Understanding Diabetes: A Lifelong Journey

Holding my glucometer showing my 5.0 mmol/L blood glucose level
Every day, I get asked, “What is diabetes?” While many people know it’s a lifelong condition, few understand the challenges it brings and the steps required to manage it well. That’s why I created this blog—to raise awareness about diabetes, explain the different types, and share ways to manage it effectively. My goal is to empower others with the knowledge to better understand diabetes, support loved ones, and even save lives by helping people recognize symptoms and respond appropriately.

Diabetes is personal to me, and my journey has shown me how little most people understand about it. I have faced emergencies with low blood sugar when those around me didn’t know how to help. Through this blog, I aim to cover topics like the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, managing symptoms, new technologies, myths and truths about living with diabetes, and more. I’ll also share my personal experiences to help bring these topics to life.
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What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a group of conditions that result in high blood sugar due to the pancreas either not producing enough insulin or the body not absorbing insulin effectively. There are two main types: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Let’s break down each type to understand their unique features and management approaches.

Type 1 Diabetes: What It Is and How It’s Managed

Type 1 diabetes, often referred to as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, stopping it from producing insulin. Insulin is essential because it allows glucose from food to enter cells, providing the energy needed for daily activities. Without it, glucose remains in the bloodstream, leading to dangerously high blood sugar levels. Since type 1 diabetics don’t produce insulin naturally, they rely entirely on insulin therapy to manage their condition.

Insulin Therapy: The Basics
Managing type 1 diabetes requires a combination of insulin types to keep blood glucose levels steady. The main types are:
  • Fast-acting insulin (like Novolin R or Humulin R), which quickly lowers blood sugar and is taken at mealtimes or whenever a correction is needed.
  • Slow-acting insulin (such as Lantus, Levemir, or Toujeo), which provides a steady release over time and is typically taken once or twice daily.
  • Intermediate-acting insulin (like NPH), which serves as a middle ground between fast- and slow-acting types.
A daily insulin regimen usually involves both a slow or intermediate insulin for a stable baseline and fast-acting insulin to manage blood sugar spikes from meals. This requires careful attention to the carbohydrates in each meal. Each person has a unique carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio to help calculate how much insulin they need for what they’re eating. For example, my personal ratio for breakfast is is 7.5:1, meaning for every 7.5 grams of carbs I consume, I inject 1 unit of insulin. This ratio can vary widely from person to person and depends on time of day, as each individual’s sensitivity to insulin differs throughout the day.

Managing Type 1 diabetes can feel like a constant balancing act, but with the right knowledge, tools, and support, it’s absolutely possible to live a full and healthy life. This blog will continue exploring tips, insights, and the latest advancements in diabetes care, so stay tuned for more!
"Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Without insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy "                                                      

 
- Canadian Diabetes Association

​     Type 2 Diabetes:

      Type 2 diabetes, also called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes, is a disease in which a person's pancreas does not produce enough insulin; or a person's body cells do not properly use the insulin it makes, (Canadian Diabetes Association). Type 2 diabetes is the most common and it may be caused through a combination of genes  and extra weight. It can also be developed at ANY age - DNA may affect the way your body may use the insulin it produces, however, being overweight can also cause your body cells to develop insulin resistance.

             This type of diabetes is the most common in society today. Symptoms vary from person to person, and low blood sugar episodes or hypoglycemias are often uncommon, unless the person is treating with insulin or other diabetes medicines. 
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     Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is controlled through good/healthy dieting, regular exercise and by taking blood glucose lowering medications (normally pills but may include insulin as well). Type 2 diabetes can also be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle. That being said, when type 2 diabetes is treated, blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight will lower.

​             Though each type of diabetes is controlled differently, people with either type are still responsible for calculating the carbohydrates that will be eaten in each meal, and from there, taking further action to control their blood glucose levels. 

Ideal Blood Glucose Levels:

      Due to the insulin injections or pills diabetics have to take throughout the day, their blood sugar levels may get low or high. Hypoglycemias (low blood glucose) most often happen when a diabetic takes way too much insulin/lowering medication for the amount of carbohydrates eaten. It may also occur when a diabetic has not eaten for a long period of time. Similarly, hyperglycemias (high blood glucose) arise when not enough insulin/lowering medication is taken in comparison to the amount of carbohydrates eaten. However, high blood glucose levels may occur when emotions are running high, such as shock and stress, or when sick.
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       The American Diabetes association states that an ideal blood glucose level on a diabetic before a meal should be between 70 and 130 mg/dl, (Living With Diabetes, para. 1). However, in Canada, the ideal blood glucose levels for a diabetic are between 4.0 to 8.0 mmol/L.

My Personal Experience Living With Type 1 Diabetes:

     As someone with type 1 diabetes, it is easier for me to explain how this type of diabetes functions. Although I control myself as best as I possibly can, it is still hard to manage at times. My blood glucose control is great, but I do still get hypo/hyperglycemias here and there. Blood glucose levels may change according to your stress, insulin injections, daily activities, among others. Therefore, any type of diabetes is a daily struggle. It is a disease that you will be living with for the rest of your life (as of now). Consequently, I have decided to control my diabetes as best as possible and I hope to inspire others to do the same! More information to come in next week's post. Thank you for reading!