T1D like Me

Paige’s Story- hen I was 21 years old, during my senior year of college, I started noticing that something wasn’t right. I was constantly thirsty, using the bathroom far more than usual, and losing weight without understanding why.

On Black Friday, I found out that I had type 1 diabetes. Being diagnosed at 21 was incredibly strange. I had spent my entire life knowing how to take care of myself and planning for my future, and suddenly I had to learn an entirely new way of living. Insulin, blood sugar checks, counting carbohydrates, and constantly thinking about how my body was responding to food and activity became part of my everyday life.

It was overwhelming to realize there was no going back to the way life had been before my diagnosis. But over time, I’ve learned that a diagnosis doesn’t have to define the life you’re going to live. I started sharing my diagnosis online and found an incredible T1D community that has made living with diabetes feel a little less lonely and, in so many ways, beautifully fun. This community has taught me resilience, given me friendships I never expected, and reminded me that I’m never truly doing this alone. Type 1 diabetes is a part of my story, but it is not the whole story.

-Paige Kelly Paige Kelly

Roe’s Story- Living with Type 1 diabetes has taught me resilience. Monitoring blood sugar, adjusting insulin, and planning meals, while trying to live a “normal” lifestyle was often overwhelming, but it has shaped my mindset today. As I approach my 10 year “diaversary” I begin to reflect on my experience living with this invisible disease. Volleyball has been a place where my determination has paid off. Each success soon became a confirmation that, despite the struggle, everyday was worth it. One of my proudest accomplishments was when I earned the title of D1 New Hampshire Volleyball Player of the Year. There were many challenges people could not see behind the scenes. Knowing this, I refused to let my illness be a determining factor. Through literal blood, sweat, tears, and many pump changes, I had 1 goal in mind and nothing was going to get in my way. This accomplishment was not just a reflection on my athletic ability. Type 1 diabetes has shaped who I am, but will never limit who I can become.

- Roe Beland Roe Beland

Nancy’s Story- Playing at a high level in collegiate golf, my blood sugar is constantly challenged by nerves, exercise, and adrenaline. I have had to learn how to deal with these adversities while keeping focused on every shot. Sensing patterns have been my biggest challenge. First tee nerves while walking 18 holes makes my BG drop. Meanwhile it’s important to pack enough low carb and high carb drinks and snacks to make this process easier. Overall, it will never be perfect but as long as I prepare for it, I do my best!

- Nancy Cox Nancy Cox

Jacob’s Story- In my Junior year of high school, my team qualified for Nike Cross Nationals, which is basically the biggest and most competitive high school cross country race in the country. We went in as the favorite, and everything felt like it was lining up. We had trained all year for this, and we really believed we could win.

Then about five days before we were supposed to fly across the country for NXN, things started to go sideways. My stomach was killing me, my blood sugars were running really high, and no matter how much insulin I took, it barely helped. I felt drained, like I had no energy at all. We eventually figured out I had high ketones and was going into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is when your body doesn’t have enough insulin and starts breaking down fat for energy, causing dangerous acid levels to build up in your blood. It was scary, and honestly, I had no idea if I’d even be able to race.

The next few days were a grind. I was constantly checking my levels, drinking fluids, taking insulin, just trying to get things under control. The morning we were supposed to travel, my mom, who was also one of my coaches, told me straight up that if my ketones weren’t low enough, I wasn’t getting on the plane. That moment hit hard. We drove to the airport not knowing if I’d even go. I remember standing in the bathroom, waiting on that test strip, knowing it would decide everything. It came back just low enough. Not perfect, but safe enough to travel.

From there, I slowly started to feel better each day, but I still wasn’t fully myself. I got in a light workout and a couple easy runs, just trying to rebuild some confidence. By race day, I finally felt close to normal again. Not perfect, but ready.

That day, we went out and did what we had believed we could do all season. We won NXN and set a record low score. I was fourth on the team, which meant I scored, and I finished around 43rd out of 200 runners. More than anything, I was proud of how I competed and how I closed.

Looking back, that whole experience changed the way I see diabetes. It doesn’t make things easy. There are moments where it feels like everything is working against you. But it also showed me what’s still possible. Even after something as serious as DKA just days before the biggest race of my life, I was still able to show up and contribute to something special. I hope that can be a reminder to other people with diabetes that you’re capable of way more than you think.

