What it's like:
Living with type 1 diabetes
“The first thing I do in the morning, and the last thing I do at night.”
Reece Parkinson is on a journey to learn from his colleagues at Vertex about something they all have in common: type 1 diabetes (T1D). Come along for the ride with him to see an unfiltered glimpse at what it’s like to live with T1D—from traveling and exercising, to parenthood and health scares.
Latest episode:
Reece starts his journey in London and Oxford, England before traveling down the east coast in the U.S. to Boston, Philadelphia and Tampa. Join him to learn from Aziz, Sandra, Maighan and Michelle as they share what it’s like:
Series trailers
What it's like: A teaser
Meet Reece as he gets ready to visit his colleagues and new friends, all living with T1D.
Constant management
Living with T1D means nonstop checks and balances of your blood sugar levels. Countless activities in a day could lead to high or low blood sugar levels, and people living with T1D must promptly address these fluctuations to avoid potentially debilitating symptoms and complications.
Full episodes
Episode 1: Day to day with T1D
“It can get too much sometimes.”
Reece was diagnosed with T1D in 2020 and has spent the last five years learning how to adjust every routine in his life to help manage his T1D. He shares what it’s like to eat, sleep, exercise and work with T1D. Aziz lives with T1D as a husband and father. He shares the burdens of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) events with T1D, the apprehension around speaking with his doctors and more. Episode 1 coming soon!
Episode 2: Motherhood and T1D
“There are moments with this disease, where your body is literally telling you, ‘You need to take care of yourself first.’”
T1D is a careful balancing act these two moms are all too familiar with. Feeling like a burden on others, the nuances of pregnancy with T1D and the many, many decisions made every day due to the disease—Sandra, Maighan and Reece discuss all of this and more as they share learnings and advice for moms with T1D. Episode 2 coming soon!
Episode 3: T1D trauma and burdens
“It’s the thing in my life that I think of the most.”
Akila has been living with T1D for over two decades. And while that may help her be more prepared with the right supplies for an outing to the gym, it doesn’t change the burden she feels to keep up with things each and every day. She expresses her fear of complications that could come down the road and much more, in her conversation with Reece. Episode 3 coming soon!
Episode 4: Severe events with T1D
“My [blood sugar] was so low, my mom couldn’t get me to wake up.”
Michelle has been living with T1D for so long she’s normalized a lot of the routine and habits that take up so much of her day. But as someone with T1D who has experienced some severe low blood sugar events, there are some scary moments that snap her into the reality of how T1D impacts her quality of life. Episode 4 coming soon!
Other ways to learn what it's like with T1D
Highs and lows: Stories of T1D
Josh, Janine, Mila, Ryan and Kylene came together from different backgrounds and generations to share their experiences of living with T1D. Learn from their conversations on common T1D misconceptions, the importance of advocating for yourself with your doctor and more.
Spotlight severe hypos
When it comes to severe hypoglycemic events in people living with type 1 diabetes, don’t be left in the dark. ~50% of people with T1D did not discuss their most recent SHE with their doctor. For US healthcare professionals.