My Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis: A Life-Changing Moment That Didn’t Change Everything
There are moments in life that shift everything—the way you think, the way you live, the way you see the future. For me, one of those moments was being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).
I have always been familiar with diabetes because my mom has been Type 1 my entire life. I grew up watching her count carbs, take insulin, and deal with the daily ups and downs of managing blood sugar. But as I quickly learned, living around diabetes and living with diabetes are two VERY different things.
My Diagnosis Story
I was officially diagnosed in 2022, during my senior year of high school. A time that should have been filled with graduation prep and excitement about the future suddenly took a hard left turn.
In reality, my diagnosis story began months earlier in the summer of 2021. That’s when things started to feel… off.
I was exhausted all the time to the point where I would fall asleep at the kitchen table while doing homework. My hair was thinning, coming out in handfuls when I brushed it. And then there was the weight loss. It was so drastic that people started to comment. I looked sick.
None of it made sense at the time, but in hindsight, the signs were all there.
Then, during a college campus visit, everything changed. My mom—who had seen these symptoms before—decided to test my blood sugar, just to be sure. She pricked my finger, and when the meter flashed 595, we knew. Everything was about to change.
We packed up and headed home. That night, my mom and I talked about what life would look like moving forward. We ate what we jokingly called my “last carb-heavy meal,” shed a few tears, and braced for what was coming.
And yet, through it all, I wasn’t scared. I knew I had an incredible support system in my family and friends, and that made all the difference. If any of you are reading this (and you know who you are), thank you. ❤️
Adjusting to Life with T1D
After a long night in the ER, a flood of new medical terms, and a crash course in diabetes management, I was sent home to start my new life as a Type One Diabetic.
And that’s when I had another realization: there was nothing I couldn’t do.
✅ Going out to dinner with my friends? Still possible.
✅ Playing sports? No problem.
✅ Eating cake on my birthday? Absolutely.
Yes, there were adjustments. Diabetes requires extra planning, caution, and a whole lot of math. But despite the challenges, I I refused to let it hold me back.
Fast Forward to Today
Now, at 21, I look back on my diagnosis as just one chapter in my story—not the whole book. Since then, I’ve:
🇮🇹 Studied abroad in Rome—yes, even with all the pasta and gelato!
🏫 Moved away for college—learning to manage diabetes independently.
🎉 Gone out with my friends—proving that a social life and T1D can coexist.
🍫 Enjoyed my nightly sweet treat—because balance is everything.
And through it all, I’ve learned one very important lesson: Life doesn’t stop with a diagnosis.
What I Want Others to Know
If you’ve just been diagnosed or if you love someone with T1D, I want you to know that while this journey isn’t always easy, it’s absolutely manageable. Yes, diabetes is frustrating, unpredictable, and exhausting at times. However, it also teaches resilience, adaptability, and strength in ways you never imagined.
A chronic illness can be an obstacle, but it doesn’t define you. How you choose to navigate life with it is what really matters.
So, if you’re in the early days of your own T1D journey—take a deep breath. You are not alone. You’ve got this. And there’s an entire community here to support you every step of the way.
Thanks for letting me share my story! 💙
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