October 25, 2001 – October 25, 2026
Twenty-five years.
It’s honestly hard to believe that today marks 25 years since my life changed forever.
On October 25, 2001, I was just a 5½-year-old little girl when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. At that age, I had no idea what diabetes was, what insulin did, or how much my life was about to change. I certainly didn’t understand that this diagnosis would become something I would carry with me every single day for the rest of my life.
And yet, here we are, 25 years later.
A quarter of a century of finger pricks, insulin injections, insulin pumps, blood sugar checks, highs, lows, tears, frustration, and plenty of memories along the way.
But also 25 years of growing, learning, traveling, accomplishing things I once only dreamed of, and refusing to let diabetes define what I could or couldn’t do.
October 25, 2001: The Day Everything Changed
My diabetes journey began in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Lafayette General Hospital, now known as Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center.
I was only five years old when my parents learned that their little girl had Type 1 diabetes.
After my diagnosis, I was transferred to Tulane Hospital in New Orleans, where I spent several weeks receiving treatment and learning how to live with this new diagnosis.
While most children were getting ready to dress up for Halloween, go trick-or-treating, and eat entirely too much candy, I was spending Halloween in a hospital.
But that didn’t mean I was going to miss out on trick-or-treating!
One of the memories I still have from that hospital stay is getting to trick-or-treat while I was there. I remember being handed sugar-free candy, including sugar-free Reese’s cups, and thinking, Seriously? Where’s the good stuff?!
I specifically remember asking for the regular candy instead of the sugar-free versions, which everyone thought was hilarious!
Leave it to five-year-old me to have just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and already be negotiating for better Halloween candy! LOL.
Looking back, that memory makes me laugh because even at such a young age, I apparently had some pretty strong opinions about my candy.
And 25 years later, I still believe that having Type 1 diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a regular piece of candy. It just means learning how to manage your blood sugar around it.
Of all the things I could have remembered from spending Halloween in the hospital, it’s funny that one of them is being disappointed with my sugar-free Reese’s cups!
There are a few other little pieces of that hospital stay that have stayed with me over the years.
One memory I have is from when I was first admitted to my room at Tulane Hospital. There had been another child who had spent quite some time in the hospital and was finally being discharged. I remember there being a message written on the window that said something along the lines of “[Name] has left the building!”
I couldn’t tell you that child’s name today, but for some reason, that little message has stayed with me for 25 years.
It’s funny how our minds hold on to certain memories from childhood. I may not remember every detail of my diagnosis or everything that happened during those weeks in the hospital, but I remember that window.
Another little detail from those early days that still makes me smile is the nickname I gave my original endocrinologist.
I still need to ask my parents what his actual name was, but to five-year-old me, he was Dr. Baldhead. And honestly, after 25 years, I think he will forever be Dr. Baldhead to me!
I even kept my hospital gown from that admission.
At five years old, I couldn’t possibly understand how significant those first few weeks would become, not just for me but for my entire family.
My parents were suddenly learning how to count carbohydrates, administer insulin, recognize low and high blood sugars, and care for a child whose life now depended on medication.
Looking back as an adult, and especially now as a nurse, I have an entirely different appreciation for everything they went through.
Growing Up With Type 1 Diabetes
When you’re diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at such a young age, you don’t really remember what life was like before it.
And for me, that’s genuinely the case.
I have absolutely no recollection of what my life was like before October 25, 2001. But then again, I was only 5½ years old when I was diagnosed, so that probably has a lot to do with it!
I also think a big part of that is because of my parents.
From the moment I was diagnosed, they immediately stepped into the role of being caregivers to a child with Type 1 diabetes. Suddenly, they were responsible for checking blood sugars, administering insulin, recognizing highs and lows, and making countless decisions to keep me healthy.
While I was busy being a little girl, they were learning how to manage a disease that none of us had asked for.
And somehow, they helped make diabetes feel like a normal part of my childhood.
Looking back now, especially as a registered nurse, I have an entirely different appreciation for everything they did. I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must have been to learn that your five-year-old daughter had a lifelong medical condition and then have to learn how to manage it almost overnight.
But they did.
They learned, they adapted, and they made sure I could still experience childhood as normally as possible.
Because of that, I never really knew a life without checking my blood sugar, taking insulin, carrying snacks, or making sure my diabetes supplies were always nearby.
