LYD1A KERR

Managing Type 1 Diabetes is a full time job. Checking blood sugar, bolusing insulin, dealing with low’s, correcting high’s, navigating the effects of the weather, exercise, hormones… the list goes on.

But after a while, it starts to feel like second nature. And sometimes it all just clicks.

So here are my top tips for managing T1D!

Every day is different

I think the best advice I can give to a new Type 1 Diabetic is to accept the fact that literally every day your blood sugars will be different. Even if you eat the exact same thing every day and inject the same amounts of insulin, your blood sugar won’t always play ball. This is because so many other factors need to be taken into account e.g. stress, exercise, sleep, hormones, alcohol, etc.

As hard as it is, accepting imperfection with blood sugar levels and moving on with life is a must!

Don’t compare yourself to others

I love being on social media and sharing about my life with Type 1 Diabetes. But sometimes, I can be having the worst blood sugar day, log onto instagram, and see someone has posted their blood sugars have been 100% in range for the last 823 years.

To not get even more bogged down by this, I find it’s incredibly important to not compare myself to others online. Managing Type 1 Diabetes is such a personal journey, and every single person handles it differently.

Stay active

Exercise is such an underrated tool in the world of managing Type 1 Diabetes. Quite often people with T1D can be put off exercising due to the potential consequences of exercise, but I think that the benefits truly outweigh any negatives.

It doesn’t have to be an intense gym or running schedule; it can be literally anything that gets you moving. Walking is my absolute favourite!

Wear those devices with pride!

I love wearing my diabetes devices on full display. I rarely think about their placement and wear whatever outfit I want to. I’ve learnt to just stare back and smile at people if I catch them staring at me. As someone who’s naturally self conscious, I find this actually helps me deal with people staring, and it makes it a fun little game (lol).

Talk about it

Being open for discussion about Type 1 Diabetes is a big one for me. I love when people ask me questions about anything and everything to do with T1D e.g., how I was diagnosed, what my sensor is, do I really have to use needles?! I find being honest and open about it really helps to reduce the stigma of having Type 1 Diabetes. And it’s always good to help people learn something new!

And those are my top five tips for managing Type 1 Diabetes. Hopefully they help you out a little bit too.

Thank you for reading ❤

Love, Lydia x