type1grace

Best part about being chronically ill: How I choose to see my inabilities. Never before that day 8 years ago, did the thought occur to me that one day I would wake up, and one of my biggest nightmares will be evolvi ng in front of my eyes: the nightmare which became an inevitable part of me. The reality that, from that day onward, my life would be different.  And how different it is. From that day, the fight for survival is actually a fight and the certainty of life tomorrow is in fact, uncertain. There are countless bad and terrible things that make having type 1 diabetes such a burden and punishment to live. Partly maintaining your homeostasis is not a piece of cake. Ha ha. Yes, the insulin shots do hurt sometimes. The deep bruises are from thousands of needles and the hard fingertips are from countless pokes. Yes, when you get a cold, I get pneumonia. Being sick for weeks on end when the world is supposed to carry on for you too, is harder than imagin...

Brave. It's a foreign  word. Not a word often spoken about. Unless you live in Marvel. Why? Because people claim the word for no reason. Or they accept and apply the meaning to their lives... This morning in one of my classes, I knew something was not quite as it should be. It’s the start of the flu season in the Southern hemisphere, and any infection always gets to those who have weak immune systems first. I felt feverish and high; and checked my blood glucose. Just my luck; I’m high . 430mg/dL or 24.2mmol. That’s pretty high. If I were to walk through the doors of any emergency room, I would be classified as a patient in desperate need of medical attention. Clearly something went wrong with my breakfast this morning. Even though my breakfast was exactly the same as yesterday’s, and the day before and before... Or maybe it’s because I’m getting sick… Who knows. When you are high, you would give yourself a shot, and drink plenty of water. Now, giving a shot unnoticed is ...

Losing hope; finding hope; keeping hope Since the start of Lent, I often thought about the pain and suffering Jesus Christ went through in order for us to be saved. Easter is my favourite holiday, since we celebrate our death and our birth: our eternal life. 14.04.2017, Easter weekend Lady Grey, South Africa As a chronically ill millennial, who believes in Jesus Christ, pressure and demands from the world and within, is on the rise. Losing hope and faith became inevitable to me during dark times. But I kept on walking on the route I knew, and discovered that I was indeed never truly alone. “Why doesn't your God heal you? I thought he could do anything ? How can your "father" punish you like that, and then you still believe in him..?" I hear this so often. After my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes among others back in 2010, I kept on asking God why me ? I’m not an angel, but I’m surely not the worst person alive. I don’t deserve to be this ...

@type1grace on Instagram What it's like not being normal , and not what it's like being abnormal . The constant comparisons between you and others, by yourself or by others.   Today has been a little overwhelming. To say the least. Ever had a day where everything just went south from the moment you opened your eyes? Well, today is one of those days. Having GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), a day with an emergency doctor’s appointment ordered by my doctor, is very stressful. I kind of anticipated what he was going to tell me. I knew that he will give me good and bad news. I also knew to which extent the "bad news" would be. It's my body I live in, so I know that it's broken. And unfixable to a certain extend. The day took it's own path. After two hours passed at the doctor's office, I got to my residence where I live. Just taking a break from the stressful day, I took my position on my bed, and watched a YouTube video, just like...

Explaining what's going on and how to go on. After a coma and 3 weeks in ICU 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa About me: My name is Ané. I'm 20 years old, and I live in South Africa. My parents lives in Bloemfontein, and my brother and I are studying in Stellenbosch. I have decided to start writing about being a type 1 diabetic, depression and anxiety, a young lady, university student, want-to-be-mother in the future, etc. All rotating around my useless pancreas. I want to share my story with you, so that you can learn from my mistakes without making them yourself. I want to speak for both small children and for their caregivers, giving advice (I'm not a doctor, but boy, I have experience) helping both cope with the stress involving diabetes. As a child, I've been the healthiest girl there could be. Years went by that I never went to the doctor, not even for a fever or flu. I was always skinny, although I have a huge bone structure. I started swi...