By 32 years old, I thought my life was going to look very different.
I thought I was going to be living pain-free. I thought I was going to be a mom…
However, life has a way of humbling us. It reminds us that we’re not in control of EVERYTHING.
But we are in control of some things that can make a big difference in our overall wellbeing.
Over the last 3 years, I’ve gone to numerous providers and have been told “everything is fine.” I was living with chronic headaches, numbness and tingling, itchy skin, GI issues, and unexplained infertility, but somehow I was “fine”.
It took a lot of time to finally find a team that supports me and listens to what my body is trying to share. I’m not 100%, but I’m moving in the right direction. I’m not willing (or ready!) to give up, and I will continue to advocate and search for answers until I’m living pain-free with our beautiful babes in our arms.
I wanted to share my biggest takeaways from this whole journey in case you are feeling overwhelmed with the frustrations and uncertainties of living with a chronic condition.
You’re not alone. I understand you, I see you, and I’m here for you 💛💛💛
DM if you have any questions or just need to chat!
Pumper and I DID THE DANG THING!! 😍🏃♀️
I’m still processing this whole experience, but I couldn’t be more proud. Proud of my team and proud of myself for saying yes to hard things. Just a couple years ago, I was scared to run because of my diabetes. Now, I can say I’m an official T1D marathoner!!
This weekend reminded me that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH DIABETES!! I had one of my best runs with the most stable sugs and I enjoyed every second of this race.
I’m forever thankful for @beyondtype1 and @medtronicdiabetes for this unforgettable experience and for ALL the support from my friends, family, teammates, and the Minimed community. I can’t even begin to explain how much it means to me. Your love and support carried me through the 26.2 miles and I’m leaving NYC with a VERY full heart!
Your diagnosis doesn’t define you, but it does make you one strong superhuman!! 🤘🏻 Go show the beetus what’s up, Sugar Fam!
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My travel was paid for by Medtronic. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
#t1d #t1diabetes #t1dlookslikeme #t1drunner #nycmarathon #minimed780g #minimedchampion
All smiles here after crushing a gnarly hike with no issues
🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
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Believe it or not, this took a ton of planning and monitoring before and during the hike. I was preparing for every scenario over the last couple of days leading up to this hike.
This was a total of 11 miles with ~3,400’ in elevation gain. SOLID trek and I ended at a beautiful sug ⚡️
I packed a ton of snacks in my backpack, along with backup supplies.
I put temp target (exercise mode) on after our 3:30 am wake up call to get regulated for exercise before the hike.
I monitored every 30 mins and took fast-acting carbs if I was trending down.
I kept monitoring myself for signs of a low and kept moving at pace I was comfortable at.
THEN WE GOT TO THE SUMMIT & CELEBRATED☀️⛰️
The bubbly and orange juice at the top gave me a little spike to finish the ~5.5 miles back down 😉 (not medically advised - there are better fast-acting carbs to choose from 🤣).
After everything, I ended my hike with a beautiful sug and lots of pride knowing I just won the battle with diabetes!!
I’m thankful for rad friends who look out for me and for my body that keeps me movin and groovin 🕺
My rule of thumb: be prepared, safely monitor, correct when needed, and HAVE FREAKING FUN!!!
#hiking #lifeisbeautiful
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Medtronic Diabetes pumps work at altitudes below 10,000 feet above sea level. Confirm your device’s altitude range before engaging in sporting activities.
Even though this is my reality, the smiles are genuine.
I was so happy and grateful to spend time with the ones I love and I tried not to let diabetes take that away from me.
But this is just one example of how diabetes is ALWAYS on my mind, even on vacation, at work, or just spending time with loved ones 💛
What about you? Do you find you’re often balancing between all emotions?
#t1d #t1dawareness #t1dlookslikeme #diabetes #autoimmune
It’s definitely not that easy… 😅
but it feels so dang good to finish (with my best time!) after fighting my blood sugars for half of the race!
And not letting it take away from enjoying this beautiful day in my favorite city with my favorite people!!
My sensor disconnected after mile 3 and my blood sugars TANKED from mile 5-11.
The last 3 miles I finally felt like myself and finished the race strong 🤘🏻
It’s always super frustrating when something like this happens, because I did everything I normally do to keep myself stable and I just didn’t get the same result.
However, I know my body best and I’m so proud I was able to finish this half marathon safely 🐷🪽🏃♀️
Take that, beetus.
#t1d #t1dlookslikeme #diabetes #runflyingpig #halfmarathon
I left Dallas with such a full heart 💛
This trip was extra special because not only did I see some of my favorite humans, I was able to witness again the magic that happens when you bring a community together!
The Team Together event is a time for T1D parents to connect, learn, and share the ups and downs of T1D.
I’m forever grateful to be a part of this team and connect with so many strong parents who deserve THE WORLD!
