I Am…Blindsided by a Whole New Disease
I walked into my appointment expecting to talk about cancer scans. The news was good — no new growth, everything stable. Then my nurse glanced at my labs and paused.
“My blood sugar was what?” I asked. She looked up. “Over 400. You should see your doctor right away.”
By that evening I had a new word to add to my medical file: diabetes.
For years I’d kept my numbers steady through diet and daily walks. But suddenly, nothing worked. The doctors said it can happen when the immune system gets overstimulated after certain treatments. My pancreas, once reliable, had quietly stopped doing its job.
At first I felt betrayed by my body, by medicine, by luck itself. How could a treatment that saved my life also change it so completely?
When I shared my story in the Smart Patients community, others understood immediately. Some had developed diabetes after surgeries, steroids, or stress. Others were longtime Type 1 or 2 veterans offering practical advice and steady reassurance.
“If your pancreas still makes any insulin, protect it like gold," one member said.
Another wrote, “I thought I was alone until I met someone else who’d been there."
Through those conversations I learned control is an illusion, but connection isn’t. We learn to read our numbers, our energy, our emotions. We adapt. We ask questions. We keep showing up.
It’s strange to celebrate a clear scan while learning to count carbs. Strange to hold gratitude and grief in the same breath. But I realized, with the help of others, that it’s okay to live in that tension.
It’s where most of us live - balancing hope and apprehension, and seizing the good that life still offers.
This National Diabetes Month, let’s support organizations such as Taking Control Of Your Diabetes in their efforts to support people working to manage diabetes every day and better understand its risks and symptoms.
Have you or someone you love faced a new diabetes diagnosis that changed how you manage your health? What helped you find balance again? Join us to compare notes, share resources, and help one another regain balance in body and mind.