My teenager has just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and I’m feeling overwhelmed. Can you give me some guidance to help make our family’s transition as smooth as possible?

My friend Scott asked me to join him on a day hike up Donkey Mountain which is 950m above sea. It never occurred to me that this hike would take me way out of my comfort zone. I was prepared with my Medronic pump and Free Style Libre sensor for quick testing of my blood glucose levels along with snacks and water although this hike would prove to be more challenging than any hike I’d ever been on.

I recently attended my son’s football tournament and there was an opportunity for me to help out a fellow type 1 diabetic who was experiencing a low blood sugar episode. It’s amazing how treating blood sugar lows, and something that is so automatic in my life was magnified as the episode went into slow motion and I found myself taking control of the situation with total ease.

Two guys, 2 bikes and large NSW/Victorian mountain ranges awaiting the first snowfall of the year.

I remember it well and the date is April 2008. Our adventure begins at Tom Groggin Station a short distance from the popular ski resort of Thredbo. We’re on an isolated working cattle station in the heart of the snowy mountains on the border of NSW and Victoria. We are about to saddle up our 450cc dirt bikes and head off into the high country.

We were invited to join a friend for her birthday on an island to celebrate a milestone. The invitation said “experience a plant-based dinner under the stars”. As a largely plant-based eater, I was very intrigued.

My partner went through a breast cancer journey a few years ago and it really shook up our family. It was really hard some days and we had to pull together, be honest with the kids, and work through it. We had never dealt with cancer before so had to educate ourselves fast along with those around us. We learned to depend on the comfort of friends and family from close and afar, something we had rarely done in the past. People aren’t very good at asking for help, yet often that’s exactly what they need.

Last year my wife went to Canada for a few weeks to see her family and friends for a long planned reunion. Initially, I didn’t worry about my Type 1 diabetes being an issue for the period as I have been a single parent before and have coped. Days before she left my anxiety crept in as I knew that I would be the only one in charge and responsible for everything without any back up support.

It's been a while since I have ventured back into the bush after completing the Kokoda Trail in May 2018 and I’ve felt a calling to get back into nature. Before heading out on a 3 hour walk, I couldn’t just be spontaneous and hit the track, I had to be organised as so many things could easily spiral out of control.

Lately I’ve been wondering why my blood sugar levels are all over the place. I realise that I’ve been getting complacent and haven’t always been giving myself a bolus before eating. This is causing a major roller coaster ride on many levels for me.

Hi I’m Noelle and am Rob’s partner (the ‘Healthy Diabetic’ you’re reading about). I have a blog called ‘The Over-r-whelm’ and it seemed fitting to share our family’s diabetic journey to give you even more insight.

I thought it would be interesting to do a post about my thoughts and feelings while I was actually having a low blood sugar episode. This was not at all surprising but did give me some interesting insights to see what my state of mind was.

I’ve never wanted the fact that I’m a Type 1 Diabetic to hold me back from doing anything. I know that having this condition makes me think twice and I have to consider many things that other people take for granted.

I’ve had type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back in 1978, I was devastated and angry. I wondered why this had happened to me.