Age: 26 Year Diagnosed: 2011 Location: Oceanside, Ca
“Life with Type 1 Diabetes is so much more than a medical condition, living with a chronic illness, and having the discipline to choose to be the hero of our own selves every day (we save our own lives). It's so much more than what people see on the outside - the pricking, the checking, the injecting, the doctors, etc. For me, mental health is such a crucial part of this entire experience. I was diagnosed with depression before I was diagnosed with T1D, and I've seen my triggers skyrocket since I'd been T1D. There are actual studies done that showed that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without it. There ARE people out there who look to their supplies to attempt/commit suicide - including me when I was a Sophomore in college in my dorm room. Our community is thriving more than ever thanks to social media and the easiness to be able to connect with others. I'm taking it on as a personal responsibility to make sure my T1D squad is conscious of their mental health state and embracing their T1D journey with empowerment. I see our community as a family, and we all we got. Gotta take care of one another.
Get plugged in to the community right away. For hope, for inspiration, for recommendations, for tips, for DONATIONS, even. Our community is the BEST, most EMPATHETIC, and social media make it so easy to connect.”