Feature Friday today is with Axel! Today we are featuring Axel who is an amazing 2 year old from New Jersey! Living with diabetes is not easy but his Dexcom G6 Sensor (@dexcom) and an Omnipod (@omnipod) help him!

His family says that his favorite diabetes supplies are “fun overlays (covers for CGMs- continuous glucose monitors) and decals for our Omnipod and Dexcom! “My entire family helps me thrive with diabetes by always being a positive support system and reminding me how strong and brave I am!”

Thanks for sharing Axel and family <3

If you want to connect with the family, visit them here on their Instagram @type1ax

Also, check out our last post featuring this amazing T1D and check out our books and journals to help you thrive with Type 1.

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Today our Feature Friday guest is coming to us from England and she is thriving! Her name is Fea and she is 9 years old. She was diagnosed in April of 2021 and she uses an insulin pump and CGM device to help make life easier with diabetes. Her goal with her amazing mum is to raise awareness & fundraising for diabetes! I hope you enjoy hearing how she is thriving as a T1D…

What helps Fea with Diabetes…

My tandem TSLIM x2 insulin pump & dexcom g6 CGM (cos they keep me alive) and means not all the injections and finger pricks.

How do you thrive with diabetes?

What helps me to thrive is to spread awareness and fundraise to help find a cure for us all. I’ve been sharing my story and my mum and I created this account to help raise awareness and teach people the signs and symptoms. I also wanted to show people who are newly diagnosed what it’s like and what all the equipment is like, as I didn’t know.

Diabetes doesn’t define me it makes me stronger.

Love,

Fea

PS- Follow her and her mum on Instagram @T1Fea and check out some more T1D resources here! Thanks for your continued support! If you enjoyed this story read from others here and here too!

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This week I am proud to announce that we are featuring Chris Ruden from Fort Fauderdale, Florida.

Chris has been living with Type 1 since 2010 and has been a huge inspiration in the diabetic community. Chris is all about motivating others, destigmatizing what disability looks like, he’s also powerlifter, a keynote speaker, a model… and he does all this awhile being a total badass. Did I mention he is also a motivational speaker, featured on NBC’s The Titan Games Season 1, and the author of “The Upper Hand!” which can be found on amazon. His story is inspiring and I am so happy to share what he believes people living with diabetes should know!

Without further ado- let’s hear from Chris…

“The number one thing you can learn to live with diabetes not for diabetes. So much fear in this condition we never asked for can be lessened by learning about diabetes and finding a solid endo/diabetes educator or even a free online T1D community. Stay supported. Stay informed. Learn from the highs and lows

What helps me is not emotionally investing in my blood sugars and not defining me by a snapshot in time of those numbers. If they are in range great, what did I do to get them there. If they are not, how can I fix this and can I do something to potentially avoid that in the future.”

-Chris

Find him here on IG and his book here on Amazon

Also, check out more stories here and diabetes related content here!

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This week we are featuring Bill from Langhorne, PA! He is 45 and has lived with Type 2 Diabetes for about ten years now. He tells me he is originally from a little town in Florida called New Smyrna Beach. Three years ago, he started his health-journey and he has been looking forward to seeing just what healthy looks like for him. Enjoy his story…

Do you have children? If so, how many and how does that affect your life as a diabetic?

I have two boys. Andrew, he is 11 years old. Adam, he is 6 and a half. 

Sometimes my boys play a game when I take my blood sugar. They will try to guess what my number will be, before and after a meal. The one who guesses closest (without going over) wins. They shout out their guess (while the meter analyzes my blood) and then I tell them my number. Whoever wins usually screams “Yes!”. The other usually makes a face. Then, they tell me whether my numbers are praiseworthy or not because they know what’s a good range.

Please share the T2 diagnosis story. 

I have Type 2 Diabetes, I was diagnosed in 2011 when I was 35 years old. In the months leading up to my diagnosis, I unexpectedly lost 50 pounds. Maybe, even more. Then, I noticed my eye sight was really bad. Everything was blurry. My mood was erratic and my body ached so bad when I slept. This went on for some time, until my wife asked me to go see the doctor.  So, I did. He did a blood test and I didn’t hear back. I figured that no call meant everything’s good, right? 

