Hello World! My name is Lauren and I have been a Type 1 Diabetic for 7 years. Thank you for taking to the time to read about my journey with diabetes. Just a quick update, I am on a Medtronic pump (using Humalog) and occasionally I will wear my CGM even though it drives my skin crazy.

I wanted to start a blog because I have been observing the online diabetic community for a little bit and I am ready to dip my feet in the pool! Unfortunately, my diabetes experience thus far has been very isolating. Which is why I am here and looking for a new type of community in my life!

I am sure other type 1's get asked the same type of questions all the time. My favorite is, "How did you get diabetes?"

The answer my friends, is karma.

The only diabetic I knew was in elementary school. She always had snacks in class, got to leave early, go the nurse whenever, and every privilege I could ever want! Or so I thought...

I will never forget in the fourth grade there was an essay contest on RESPONSIBILITY. Due to the fact that I did not have diabetes as my, so-I-thought, "friend" did, I came in second place and she came in first. She got to read her essay in front of the whole school and I got one little piece of paper. From that day on, I made fun of her. I was so upset that I did not win just because I didn't have diabetes. Truth be told, her essay was very moving and powerful and mine just wasn't.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...and this my friends is how I got diabetes!!!

Ok so not really.

Obviously, scientists are still trying to find out the real reason why we get is, weather it's the "virus theory" or the "karma theory". That discussion is to be continued.

Either way, I suppose for me it doesn't really matter how I got it. It is now about how to handle this situation I was given.

I was diagnosed when I was 15 years old. I thought I was so grown up, so ready to handle this entire disease all on my own. Everyone told me how strong I was, and all I felt was how my life was ruined. Either way, I closed my self off from researching or discussing because I wanted to pretend it wasn't there. For the past seven years, it is not that I completely ignored having diabetes, it was just never a priority for me. There was no way I wanted a disease to control my life, so it wasn't that I didn't take insulin or didn't exercise, I just never really took the "bull by the horns" as they say.

THAT ALL CHANGES NOW.

I can't tell you why or what changed, but something changed. I woke one day and decided I wanted to buy Mary Tyler Moore's book, and her honesty just really amazed me. She has complications, and it got me thinking, I don't have to have those complications. I have so many tools and amazing people in my life, that I do not have an excuse to let these things happen to me.

It blew my mind that someone else had the same struggles and thoughts as I did! Reading her book made me realize I needed to meet and talk to other type 1's. No one can do this disease alone. We need to connect and remind each other that we are NOT ALONE.

You may be wondering how I never connected with another diabetic. I had done a couple of the Walk to Cure Diabetes throughout the years and I raised a good amount of money. But I am shy, and I don't like putting myself out there, so I never spoke to anyone while I was there. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many different people wearing pumps!! None the less, I didn't know anyone with type 1 besides the girl in elementary school.


I decided to start my journey and FINALLY get this disease in check. I am hoping this blog will just be one other tool to help me.

Knowing that I needed to connect with other diabetes, I contacted JDRF to be a part of their mentor program. WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE! I cannot explain enough how amazing Kristin is!!! First off, she and I both went to the same University (UCLA) and she is a fashion designer now. Bottom line, SHE IS FANTASTIC. We have spoken on the phone and finally had the chance to meet last night. PLEASE I BEG EVERY DIABETIC OUT THERE TO JUST TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH DIABETES. It was so refreshing and amazing to connect with someone who has gone through it all and knows how you feel. But, I know I still have more that I can do to gain control.

Has anyone out there ever done a clinical trial? I just applied for the Artificial Pancreas Project through the Sansum Diabetes Research Center. It would be awesome if I was chosen to participate. If anything, I want to feel useful to further generations, and I feel this is the very least I can do.


What are other diabetes best tips for gaining control? What tools did you feel really helped? I am so excited to update and keep you all in the loop and let you know what I Feel works or doesn't work for me, research, trials, and everything else that comes with having this full time job we call diabetes.