It was simply my normal.
Of course, that doesn’t mean growing up with diabetes was always easy.
There were frustrating blood sugars, moments when I wished I didn’t have to deal with diabetes, and times when I wanted to do everything my friends were doing without having to think about what my blood sugar might do.
But there were also some wonderful experiences that came from having Type 1 diabetes.
The Summer Camp That Gave Me a Lifetime of Memories
One of those experiences was attending Camp Sweeney, a summer camp in Texas for children living with diabetes.
To this day, I consider Camp Sweeney one of the best experiences I had growing up with Type 1 diabetes.
Camp Sweeney gave me something that was difficult to find anywhere else growing up: an entire community of people who understood exactly what it was like to live with this disease.
For a few weeks every summer, diabetes wasn’t something that made me different. It was something we all had in common.
One thing I will always be thankful for is the diabetes education we received while attending camp. We had medical lectures three times a week, where we learned more about managing diabetes and taking care of ourselves.
Now, was I always the most attentive camper during those lectures? Absolutely not! LOL.
Between all the activities, staying up with friends, and having the time of our lives, I was usually exhausted by the time medical lectures rolled around. I’m sure there were plenty of times when I was more focused on trying to stay awake than actually listening to what was being taught!
But looking back now, especially as a registered nurse, I have a much greater appreciation for the time and effort the medical staff put into educating us.
They weren’t just helping us manage our diabetes while we were at camp. They were teaching us skills and providing knowledge that we could carry with us long after we returned home.
And although I may not have appreciated every single medical lecture at the time, I am incredibly thankful for the education, encouragement, friendships, and memories Camp Sweeney gave me.
Some of my favorite childhood memories came from a place I attended because I had Type 1 diabetes.
And honestly, that’s something pretty special.
When Diabetes Became a Family Journey
In 2006, diabetes became an even bigger part of our family’s story when my older brother was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Suddenly, my parents had not one, but two children navigating life with the same chronic condition.
While I would never wish this disease on him, having a sibling who understands the daily frustrations, challenges, and occasional absurdities of living with Type 1 diabetes is something unique that we share.
I can only imagine what went through my parents’ minds when they learned that their second child had also been diagnosed.
They had already spent five years learning how to care for a child with diabetes, and now they were beginning that journey all over again.
Looking back, I am so thankful for everything they did to make sure we both had the care, support, and opportunities we needed.
Walking Toward a Cure, One Step at a Time
Another big part of growing up with Type 1 diabetes was participating in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes events.
For years, my family and I helped raise money for Type 1 diabetes research in hopes that one day there would be a cure.
When I was younger, our walk team was called Harriet’s Hope.
Looking back, I love that name because it represented exactly what my family was holding on to: hope. Hope for better treatments, better technology, and ultimately a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Then, in 2006, when my younger brother was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, our family’s diabetes journey changed once again.
With two children in our immediate family now living with Type 1 diabetes, we decided it was time for a new team name.
That’s when Harriet’s Hope became Moutons Making It Happen!
But our team wasn’t just about my brother and me.
My first cousin was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young child, and she was a big part of our walk team as well.
Having three cousins in the same family living with Type 1 diabetes made our efforts to raise awareness and support research even more personal.
Our team represented more than just one person or one diagnosis. It represented our family coming together, supporting one another, and working toward a common goal of finding a cure.
Some of my favorite memories growing up include coming together with family and friends for those walks, raising money, and being surrounded by people who shared that same hope.
At the time, I probably didn’t fully understand the importance of all the fundraising and awareness we were helping bring to Type 1 diabetes.
But looking back 25 years later, I’m incredibly thankful for the effort my family put into supporting diabetes research and showing us that we weren’t navigating this disease alone.
From Harriet’s Hope to Moutons Making It Happen, the names may have changed, but the hope for a cure never did.
Watching Diabetes Technology Change Over 25 Years
If you had told five-year-old me what diabetes technology would look like in 2026, I probably wouldn’t have believed you!
Over the last 25 years, I’ve watched diabetes management change tremendously.
I remember the days when checking my blood sugar meant pricking my finger multiple times a day and relying on those individual readings to make decisions about my insulin.
Today, I wear a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor and use an Omnipod 5 insulin pump.
Having technology that can monitor glucose trends throughout the day and help automate insulin delivery is something I certainly don’t take for granted.
