Hanlon's Story
Hi, my name is Hanlon O’Connor. I am 20 years old and have had type 1 since I was 7. Before learning of my condition I had been to 4 different doctors who misdiagnosed me each time. It was not until I was unable to get up off the couch to use the bathroom that my parents rushed me to the emergency room. My veins were collapsing and my blood sugar was so high they could not read it on their equipment at the hospital. I had been in ketosis for many days, was close to entering a coma and had lost about 20lbs as a 7 year old.
My mother had taken care of my diabetes until I was about 10 years old. When I was 10 my parents got divorced, almost a year after that my father passed away from complications that were worsened quite a bit from his uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. He was much older and was afraid of doctors. I remember growing up he had a large foot wound that would not heal because he did not manage his blood sugar. Multiple doctors insisted that they take one or both feet due to his neuropathy and the open wound that would not heal. Any time they told him this he would walk out of the doctor's office or emergency room. After my father passed in 2008 I had very little parental guidance, and very little help with my diabetes. From about age 10 to 14 my A1C was always over 10 and sometimes as high as 12, I am genuinely surprised that my endo did not call child services after this pattern.
It was not until I began lifting weights that I started to care about my own health or well being. I quickly realized that I would not build much muscle or gain much strength until my blood sugars straightened out. In the past 4 years my A1C has been sitting around the low 7’s. Throughout high school lifting weights became a healthy outlet for me. I loved getting stronger, looking and feeling good! Late in high school and early in college I experimented with drugs and alcohol but my diabetes genuinely kept me from getting too carried away and reckless. I have moved on from that phase not only because it doesn’t interest me but it has just become a huge waste of time and slows me down from accomplishing my goals.
In the past year I have truly found my place within the weightlifting/strength training world, my place is powerlifting. It turns out that I can actually do something with my hobby. This December I have plans to break the Colorado state records for squat, bench press and deadlift in my age and weight class (Junior 242s). At the December meet I also plan on qualifying for IPL worlds 2018 in Las Vegas and competing against the best of the best. Please feel free to check out my instagram (@hanlonoconnor) where I post updates regularly.
Diabetes does not hold me back in any way. If someone offered me a cure tomorrow I don’t think I would take it (that is not to say I don’t support research for a cure). This disease had made me stronger in so many ways and helped me care about myself and my own well being from an early age. It has pushed me to do things I never thought I would do. It is a part of me that I sometimes hate and certainly never love. That being said I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t gotten this disease and to be honest I don't really care because I am happy where I am at. You’re in charge of this disease, diabetes is not in charge of you.
Hanlon O'Connor