For Diabetes Week (12 – 18 June 2023), staff member Mireia de la Nogal Buendia shares her experience of living with Type 1 Diabetes and how she manages the condition day-to-day.
Can you tell us a little bit about your diabetes diagnosis – When were you diagnosed? How long ago? How did it impact you?
I was diagnosed in January 2020, I’ve been living with the condition for nearly 3 years and 5 moths (and yes, I am counting).
I had unintentionally been losing weight at a very quick rate for a couple of months. The GP thought it was due to stress but I knew something was wrong when I lost weight over Christmas – I thought “no one loses weight over Christmas!” I did some research and, following another blood test with the GP, I was sent to hospital in a matter of days with a Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) diagnosis.
They explained that whilst people think that T1D is hereditary, only 10% of people with T1D has a relative with the condition and you can develop T1D out of the blue. I was really upset – “why me, and why now?”. It felt very unfair. But life can be unfair to all of us at some point, you just need to realise that it can happen to any of us and it was time to get on with it and learn this new way of living. The COVID-19 pandemic came soon after, and that was a very positive time for my diabetes control as it gave me more time and headspace to research and read more about the condition. I was working from home, so it was much easier to manage injection times, understand what I was eating at each meal and to get a better grip of the complexities of my new life with T1D.
Can you tell us a little about how you manage your condition day-to-day?
My diabetes is very well-controlled. I have been using a glucose monitoring sensor (GMS) since the very beginning of my diagnosis, and that has made it very manageable. The interesting thing with diabetes is that it feels like every day you are learning something new about how your body responds to it. You could eat the same food, take the same amount of insulin, do the same activities and your levels will never be the same.
I almost take it as my daily challenge! Bodies are very complex, and hormones are constantly working in the background to balance everything out, hence you will never have the same response from your body. I find that fascinating. I have recently started a low-carb diet and that is really helping get good control, with not much hassle.
Can you tell us how you use exercise as a tool for your health and wellbeing?
Getting back to exercising has been probably the most difficult and frustrating part of living with T1D. I used to run weekly and go for a swim a couple of times a week, and this has been very challenging as I tend to get hypos* very quickly – the moment I start walking, let alone running or swimming.
Luckily technology is helping a lot and I am learning how to adapt my injections if I am thinking to go for a run or a long swim. You always have to think about having some juice or sweets to hand, in case you get a hypo – it is very refreshing when I manage to go for a run, long walk or swim without needing any glucose! There is further reward, as I find my blood sugar levels will be very stable for the next 24 hours with little insulin, win-win!
Do you have any words of wisdom for others who may be newly diagnosed?
Yes. It is unfair, but life goes on. It will be tricky and you will have very low moments, but ultimately you can still do a lot of the things that you enjoy. Get inspiration from athletes, and other great achievers living with T1D. Research how other people with the condition you have manage to do certain things. I found there is a great network of people out there willing to share, support and help you in this new chapter of life. Also, technology and research is constantly evolving; do not lose hope!
*A ‘hypo’ is an abbreviation of a hypoglycaemia, or hypoglycaemic episode. It’s when your blood glucose level (also called blood sugar) is too low, usually below 4mmol/l
Please note that this blog post has been written from lived personal experience with Type 1 Diabetes. Nothing in this blog should be taken as medical advice, since diagnosis and treatment for any condition is extremely individual. If you related to anything in this blog, please consult a medical professional before taking any action.
You can find out more about blood sugar levels and exercise on the Diabetes UK website.
Blog written by: Mireia de la Nogal Buendia