Jacob Schwalbach

When I was first diagnosed at age 10 I had no idea what diabetes was. My grandpa had type 2 diabetes so I thought I would just take some pills every morning and that would be that. It wasn’t until I saw my parents crying that I knew it was going to be more difficult than that. I struggled a lot as a kid with A1C readings all over the place and sometimes being in the mid-teens. I hated giving shots around other kids at school and having to do finger sticks because other kids would freak out at the sight of blood. When I got my first MiniMed insulin pump things got a lot easier but it also came with its own challenges. Bad sites became a constant fear of mine after having my first DKA diagnosis. I had put a new site in before bed and before I knew it I woke up getting sick and with searing pain all over my body. As time has progressed I felt more comfortable about being around my peers with my diabetes and also informing them to the disease. Just like me when I was first diagnosed people think have all sorts of ideas about diabetes so being able to properly educate others always makes me happy. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I finally got things under better control, but it’s still a constant battle that you can never give up on. I’m so hopeful for the future for myself and others with T1D because of all the new technological advances and also with all the support I see diabetics giving each other over the internet.