin, sensors, pump changes, juice or dextrose tablets, mishaps occur and being prepared helps you relax.
Ignore ignorant people's perceptions, opinions and assumptions about type 1 diabetes and try not to take their views personally, they are simply just uneducated fools.. cue the comments ( Yes, I can eat chocolate.. No, there’s no cure… and no, I didn’t choose this, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune illness and there is absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent it!) I hope this small piece in aid of diabetes awareness month can be a comfort and support to you the reader no matter what stage you are in your diagnosis or diabetes journey.
Lastly, never forget you are strong and capable of hard things.. we are united in this together T1D gang, you got this!
Take care, Flo S x