@typeonetogether and has built such a beautiful community for parents to be heard and supported✨
Also some extra bonuses from the weekend that filled me with so much joy:
☀️ Recorded a fun podcast episode with my girl @typeoneday , talking all about T1D and exercise! Check it out on the Voices of T1D podcast by @breakthrought1d
☀️ Met my running icon, @marathonmamatype1dm in the most kismet way at the airport!
☀️Did some half marathon training in at (almost) sea level and my lungs LOVED it!
☀️Spent some extra time with friends who mean so much to me! It’s an incredible feeling to be around people who just “get it”. 💛
#t1d #t1diabetes #t1dlookslikeme #t1dlife #t1dparent
Did you know that family members of people with one autoimmune condition have a higher risk of developing others?
That is because they might share immune system genes that predispose to autoimmunity. These genes come from the HLA system, which helps your immune system determine if something is “self” vs. “invader”.
For whatever reason, my immune system went after my pancreas and her immune system went after her intestine. And both of our systems decided to target our thyroids 😝
Even with shared genes, there are still other reasons why and when a condition develops, including environmental factors, hormones (about 70-80% people with autoimmune conditions are women!!), and STRESS.
I’m so thankful for my sister for being by my side throughout every stage of life with diabetes. She was always there to protect me and never made me feel guilty if attention was spent on taking care of my diabetes.
We have always traveled and adventured this world together and she’s a big reason why I don’t see myself as “different”!!
She’s the raddest person around and doesn’t let her conditions stop her from living the life she wants!
Happy birthday to my absolute best friend and motivator! @stewartk95 🥰
#t1d #t1dlookslikeme #type1diabetes #typeonediabetes #autoimmunedisease
Again, not easy, but POSSIBLE 🤘🏻
My blood sugars were all over the place, but I learned what I need to do next time to stay more stable for my half marathon coming up in just ONE MORE WEEK.
My go-tos:
🏃♀️ I reduce the circulating insulin by putting on temp target (exercise mode) 60-90 mins before exercise. Also, if I’m going to eat something, I reduce my bolus dosage by 30-70% depending on the duration.
🏃♀️ I eat ~ 30-60 grams of fast-acting glucose every 60 mins of continuous work depending on the intensity and duration. Some people need 75+ grams and consistency will help you learn what your body needs.
🏃♀️ I sip on a fast-acting glucose drink (@tailwindnutrition powder in water) every 5-10 mins to help with more stability in my sugs vs. reacting every 15-30 mins.
Lastly, always carry extra snacks because you just never know. Those sugs can drop FAST depending on so many factors, so be prepared, monitor, and HAVE FUN!
#t1d #t1dlookslikeme #type1diabetes #diabetes #t1drunner
I’ve had people in life who aren’t living with diabetes tell me I should be doing “more”.
This is just one example, but this doesn’t include what I have to do to just workout, work, travel, and simply “live” as a woman with T1D.
And shoutout to all the T1D parents who are taking care of their families on top of caring for themselves!!
How do you explain to someone that sometimes just doing what I need to do to keep myself alive is all I have energy for?
I will always advocate for our diabetes community that sometimes just doing the bare minimum to survive is ✨enough✨, because it’s more effort than most people do all day!
I couldn’t imagine having that extra mental capacity and energy to devote to more things - I would be dangerous 😆
Now I’m off to work to help more people after caring for myself 🤘🏻 Happy Friday, sugar fam!!
#t1d #t1dlookslikeme #type1diabetes #diabeticstrong #diabetes
Scoops, I did it again 🍦🎶 But in reality - we DID in fact enjoy this ice cream. Just took a little extra planning! 😋
#t1d #type1diabetes #typeone #type1diabetic
He called me the other day and said “Let’s imagine we’re on vacation today”.
And that day we tried a different bakery, we connected with strangers, and looked at our familiar surroundings with a whole new lens.
We can get in the same routine day in and day out and forget to appreciate the beauty and the gifts around us.
Slowing it down and actually taking the time to observe, connect, and explore (just like we do on vacation!) can change your whole day and perspective!
In this video, we were “biking” through Hawaii 🥰🌺
I hope everyone enjoys their “vacation” today!! 😉
#t1d #type1diabetes #diabetes #diabeteslife #nervoussystemregulation
Every day at work is very different so deciding what to do for my midday, workday lunch bolus always has my brain feeling some sort of way 🙃
I always have to consider my patients with different functional and assistance levels and how that might affect my blood sugars, because I need to keep everyone safe, including myself!
Between lifting to stand, guarding for safety, and doing manual techniques and exercises for patients, my body is WORKING most of the day.
MY GO-TO: If I feel like I might drop after lunch due to the intensity of my schedule post-lunch, I will put on temp target (exercise mode) and reduce the circulating insulin in me to reduce the chance of going low 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
#t1d #t1dlookslikeme #type1diabetes diabetes #physicaltherapist
