Day 1 Diabetes Awareness Month

November is here and that means its Diabetes Awareness Month. Its such a wicked month to spread awareness about type 1 diabetes and get people talking about it. This month I will be following the #projectbluenovember Instagram challenge but on the blog instead, so I can share more experience with everyone. This is my first real Diabetes Awareness Month so I am super excited.

Unfortunately Type 1 Diabetes doesn't just affect the individual, it effects the entire family. Everything affects the people around me for the positive and the negative. My family are in constant worry or fear that something may go wrong with my diabetes. In the back of their minds is if my blood sugars are okay, will there be food that I can eat at places, have I got all my insulin and glucagon kit when I'm out.

When I was first diagnosed I was living in Hamilton with my partner. It was a massive shock to both of us, lucky enough he has family with Type 1 Diabetes so he knew a lot already on how to deal with it. I was already going through so much trying to learn what insulin was, how to inject myself, when to inject myself and the constant mood swings of my blood sugars going high and low. Even though I got myself into a downward spiral with negative thoughts and feelings, he always knew what to do and how to get me moving and learning more and more about type 1 diabetes.

In december, a few months later, we decided it was best for me to move back with my family. We are a massive family and we are always hanging out with one another. I constantly missed my family but after getting diagnosed it got worse. I was going home almost every week to see mum and dad and to be surrounded by family as I didn't have much family apart from my partner in Hamilton.

Moving back to be around family was the best thing I could have done for my diabetes. It has allowed me to feel supported and encouraged while trying to figure out everything going on with my body and how to deal with injections, mood swings, and loving food and life again.

I know that there are parts of their minds that feels guilty that this has happened to me, especially with my mum. She always worries if there is something she could've done to prevent this.

You cannot manage any problem alone and I am so grateful that I have had such supportive people around me, friends and family, to keep me positive and pushing on each day.