Back when Instagram videos were only 15 seconds long, Neil made quick, chaotic type 1 clips: a 4-part series on too many sugar-free gummy bears, and a game of football with a loaf of bread, cradled like a newborn. The comments that came back weren't jokes. They were people saying they'd never seen anybody talk about this. He replied to every one.
You don't post about type 1 to inform the public. You post so the next person who gets diagnosed searches a hashtag at 2am and finds a human instead of a pamphlet. Neil breaks down a 2025 JMIR Diabetes study from Joslin and CHOP: 26 young adults with type 1, most of whom never post about it, some who felt less alone watching others, and some who felt more alone. Then the Inigo Montoya rule for telling your story in one sentence.
In this episode:
- The early Instagram days and replying to every comment
- What 26 young adults with type 1 said diabetes social media does to them
- Why the person outside the window is who your post is for
- Share your story and leave the advice to the clinicians (and what a 2025 study found about diabetes info on TikTok)
- The 3-part formula: what happened, what it cost, what you'd say to yourself then
- Friday preview: Neil's World Diabetes Day talk at Akron Children's
This week's challenge: Same as Monday. One DM to one person in this space, and one true thing in a story if you've got it in you. Caregivers, same from your chair.
What is Your Best T1D Year?
Managing Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Each 5-minute episode of Your Best T1D Year is packed with practical strategies, mindset shifts, and a little humor to help you feel more in control and less frustrated by diabetes.
Hosted by Neil Greathouse, this Monday, Wednesday, and Friday podcast delivers quick, relatable episodes that make learning about T1D effortless - so you can build small wins that lead to big changes.
📅 New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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