But even with all this technology, diabetes is still diabetes.
Sensors aren’t always accurate. Insulin pump sites fail. Blood sugars can drop unexpectedly, and sometimes they rise for reasons I can’t explain.
There are still days when I feel like I do everything right and my blood sugar decides to do its own thing anyway.
And yes, after 25 years, I still find myself manually checking my blood sugar to make sure my Dexcom is telling me the truth!
Technology has made managing diabetes easier in many ways, but it hasn’t eliminated the work that goes into living with it.
The Little Girl With Diabetes Who Became a Nurse
This might be one of the most emotional parts of reflecting on the last 25 years.
On April 30, 2026, I graduated from nursing school.
And this year, I began my career as a registered nurse.
Sometimes I think about the little girl lying in a hospital bed in New Orleans, surrounded by nurses, doctors, and diabetes educators who were helping my family navigate a completely unfamiliar world.
I wonder what she would think if she could see me today.
Would she believe that one day she would be the nurse standing on the other side of the hospital bed?
That she would be caring for patients and families during some of the most important moments of their lives?
I don’t think she would.
Growing up with Type 1 diabetes played a tremendous role in my decision to become a nurse.
Within the first couple of years after my diagnosis, I met a diabetes educator named Judy, who would go on to leave a lasting impression on my life.
Nurse Judy wasn’t just another healthcare professional I saw at my appointments. She became an important part of my diabetes journey, and even after all these years, I still remember her and the impact she had on me.
When I started nursing school, I began thinking more seriously about what I wanted my future nursing career to look like. I kept coming back to Nurse Judy and the difference she made in my life.
Because of her, I knew that one day I wanted to become a diabetes educator, too.
I wanted the opportunity to help children and families who were facing the same diagnosis my family received back in 2001. I wanted to be someone who could provide education, encouragement, and support during what can be an incredibly overwhelming time.
I know what it’s like to be the patient. I know what it’s like to have your day interrupted by something completely out of your control. And I know how much of a difference a compassionate healthcare professional can make.
Today, I’m working as a registered nurse, and while my nursing career is just beginning, my long-term goal is to become a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES).
It would be such a full-circle moment to follow in Judy’s footsteps and hopefully make the same lasting impression on another little girl or boy who is learning how to live with Type 1 diabetes.
Twenty-five years ago, I was the little girl receiving diabetes education. One day, I hope to be the nurse providing it.
Twenty-Five Years of Adventures
One thing I’ve always tried to remind myself is that Type 1 diabetes is part of my life, but it is not my entire life.
Over the past 25 years, diabetes has traveled with me just about everywhere.
From family trips to Walt Disney World to adventures in New York City, Boston, the Florida Keys, and most recently Italy, my diabetes supplies have always had a place in my suitcase.
I’ve treated low blood sugars in airports, theme parks, restaurants, and plenty of other random places.
I’ve had to stop what I’m doing to check my blood sugar, change an insulin pump, or grab something to eat.
Have there been frustrating moments? Absolutely.
But I never wanted diabetes to be the reason I missed out on making memories.
And that is one of the biggest reasons Steven and I started The Diabetic Travel Guide.
I wanted to share what traveling and living with Type 1 diabetes actually looks like. Not just the perfectly packaged moments, but the frustrating blood sugars, the extra planning, the emergency snacks, and everything in between.
Because life with diabetes can still be full of incredible adventures.
Sometimes you just have to pack a few extra supplies along the way!
Finding a Partner Who Embraced Life With Type 1 Diabetes
One thing I am incredibly thankful for throughout my diabetes journey is having a husband who is not only supportive but also genuinely involved in my diabetes care.
When Steven and I first started dating, I remember being nervous about telling him I had Type 1 diabetes.
For the longest time, I viewed my diabetes as something that could potentially be a burden to my significant other. I knew how much time, attention, and responsibility went into managing it, and I worried about what it would mean for someone else to be part of that.
When I first told Steven, he was curious. He wanted to learn about diabetes, what it meant for me, and everything that came along with it.
And as our relationship progressed, so did his involvement in my diabetes care.
Over the past nine years, Steven has accompanied me to countless endocrinology appointments, learned about my insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor, and become someone I can turn to when diabetes decides to throw me a curveball.