- Jacob Hunter

Katie’s Story- My name is Katie Swanson, and I have been living with Type 1 diabetes for 20 years. I was diagnosed when I was six years old in November of 2005, the day before Thanksgiving. While most families were preparing for one of the biggest meals of the year, my family was sitting in a doctor’s office learning that my life had just changed forever.
I was in first grade at the time, and something clearly was not right. I remember telling my mom over and over, “My legs are tired.” I was constantly thirsty and I had to go to the bathroom all the time, even missing fun events because I could not stay comfortable. My mom trusted her instincts and took me to the pediatrician. They tested my blood sugar and in that moment we learned that I had Type 1 diabetes. What we thought might be a small problem quickly became a lifelong condition. Growing up with diabetes shaped a lot of who I am today. It taught me resilience at a young age and helped me understand the importance of community and support.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I play the viola and I am a classically trained singer. In college, I was part of a competitive a ca****la group that traveled across the country performing. Yes, it really was a lot like the movie Pitch Perfect. Today I still stay connected to music by singing in a community choir.
Professionally, I work in marketing at Elmhurst University, where I get to use creativity and storytelling to connect people and build community. Giving back has always been important to me, especially within the Type 1 diabetes community. In high school and during summer breaks in college, I babysat children with Type 1 diabetes. It meant so much to me to support families and be someone younger kids could look up to who understood what they were going through. Today I continue that commitment by volunteering at Breakthrough T1D Walks and the ADA Tour de Cure bike rides, helping raise awareness and support research that moves us closer to better treatments and a cure.
Outside of work and volunteering, I love to travel and experience new places. I have had the opportunity to visit Italy, Canada, Ireland, and Germany. Living with diabetes requires planning and constant attention, but it has never stopped me from pursuing the things I love.
For 20 years, diabetes has been part of my story. It has challenged me, strengthened me, and connected me to an incredible community. I remain hopeful for the future and proud to use my voice to advocate for progress, awareness, and a world where people living with Type 1 diabetes have even more opportunities to thrive.

- Katie Swanson

Delaney’s Story-Hi! My name is Delaney Holtey and I was diagnosed with T1D at 7 years old. I've been navigating T1D for over 15 years while balancing academics, sports, relationships, etc. I want to discuss the mindset surrounding T1D and how you can change your perspective when handling this invisible disease.

I was able to grow up doing what every other kid was doing… running, playing, and learning all about life with T1D as an extra component. I am the only person in my family with T1D, and I am incredibly blessed with great support systems. My parents set me up to manage diabetes myself, and when I needed help they would be there to encourage me. I was taught that a relentless attitude would be the best thing for my health, and this mindset bled into every other aspect of my life as well.

Growing up, sports were a huge part of my life and I knew I wanted to play college soccer at a young age. I was determined to not let my T1D impact my goals and dreams. This required top tier management and planning. Even when I didn't want to put in the work I made sure I stayed on top of my health to allow me the opportunities to get recruited. Early on in high school, I committed to the University of Iowa to play soccer and get my degree. I finished out my high school career in 2021, moving to Iowa City shortly after. Over the next four years I earned my degree in Health and Human Physiology and graduated from the University of Iowa as a Women’s Soccer Letterwinner in spring of 2025. I cherished my time as a Hawkeye and I’m now studying to get my doctorate as a chiropractor at Palmer College of Chiropractic.

Over the last 5 years, there have been many ups and downs regarding injuries in sport, difficult academics, transitions, hard lessons… you name it. When you add your typical life adversities in addition to navigating T1D, things can be a bit rocky at times. I had my fair share of days where I wanted to quit and give up on taking care of my health. There were tears, frustrations, anger, and pure exhaustion some days. I have found that it is important to acknowledge when you're burnt out of T1D and give yourself some grace. When burnout happens I always keep my T1D in perspective by reminding myself what I do today will help me tomorrow, control what you can, and someone always has it worse. For example, if I have a site fail overnight and my blood sugars are completely out of whack when I wake up, I try my best to correct while also embracing the fact that my blood sugars will be “off” the entire day. I focus on what I can control, rather than getting frustrated that I'm out of my normal routine. I typically think to myself “tomorrow is a new day, just do what you can for today”. I can only control how I prepare and respond to situations, so there is no point in dwelling on what went wrong. It was simply out of my control. I also frequently remind myself that life could be much worse. I could have an unmanageable disease. I try to be grateful for the insulin I have in my fridge, the extra supplies in my closet, roof over my head, and food on the table. And yes, while I do live with T1D, I am grateful because I’m healthy and able to maintain it.

