My Type 1 Diabetes is Old Enough to Cheers You at the Bar

My 21st Diaversary | Chronically Climbing

Today, my type 1 diabetes turns 21. I like to commemorate this occasion, affectionately known as a “diaversary” in the diabetes community, to celebrate and acknowledge all the ups and downs I’ve experienced. This past year taught me an important lesson about my type 1 diabetes: it’s crucial to find a way to integrate it into my life and let it be less of a hyper-focus. I made several changes in 2024 that supported this goal, and I feel more solidified than ever. I have pieces of the pie rather than the whole. Let’s be honest — there isn’t enough insulin or sanity to cover it practically or metaphorically.

While I have committed my professional journey to serving people with diabetes in any capacity, I also remind myself to zoom out and look beyond this illness that impacts me and so many others. I must remind myself that we are whole, and some of us hold more identity in our diabetes than others. That’s okay. In addition, I seek to learn more about type 2 diabetes, which has many overlaps with type 1. I strive to show up intentionally as an ally and advocate for my friends and acquaintances affected by all kinds of illnesses, including caregivers. Where would we be without you?

There is Vulnerability When Survival is on the Line

This year, I took a new approach to managing my diabetes: I asked for help. Growing up with type 1 diabetes made me hyper-independent and a chronic self-manager for many years. This year, I invited my partner to be more involved in managing my blood sugar levels. That request has a vulnerability when survival is on the line, but who can I trust more than him? We hadn’t found our groove for a while until he discovered a new app called Gluroo, which we both love.

This article isn’t an advertisement for Gluroo, but I believe in giving credit where it’s due. This app sends us real-time alerts and uses AI to make diabetes management more trackable and simplified. I can invite several people to join my Gluroo “crew.” My partner — who I dislike calling my boyfriend, as it sounds so 17 — and my sister are both part of this crew. It’s a silly term, but it rings true in life: I am closest to them and grateful for their support.

There were many nights this year, and in previous years, when my sister called or texted me in the middle of the night to check if I was recovering from a severe low blood sugar episode. Similarly, there were countless times my partner called me during the day to ensure I was okay when I experienced those same lows. When I mention “lows,” I mean both low blood sugar and emotional lows. Bless the people who stick with us through our most downtrodden moments and are still there to celebrate the beautiful highs — and I’m not talking 180 mg/dL+. Though, there are those, too. And they feel like crap.

This disease is not forgiving, and when you think you have everything figured out, your body or life circumstances change, leading to new management needs. It’s a whirlwind, to say the least, but it’s a challenge we face 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Life is an evolution; we are all constantly “figuring it out.” There is no endpoint to discovery. As I write this post, I find myself navigating a “low” reading on my Dexcom, hoping it’s a calibration error with a new sensor. It never stops, and it is a disease without convenience or comfort.

Gratitude Triumphs All

Still, I am grateful because the alternative is much grimmer. Without a cure, stopping would mean stopping life, and I have a feverish longing to be here. I am a survivor. Sometimes a warrior, but mostly a survivor. A victim’s mindset is one I wish never to take on. Still, I can acknowledge the anger I feel in managing this disease. I can control that release through writing, exercise, and other activities that bring clarity. I am grateful to be able to manage this disease. I feel fortunate to live in a time when I have the tools, resources, and medicine necessary to manage my type 1 diabetes in a supportive way.

Despite advancements, I often acknowledge that many others worldwide still lack these essentials — a truth we must work to change. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a community and connections like yours that make living with this disease feel less burdensome. While I may not be happy to have diabetes, I am grateful for how I have responded to it; it has allowed me to find community and forge friendships I might not have otherwise made. It’s helped me shape a career of purpose and pride.

It’s hard to imagine living without type 1 diabetes after all this time. I don’t know who I would see in the mirror if I were cured. I wouldn’t recognize her. Still, I hope to look into that reflection one day.

So, while 21 is a cheers of celebration at the bar of diabetes, the disease still deserves some NSFW commentary that I’ll reserve for those people I hold dear. Likewise, I will hold space for theirs. None of our challenges should be compared; they are all worthy of attention and acknowledgment. So when I consider this 21st diaversary, I think in terms of champagne and those whom I love. I ask for more focus on being there for them, having more fun, and finding peace along life’s rolling hills.

How do you think of yourself in relation to your chronic illness? If you feel comfortable, share in the comments. Let’s talk about it!