WRONG!  

Turns out, my doctor didn’t have my new number. You see, I had replaced my landline with my new cellphone. So, he called my old number unsuccessfully for weeks. He finally mailed an urgent letter to my address, which I received during the weekend that Hurricane Irene hit the area. That Monday, I rushed to his office, where the doctor was overjoyed to see me. He took another blood test and explained he would have the lab results within hours. He asked me to go home and wait for his call. I did. Of course, on the way, I got a Wawa hoagie and pigged-out. Little did I realize how serious the situation really was! No sooner had I started eating, when I got his call.

He told me to go to  the ER immediately! 

I called my wife and she met me there. Once I checked-in, they did yet another blood test. As I waited for a doctor, a nurse began checking my vitals. Her first question to me was, “How long have you had diabetes?”.  At first, I thought she had the wrong person. I responded, “oh, I don’t have diabetes”. She laughed hysterically at my response and said, “Well, you do now”. I felt my stomach drop. My wife and I sat shocked. I had diabetes! A moment later the doctor came in. He looked at me in surprise. “Oh wow! Based on your numbers, I thought there was a 700 pound man in here”. I was 175 pounds at the time. “What the heck have you been eating?” I told him just a Wawa hoagie for lunch. He laughed and explained, “No, not today. Your blood sugar is at a toxic level. It’s at 597. Your blood is like coffee creamer.”

They immediately put me on an insulin drip. I felt this tremendous wave of relief flowing through my body. It felt like cold water putting out a hot fire. I had been hurting for so long I hadn’t realized just how much pain I was really in.

I spent the night in the hospital until my blood sugar returned to a normal range. My A1C was over 12.

I was put on a regimen of metformin, insulin, and a night-time insulin as well as a few blood pressure and cholesterol medicines. I was on this diet of medicine for about seven years. 

What were your initial thoughts after you were diagnosed with diabetes?

My initial thought after being diagnosed with T2 diabetes was that I was scared. My Mom had been diagnosed with it about five years prior to me but she struggled with keeping her sugars under control. So, I wasn’t sure what to do. It was frustrating. I struggled for years with high sugars. 

Can you provide a diabetic tip/trick or something that has helped you manage life with diabetes?

About 3 years ago, I started on my health journey. After years of being scared with diabetes, I decided to take ownership of my health and focused in on my nutrition, exercise/movement, sleep quality and stress management.

A trick I have learned has been keeping track of these areas because I have found they play a pivotal part in how well I manage my blood sugar. When one of those components are off, I see a change in my blood sugar results. I’ve kept a journal logging those things. This journal has helped me to see trends so I could make improvements, especially during the pandemic. That has been huge help in managing my diabetes better. I also use a device to assist me in seeing these trends.

Share what the word thrive means to you and how it relates to diabetes!

Diabetes has taught me how to “thrive” by giving me the opportunity to learn about myself. 

In the beginning, diabetes felt like a curse. I kept thinking, why is this happening to me? Between taking medicine and going to doctor appointments, I was so frustrated! I was scared about my future. 

Now, I realize that diabetes has been a great teacher. It has provided a “creative- constraint” to measure what works to promote better health in my life. Food, sleep, stress and exercise  are important components that affect my well-being. So, I work hard to have a healthy relationship with them all. In fact, because of diabetes, I am in the best shape of my life.

What do you wish someone would have told you earlier about diabetes?

Don’t stop believing in yourself. Find the support you need to be your best, most authentic self! 

What words of encouragement or hope would you give to others living with diabetes?

I am someone who thrives on contemplating what’s possible. I ask myself “what if?” a lot! So, when I was diagnosed with diabetes, I immediately wondered, “Is it was possible to get off some of these meds?” When I asked my doctors, their answers were pretty bleak. They didn’t think it would ever be possible based on the severity of my insulin resistance. My wife described their answers as “taking the wind out of my sails”. I was devastated, I stayed in that state for years, and I can’t tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep feeling defeated and stuck.

Just over seven months ago, under the supervision of my doctor, I am no longer taking insulin or metformin. My A1C is currently at 5.9.