Over the years, I've learned to frame my mindset in a way that allows for me to see what’s to GAIN in every situation. The ability to be full of gratitude has changed my life, and in turn has helped me gain confidence as a person. Having gratitude can be motivating. For example, I briefly mentioned being healthy despite living with T1D. Having T1D is a great motivator for me to eat right, workout, and be intentional with my lifestyle. I’m already at a slight disadvantage having T1D, so why wouldn’t I work hard to counteract this with my daily habits?

This mindset has led me to frequently ask “why not you?”. Many people get handed bad luck in life and ask ‘why me”? I challenge that… why not you? What were you meant to learn from this? How can it make you a better person, friend, partner, leader? How can you work to inspire and help others going through similar things? I encourage others to not let life happen to them, but rather face it head on. Why wouldn't you get that job, win that game, dominate that practice, or score well on that exam? Why can’t you do those things while having T1D? What about this disease is going to stop you? What are you going to let stand in the way of your goals and dreams?

The reality is, T1D will only stand in your way if you let it. It doesn't mean there won't be times you'll need to take breaks or reset along the way. Like anything, setbacks happen and life is full of ups and downs. When setbacks occur give yourself grace, reset, and move forward with the same goals in mind. I made the decision that having T1D would not stand in the way of any goal, embracing the “why not you?” mentality. Changing the way you think might help you realize that your perspective can hold you back. You're stronger than you think and capable of more than you realize. So I leave you with this question to answer… why not you?

Delaney Hotley

Jayla’s Story- When I was diagnosed at 10 years old with type 1 diabetes and a blood sugar of 985 mg/dl, i don’t think I fully understood what was happening. It didn’t really hit me at that point. At 10 you really just do what the adults tell you to do. you take the shots, you check your blood sugar. you move on. It didn’t hit me till later as I got older when I realized this was my responsibility. It wasn’t temporary. this was 24/7. But that’s also when I realized how strong I had already become without even noticing! Yes type 1 diabetes is hard, but I am also grateful for everything I’ve learned from it and I know for a fact i would not be the same person I am today had I not been diagnosed with it. and while I wouldn’t have chosen this path, It’s taught me strength, resilience, discipline, perspective..empathy and SO much more and that is my silver lining 💙

- Jayla Lowry

Bri’s Story- Spring 2020 was my first collegiate lacrosse season. I suited up in navy and white, “Y-A-L-E” painted across my chest, not knowing I’d only have the opportunity to do so six times that year. COVID-19 struck. My teammates and I were standing in a hollowed-out redwood tree on our spring break trip, prepared to take on Fresno State and UC Davis. Yale vs. Fresno State was the last game of the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse game that year. We won in overtime, I had the game winner.

Emotions were heightened as my teammates and I shipped back to the east coast with only a few days before we were sent home for the remainder of the spring semester. Gyms shut down and I was forced to embrace the Georgia humidity through long runs and bodyweight workouts in the back of Milton High School. But as Covid ramped up, motivation faded, and with it my discipline.

I averaged 10 hours of sleep a night, most of which was accompanied by mid-day naps. With chronic fatigue came muscle weakness. Bags formed under my eyes but they weren’t from feeling lethargic, it was healthy fat melting right off the bone. Twenty two pounds in two weeks left me a shell of a human. I emerged each afternoon with a haunted look, my skeletal features and alarmingly pale skin in the summer, an eyesore and a concern to my family.

Textbook symptoms became increasingly apparent. Soon I was peeing every 5-10 minutes. I was extremely dehydrated. I chugged every kind of liquid in sight - water, soda, apple juice, milk, etc. I was convinced the filtered water from the refrigerator was contaminated and causing my illness. My only steps were those walking to and from the bathroom, or late at night as I crept around the house to binge our pantry after surviving the day off of a bite of an Eggo waffle.

“You look great!” support from my mom and dad on what was thought to be a weight loss journey felt more like a slow decomposition before their eyes. I morphed into the couch with each passing day. It was evident that I was in fact not losing healthy weight, but my body was slowly killing itself and I needed immediate medical attention. My mom took me to my pediatrician, Dr. Faith, to see if she could offer hopeful sentiments towards my body’s questionable behaviors.

The attempted blood draw left me queasy and faint. The phlebotomist failed to pe*****te my vein after several attempts. Option two was a urine sample, a much easier method for a girl who was peeing out ketones multiple times an hour. Minutes later Dr. Faith rushed back into the room. The carnival paintings on the walls of the Roswell Pediatric Center were a cruel contrast to the urgency and fear that filled the room.

