Chronic Disease Management And The Need For Control

By Kristina Figueroa

I never knew I had a problem, beyond having to take synthetic insulin for the rest of my life. But I am a patient living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and self-diagnosed with an interrelated eating disorder.

At the age of 10, I went on an insulin pump, which gave me freedom from the relentless snacking needed to maintain control. I grew into puberty, trained as an athlete, and the hormonal changes caused crazy blood-sugar swings, meaning that routine snacking was still required. Many of us with T1D are very dependent on others, but we aren’t quick to admit this dependence.