All of the signs were there: excessive thirst, rapid weight loss, and a bone-deep exhaustion that couldn't be explained.
At the same time, however, I was newly married, living in a new city, and focused on wrapping up my senior year of college. Like many twenty-somethings, I didn't have great health insurance.
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three. It was more difficult for my parents than me because I was so young and they had to learn how to take care of me with the diagnosis of me having type 1 diabetes. I honestly count the diagnosis as a blessing because I have taken my health more seriously than I would have done if I had not had to worry about the things I eat and taking insulin to help me stay alive. It has been a challenge, but I am so thankful for the medical advancements I have been able to experience over the course of my life thus far.
Both of my parents had type 2 diabetes and they are no longer with us. Native people are also most likely to have some form of diabetes, just like myself as a Navajo/Diné.
After having COVID-19, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the beginning of August 2020 by Village clinic here. It was bit hard to share with my family. My older brother encouraged me to get my A1C to 5. He instructed me on finding ways virtually, since the Village clinic had less to share at that time. My journey is unbelievable, but it can be done.
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