Marie’s Story
Hey! I’m Marie/ @nerdscanfight and I was diagnosed with Type 1 when I was 4 years old. Unlike many others, I don’t have “before diabetes” memories. This is all I know, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am currently in my fourth and final year at The University of Texas, persuing a degree in microbiology.I convinced myself that I wasn’t interested in studying abroad. One weekend while visiting my parents, I was even listing the reasons why I wasn’t interested, and trailed off with, “…and I would have to take so many diabetes supplies! Plus, what if I had an emergency with my blood sugars in another country? It’s too much to think about.” and THAT was the moment I knew I had to I realized I was letting Type 1 Diabetes hold me back from big things, and it was mind-boggling. I had lived my whole life so thankful for the resilience, courage, and responsibility that this disease gives me daily. I couldn’t believe that I was going to let it stop me from doing this without even knowing it! It was a bit of a whirlwind with only one week left to apply, but four months later I landed in Sydney, Australia (super inspired by T1D’s from Australia).I’m a pretty shy person, so six months in Sydney gifted me with heaps of confidence and encouragement. Each person I met wanted to know why I chose Sydney, and each time I got to tell them a little about Type 1 Diabetes!! It was super cool when the first person I met at church was a Type 1 Diabetic, and each of my five roommates had friends with Type 1. I got to meet up with a couple T1D’s from instagram (@classic_t1d
and @amylmck) and now they are lifelong friends. It was completely brilliant.I am definitely better at recognizing when I’m pulling the “diabetes card” now (which is totally okay sometimes since this disease is literally non-stop). I totally encourage everyone to study abroad now, and live beyond this disease. I attended the Friends For Life conference when I returned to the States, I am part of a relay team of T1D’s running 223 miles this weekend, and I will be running the California International Marathon in December with Diabetes Sports Project.
Marie/@nerdscanfight