November is National Diabetes Awareness month. World Diabetes Day is Nov. 14. Here is one family’s journey with type 1 diabetes.

“Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease. This means that it doesn’t go away. Anyone can be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at any age, though it usually is diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. In T1D, the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is an essential hormone that helps the body turn food into energy. People living with type 1 diabetes must take insulin by injection or insulin pump to survive.” (Source: Breakthrough T1D).

According to Beyond Type 1, every year there are 64,000 people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the United States. “By 2040, 2.1 million people are expected to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The disease is growing at a rate of 2.9% per year, versus the population growth of 0.8% per year.” (Source: Beyond Type 1).

“Around 85% of type 1 diabetes diagnosis are in people without a known family history of the condition.” (Source: Breakthrough T1D).

One Family’s Journey with Type 1 Diabetes

In May of 2018, our oldest son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Today, he is a thriving 20-year-old in college, doing his thing and living with an incurable diagnosis. It isn’t always easy, but, with new technology, a team of amazing health care professionals and a little “helicoptering” from his mom, Tyler has come to terms with his diagnosis, and we are confident he will live a very long and amazing life.

I’ve shared our journey with T1D many times over the years. Partly because I think it has become therapeutic for me to work though his diagnosis. As his mom, I feel tremendous guilt for what he had and has to continue to go through (although I know deep down I did not cause his diagnosis). I also tell his story to explain the warning signs and share words of comfort and encouragement to other families managing T1D. It can feel like a very lonely world at times. It takes a village to raise kids, and it takes a small country when one is suffering.

Managing T1D

Unlike type 2 diabetes where diet and exercise may reverse the diagnosis, T1D is a life-long journey of being insulin dependent. In laymen’s terms, the pancreas no longer produces insulin to break down sugars in the body. A buildup of those sugars can be deadly. Managing T1D is a 24-hour balancing act of carb counting, administering insulin and understanding the body and what you put in it.

A year doesn’t go by when I don’t hear of someone I know, or a celebrity, being impacted by T1D. Just recently, power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend shared that their son Miles had been diagnosed. No one has immunity from T1D, and that has been the hardest pill to swallow. T1D can strike anyone at any time. Tyler was days away from his 14th birthday when he was first diagnosed after we got back from a family vacation. We have no family history, there are no genetic markers and there is no current answer as to why his pancreas stopped producing insulin one day – it just did.

So, if you can’t prevent it, what is one to do? Amazing question! The best advice I share with other families, with kids of ALL ages, is to understand and watch for signs and symptoms of T1D and seek immediate help if you suspect that T1D might be cause for concern. If untreated, it can be deadly, and time is always of the essence when the body can’t break down the sugars that it is building up.

While there is no cure, there is hope that with continued advancements in technology, education and medicine, those who live with T1D will continue to have long and fruitful lives like everyone else.

Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes

Frequent Urination
Extreme Thirst
Dry mouth
Fatigue and Weakness
Increased Appetite
Unexplained Weight Loss
According to JDRF, T1D is identified in
children and adults as they show signs of
the following symptoms:
Slow-Healing Cuts

If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms, please see your doctor right away! Without proper diagnosis and treatment, type 1 diabetes can be fatal.

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