T1DJ November Featured Spotlight
 

Mia

 Mia shares her journey of being a type 1 diabetic. Mia was 6 years old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1997, now 31. 

What happened (signs/symptoms) when diagnosed?

-I was urinating all of the time, way too often for being obviously potty trained. I was always hungry and thirsty. I also lost a lot of weight. 

How well is your diabetes managed?

-My diabetes is managed much better now due to better understanding and a much better health team/endocrinologist. I still have my days but overall management is 100 percent better!

Share best practices and helpful tips if any to help other T1Ds

-The best practices and tips I can give are to always do what’s best for YOU! This disease is yours; your body is yours. Always advocate for yourself, be aware that not everything that’s told to you is what’s best. Get to know other diabetics because it is such a breath of fresh air to have a community. Even if you don’t post a lot and just check in every so often, being connected to others who know what you deal with day in and day out is very helpful. Continue to enjoy life, this disease doesn’t define you and don’t allow it to. There will be some days that are great while some days that aren’t, and that’s ok! For the days that aren’t, get yourself a fainting couch and take care of you!

Have you ever been in DKA? If so explain what happened? 

-No, which I thought was interesting since the day of diagnosis, I was admitted into the hospital my blood sugar was eight hundred something. But I’ve never been in DKA. 

Do you feel a lack of education in the community?

-Sometimes, especially when it comes to Black and Brown. POC communities within the Diabetes community. 

Please provide additional information that you would like to share such as your fight for insulin, any news articles, links, etc.

I have my own diabetes page as well as one with two of my diasisters, both are safe spaces for diabetics especially women, moms of diabetics, partners of diabetics, friends etc. to share and be a part of a community.

@T1DiaD1va

@DopeDiabeticGirls

Do you need assistance with paying for your diabetes supplies and insulin? 

 -Sometimes, here and there. 

How does being a type 1 diabetic impact your mental health?

-It wasn’t until I made my diabetes Instagram page that I realized how much diabetes impacts mental health! This is something I wish had been known when I got diagnosed or even growing up with it because it could’ve given so much more insight. 

Learning about diabetes burn out was a big revelation for me and I went down the rabbit hole learning so much about it. 

When thinking about Diabetes, we literally must keep ourselves alive around the clock there is no nonstop; so always having to be on top of prescriptions, dealing with the back and forth with insurance companies, doctors’ appointments, possible other health/mental conditions, worrying about what’s next can be and is exhausting. It’s important to carve out spaces to be good to yourself. It’s something I’ve been doing for the  past 2years. 

Mia
Miami, FL