Today is World Diabetes Day! For those of us living with diabetes (in any form) and those who love us, today is a celebration and an opportunity to reflect back on everything the previous year held. It’s a big day in the community, with lots of fun events and announcements, and everyone is encouraged to wear blue. November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and November 14 is the heart of the whole month. November 14 was selected as the big day because it’s Fredrick Banting’s birthday, and he discovered insulin right here in Canada. Along with your diaversary (the anniversary of when you were diagnosed with diabetes), World Diabetes Day is the other day to celebrate having diabetes. 

If “celebrating” having diabetes seems odd, you’re not alone. I never used to make a big deal of either my diaversary or World Diabetes Day because I viewed having diabetes as a hassle. I would do everything I could to avoid having it be a big part of my life, and would hide any evidence of my diabetes around most people. But over time, I changed my mind. I decided that I wanted to celebrate and acknowledge another year of successfully living with this disease. It’s a 24/7 condition with no breaks that requires SO much work, so we deserve some recognition! And this year, World Diabetes Day is extra special for me because it’s the day I officially announce the launch of The Ultimate Diabetes Guide (UDG) site and social media. I’ve been quietly working on it for a few months but haven’t shared it publicly, so today’s the day! 

I wrote more in depth about why I decided to start the UDG in this post, but I’ll share the Cole’s notes here. In essence, I’ve had Type 1 diabetes for almost twenty years and have always enjoyed mentoring newer people with diabetes, but when I turned 28 I was told I had “aged out” of the mentorship program I had been in for most of my life and would no longer be paired with new mentees. I didn’t even know there was an age cutoff, so I was surprised. I found myself struggling without having someone to share my insights with, and it was hard for me to find a bigger meaning in the challenges of living with diabetes without knowing I could help others avoid or navigate the same issues. This past year was also challenging in some non-diabetes ways, and I was looking for something to channel my energy into.  

As a writer by nature, the idea of starting a website/blog came up a few times over the years, but it always felt silly. Who would read it? In getting these initial posts up in advance of today, it’s become clear to me that it doesn’t matter how many people read it, just that it will hopefully be helpful to someone out there. There’s a lot of nuance with this condition, and I’ve found myself feeling very alone with my experiences more often than I ever thought I would. My hope is to share my real-life experience and tips I’ve picked up over the years, some of which might be unconventional or perhaps even unsanctioned (shh, don’t tell my doctor). That was always the fun and authentic side of mentoring that I loved, and I hope to carry that through to The Ultimate Diabetes Guide.  

So thanks for stopping by and giving this a read. If you’re someone living with diabetes or love/care for people with diabetes, drop your email below so you can get updates on new posts every once in a while (I promise I won’t be annoying about it), or share it with someone who might find it valuable. The goal is to post twice a week and more regularly on social media (TikTok and Instagram), but I’ll be figuring it out as we go. So, let’s get to it! 

Happy World Diabetes Day - don’t forget to get yourself something sugary to celebrate, you deserve it! :)

- Devin