Running with Type 1 Diabetes: Newly Diagnosed

On Feb 23, 2017, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 28 after going into severe Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). My daily routine was filled with finger pricks, insulin injections, high and low blood sugars, diabetes educators, and Endocrinologist appointments. 

Diabetes Awareness Month 30 & 15 Day #DiaChallenge!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14th is World Diabetes Day (also Sir Frederick Banting's birthday)! In order to celebrate and bring as much awareness to this disease I created a #30DayDiaChallenge and a #15DayDiaChallenge. I've seen some awesome 30 day Photo Challenges in the past, and wanted to create a 15-day version for those who are busy and can't commit to a 30-Day Challenge right now. Trust me, I get it. 2020 has been a YEAR. 

Diabetes Management: Expectations vs. Reality

A metaphor about how managing diabetes isn't easy 

When diabetes kicks you in the face and says, “NOT TODAY!” 😣 That moment when your CGM falls off even with extra adhesive. When your pump stops working in the middle of the night and your BG skyrockets above 400mg/dL (22.2 mmol/L). 📈 When you expect a good A1c number, but your Endocrinologist tells you something way higher. 😤 The days (even weeks) your BG won’t come down with any amount of insulin. 💉 We’ve all been there. 🙋🏼‍♀️ You’re not alone! 👊🏻 Keep fighting - tomorrow is a new day! 🌅
Please share with anyone who needs this right now. 💙

My T1D Diagnosis Story | Going into DKA

I recently celebrated my 3rd "Diaversary" and shared my diagnosis on my Instagram stories. The amount of feedback I received was overwhelming. My DMs were full of so many people connecting with my story and becoming emotional as I did in the video. I edited together the IG stories into a YouTube video so others can easily find it.

Insulin Savings Cards

Insulin prices in The United States are really freaking expensive. Amirite?! An "Insulin Crisis" if you will. The cost of insulin has increased 300% in the last 10 years resulting in people rationing their insulin and dying. This breaks my heart. Frederick Banting sold his patent for insulin for $1 for a reason - so EVERYONE would have access to it. #insulin4all

InPen Review (2018-19 Version)

I first heard about the InPen in December of 2018. If you've never heard of it, it's pretty much the smartphone of insulin pens.

An easy-to-use pen that not only helps calculate your doses but also keeps track of injection data. When paired via Bluetooth® with the smartphone app, the InPen delivery system keeps tabs on how many units you received at your last injection, when you took them, and other helpful information. - companionmedical.com/inpen

Dexcom G6 Review

I finally worked up the courage to try a CGM (constant glucose monitor) when I saw the brand spanking new Dexcom G6. I reached out to Dexcom and told them to put me on a list once the G6 was released and they added me to the Launch Program last minute. I was so honored to be part of the first 1,000 people to receive the G6, but also nervous at the same time. I was NOT given the Dexcom G6 for free nor asked to write a review - I just want to!

My First Diaversary

Celebrating the day you were diagnosed with diabetes - your "diaversary" - may sound strange, but I recognize February 23rd as the day my life changed forever. We are not celebrating diabetes, but our fight against it and not letting it hold us back. I believe people should celebrate their anniversary of diagnosis because Type 1 Diabetes is hard. It's a full time job thinking like a pancreas. Managing this chronic disease is a huge accomplishment, especially during your first year. So, get yourself a cupcake.
(Yes, people living with T1D can eat cupcakes). 

My diagnosis was devastating news, don't get me wrong, but so many incredible things have come from it. Here are just a few...

Beyond Type 1

Beyond Type 1 is a non-profit organization founded by Juliet de Baubigny, Nick Jonas, Sarah Lucas and Sam Talbot in 2015. It is a community of people touched by Type 1 Diabetes. Beyond Type 1 is

Bike Beyond - The Documentary

Before February 2017, I had never even heard of Type 1 diabetes. I never knew a single person living with T1D and had no family history of either type. I never knew November was Diabetes Awareness Month (aka "Blue November)  or that November 14th was World Diabetes Day. I had no idea who Frederick Banting even was. (He discovered insulin, btw). So, thanks to him I survived this year. Before 1922, being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. You lived about 3 weeks longer, tops. 

T1D + Body Change

No one prepared me for the physical changes my body would go through after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The changes were even more drastic because I went into Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

JDRF Newly Diagnosed T1D Care Kits

After I was diagnosed, I spent HOURS on the computer researching and trying to learn about a disease I knew nothing about. I eventually stubbled upon the JDRF website. I had no idea what "JDRF" even stood for, so I even had to look that up. Type 1 Diabetes use to be known as "Juvenile Diabetes," but because of people (like me) getting diagnosed in their twenties and older, it is referred to as Type 1 more and more. Hence, the leading global non-profit organization funding Type 1 Diabetes research is called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). It's their mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. Which makes me a big fan of JDRF.

10 Tips For Reducing Finger Prick Pain

Dude, pricking your finger is a pain, literally. I've gathered some simple tricks from experts in diabetes care to help you not feel like a voodoo doll.

1. Prick the Sides of Your Fingers

I was taught this trick by the nurses in the ICU. The pads of your fingers have the most nerve endings in order to have a better sense of touch, thus causing more pain. The sides of your fingers have less nerve endings and work just as well for glucose readings. 

2. Switch Fingers Regularly

Diabetics tend to have their favorite fingers for poking, but this never lets them heal! Testing on the
same few fingers increases the risk for soreness and infection. Over time, calluses and scar tissue can form, which may make it more difficult and painful to obtain a blood sample. God gave us 10 fingers, so lets use all of them!

3. Use Soap And Water - Not Alcohol

I was taught from the beginning to never use alcohol swabs before testing because they could give an inaccurate reading, but they can also cause more pain. According to certified diabetes educator,

General Diabetes Infographic

Before getting diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, my knowledge of the disease was quite limited. I quickly realized, I am not alone. Most of the population of the United States doesn't understand what diabetes is and how many types/forms there are. (2 principle types, and 6 other forms, BTW). A typical response I receive after telling people I have T1D is, "Oh, but you aren't even out of shape." They automatically think of the most popular type of diabetes: Type 2, which is quite different from Type 1. Check out the infographic I made compared Type 1 and Type 2 here. 

In the meantime, check out this general diabetes infographic I created below. 

The numbers are staggering.