I say, believe in yourself and stay consistent.  A journey of a thousand miles really does start with one step. You can’t move the mountain all at once but you can move it a little bit at a time, every day. 

If there is anything else you would like to share, please write it below! Some ideas are diabetes and work, diabetes and exercise… or anything interesting about YOU!

I ran the Broad Street Run in October. It was pretty epic! I never thought I would ever be able to do anything like that. I am hoping to run more races in 2022.

Bill

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in more stories read them here and check out “A Thriving Diabetic!“

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Please head on over to our IG (CLICK HERE) to enter the giveaway!

There will be 3 winners and they will win:

-“Skin Grip” CGM patches

-A page of beautiful affirmations

-A Type 1 Diabetic book for children!

View list of rules on the IG (follow @thriving.diabetic & @skingrip), comment some friends in the post, share to your stories if you want extra entries! Best of luck to you!

If you like this post, please check out some of our previous posts about our book launch and about featured families. Thanks for stopping by!

Stephanie

Note: Must be a resident of the USA for shipping purposes

The post GIVEAWAY TIME! appeared first on Thriving Diabetic.

Today I have a local interview for you on this Feature Friday! The interview is with Davitra and her daughter Jeniece who has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The family lives in Philadelphia, PA and they have a wonderful book out which teaches about T1D called, “Pump Posse!” I wanted to share this resource with you because it’s a good one!

What inspired your family to write a book about Type 1 Diabetes?

The book was written by Jeniece’s grandmother (my mom). She was inspired because she noticed other children (classmates and friends) would inquire about Jeniece’s devices and what she had to go through on a daily basis.

Did you feel that there was a lack of representation with the characters in T1D books for children?

Absolutely. When Ladybug (nickname for Jeniece) was diagnosed, she was given books with animal representation rather than children who she could relate to.

NOTE: Representation is KEY for children in books about a new diagnosis. Children should  see characters that look like them and that speak like them

What is your T1D book about (Title, character(s), short plot description) and what could a child learn from this book?

The title is “Pump Posse!” In the book Jeniece is feeling sick and has to go to the hospital. She’s diagnosed with T1D and has to learn how to deal with life. The book walks through her diagnosis and how she explains it to her friends and family.

What is it like having a child who is living with diabetes?

• It is a 24/7 job 48 hours a day.
• It is a challenge that has become simply everyday life!
• It is sleepless nights, lots of med supplies and perks at the park (we jump the lines! )
• It is a challenge that we embrace, because it is what makes Ladybug (Jeniece) so very special!

How do you thrive and care for yourself as a caregiver and mother?

I have created a village of daily and friends to serve as her caregivers when I need a break (a full night of sleep). Monthly spa and quiet time is totally necessary. Finally, social media has been a wonderful network of knowledge, insight and encouragement.

Any final thoughts or things you would like to share about life, diabetes, the online diabetic community, literature, your book, family…

T1D is very well researched and we are so thankful for all of the technological advances. Also, having literature like “Pump Posse” and “Thriving Diabetic” (English / Spanish) are such a bonus to help understand and dispel the myths and misunderstandings of Type ONE diabetes.

Thank you for reading!

Davitra and Jeniece

CLICK ON “PUMP POSSE” if you are interested in learning more or purchasing the book!

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Feature Friday: Skiy & Vera

Today we are learning about Skiy and Vera from Ohio! A strong mama and a girl living with type 1 Diabetes…

Introduction

My name is Skiy Berglund and my 5 year old daughter Vera has T1D. We are located outside of Cleveland OH. Vera is a wild child with a free spirit. She is kind and selfless, always putting others before herself. She became a big sister about 1 month ago. I work full time with dogs, managing a small dog service business and I homeschool Vera. 

Diagnosis

She was diagnosed 3 years ago at the age of 2.

