Nick’s Story

My diagnosis came during the summer following my college graduation at 22 years old. The hardest part of my story is that I was just entering the real world where I should have been finding my purpose in the job market; Instead, I was struggling with the pitfalls of learning that the invincible-self I spent so long cultivating was in fact something else. It took the better portion of my first year, but I think every person with diabetes eventually has a come-to-terms moment of clarity where they stop fighting what’s happening and start learning how to coexist. I’ve always had many interests and a love for learning, but diabetes has taught me to tune into my mind and body in a way that may have never happened otherwise.

There was a point where I started to understand that T1D isn’t always about strictly weighted carb-counts and following a meal plan or snack regiment. Living with diabetes, as far as I’ve come to understand it, is about acting on what’s in your best interest while taking your mindset a step further than struggling to be something. I now strive to, because it is still a hard thing in the moment, be conscientious of my strategies for tackling the foods, activities, and daily life that I want for myself. Learning to take care of my body physically, giving it the foods it needs to be nourished, aiming to live my everyday in the present, and most importantly listening to my inner voice about what I know is going to happen next, all keep me in check and constantly learning about myself.

Nick Greenen