Faith furrowed her brow, a perplexed and deeply concerned look washed across her face. Sternly, she said, “everything looks fine except for one thing. Your glucose level in your urine is over 1,000, which likely indicates a case of Type 1 Diabetes. Do you know what this means?”

I obviously didn’t, but it didn’t prevent the waterfall that spouted from my eyes. I sobbed until Dr. Faith told me it was time to go to the emergency room. We grabbed my dad and headed straight to the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, a place I’d call home for the next three days.

It was an interesting thing: rushing to the ER, sacrificing multiple lives driving well over the speed limit only to have me standing in line at a kiosk for nearly an hour only to be moved to a temporary bed with a fluid IV taped to my arm. Lying in the queue, a doctor came up to me about an hour later and confirmed my diagnosis,Type 1 Diabetes. He said he was glad I came in that day, because if I had waited I risked facing a near death experience - a diabetic coma.

I began my T1D journey mostly hypoglycemic, 1 unit to every 5 grams of carbohydrates. I eventually matured from that I:C and have been honeymooning ever since. Nearly 5 years later, I am on and off the Omnipod 5, but married to the Dexcom G7 CGM, so much so that I acquired an NIL deal with them in my sophomore year at Yale. Two degrees later and now a fifth year at the University of Oregon, I’ve never played with more confidence than when I do with medical technology strapped to my arm and upper thigh.

To say I was apprehensive about the return to sport is an understatement; I had no idea if I’d even be able to play lacrosse at all after being diagnosed. Luckily, the proper care and support system only amplified my lacrosse career. After Oregon, I’ll go on to compete in the 2028 LA Olympics, fulfill my dream of attending law school and becoming a practicing attorney, and settle down back on the east coast within distance of those who have been through the brunt of my struggle. Resilience follows me everywhere. I know that I am more than the plastic adhesive that TSA is quick to identify me by. Above all else, my T1D is my greatest strength, my biggest stressor, and my proudest feat. Every day brings new challenges, new numbers, new battles, but I am battle tested.

-Bri Carrasquillo

Sheridan’s Story- When I was 12 years old, my life changed forever when my pancreas decided to stop working. Weeks of losing weight without reason, trying to manage an unquenchable thirst, having to use the bathroom every 5 minutes, and being constantly fatigued were finally explained with just a tiny finger prick. When I first got my A1c tested, it was off the charts (literally). The doctors slid the paper towards me to show me where my numbers should be, and pointed to the end of the table past the chart and said: “and that’s where YOU are.” After that day in August of 2016, I decided that Type 1 Diabetes was not going to control my life. I wasn’t going to let it define me, and I certainly wasn’t going to let it keep me from achieving my dreams. As part of an avid soccer family, my first question to doctors was, “Will I still be able to play soccer?” Looking back, I was asking that question already knowing that I wasn’t going to accept any answer but yes. Through almost 8 years of finger pricks, pump changes, chugging gatorades, and highs and lows, Type 1 Diabetes has shown me that I am so much stronger than I realize. I never considered that this disease would hold me back—not from competing in the highest collegiate level of soccer, attending an academically-rigorous university, or from serving as a role model to other young soccer players who have been diagnosed with this disease. When I look back to that day in August of 2016, back to the face of a young girl who had just received a life-changing diagnosis, I am filled with neither sadness nor pity. Rather, I feel a sense of gratitude that the universe decided to throw something so incredibly difficult at me because it knew that I could handle it with strength and grace. -Sheridan Brummett

Grace’s Story- When I was 7 years old, my parents had been noticing all the signs of type one- extreme weight loss, constant thirst, and excessive use of the bathroom. At a 4th of July party in 2011, I lost a tooth and my mom decided to use that to check my blood glucose on the monitor of someone else at the party who happened to have type one. My blood sugar was dangerously high and I was immediately rushed to Boston Children’s Hospital where I spent 3 nights and was ultimately diagnosed. Growing up as a competitive dancer and now a full-time college student and cheerleader, managing my type one has not been, and likely never will be an easy feat. However, with the acceptance of this “sidekick” in my life, I think about how terrified that 7 year old me was and I want to tell her she’ll be okay! I’m so lucky to have the most caring and loving support system including the best family and friends who are happy to learn all about type one and help me in any way they can.

- Grace Jerrer