Jennifer Anderson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 30 and all her energy was consumed with learning about diabetes. Jennifer considered diabetes a thing to be conquered, an extra chore on the ‘to do’ list. But it was always on the top of the list and didn’t seem to leave room for much else. Back then, diabetes took over from everything else that was important to Jennifer like: succeeding at work, having a full social life, exercising and maintaining relationships. Below is Jennifer's story.
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It was a really lonely and difficult time for me. I had just changed jobs, moved interstate, (started a new relationship!) and was trying to establish a new network of friends. Looking back, I realise I worked hard to keep diabetes separate and hidden from those other parts of my life. I thought I’d be perceived as less capable at work and I was terrified I’d have a hypo in a meeting and jeopardise my professional image. It wasn’t something I felt comfortable sharing with new friends either.
It took me a while, but eventually I realised that diabetes was a part of me and not something that could be separated. It was going to be a part of my work and social life and accepting that was not easy for me. I was frustrated with having to leave meetings and social functions for an injection or to eat, stressed by having to plan meals and snacks around everything else, and sick of carrying an insulin pen and jelly beans everywhere. These things were an imposition on my freedom and my confidence suffered because I felt out of control. I even felt embarrassed that I must have done something neglectful to ‘get’ diabetes. Anxiety, I discovered, did not help keep blood sugar levels steady either.
And when these diabetes complications (on top of everything else!) almost had me beaten, I did something unexpected – I let go. I just stopped struggling. I realised diabetes wasn’t something I had to beat or overcome (like a bad flu); it was something I could learn to live with, and absorb into my daily routines. I stopped treating it as an imposing inconvenience, and started thinking about it like any other planned part of my life (money, travel, exercise, and career). After all it is a part of me, but it isn’t me!
The fear of hypos and the anxiety about my next snack or meal stopped and I felt in control again. Of course I still have hypos occasionally – regardless of how organised or prepared I am – but they don’t knock my confidence the way they used to and I don’t let them stress me.
I firmly believe now: “you can’t control everything that happens to you- but you can control how you choose to react to it”
Now I spend much less time focusing on my diabetes and more time setting goals in all areas of my life: work, social, relationships and health - diabetes just has to fit in, I don’t allow it to take over! I still face the usual challenges: lack of motivation and discipline, doubting myself, getting too caught up with work, blood sugar levels, tiredness and making up excuses to get going! I now have strategies to manage each of these challenges and so far I have achieved everything I have set out to do. It’s very empowering!
It’s now my passion and my profession to inspire, encourage and support others who have diabetes. I also work with Health Professionals to help them support us.
It took me a while, but I’ve got it now — I no longer focus solely on my diabetes, I focus on all of me and how to get everything I want out of life!
Jennifer is a fully accredited Coach, Trainer and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) practitioner. She is dedicated to using her skills and experience to help others living with diabetes. She is the founder of JLA Initiatives.