My First Year with T1D


 2017-01-27

November 12, 2015 was the day that my world was turned upside down in so many ways. The words I never dreamt to hear were uttered by my doctor, “You have type 1 diabetes.” These are words that we can all remember at the time of diagnosis. That moment launched the lows and highs of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

The First Days

After leaving the doctor’s office, my husband, Evan, and I went to pick up my new diabetes supplies and insulin at the pharmacy. We taught ourselves how to check my blood sugar and administer insulin. I recall sitting at our kitchen table, the same table where we had talked about our plans to start a family the night before, and sobbing because I couldn’t prick my finger. We stopped and sobbed together. Evan checked for me and injected the insulin that night. The next day, I went to work, checked my blood sugar, gave myself insulin and shared the news with my coworkers. I was not strong enough to share the news with my students and I had no idea how to talk to them about T1D when I didn’t fully understand it myself. That weekend I was thrown into a cyclone of support and love from wonderful family members that came equipped with well-wishes, advice and hugs. But I wanted none of it—because I felt so shocked and guilty.

The First Weeks

Exactly one week after my type 1 diagnosis, I received a call from my family doctor that informed me that I had celiac disease as well. At that point, I was beyond defeated. The guilt and depression was mounting. I recall screaming at my husband that life wasn’t fair. We lived a very healthy lifestyle and realizing that I would not be allowed to become pregnant or exercise regularly for an undetermined amount of time was almost too much. I was angry at the world, yet I kept my feelings a secret from everyone but my poor husband. And once again, we had to adjust to the new lifestyle just two weeks before Thanksgiving. A few weeks after my diagnosis I had an appointment with my endocrinologist and finally started down the road to understand my diseases.

The First Three Months

Over winter break, I spent time getting connected on social media to look for support and interact with people living with type 1. I began listening to podcasts, reading articles and learning about technology. The desire to find my purpose was ignited. I started sharing my story with others and began to embrace my new life, but there were moments of sadness and resentment. I remember sharing with my third graders, showing them my supplies and reassuring them that I was going to be okay. 24 third graders wrapped their little arms around me. It was the first time since my diagnosis I felt strong and I knew I was meant to become an advocate for T1D. I started to journal my challenges. I started to really live my life and type 1 was not going to stop me from that. The silver lining was my first A1C check. I went from an 11.7 on day of diagnosis to a 5.7. That day I remembering thinking that I was going to show type 1 who was boss. How naïve I was.

Waiting

Waiting was the name of the game. I’m a very patient person when it comes to working with children, but I am not patient in any other aspect of my life. I had to wait for my Dexcom, a new endocrinologist, the approval to exercise, my Omnipod and the approval to start a family. All of the waiting started to take a toll on my mental health and it started to put a wrench in my marriage.

The Past Six Months

All of the things I was waiting for have come to pass. We started marriage counseling in June and I learned that it was okay to grieve the person I had known for 26 years. I didn’t know I could grieve over myself. Having the validation was liberating. We learned strategies for coping with the emotional roller coaster that type 1 and celiac bring into our daily lives. Evan and I have a marriage that is strong. We have embraced our new lifestyle and we count our blessings every day. For my mental health I write, meditate, paint, read and practice yoga.

The Future

Making the world a better place has always been my goal in life. My plan was to inspire children through teaching in the classroom. T1D advocacy has opened new doors and opportunities that I could never have imagined. This past year has taught me so much—and I would not have changed a thing. My passion to help and inspire others includes being aware of mental health with T1D and learning how to cope. Evan reminds me daily that when faced with a challenge, I am always stronger than I think I am. We are all stronger because of our type 1 diabetes.


Read The Year I was Diagnosed and Empowered by Brittany Compston.

WRITTEN BY Kaylee Wilkof, POSTED 01/27/17, UPDATED 10/06/22

Kaylee Wilkof has had type 1 and celiac disease for one year. She is an elementary school teacher in Athens, Ohio. She and her husband, Evan, have been married for three years and are involved in the Athens community. She is an advocate for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and raises awareness in her community and on social media. Her other passions include: education, being a member of the interfaith community, traveling, yoga, music, gardening and anything involving art. You can find her on Instagram: type1kaylee and Facebook: Kaylee Wilkof.