I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for a while. It might seem counterintuitive, but in my 20 years with type 1, I’ve actually learned that there can be some benefits to this disease! Now, that’s not to say that this condition isn’t a lot of hard work and generally a pain in the butt 99% of the time, but I wanted to share some of the good things I’ve found in case anyone was looking for a silver lining.

I know my body inside and out 

This might be a bold statement, but I feel like I can confidently say that I know myself and my body better than anyone else I know. I’m super in tune with small changes that signal high and low blood sugars, which also means I can detect other changes in my body pretty quickly. I know what’s normal and what’s not. I also have access to full blood work and vital signs every year, which is something most people would need a specific request to get access to. 

I understand health trends and can sort out what’s real and what isn’t 

One benefit with all the carb counting and general diabetes knowledge is that I have a pretty great handle on the wellness world. I knew all about the importance of blood sugar balancing meals (with a protein, fat, and carb) long before it was trendy, and knew pretty quickly that smoothies with four cups of fruit weren’t going to be great in terms of sugar (although super tasty as a treat from time to time!). All in all, I definitely consider myself to have an honorary degree in nutrition and health, which comes in handy all the time!

I’m way more resourceful 

Since I haven’t lived much of my life without diabetes I don’t have a great control group for this one, but I’m fairly confident that diabetes has made me WAY more resourceful than I otherwise would have been. Being in control of my life from a young age forced me to figure things out. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been up a creek without a paddle when it comes to my diabetes, yet I always found a way to make it through. Those skills definitely come in handy outside of diabetes, too!

I’m extremely organized

Which leads nicely into my next point, which is that life with diabetes has taught me to plan ahead and get organized! I now have this superpower where I can predict ten different outcomes and be ready for them all…haha. This has also been handy on a personal note, allowing me to be ready for anything at work and always having what I need. 

I have an excellent excuse to get out of almost anything 

I was about two years into my diabetes career when I discovered that I could play the diabetes card to get out of *almost* anything I wanted…and trust me when I say that I was drunk on power (haha). All kidding aside, I definitely did abuse the privilege here and there (*cough* avoiding gym class on days when I didn’t want to mess up my hair *cough*), but this is one of the best perks of having diabetes and I believe we should all be able to use it from time to time! Whether it’s justifying being a few minutes late to work or getting a skip-the-line pass at Disney, diabetes can actually come in handy sometimes and people will rarely push you for details. However, with great power comes great responsibility, so don’t push this perk too much or you might not be able to use it when you really need to (like when your blood sugar actually does make you late for work).

I’ve made some great friends

There’s no two ways about it, diabetes has brought me some truly amazing friendships with people I otherwise wouldn’t have likely connected with. Whether it was at diabetes camp as a child (which I totally recommend) to people at research conferences and everywhere in between, having a common thread of an illness that not many people know first-hand creates an immediate connection and bond. I’m still great friends with other T1s I met as a child, and trust me when I say that there is nothing better than talking over a scary low blood sugar or a weird endocrinologist encounter with someone who knows exactly what you’re talking about.

 I can advocate for myself

I learned at a young age the importance of advocating for myself and what I need to be successful in a situation, and I think that’s something a lot of people have to figure out for themselves later in life. It helped me to be comfortable speaking to authority figures like principals and professors when I needed accommodations for something, and having conversations with my healthcare team about what was working or what wasn’t, or even an idea I had. It also taught me valuable skills in advocating for others who might not be as comfortable, and the importance of voicing what I need in a given situation. 

I have a passion to help others 

And my final point, which is that diabetes has brought me a lot of purpose. I’m so passionate about helping others navigate through health challenges after experiencing my own (diabetes and otherwise), advancing research by volunteering my time with different organizations, sharing my patient story, and just generally creating a sense of turning my struggles into something more. I know so many people with chronic illness feel this way about their conditions, and it makes sense when you consider that it’s something you deal with 24/7, 365 days a year. So while diabetes is a huge pain in the butt, I’m happy for the passion and direction it’s provided me over the years.