One day, I was just an ordinary teenager, stressed about college applications, juggling AP exams, and debating with my friends about where we’d order pizza that Friday night. The next, my world was flipped upside down. I was thrown headfirst into a relentless new reality called type 1 diabetes—filled with insulin injections, constant blood sugar checks, and an endless stream of numbers I suddenly had to make sense of.

 

Before that day, getting sick meant something simple and temporary. A fever, sore throat or stuffy nose— something that rest, fluids, and a few days of medicine could fix. But, this?​ This was different. With zero warning or preparation, I was suddenly expected to manage it all— with no clear end in sight.

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The weight of this new responsibility was crushing. Desperate for control in a world that felt like it was slipping through my fingers, I clung to every word my healthcare team said. Every guideline and recommendation became a rule set in stone that I refused to break. 

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Counting carbs, logging every number, sticking to exact meal times—it all gave me a false sense of order when everything else felt chaotic. But slowly, meals became less about nourishment and more about endless calculations. Blood sugar logs weren't just data, but a silent demand for perfection. The rigid schedules that once felt like safety nets turned into brick walls I couldn't break through. On paper, I was a shining success story. My A1C dropped dramatically within a matter of months. My doctors called me their “star patient."

 

Yet beneath the surface, I was suffocating under the silent rules I placed on myself: flexibility was dangerous, enjoying food was irresponsible, spontaneity was risky. I thought this was the cost of living with diabetes—but really, I wasn’t really living at all.

 

That moment, I knew: something had to change.

 

I couldn't keep settling for survival. I wanted to do more than just manage diabetes—I wanted to live with it, not be ruled by it. That drive led me to become a registered dietitian. And somewhere along the way, I uncovered a truth that changed everything: You don't have to give up the foods you love or the life you want to live to be healthy with diabetes.

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​Now with over a decade of lived experience and years of professional training, I help others navigate the messy and imperfect reality of living with type 1 diabetes. ​

 

So, to you- the scared, confused and overwhelmed T1D—I see you. I've been you. And I promise, you'll find your way through this. 

 

Together, we will rewrite the narrative of living with diabetes—One where fear and restriction are replaced with empowerment and possibility. 

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With Happiness and Carbs,

Amanda xoxo​​​​​