LYD1A KERR

Being diagnosed with a life changing chronic illness at the start of my 20’s was definitely not on my bingo card. Looking back on my diagnosis, I was only 21 and living my best life in America. My whole world was turned upside down when I was told I had Type 1 Diabetes, but thankfully, I made peace with my diagnosis fairly quickly.

I have decided to share a few things that have really helped me to accept my reality. Writing this post has made me realise I am very much a realist, as I have found that literally just accepting the fact that this is my life now, has made all the difference.

I really believe that working with my diabetes instead of against it, every single day, helps me to keep a relatively sane mindset…!

My newfound appreciation

The truth is, I was incredibly unwell right before i was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I was in such a critical state that my survival into the next hour wasn’t even guaranteed. Being treated in the ICU with insulin and potassium and everything else made me feel a million times better. I truly believe that going through such an extreme experience gave me a newfound appreciation for simply being able to function every day, all thanks to my medication.

Live in the moment

I try my best to live in the moment when it comes to diabetes. There is a lot of terrifying information about how high and low blood sugars can lead to life altering complications. So if I don’t manage my blood sugar day in, day out, the consequences will catch up to me. This is definitely a huge motivation for looking after myself and my blood sugars every day.

No more feeling guilty!

I used to feel guilty for using diabetes as an excuse. But chronic illnesses are exhausting, and we’re absolutely allowed to take time for ourselves to rest and recover.

Support systems are so important

Having a support system around me in my boyfriend, family and friends has been so important. James is the most caring and supportive partner i could ask for, he has never seen my diabetes as a burden, and always has my back.

During diagnosis, my housemate in Texas was Type 1 Diabetic herself, and took on the entire workload for looking after a newly diagnosed diabetic with zero clue what was going on. She did all of my insulin injections, calculations, carb counts, and interpreted all of my blood sugar levels. She even showed me how to keep a blood sugar diary. This was an incredible help to me, and honestly I would have been lost if I didn’t live with her!

Luckily my sister in law is also diabetic, so she was able to keep my family back home in Northern Ireland relatively calm and reassured that I was in fact going to be okay. I am forever grateful for her for answering all of mine and my family’s questions in the group chat, because I had no clue myself!

Acceptance is key

Of course I still have moments where I wish I wasn’t diabetic, but that’s just not something I can control. What i can do is try my hardest to have a positive mindset and maintain a healthy relationship with myself.

It is bizarre that I have 21 years of carefree life to remember, but I try not to dwell on that. I also believe that my years since being diagnosed have been the best years of my life (living and traveling with my boyfriend being the main reason why) – so I don’t feel any sadness or jealousy of my past self, which definitely helps.

If you have been recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I really hope this post provides some peace that it will in fact get better, and diabetes can be managed every day. There are times when it may feel heavy, but that’s okay.