Type 1 Diabetes: Friend, Foe, or Frenemy?

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 10 years old, I had no idea what it was. All I knew was that it was about to send me to a hospital for a week, it made my mom cry, and it might affect my ability to eat ice cream for the rest of my life.

I experienced all of the common warning signs of type 1 diabetes before my diagnosis: frequent urination, excessive thirst, irritability, unexplained weight loss, and changes in my personality and mood that were uncommon for a 10-year-old girl. When I went to the doctor that day, my mom hoped it was the flu, though, in the back of her head, she wondered if it was type 1 diabetes. When the blood sugar reading displayed 500 mg/dL, her fears were affirmed.

Her motherly instinct was right, and thank goodness it was! Due to her diligence as a parent, I was able to receive timely care and avoid diabetic ketoacidosis. While my type 1 diabetes diagnosis was undoubtedly one of the most challenging times in my life, I'm happy to say that I have been changed for the better by type 1 diabetes throughout my life. 

Type 1 diabetes has made me a more empathetic, patient, resilient, persevering, and open person. While I'm not grateful to have type 1 diabetes, I'm grateful I have realized the opportunities and lessons in the condition rather than falling victim to it.

So, don't get me wrong—there have been many ups and downs over the years, but at my core, this is how I feel most of my days. Type 1 diabetes wears many hats, sometimes friend, sometimes foe, and often, frenemy. Type 1 diabetes makes me more grateful for the simplest moments and activities—the ability to walk on the treadmill, the connections to others living with this, the understanding that there is so much we don't know about each other and we shouldn't judge each other for, and of course, the knowledge that nothing is off limits with type 1 diabetes, including ice cream! 

Type 1 diabetes is an extra step I must account for all days of my life. And I'm at peace with that because of the connections and support I have in my life and the organizations making a difference for so many living with type 1 diabetes each and every day.

Type 1 diabetes doesn't have us; we have it! Because of the connections, support, and organizations I have in my life, I truly feel T1D-strong. There's something magical about this community, even when this disease feels like the best frenemy you've ever had.