Editor’s note: Welcome to the second installment of our “WHY I WALK” series! This campaign is all about spotlighting the powerful stories within our community to inspire and motivate others to get involved. We invite you to share your own journey and rally support by registering your team. Together, let’s walk with purpose and drive the fight against T1D. Join us today and make a difference!
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Why I Walk: Evan Strat
We recently had the opportunity to learn more about Evan, a 25-year-old whose journey with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is truly inspiring. Through his responses to our questions, Evan shares his experiences and insights on living with T1D. Here’s a look at his story and the valuable perspectives he brings to our community:
Q: Tell us your story, why do you walk?
A: When I think back to my diagnosis in 2009, I wonder how I ever lived life without a continuous glucose monitor. When I started on a CGM in 2014, it wasn’t because it was the status quo, it was because I was personally afraid that I was having overnight low blood sugars. In 2018, I started on my first automated insulin delivery system, and everything changed. It could “only” prevent lows, and yet it eliminated the nighttime low alarms from my CGM. It was life changing.
I’ve witnessed the progress we’ve made because of Breakthrough T1D. We can’t stop now. When I Iook to the future, I see the potential of novel treatment methods. Back in 2010, I participated in a clinical trial for what is now the FDA-approved Tzield. When I see the clinical trials we have now for beta cell replacement therapies, I have hope that one day, this could all be a thing of the past.
Breakthrough T1D advocates for and funds many of the advanced technologies and therapies that are meaningfully improving my quality of life. I walk because we can’t stop now—I walk for a future without T1D.
Q: How has T1D impacted your life?
A: This year is my fifteenth Diaversary. Fifteen years is a milestone that comes with a lot of emotions and reflection, but above all else, it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come.
Sometimes I’m tempted to say it’s easy. It’s not that I’ve forgotten that it’s hard, but that I have grown to make the hard things look easy. But then I have a stubborn high, and my pump site’s leaking, or a sudden low, complete with the shaking, sweating and confusion, and it all comes rushing back. T1D is ruthless, and sometimes, it just sucks.
Over the past few years, I’ve worked through a lot of emotions of anger and frustration with T1D to a new place of calmness. Recently, I was reminded of just how far I’ve come. My pump site fell off because I was sweaty after a mountain bike ride, but I didn’t get frustrated. Instead, I inserted a new site, then made a mental note that I should use extra adhesive on my pump sites when I anticipate being sweaty. It takes effort when I’m changing my site to decide if I need to use extra adhesive—adding extra steps to an already complicated infusion set change process. Yet in doing so, I’ll be able to worry less about my site getting knocked off.
Where before I might have gotten frustrated that T1D invades even so much as a walk outside, now I recognize that putting in the time for T1D management sets the stage for me to enjoy what I’m doing.
Now, I feel stronger than ever. I’m here for the next 15 years, and I’m gonna keep walking until we find a cure!
