Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can look simple from the outside. A pump. A sensor. A quick glance at a number.
But for Alex, T1D has never been something you wear. It is something you carry.
“It’s a lot more than wearing a pump and sensor. It’s constant and we never get breaks or time off of taking care of a disease.”
The day everything changed
Alex was diagnosed at 6, and what stays with her is not just the diagnosis, but the days leading up to it, when her body was clearly telling her something was wrong and she could not explain why.
“When I was diagnosed I was 6. But one thing I remember most about that time is the sick part. I remember constantly not feeling good but unable to tell why. Eventually it led to a diagnosis of T1D and me being life flighted to a hospital in Phoenix. I learned I was put into a drug induced coma, and that I had T1D and would need to learn how to take care of it all.”
It is the kind of beginning that changes how you move through the world. Suddenly, safety depends on knowledge. Health depends on preparation. And normal moments become moments you have to plan for.
What T1D really looks like
Most people do not think about blood sugar before running errands. Alex does, because with T1D, “ordinary” can turn risky fast.
“Daily life for me with T1D is always checking what my levels are before any task, even if it’s grocery shopping, or driving to a doctors appointment, I almost always have to know what my glucose levels are. If I don’t it could become dangerous. So I check more than I probably should out of caution. And I prep for every possible what if and I prep if the backups or supplies don’t work.”
That is what many people never see, the constant calculating, the extra steps, the mental load that follows you into every room and every plan.
More than T1D
Alex is also someone who finds joy in the steady, the creative, and the meaningful. She loves reading, crafting, God, traveling, and DIY furniture restoration.
What makes her happiest is “rainy days, a cup of cocoa and a great book!”
That picture matters. Because the goal is not just to manage T1D. The goal is to live fully, to find comfort and connection, and to feel like yourself.
Help Others Feel Seen
Alex’s story is a reminder that T1D is not just something you manage. It is something you carry, every day, through every plan and every ordinary moment.
We invite you to connect with Breakthrough T1D Desert West to find support, share resources, and meet others who understand life with T1D.
Visit BreakthroughT1D.org/desertwest to learn more and get connected. Together, we do not just see T1D. We see the people behind it.
