My name is Robyn Swartz. I’m 30 years old and have been living with Type 1 diabetes for 20 years.
My diabetes was triggered by trauma that happened in January of 1999. For five months, before I was diagnosed, I had lost a lot of weight, became thirsty and my eyes had dark rings around them. I just looked sick in general. My parents then took me to a paediatrician who done a urine sample. With the results, he immediately told us we needed to go to the hospital but didn’t tell us why.
When we arrived at the hospital and handed over the referral letter, bloods and urine samples were taken. Not long after that we were told the news that I have Type 1 diabetes.
The news came as a shock to me. I didn’t know what diabetes was and couldn’t understand that my lifestyle of eating and doing things would need to change. It took me about six years to accept the challenges that I had to face and that my life was at jeopardy if I didn’t commit to this new lifestyle. I struggled for years to get my HbA1c level under control. But, now I have achieved it.
Here I am five years later with a beautiful son which I never thought I could have due to me having diabetes.
We will always face challenges as persons living with Type 1 diabetes. So, to all the TD1 warriors, anything is possible, if we just put our minds to it. Please remember, there are other TD1 warriors out there who know what you are going through, even if other don’t seem to understand.