Sarah Crowell is a third-year PharmD candidate at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy.
Diabetes has shaped my life in many ways. From my personal life to my career choices, it has shown me strengths I otherwise wouldn’t have known. As we celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, I’ve been reflecting on my diabetes experience.
My diagnosis
I was diagnosed with T1D at 13 years old. It was quite a shock, as I had been a “healthy” kid my whole life. After experiencing increased thirst and unexplained weight loss for over a month, I went to my primary care physician for a routine sports physical. After two fingerstick blood glucose tests of more than 600 mg/dL, my physician gave me the news: I have T1D.
I immediately began to spiral, wondering what this meant for me and how my friends or family would treat me. I was terrified of what my new life would look like and thought this diagnosis made me weak.
What I would soon learn is how strong I truly am.
Daily struggles and triumphs
I have now had T1D for more than 11 years, and while I have learned a few tricks over the years, I’m far from what anyone would call a “perfect” diabetic.
T1D is a lifelong disease that requires constant attention, and I’ve definitely experienced burnout from it. From constantly checking my Dexcom to staying in my target blood glucose ranges to anxiously waiting in a physician’s office to hear about my latest A1C, diabetes continues to be a struggle at times.
However, I still find little victories where I can. Whether it is “catching a unicorn” blood glucose reading of 100 mg/dL or finding new accessories to customize my diabetes technology, I’ve found ways to stay motivated with my diabetes and embrace the chaos. I’ve learned that a “perfect” diabetic does not exist, and that my best is enough.
Shaping my career goals
While the question of which career to pursue puzzled me for quite some time, diabetes guided me to my current career goals. My diabetes diagnosis taught me to appreciate the value that medications have on the well-being of patients. As I learned more about the medications that keep me alive, I began wanting to learn more about other medications that help patients.
Diabetes ultimately led me to pharmacy, and I feel that I belong in this profession.
Advice for patients
Through my experiences, I’ve learned that empathy is paramount. For most patients, we see merely a snapshot of their lives. While we may see a patient’s medication and blood glucose history, we do not see the daily struggles they face. As student pharmacists, we can empathize with our patients and gather the necessary information to view them as a whole rather than purely by the numbers.
The best advice I can give is to ask patients how they are doing, not just how their A1C is doing.