Sophie's Story

Hello 👋 My name is Sophie. I am 17 and found out I had type one diabetes on 31st of October 2021. (It was the scariest Halloween I’ve ever had to say the least). So I wanted to share my story with you. About a week before I found out, I had noticed I was drinking an insane amount. At first I thought it was nothing and I must just be dehydrated. My parents then took me and my two sisters away for the weekend to centre parcs. I had to carry a bag in and I remember thinking it was the heaviest thing ever and I had to sit down after and my mum said “oh Sophie you got a light bag” I was so confused. Then later as we were walking to the pool, I really didn’t feel right and my older sister looked up my symptoms and it said it could be type one diabetes. I laughed it off and I didn’t think anything of it. The next day it was Halloween. I sat down with my mum and she started asking me about my symptoms (which I know now were all the five T’s) my mum said that it’s probably nothing, but she said my dad will take me to the hospital because they were worried. I remember crying because I just wanted to stay and go in the pool with my little sister but my mum said I will be back in the afternoon. So me and my dad drove to the nearest hospital. I was in straight away the woman pricked my finger and my levels were 28. She then took some blood. 2 hours later we were in a room and I was watching the conjuring with my dad. The doctor came in and said “I’m really sorry to tell you but you have type two diabetes” I was like wait what and he said “oh sorry my mistake I read it wrong you have type one”. I remember crying a lot but I didn’t actually know what it was and I couldn’t have imagined in that moment how it would completely change my life. I am the first one in my family to have type one diabetes and I still am and I don’t know anyone with diabetes. when the doctors came in and explained it all to me I just couldn’t understand why it was me and why I wasn’t like my sisters and what made me different and I remember feeling so so scared . My mum was called on FaceTime and my dad gave me a lot of hugs and kisses. My mum came from Centre parcs and stayed with me for four days in the hospital whilst my dad and sister went back home. I remember feeling so different at this time and I found it so hard to completely change my life style. I’m just so fortunate to have my family and friends. my parents are super heroes the way they deal with everything and help me through everything. We have a WhatsApp group chat called “diabetes team” with a picture of spider man on and every hypo or high I have they will text me and ask if I’m okay or need anything. I am so incredibly lucky to have that. With my sisters, we’ll they treat me the exact same if I have a dexcom on or not we will argument about clothes just the same, and love each other just a bit more now I’ve been through this. And for my diaversary my friends always make a big deal and text me and get me present and say how proud they are. I’ve just had my second diaversary. And in those two years I have had to grow up a lot. With learning everything about diabetes and learning how to do injections and putting on a Libra then moving to dexcom then having to understand the pump. But I’m also learning how to live my life, I have diabetes but that isn’t just me and I’m so proud of the life I have whilst also managing this condition. Sometimes everything is so much in the world and everything around me is changing, i kinda love how it is always there no matter what. in a weird way it’s like a familiar friend. I feel proud wearing my devices. And now after my two years of going through it, and there are many many times throughout then I would disagree with this statement, but I really am happy to be type one diabetic. And I make myself proud everyday with how I deal with it. Thank you so much for listening to my story. 💙💉