In July of 2020, shortly before my 16th birthday, I was experiencing lethargy, constant thirst, frequent urination, and extreme unexplained weight loss. I chalked up these symptoms to the summer weather and being active. I did not think much of it until I went to my pediatrician at the time upon their recommendation and they discovered I had high blood sugar and large ketones. I was instructed to head to the ER right away as I was in severe diabetic Ketoacidosis.
As a teenager ready to start my sophomore year of high school amid a global pandemic, I was overwhelmed. However, slowly as time went on and after taking many management classes at the hospital I was diagnosed at, it slowly got easier as I became more in-tune with my body and eventually got on a CGM and an insulin pump.
I am now a freshman in college living out of state 6 hours away from home. There are always good and bad days with diabetes, but I always remind myself to learn from each challenge I face so I feel more confident in the future. I am grateful for the amazing diabetes community and technology that allows me to still do everything I did before my diagnosis. To anyone also living with T1D, stay strong, you are doing amazing!
