10 Daily Life Annoyances that Only T1Ds Know

Life with type 1 diabetes is a balancing act. Often news coverage focuses on the major issues, but what about the little daily annoyances that only people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) could possible know? Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the annoyances that people with type 1 experience on a daily basis!

1. Having to go full Good Will Hunting before eating a simple meal.

2. Needing to pause life for a blood glucose (BG) check before doing literally anything fun.

3. The looming threat of alarms that usually go off at the literal worst times.

4. Choosing a restaurant with a group of people who give zero effs about your chosen dietary parameters.

5. Adding another 30 mins to your commute because you ran out of insulin or left your meter at home.

6. Having to explain that yes, you do need to be looking at your phone during class or performance, etc. because of continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

7. Having to explain to security at venues that yes, you really do need to bring food or juice and no, you will not throw it away.

8. The weird looks at the gym because of the random packs of Skittles or Starbursts sitting on the treadmill.

9. Adjusting pump settings or long acting insulin dosing to different time zones when traveling.

10. Wardrobe malfunctions that revolve around pump tubing or CGM placement.

Read Things Everyone Thinks Are Gross Unless You’re a T1D by Alexi Melvin

WRITTEN BY Alexi Melvin, POSTED 08/21/19, UPDATED 07/25/23

Alexi Melvin is a writer, artist and actress in the Bay Area. She studied at the New School University in Manhattan as well as the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. She has written for multiple publications and websites such as the San Francisco Chronicle and has been a regular contributor for Beyond Type 1 for many years. You can also hear her voice in two Star Wars films. She has been a loyal advocate for type 1 diabetes awareness, education and fundraising since she was diagnosed in 2003. She hopes to continue to empower and be a voice for those who choose to embrace type 1 diabetes as a part of their lives, but at the same time, do not allow it to define them.