Life Gets Better After a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
DJ Smith, T1D • February 18, 2020
TL;DR
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven, the author shares how confusing and overwhelming the early days of T1D eventually became a story of confidence and independence. From learning what insulin does to managing an insulin pump as a teenager, his journey reminds newly diagnosed children and families that while diabetes changes daily life, it does not stop you from living fully. His message is simple: it gets easier, and you are stronger than you think.
Recognizing the Early Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
My diagnosis was a lot calmer than most. No hospital visit, no extremely high blood sugar, and no attempt to get me back on this earth. I know a lot of diabetics did not have the same fortune as me. Although my diagnosis lacked an ambulance or helicopter ride to a hospital, there were things that my seven-year-old head could not understand. I was already someone who had always been skinnier than most and started to lose weight. I lacked energy. I was drinking close to a gallon of water every two hours and never seemed to satisfy my thirst. I couldn’t understand why these things were happening to me so abruptly. My parents noticed these changes and booked a doctor’s appointment on October 24, 2011, which led to a very drastic change in how I live my life.
Learning to Live with Insulin and New Routines
In a matter of eight hours I was put on insulin. I did not understand how this drug worked or what it did. All I knew was once every morning I would get two shots, one for breakfast and one to get me through the rest of the day. While I could tolerate this, the change I did not like was that I could no longer eat whenever I wanted. I had to tell my mom or dad when and what I was eating so they could put this mystery drug in me.
Growing More Independent with Type 1 Diabetes
With time I have learned what that mystery drug does and
the technology that goes with it. Now that I am 16 I don’t have to tell my parents what and when I eat since I can just use my insulin pump and do it myself. I know how scary it can be when people are first diagnosed with diabetes, but it gets better. If a little kid that weighed 40 pounds when diagnosed can manage and live with T1D, then you can too.
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