Stephanie Chaparro

Hi! My name is Stephanie. It’s been 10 very long years since I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To the newly diagnosed, 10 years might sound like a long time. To the seasoned T1D, it might only be a fraction of their own diabetes journey. But in this one decade of living with an illness that changed my whole life drastically, I have learned a ton about my body and what it truly is capable of doing, both physically and mentally (and it is far more than I ever thought)! Although there are (very few) limitations, I can still do what I want and continue to follow my dreams. Maybe with a few modifications now, but T1D hasn’t put a damper on my life’s achievements. I have accomplished why more than I ever thought I would; and type 1 diabetes, I believe, has been a huge driving force in why I accomplished so much in the first place. I am the only T1D in my family but I have never felt alone. The online diabetes community has truly been an absolute blessing. I have made wonderful diabuddies and feel great about asking for advice without receiving any judgement in return. My diabetes journey has been a roller coaster but I get through it all with the help of my amazing family and the diabetes community. Burnout is real, but I promise you will get through it. It is far from being easy but with the right people and resources, it’ll become like second nature. I was diagnosed at 18 buy have a hard time remembering life without T1D. It’s a part of me now and forever and I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey. It has made me the strong person I am today.