For the Newly Diagnosed (And the Parents Who Feel Lost)

If you or someone in your family was just diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. Confused. Maybe even scared.

I remember those first few weeks after my diagnosis like it was yesterday. I was 11 years old, in the ICU with a blood glucose level in the 800s, and my parents were trying to hold it together while being hit with a flood of new information. Insulin pens, carb ratios, ketones, correction factors, continuous glucose monitors—things we had never even heard of a few days earlier were suddenly part of our everyday language.

Here’s what I want you to know: it won’t always feel this hard.

You’ll figure it out. Not all at once. But step by step, day by day. You’ll start to learn what your body needs, how it reacts, and how to manage those highs and lows. It won’t be perfect, but you’ll get better at it. I promise.

This is a huge adjustment—not just for the person with Type 1, but for the whole family. And the pressure to “get it right” can feel intense. You might feel like you’re on edge 24/7, constantly watching numbers, logging food, calculating insulin, and just trying to keep things steady. That’s normal. It means you care.

But let me say this clearly: perfection is not the goal. Progress is.

There will be bad days. There will be unexpected highs, frustrating lows, and moments where you feel like you’re doing everything right and it still doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means Type 1 is unpredictable sometimes—and you’re human.

For parents reading this: I know how much pressure you feel. You want to fix it, control it, protect your child from everything. But the most powerful thing you can do is teach them how to manage it for themselves. If they're young, start involving them in the process as soon as appropriate. However, don’t just hand them the tools—teach them how to use them. Become partners in the learning process. And most importantly, be patient. The learning curve is steep, and they need your grace as much as your guidance.

Looking back now, over a decade since my diagnosis, I see how those early habits and mindsets shaped everything. I wasn’t just learning how to give insulin—I was learning how to take ownership of my health, how to problem-solve, and how to stay focused even when life threw me off.

That’s what this journey is really about.

Type 1 will always be part of your life—but it doesn’t have to run your life. The goal isn’t just survival—it’s to thrive. And that starts with mindset, education, and support.  

If you need support and a guidebook for this, check out my book North of Normal.

– Wyatt