Diagnosis Story 

Vera started having accidents and telling me she had to use the restroom frequently. She was fully potty trained at the time. So I thought it was unusual. She also seemed to have an unquenchable thirst. I assumed she was having accidents because she was drinking so much. She was constantly hungry and would fall asleep out of nowhere. She would even doze off while eating. I thought this was normal toddler behavior. The only reason we even took her to the doctor was because the accidents were pretty frequent and I was concerned that she had a UTI. My husband took her to the doctor and thankfully her pediatrician checked for sugar spilling into her urine. Her blood sugar at diagnosis was close to 500, but we were lucky to avoid her going into DKA. Had we continued to brush off her symptoms, I have no doubt the outcome would have been much different. 

Initial Thoughts

My husband and I felt responsible for her diagnosis. I remember going through all of the five stages of grief those first few weeks and even months. It was overwhelming and I remember crying a lot. 

The Challenge of T1

Trying not to live in fear. Today’s fears and tomorrow’s fears. Knowing that one day I won’t have control over her illness is a fear I have. Worrying that I won’t teach her everything she needs to know to care for herself scares me. And worrying that she won’t take her own disease management seriously is a fear. I have so many worries. I find that taking it one day at a time is the best way to manage my fears. 

Share what the word thrive means to you!

Thriving to me is living the best version of yourself. Staying physically and mentally healthy, being educated, and feeling good about yourself. 

What helps you as the caregiver and your child thrive with diabetes?

Education. Honestly learning more about the disease and advances to improve our control of it has been huge. We love the Juicebox podcast and connecting with other T1D parents online.  

What do you wish someone told you earlier as a caregiver for someone with diabetes?

Get a CGM and an insulin pump as soon as you can! 

Words of Encouragement

It does get better. It takes a while and while it will never be like it once was, you will find strength that you never knew you had and your child will become the strongest person you know. You will develop a bond and trust with your child that non T1D families will never have. 

Final Thoughts

We have been participating in the Omnipod Horizon study for the last year and it’s a game changer. All I can say is that it is definitely worth the wait! 

Love,

Skiy & Vera

If you enjoyed reading check out some previous posts HERE or HERE !

Also, check out these great T1D resources here created by yours truly

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Today’s Feature Friday is with Sarah and Grayson! I’m Sarah, and my son Grayson is T1. We live in Auckland, New Zealand. Grayson (5), is an outgoing, fun and happy boy that loves being outside, playing basketball, golf, doing parkour, being with his big brother Noah (8),and playing with our dog Kaia. I’m a stay at home mum that works part-time. As a family, we love going on bushwalks and spending time with our friends and family. Grayson was diagnosed just before he turned 4, so nearly 1.5 years ago!

Diagnosis

Just before covid hit NZ last year we noticed Grayson was always tired, always hungry, had an extreme thirst, having toilet accidents, and the occasional dizzy spell. After he started waking in the night, to guzzle 2 cups of water, I took him to our doctor. Of course I had looked on the internet to see what those symptoms could be. Type 1 diabetes came up and I dismissed it as we have no family history. The doctor took a BG reading and it was 24mmol. We were sent straight to hospital where we stayed for 5 nights. The doctors said another week and he would have possibly been in DKA – I was so grateful to have caught it early.

Initial Thoughts

I was momentarily in disbelief when they told us he had Type 1 Diabetes. He was a healthy, active little boy. When I learned more about how his life would change from that moment on, I felt sad for him but knowing his personality I knew he could cope.

School & T1

I was very stressed about Grayson starting school. He got an insulin pump late last year, which I hoped would be easier not only for and Grayson, but also the staff at school. We did training with them and we set up a detailed plan about his care. They are in constant contact with me while he’s there so I still manage his diabetes. Grayson knows how to use his pump so he only needs supervision for the amounts to bolus and then treatment for any highs and lows. It’s been 3 months since he started and so far it’s going pretty well.

Grayson is very resilient and doesn’t let his Type 1 interfere with anything he wants to do.

Thriving with Diabetes

Thrive to me means living your life with no boundaries, being happy, healthy, and feeling secure in who you are Thriving with Type 1 for us means keeping Grayson’s levels in a normal range while continuing to do anything and everything he wants to do. No limits!

What works for Grayson:

I wish I had been told earlier that lower carb can give you way more control of Type 1, it’s so much easier to be in charge and keep levels in range. Without a looped system pump, we are in a sense, Grayson’s pancreas – so it’s been less stressful to see his levels not spiking with super highs anymore.

