“I will be the master of my life now and forever”

I am Dr. Ekta (Ph.D.), a professor of psychology at one of the esteemed universities in India. When I was 12, I was rushed to the hospital as I fainted. I spent two days gaining and losing consciousness, and when I woke up, the doctor told me that I had Type 1 diabetes.

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At that time, I didn’t take it very seriously because I didn’t have any idea about how it is going to change my life. But in a short period of time, I came to understand the seriousness of my condition.

While all my friends were enjoying chocolates and sugary snacks, I spent my teenage years in preparing insulin syringes, preparing for home visits from a nurse, and fasting before early-morning doctor appointments to monitor before-breakfast and after-breakfast glucose levels.

As the years passed, I became self-sufficient in monitoring my glucose with a blood glucose meter. Yet I started getting irritated with all these things, as they became a hurdle in living a normal life.

As most of us do, I started to ignore my diabetes but it backfired soon. Due to low glucose levels, I had to be hospitalized again and again, it was then I realized either I had to control my diabetes or it would control me.

This realization worked as a life-changer for me, and I decided I wouldn’t let my diabetes control my life anymore.

I evolved from using a vial and syringe to using an insulin pen. As per my doctor’s suggestion, I focused on eating immediately after taking my rapid-acting insulin. I started doing regular exercise and jogging, I took 2,500 steps a day (and counting them with a mobile app), three to four times a week. And most important, I started to check my glucose level seven times a day. My fingertips have become thick-skinned after years of daily pricks.

Around two years back, when I was 38, I missed my shot of insulin one day while driving home. Fortunately, I got home safely and checked my blood glucose immediately: 49 mg/dl. Then I realized, it was time for a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). For the past two years, my CGM has been a lifesaver as well as a lifestyle changer. Now, it’s so simple to just check and stay safe without any pricks.

Thanks to all these technologies, which help me in managing my condition easily. Now, I plan to celebrate “30 years with diabetes”—as the longest companion of my life. I am living a normal life even with diabetes for the last 30 years with very few complications. I would like to end my story with a prayer of thanks.

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Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which your immune system destroys insulin-making cells (beta cells) in your pancreas. The condition is usually diagnosed in children/ young people, so it’s also called juvenile diabetes.