Last Updated on August 4, 2026 by Nadia Halfway
📜 Introduction.
My Type 1 Diabetes story started almost 30 years ago, in January 1998.
If you remember the exact date of your diagnosis, well… let me say you are lucky. It means you were old enough to remember life before diabetes, or someone made it a day to cherish.
My memories of the time right before the onset are quite blurred. But after that, I actually have some vivid recollections.
This is my Type 1 Diabetes story: the day when everything changed.
⚠️Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is shared solely for narrative and awareness-raising purposes. It does not in any way constitute medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. What I am sharing here is solely my personal story. If you have any concerns about your health or the management of your treatment, I urge you to always consult your doctor.
💉 The Onset.
I was only five years old in January 1998 when I was officially diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Around that time, I remember being constantly thirsty and going frequently to the loo.
I don’t remember how much time passed between this constant water binge and loo visits, but I was then rushed to hospital for pneumonia. However, the results were worse than expected and the truth was life-changing. I had Type 1 Diabetes.
Lying on the stretcher, I remember a nurse with curly red hair trying to put me on an IV drip, and I saw my parents through a round window in the door. They were crying.
That night, sleeping was impossible. Nurses kept waking me up and pinching my fingers for blood tests.
In the following days, relatives visited me with toys, puzzles, and colouring books to help pass the time. For a few days, doctors didn’t allow me to eat, and I just wanted to go home. I kept asking when the injections would stop, when they would take off the IV drip, and when I could start eating normally again.
Nobody told me clearly what was going on, and I wondered if this would be my life forever. Sadly, yes.
🚨 Recognise the Symptoms.
Early detection is extremely important and can even be life-saving. Undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes may lead to fatal consequences, including coma, organ failure, DKA, and even death.
Please look out for these common symptoms:
- Extreme thirst. Feeling like you can’t drink enough water.
- Frequent urination. Visiting the loo much more than usual.
- Unexplained weight loss. Losing weight without trying.
- Extreme tiredness. Feeling exhausted for no clear reason.
- Sense of nausea. Feeling like you are going to throw up at any moment.
As for me, I was too young to notice any weight loss or tiredness, but thirst and frequent urination were already clear signs of Type 1 Diabetes. These, along with nausea, are also among the many symptoms and feelings experienced during extreme hyperglycaemia episodes and DKA.
Important note: I am only sharing my personal experience here. If you notice these symptoms, please see a doctor or a specialist immediately.
🫂 Lack of Support.
Having diabetes from such a young age, especially if you were diagnosed in the 1990s, was a real sentence.
I have lived every stage of life with diabetes, which, at least for the first 10 years, deprived me of so many things. I was unable to attend my final year of kindergarten; at primary school, I was the different one, but not disabled enough to receive support at school. Whenever I had a low blood sugar, I still had to wait until break time. I didn’t have a support teacher (not that I needed one at cognitive level), but my mum had to come on the days we had lunch at school so she could inject me insulin, as there was no trained staff.
I never practised sport. Although it’s recommended for people with diabetes, there was still no trained staff who knew how to deal with hypoglycaemia.
I learnt how to give myself injections at only 8 years old, due to school trips where my mom couldn’t come. I endured years of bullying and exclusion, particularly at primary and secondary school, whilst at high school I had by then become so accustomed to being the weirdo that I was excluded (or I excluded myself) from the outset. I didn’t say anything about my condition, but it came out anyway when I had a grave illness and missed months of school.
The lack of psychological, medical and institutional support, and the constant feeling of being different and excluded, had a very negative impact on me. And by the time I finished high school, it was all of this that made me want to run away and see what else was out there, without being held back by this illness and the limitations it had imposed on me.
💙 My Life Now with Type 1 Diabetes.
It has been almost 30 years since the day I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. So much has happened since then.
I have faced other autoimmune diseases (Grave’s Disease), other painful diagnoses (HWW syndrome), frequent infections (cystitis, bronchitis, pyelonephritis), sepsis, chronic pain and fatigue, migraine, various episodes of DKA and almost daily hypos.
Balancing work, my personal life and the constant demands of diabetes was, and still is, complicated. I’ve also been through relationships that ended badly (yes, sometimes because of my Type 1 diabetes) and friendships that didn’t quite empathise or understand my illness.
But there has also been so much beauty. Degrees earned, good jobs too, friendships grown, countless journeys taken, and this community I am trying to build to show that travelling with T1D is absolutely possible. Life has been both cruel and rewarding, and diabetes has influenced every single aspect of it. It has shaped my routines, my choices, my fears, and my strength.
I am still learning how to accept this disease and how to survive it, every day. Acceptance is not linear, and neither is life with diabetes. But when I stop and look back, I see how far I have come. I see resilience. I see courage. I see dreams achieved despite everything.
And what about the trips? Diabetes travels with me, it’s always there, tucked away in my rucksack along with my supply of needles and insulin. But it doesn’t define me, and it doesn’t stop me.
🎈 Conclusion.
My Type 1 Diabetes story is not a finished book. Every day is a new page of an unknown chapter. Will I wake up at 3 AM because of a hypo, or wake up thirsty with a blood sugar of 300?
Even after 30 years with diabetes, I still struggle daily with acceptance, hunger control, basal doses, injections, and life-balance. But I am still here. And diabetes has not stopped me from achieving my goals in life.
If my story has inspired you and you’re looking for more specific information about diabetes and travel, I’d encourage you to read my articles on tips for travelling for long periods with diabetes, travel insurance for people with diabetes, and travel essentials for people with diabetes.
💬 And you? Do you remember the day of your diagnosis, or life before Type 1 Diabetes? Tell me in the comments. I love hearing stories from people who truly understand.
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