Words of Hope

My words of encouragement: It does get easier as you learn more and there is a lovely, understanding diabetic community out there that is willing to lend support and help when you need it – wherever you are – just reach out. Being part of the online diabetic community has been great for my personal well-being as a parent of a type 1 child. It’s been great to see and share our story with others going through the same things. It’s also been lovely for Grayson to see there are so many other children that have to cope with this disease – he is not alone.

The post Feature Friday: Sarah & Grayson appeared first on Thriving Diabetic.

Diagnosis

My son was already at that hospital in ICU as well battling Typhus. which meant we had 4 kids, 3 being in the hospital now and 2 in ICU!

Learning and Support

Explaining T1D

Tips or Tricks!

Thriving as a Family

Thrive is such a strong and powerful word. I would say we thrive in our every day lives as a Type 1 family. We are constantly succeeding and moving forward, educating ourselves.

Community!

Hope and Gratitude

Check out last weeks Feature Friday here! And if you’re interested in a T1D book check it out here

The post Feature Friday: Brooke and Payton (Paydee) appeared first on Thriving Diabetic.

Welcome to Feature Friday: Gabriela and Family! Gabriela is the daughter of Victoria and Juan and she has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. They currently live in Texas! They are a faith-filled, girl family (3 daughters), they love to dance, swim, and cook together as a family. Also, the family really enjoy movie nights together and trying new things all together.

Gabriela is a spunky Kindergartener with a vivacious personality. She is a strong self advocate for her diabetes and overall health. They strongly believe in the importance of her knowing as much as she can about her diagnosis and being aware of carbs/insulin dosages and how to take care of herself.

Diagnosis Story

Gabriela has been a type 1 diabetic for 11 months.

I started noticing symptoms over the span of about a month such as increased thirst, weight loss, fatigue, and when the bed wetting started, I had an inclination that it was type 1. As an occupational therapist, I have some medical knowledge so thankfully, I was able to piece the symptoms together. We went to see the pediatrician who confirmed my suspicion, and then went to meet our endocrinologist. It was the hardest day of my life, but I was thankful that we caught it before she ended up in DKA.

Initial Thoughts

Fear was the biggest emotion. I was scared of missing a sign of a low or not dosing correctly. I was also thankful that God has equipped us (my husband and me) with the right tools to take care of Gabriela and the strength to push through day by day.

Explanation of Diabetes

We told Gabriela that sugar is what gives all of our body parts energy and for some reason, her “sugar controllers” stopped working. We made sure that she knew this wasn’t anyone’s fault. Also, we told her that the sugar controllers are what make the insulin and so without them, we needed to inject it into her body. We told her that without it, she could get very sick. In addition, we wanted to try our best to keep her as healthy as possible and avoid that. So we needed her help to do so by always telling us how she feels and when she’s hungry. We explained to her that diabetes is something that she will always have to live with. However, if she tries hard to learn everything she can about it, so that she can take good care of herself, then she will be strong and healthy, despite diabetes.

Favorite Diabetic Device

Dexcom has been a lifesaver!

 Share what the word thrive means to you!

To me, “thrive” means to live your best life that God gifted you. So, if that means you were given a disability, or a mental health issue, or in Gaby’s case -diabetes, living your life to the fullest capacity and doing so while maintaining your attitude of gratitude.

 What helps you as the caregiver and your child thrive with diabetes?

Our faith is what keeps us moving forward. I know who holds my tomorrow and Gaby’s so I know that I will be equipped with the tools and strength that I need to take care of her.

 What do you wish someone told you earlier as a caregiver for someone with diabetes?

Don’t be so hard on yourself!! Perfection is an illusion and there is no perfect diabetic! lol

Words of Encouragement

I would tell them that no matter how hard it seems, they will get through it and survive it. Diabetes is a daily roller coaster ride and though hard, never impossible.

Final Thoughts

Come follow Gaby! @gabychasingunicorns and say hi!

Victoria

PS! If you liked this story, please check out the family from last Friday and read the post about my new T1D book for children! Hope you are as excited as me!

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