T1D Purposefully

20/11/2022

Ek is dankbaar vir wie en wat ek vandag is en tipe 1 diabetes is deel daarvan.

Tipe een diabetes het sy groot uitdagings waarvan almal nie altyd bewus is nie, maar in die groot uitdagings getuig ek van God se oneindige genade.

Een van die grootste "mind battles" wat ek deurloop met tipe 1 diabetes, is die feit dat ek ń insulienpompie moet dra wat nogal sigbaar is en ń sensor moet dra wat definitief aandag daarop vestig. Ek is gedwing om te leer dat dit nie lelik is nie en dat ek eerder dankbaar teenoor ons God moet wees vir nuwe tegnologie. Ek het geleer (en doen steeds daagliks) dat dit ń seëning is- ń GROOT een.

Met sosiale media wat vra na perfeksie, modelindustrieë wat spog oor vlekkeloosheid en tydskrifvoorblaaie wat die "ideale" prentjie van die vrou skep, was dit (en is dit soms nog) moeilik om al die ekstras te aanvaar wat as detail ingeteken is in my prentjie. Dis wel waar mens die kop geveg moet aanvat en kies deur watter lens mens gaan kyk- deur ń lens wat seëninge raaksien of een wat alles as ń oordeel of las sien.

Ek vier vandag ń nuwe mentaliteit in die lig van diabete bewusmakings maand (November): ń seënings-mentaliteit.

Al jou "ekstras" is wat jou uniek maak in ń wêreld wat kopieë vier. Ek hoop JY vier JOU unieke prentjie, want dit is besonders en waarvoor duisende oë honger is- egtheid, unieke skoonheid om bietjie hoop te skep vir die wat in onrealistiese ideale verval het.

Ek is dankbaar vir tipe 1 diabetes wat my daaglik dwing om in nederigheid te loop en om my seëninge te tel en te waardeer.

31/07/2022

“Type 1 diabetes can be an undercover condition. Sometimes it can be really hard but sometimes it can also help you grow and build consistency. In my case, it helped me to improve my skills. I’m really happy to share with the world and show people what T1D looks like!” – Sara

Please help us congratulate Sara, as she made it into the Top 5 at the Karate World Championship! GO SARA! 🥳

📸 credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf15t8jlHzp/

31/07/2022

26/07/2022

Dankbaar om my storie te kan deel!💙

05/04/2022

Gadgets... ATTRACTIVE???

At the beginning of February God blessed me with the new MiniMed 780G and Guardian 4. I have not worn a sensor before, so the extra gadget was something for me to get used to.

During this time while I was still getting used to my new gadgets, someone commented on the new look of the gadgets and told me that they didn't look pretty and that they didn't like them. This hurt me and made it harder for me to accept that which is intended to make my life better as a blessing. I had a Diabetic identity crisis. A crisis where I tried to hide my gadgets out of embarrassment and where I lost my confidence as a fearless T1D fighter.

It took a dear person close to me to remind me that, that which God want to use to enable beauty, the devil will always do everything to make it ugly and create a miserable situation out of it. Here is what God enlightened me with: My gadgets will only be as attractive as the mindset I wear them with.

So here it is...

Me and your gadgets, my dia-friend, ARE BEAUTIFUL because it enables us to live a life on purpose abundantly. These gadgets are SEXY because it makes you and me fearless. These gadgets are ATTRACTIVE because it makes us proof of possibility and proof of resilience.

Diabetic or not... We all have some kind of gadget, physical or emotional, and NOBODY ever has the right to degrade us for it.

My gadgets are a BLESSING out of my Father's hand and exemplify His Grace and Goodness. I will handle it as such and I will walk in the fact that without these gadgets I would NEVER have been as HELLA STRONG AND BRAVE as I am today. I hope you walk in this too...

Your mind is your weapon... May God lead you to use it as a life speaker against every rock thrown at you. After this... May you use every rock thrown at you to build your testimony which testifies of God's goodness, grace and glory...

If it comes from God, CELEBRATE IT and accept NOTHING LESS.

Gadgets and all... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

23/03/2022

Think you know who gets type 1 diabetes? Think again. 93% of new cases of type 1 have no family history of the disease, and more than half of all new cases occur in adults. We have to get the symptoms of type 1 in front of as many people as possible—will you help?

Sign up here and we'll send you posters with the symptoms of type 1 to distribute in your community: https://fs3.formsite.com/beyondtype1/hihra3trkk/index.html

11/03/2022

Pixar technical supervisor Susan Fong lives with type 1 diabetes and brings diabetes representation to new film Turning Red.

06/03/2022

🚶🏻‍♀️ W A L K I N G A W A R E N E S S 🚶🏻‍♀️

Awareness is made by being who we are. How we handle the obstacles through our weaknesses is what tells the story. Not by being more than we are, just by being in the day to day challenges.

I have the dream and goal to make awareness, especially in schools, of Type One Diabetes and any other condition that might add an obstacle to living out one's full potential. For a long time, I have been wondering how I would go about it until the thought hit me while I was busy with my practical period in September 2021.

Just by being, you are making awareness. Just by taking on your day as you normally would, you are showing those around you that the condition that you are living with (in my situation, Type One Diabetes) is not as weird as some are making it out to be.

I noticed this especially when learners asked me about my insulin pump. The insulin pump was the trigger to making awareness- the conversation starter. It created the opportunity for me to explain how it works and to take a step closer to Diabetes being a "normal" concept and not something that makes you weird or singles you out from society. They immediately recalled that they have a friend in the class next door who also has Type One Diabetes. It became "okay" and "normal".

The friend that the children told me about saw me walking past the next day and his friend said with excitement, " Look, that teacher also has an insulin pump like you!". He came to me and I acknowledged his insulin pump. Immediately there was enlightenment on his face realising that it is "okay". I came to the conclusion that just staying in your lane and doing what you are called for, is a story someone else is reading and are being inspired by. Just by being, you are a walking awareness.

My point is, God did not make a mistake by creating you and your " flaws" are not your downfall- it is your strength!

May you always portray that which serves as a weakness to you as an ABILITY & not a disability to others- but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP 💉🔥💙
°
°
°

08/01/2022

A heightened risk had already been seen among adults who had recovered from a coronavirus infection.