Is T1D as easy as they say it is?

When we’re first diagnosed with diabetes, one of the most common things a doctor will tell you is that you can still go about your life, you just have to give insulin for when you eat and limit your carbs. Seems simple, right?If you’ve had diabetes for more than a few weeks though and you’re reading this, you know how over simplified the above statement is. In the medical team’s defense, they’re coming from a place of wanting to comfort you and our family… to make the diagnosis blow a little less “harsh”. But how does this set us up mentally for living with Type 1?

Some common things I hear on consultation calls and from clients are:

• “I feel like so many areas of my life are effecting my blood sugars and i’m overwhelmed”
• "I don’t know what to change first"
• “I don’t understand why i’m never in range after eating even though i’m giving insulin for my meals”

Mentally, I believe it sets us back big time. It doesn’t prepare us for the amount of work we’ll need to do.

What i’d much rather they say is:

“Look, diabetes is going to take a lot of work every single day to keep your blood sugars in range. You will have high’s and low’s because they’re inevitable. But you can significantly reduce them by eating healthy, sleeping well, exercising, reducing stress and supporting your immune system. A support system helps significantly. Lean on them. You can take the easy route and not do those things, but in turn you’ll loose time, energy, mood, and ultimately freedom. You’ll never be able to shut your mind off completely, but you will get to know your body on a deeper level than most anyone without diabetes will ever be able to. And you will develop strength and resilience you never thought you had.”

Which message would you want to hear?

For anyone reading this that has Type 1, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. There is not anything easy about living with this condition. Even when we’re in range the whole day… it takes WORK.

I filmed a video of a day in my life with t1d and after it went live I got a text from a past client who said, “I don’t normally get emotional over diabetes but I just feel so SEEN through this video.”

‍Nothing made me happier to hear. So watch the video below and give it a thumbs up/ comment if you too feel seen.

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