When Neil started a new job in 2008, the questions started the first time his pump beeped. "Wait, what's that?" "You have to do that how many times a day?" And his personal favorite, "You can't eat that, right?" Good people, honest questions. But after 10 years of hiding, he was sure the next one would be "so what did you do to get it?"
It's Diabetes Awareness Month, and this episode is about why telling your story is so hard. In 2017, Nancy Liu and the team at diaTribe found 76 percent of people with type 1 say it comes with stigma, and parents of kids with type 1 feel it most, at 83 percent. The people with the highest A1Cs felt it the most, so the people who most need help feel the most judged for needing it. Plus why Awareness Month is really a lighthouse for one boat.
In this episode:
- The 2008 coworker questions, and the one Neil was afraid of
- 3 out of 4 of us: the 2017 stigma research in plain English
- Why parents and caregivers carry the most judgment
- Awareness Month as the week the newly diagnosed person can find us
- A 9-word DM you can send today
This week's challenge: Send one DM to one person in this space: "Saw your post. I get it. Proud of you." And if you're ready, post one true thing about your type 1 in a story, the kind that disappears in 24 hours. Parents and caregivers, same ask from your side.
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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