I think a big misconception about diabetes is how much it really involves. It’s a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week kind of disease. In health care, especially, people may see a bad blood sugar or a high a1c and think “Well, are you taking your medication? Are you doing what you’re supposed to?” Type 1 diabetes is more than just taking a medication. It’s more than just wearing an insulin pump and setting it and forgetting it.

Diabetes is a very present part of life. It’s one of those things that’s just always on your mind. Because it has to be. When I look at a meal, I don’t see chicken, rice and vegetables. I see 0 carbs, 30ish carbs and 10ish carbs, then instinctually start making insulin calculations. Or when I sat here staring at this waterfall, I had just eaten two packages of fruit snacks, knowing that it was a little more than I needed and I may go high, but I didn’t want to miss out on cliff jumping in Hawaii. So I’m thinking I should really exercise it up to avoid a high blood sugar.

Diabetes is a disease that is difficult to master because so many factors affect it, and as soon as you figure it out, something will change. So that can leave you feeling like you’re not doing a good job or could be doing better. It’s hard sometimes not putting this kind of pressure or negativity on yourself.

Living with diabetes is freaking hard sometimes. But know that a bad blood sugar, a bad day of blood sugars, or even an a1c that isn’t where you want it to be, doesn’t define you or make you a bad person.

It involves more than just making healthy choices, eating well, exercising or taking your medication. Type 1 diabetes is a disease where you’re constantly making choices about a medication that could literally kill you if you choose wrong. So to all of you out there with good blood sugars today, yay! And to those of you with bad blood sugars today, you’re still doing great. Good job at keeping yourself alive today! ❤️