Today marks nine years of living with type 1 diabetes.
I might only be a dia-baby in the eyes of many of you, but to me nine years is pretty significant. It represents the majority of my adult life. As it becomes harder and harder to find things around me that pre-date my diabetes, it becomes harder for me to believe that a life once existed without it.
I don’t really know what to say today except that I am grateful. I’m grateful to be here. I’m grateful to be able to wake up, savour that first sip of coffee, watch the sky light up from my kitchen window, get dressed and go to work with ease.
I’m grateful to be living in an era of modern insulins, tools and technologies that give me a really good chance to be able to manage my diabetes well.
I’m grateful to live in a country where basic healthcare and diabetes supplies are relatively accessible and affordable. Thank you, Medicare and NDSS. I’m grateful to have a job and a roof over my head that allows me to pay for those things.
I’m grateful for the time and effort that diabetes has forced me to invest in myself. From curling up in front of blogs and books to spending nights scrutinising over blood sugar patterns, and just taking the time to listen to what my body is trying to tell me. I am a better person for it.
I’m grateful to have found the Diabetes Online Community a couple of years ago, which has today evolved into an amazing tribe of peer support around me. I’m grateful for the source of friendship, support and constant reminders that I am not alone in what I am dealing with.
I’m grateful for my family. Who tagged along to those initial clinic appointments, who have helped me out massively in the diabetes finance department, and who don’t ask me what my levels have been like.
More than anything, I am just so damn grateful to feel as ‘comfy’ as I do with my diabetes. That’s not to say that diabetes isn’t hard, or frustrating or filled with its moments. But yeah, I feel comfortable checking my blood sugar. Or wearing an insulin pump. Or talking about diabetes if it helps to explain something.
So this afternoon I’ll be grabbing a coffee and something nice to go with it, sitting in the sun and reflecting on the past nine years and just how far I’ve come.
How are you long time no speak 👯♂️… as you know I’ve been diabetic for 27 years and feeling grateful too !!! Just gone into a low carb diet with plant based foods and reduced my meds by half .. no more spiking !!! Was able to do it because I have the freestyle and Omnipod 👯♂️🥑🥦🍏… wanted to share also started blogging again ..
Nice to hear from you, Colette. I’ve heard a lot of good things from people following plant based diets lately. Glad to hear that things are going well for you 😃
Congratulations Mr Gratitude.😘
Thanks, Patricia! 😆
I am glad to be in perfect health after 41 years type1 following simple MDI and ADA diet.
Congrats. It’s a challenging disease that keeps us on our toes every minute of everyday. I’m into my 23rd year of Type1 and still learning everyday. Hope you enjoyed your coffee and something nice.
Thanks, Peta. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning!
…and I’m grateful you share your blog. You are awesome. Thank you for sharing your T1 stories.
My pleasure!
I have been Type 1 since 2015. Previously I had been misdiagnosed with T2. I am grateful for your blogs because I am trying to learn how to manage it. Thank you. Shirley
I am grateful and I have been for 44, almost 45, years. I have enjoyed many of the years since my diagnosis. I hope you have many more. The years post diagnosis have been amazing for me and I hope 35 years from now, you will be able to say the same.