He’s even gotten to the point where he’ll make suggestions about whether I might need to adjust my basal rates or insulin-to-carbohydrate ratios based on the blood sugar patterns he’s noticed.
Of course, we don’t always agree on what my blood sugar is doing or what changes might be needed (LOL!), but I appreciate that he cares enough to pay attention and be involved.
It’s not that I expect him to manage my diabetes for me. After all, I’ve been doing this for 25 years! But knowing that I have someone beside me who understands how exhausting diabetes can be, who notices when something seems off, and who wants to help makes a tremendous difference.
He’s been there for the frustrating highs, the unexpected lows, the middle-of-the-night blood sugar alarms, and all the extra planning that comes with traveling while living with Type 1 diabetes.
And through it all, he’s never made me feel like my diabetes was a burden.
Looking back at how nervous I was to tell him about my diagnosis when we first started dating, I wish I could tell my younger self that one day I’d find someone who wouldn’t just accept that I had diabetes but would take the time to learn about it and become an active part of my support system.
Diabetes may be something I have to manage every single day, but having Steven by my side reminds me that I don’t have to navigate every challenge alone.
And for that, I am forever thankful.
What 25 Years of Diabetes Has Taught Me
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that living with Type 1 diabetes requires a level of patience, flexibility, and resilience that can be difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t live with it.
There are no days off.
There are no vacations from checking blood sugars or taking insulin.
Even on the happiest days, diabetes is still there in the background.
But over the last 25 years, I’ve also learned that it’s okay to have frustrating days.
It’s okay to be annoyed when my blood sugar is high for absolutely no reason. It’s okay to be frustrated when I have to stop what I’m doing to treat a low.
And it’s okay to admit that sometimes diabetes is exhausting.
I don’t have to love having diabetes to appreciate the person I’ve become while living with it.
In many ways, diabetes has taught me to advocate for myself, pay attention to my body, and appreciate the people who have supported me along the way.
And for that, I am grateful.
To the Little Girl Diagnosed 25 Years Ago
If I could go back to October 25, 2001, and sit beside that little girl in the hospital bed, I think there are a few things I would want her to know.
I would tell her that some days are going to be hard.
That there will be times when she gets frustrated, when she feels different from her friends, and when she wishes she could have just one day without having to think about her blood sugar.
But I would also tell her that she’s going to have an incredible life.
She’s going to make lifelong friendships, travel to places she’s only dreamed about, fall in love, get married, graduate from nursing school, and become a nurse herself.
And through every single one of those moments, diabetes will be there.
But it won’t stop her from living.
I would tell her that one day she’s going to create a little corner of the internet where she shares her experiences in hopes of helping someone else living with Type 1 diabetes.
Most importantly, I would tell her that she is so much more than her diagnosis.
Here’s to 25 Years
Today isn’t necessarily a celebration of having Type 1 diabetes.
If someone offered me a cure tomorrow, I would absolutely take it!
Instead, today is a celebration of everything I’ve experienced, overcome, learned, and accomplished over the last 25 years.
And because 25 years is a pretty big milestone, I was actually excited to put together a little photoshoot to celebrate my diaversary!
Never in a million years would five-year-old me have imagined that one day I’d be planning a photoshoot to commemorate 25 years of living with Type 1 diabetes. But here we are!
For me, these photos aren’t about celebrating the disease itself. They’re about celebrating the little girl who was diagnosed in 2001, everything she’s overcome, and the life she’s built along the way.
Because while I didn’t get to choose this diagnosis, I do get to choose how I celebrate the life I’ve lived with it.
And I think 25 years deserves a few pictures! ❤️
It’s also a day to recognize the people who have been part of this journey.
From my parents learning how to care for a newly diagnosed five-year-old, to my brother sharing this journey with me, to the incredible educators and medical staff at Camp Sweeney, to Judy inspiring my future career goals, and to Steven becoming one of my biggest supporters, I’ve been fortunate to have people beside me through every chapter of these 25 years.
Because although I’m the one living with Type 1 diabetes, I’ve never truly navigated it alone.
Twenty-five years ago, my family walked into a hospital and our lives changed forever.
Today, I’m looking back at that little girl and feeling incredibly proud of how far she’s come.
Here’s to 25 years of life with Type 1 diabetes, all the memories made along the way, and hopefully many more adventures ahead.
And maybe, just maybe, a cure someday. ❤️
