Age: 31 Year Diagnosed: 2015 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa
"I had a baptism by fire. I was misdiagnosed for months and when they eventually figured it out, I was hospitalized on my birthday a week before Christmas as a mother of a 5 month old who had just returned from maternity leave to teaching German full time and scheduled to take 19 students on a 2 week tour of the German speaking countries of Europe in 5 months time. (Icing on the cake: I was "taught" how to inject insulin via phone because of offices being closed for Christmas!) Being diagnosed as an adult and a new mom, you face both the T1D isolation AND the new mom isolation feelings, so it was a one-two punch for me. In the beginning I was horribly sad, lonely, and so ridiculously lost on many different levels. Since I've reached out and made connections both in the on-line community and my backyard, my outlook and attitude has changed immensely. Those local connections - the T1Yinzers - have changed my life for the better. I cannot imagine my life without them and every meet-up is full of understanding, hope, and acceptance.
No matter how old you are with T1D, you need your people to connect with. You may have different views, different diets, and different stories, but you all share the same connection. And that connection makes you feel just a smidge more normal in this battle.