This past weekend marked my 21st #diaversary! For those of my readers that are not familiar with what a diaversary is, keep on reading! A Diaversary is the anniversary of when a type 1 diabetic first got diagnosed. Some people may ask why in the world would you celebrate a day that for most T1Ds and their loved ones hold a very negative horrible memory. Well let me first explain that the point of a diaversary is NOT to celebrate the fact that you (or your loved one) has Type 1. A diaversary is all about celebrating the fact that you have not just survived, but also succeeded another year with Type 1. Living with T1D is definitely not easy, it takes constant watching and hard work; therefore, we should recognize and celebrate the challenges that we have faced and let it empower us to keep fighting! This is the purpose of a diaversary.
Why Celebrate?
I believe that a diaversary is very important. Although my Mom would mention every Memorial Day weekend that it was the anniversary of when I was diagnosed, I didn’t truly started to celebrate my diaversary until last year, after I read a couple articles truly explaining the meaning behind the term “diaversary”. After that, I made it a point to try to set that day aside every year and use it as a day to reflect on all the challenges I had faced that year and how I became stronger because of them. For me, my diaversary is a chance to celebrate my own strength and remember it as a day I have accomplished, grown and overcame the daily t1d challenges that the past year had brought me. In way simple terms, it’s giving yourself the much deserved recognition for being healthy, saving your life everyday, and not letting T1D kick your butt.
Reflecting on this past year, I'm very grateful since this is my first year with my Dexcom G6 (nicknamed DEXI). Having T1D for now 21 years, this is my first successful CGM and wow has it made things different! Having a CGM was a total game changer for me; I finally got to see my numbers and the trend it was going and had the opportunity (most times) to catch a high or a low before it became dangerous. It has allowed me to not worry as much and not be as anxious as before, since before I go meet with a client I can actually see where my bg is headed and correct or treat ahead of time instead of constantly testing after every meeting. The Dexcom has also been a blessing for my Mom, one of my biggest supports, since after 20 years of worrying about my blood sugars, especially when she wasn’t with me and at nights, she finally had a sense of comfort knowing that DEXI would wake me up when needed and that she could go on her phone and check and see what my bg is, this way she could feel more comfortable going to bed. The running joke in my family is that my Mom will randomly text me “good bg” or “did you eat yet? Your bg is dropping”. Honestly, I am grateful for this technology and after 20 years without it, my Mom and I are truly grateful to have a device that could look out for me and warn me when my bg is either spiking or dropping.
This year has definitely had it highs and lows, no pun attended, but overall this year has shown me the strength T1D has given me. This year I noticed that I am proud (not happy) to be a type 1 diabetic and I will proudly share it with anyone that asks since it has allowed me to create this blog and truly connect and help those and their loved ones living with any chronic illness.
Thinking back to this past week it was extremely challenging.... you see last week was a week full of extreme lows and this week? Full of extreme highs. I think the worst part was the fact that I didn't change a thing from the past week, and that's frustrating! You can literally think you are doing everything "right" and still everything goes wrong. A couple nights ago I was sitting on my bed at 2am, not being able to sleep since my blood sugar decided at last minute it was going to spike and it was gonna spike fast( who needs sleep right?) so I'm sitting there and this is about the 6th night in a row of an either dangerous high or low... and I find myself crying feeling defeated. I remember thinking that Friday (My 24) marks 21years of having T1D. I found myself thinking “ shouldn’t I be able to have better control, shouldn’t this be easier after 21 years of having this disease?” Ofcourse I know that it doesn't matter how long you have had T1D, there's days and nights that no matter how "controlled" you think you got it, it's just going to be a difficult day/night.
I remember thinking that I should just not celebrate my diaversary this year, and it wasn’t until I told my boyfriend that I didn’t want to celebrate when made an excellent point . He stated that that alone is a reason to celebrate. Why you ask? Because I overcame weeks of randomly roller coaster days and nights, because I chose to not let this annoying chronic illness win- the truth is that life is fragile and we have to be thankful for every day,week,month, and years that we overcome every low, high, sleepless night and any other random thing that T1D throws our way! We also have to be thankful for those that have supported us, because without their support it would be very difficult to stay positive at the most negative situations.
How do you celebrate such a day?
This is a very common question, and there is not one fit all answer- it’s all about that strong individual and what they want to do to celebrate, Last year, I chose to just reflect on that past year in a facebook post and chose to draw a picture ( since drawing is one of my favorite self care activities). This year I decided to take a self care day and bake myself a cake. I chose this because I truly love to bake, it’s such a stress reliever for me, And let’s be honest because after 21 years I sure deserve a slice of it ;) Therefore, I decided to bake an Earl Gray (gluten free) cake with vanilla and chocolate buttercream since I have been really wanting to try to bake this kind of cake! I had a blast thinking of ways to decorate this cake, and finally decorating at it! I loved seeing people’s reactions to the final product and sharing the cake with my loved ones who have supported me through every high, low, and in between. Celebrating a diaversary may seem silly to some people; however, for me I find celebrating a diaversary extremely empowering and positive ( especially if it’s the individual’s first year with T1D).
Until next time Stay Strong- I’m going to bolus and eat a much deserved slice of cake 😉
Comment below and let me know if you celebrate your (or your T1D’s ) diaverasry and how!
