Every story matters. From the moment of diagnosis to the time you conquered the overnight basal rate to the moment when you realized that the CWD community has your back, every story in your diabetes life matters.
Do you have a story to share about your experiences with diabetes? We want to hear from you! Tell us your story using the form below and we'll consider it for inclusion in the CWD Stories section of our website.
Diagnosed as an Adult
Stephen Sutton II
My journey started with ending up in the hospital with DKA. Diabetes wasn’t familiar to me or my family. At first, I wasn’t comfortable talking about it. As time went on I got more comfortable and now attend support calls to help others. I’m always looking to meet more people with T1D and am excited […]
Leah Nelson
When I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was completely unaware of what it entailed, especially since no one in my family had ever experienced it before. Over the course of 15 years, I have come to realize how this condition has shaped me into a stronger individual. While advancements in technology have […]
Tony Fortunato
My diabetes journey started with pretty much the normal things that people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes go through and my life has certainly had its ups and downs. I also developed thyroid cancer and with the diabetes and thyroid cancer, life had been quite a struggle, but I managed with a good support system. […]
Regina Walton
My Story: When I was a university student, full of energy and surrounded by the excitement of learning, my life took an unexpected turn. I began experiencing unquenchable thirst, frequent trips to the bathroom, and an inability to focus in class or sleep through the night. At the time, I didn’t realize that the orange […]
Susan Mustian
This month (February 2025) it has been 39 years since I was diagnosed as a 23 yr old. I grew up with a type 2 mother and a type 2 brother and for years it was assumed I was type 2 because of my age. Having been involved with Breakthrough T1D (JDRF) for the past […]
Larry G. Dobbs
In 1975, while an advertising salesman, I began noticing symptoms that I subsequently learned were the results of juvenile or type-1 diabetes. I drove my car to the local hospital ER and the on-call physician diagnosed me with T!D, known as juvenile diabetes at that time. The only advice he gave me was to avoid […]
Maximiliano Elizari
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2015, when I was 39 years old. Although my blood sugar levels were within normal limits during all my annual checkups, my fasting glucose level was over 200 in 2015. I underwent a repeat test, and the results were similar. Subsequently, I consulted two endocrinologists, and […]
Samuel
From his mother, Jill: Samuel was diagnosed as a sophomore in college 800 miles away from home! When he called and gave me his symptoms I said, “You’re diabetic.” He said, “I think you’re right because I Googled my symptoms.” I knew the symptoms because a childhood friend was diagnosed in the fifth grade. The […]
Katie Pawlak
Diabetes has marked most of my adult life. It’s been present at my first job, pregnancies, the births of both of my children, and every work out, walk, vacation or day trip, hanging out with friends – needing attention day and night for well over a decade. While I have immense support from friends, family, […]
Travis Dees
I developed type 1 diabetes late in life, at age 26 and while on active duty in the US Navy. Turns out, the Navy is not too thrilled with Sailors running around with needles so I was medically separated. Because the disease developed while active, the US Navy (through the VA) handles all off my […]
