I was diagnosed almost 9 months ago with Type 1 Diabetes a week before my 23rd birthday. Over the past few months I have seen many resources for kids dealing with T1 but not much for young adults in our 20s. I am in the thinking phase of ways to either start a group for young adults with type 1 to get together or even a fundraiser or something geared for young adults that raises money for JDRF. the walks are always fun but mostly geared towards kids and families. How fun would it be to have an event that raises money and is more exciting for adults. Maybe a concert or something that would bring lots of people together. So many organizations raise money in so many ways and most of my friends and family want to find ways to get involved with JDRF but because I was recently diagnosed they find things are more geared towards kids.
My initial idea was to have a way for people that have diabetes to connect with others in their age group.
Any ideas, thoughts etc I would love to hear or connect
Well first of all, Welcome to the T1D club! I was diagnosed when I was 3 years old and even though I did the whole T1D camp thing and went to a few other events when I was a kid all of that stuff pretty quickly disappeared as I got older. Now as I’m getting older I find I want to reach out and connect with the community more but there’s not much out there for adults. I think a benefit concert would be awesome! I also think someone should start an Adult T1D camp, maybe a week, maybe a long 3 day weekend. I’ve been thinking for a while of starting a Meetup.com group in my area but have just been really busy. I know there’s a hardcore bicycling T1D group in my area but I’m just not in that good of shape…yet!
Anyways, I think you have some good ideas going, and you should be applauded for really going for it. I’ve known a few newly diagnosed over the years and a lot of them go the “denial, I’m not going to deal with this, and be self-destructive” route(totally understandable though, some times all this just sucks!). So I just think it’s really cool and awesome how you’re embracing this and trying to make something positive out of it and connect.
I was diagnosed 31 years ago at age 16. My parents never sent me to diabetes camp or anything, and I found over the years that it was a rare and special event to run into another Type 1. I came across another pumper at jury duty just recently, and we ended up chatting all day and taking our lunch break together. It was great because I literally had never had that long of a live conversation with another Type 1 before! My point is that for whatever reason, even though there are supposedly a million or so of us in the U.S., we’re pretty spread out, and most people seem to like to handle it privately (or maybe not handling it at all, sadly). So it can be hard enough to connect with T1’s in general, let alone subgroups like T1’s in their 20’s or in specific geographic areas. There is a Type 1 Diabetes group on Facebook, and also one for Minimed pumpers, and TuDiabetes. But I like the JDRF one best, even though there aren’t a ton of us on here. Glad you’re here!
I AM IN THE EXACT SAME BOAT AND SHARE THE SAME FEELINGS.
I was diagnosed at the end of January a couple months before my 23rd birthday.
While the diabetic educator who I met with once in the hospital and my Endo is GREAT I just hate that there are so few resources out there! I am still new to the T1D club but it has quickly become something that I am a huge advocate of as far as awareness goes as well. Because I literally know one person with type one diabetes almost everything that I have learned is just from reading all the articles available to the web. (Almost all of which are talking down to kids or talking to type 1 parents. I think there needs to be some kind of an online presence geared towards our age bracket as well. And I love your fundraising idea! Type One effects more than kids and kids aren’t the only newly diagnosed people out there!
I love this idea so much! I was diagnosed when I was 7, and am now 24 years old. Similar to the previous comment, I’ve found as I’ve gotten older wanting to reach out to other diabetics instead of pretending it doesn’t exist. I still do the walks almost every year, but you’re right - it’s definitely not for the 20-something age bracket. Especially those without any little ones. I would love to talk more about this! As far as ideas and ways to get going… I think it depends on the scale. Regardless social media is probably a good place to start.
I am newly diagnosed, this past may 3rd at age 26. I agree, we twenty something’s need more support. Efally22, the Instagram community you can find a good amount of twenty year olds who are type ones like us. If you’d like, look me up @kawaii_diabetic
Hi I am in the same boat and will love it for something like this to happen. I was diagnosed at 23 years and now I am 27 and still have not met anyone who is type 1.
I was just diagnosed about a month ago at 23. I think right now I am still a bit in denial, as we are still trying to get everything figured out and there have been many frustrating days, but I think having a community like this is a great idea. I as well don’t know many people with type one (I know one person), and while I have wonderful doctors, it always helps to get involved with others going through the same thing.
Hi im Michael im 21 and just been diagnosed with type 1 a day before my birthday (sucks huh). I love the sound of this idea. Im currently still coming to terms with this idea and think being with and talking to others that have had similar experiences would do me the world of good. I know this was posted in July so would be good to know if anyone has made any steps forwards. We could make a Facebook group maybe everyone can chat get to know each other ? maybe do like a christmas event ?
I think connecting through social media and doing different holiday events are great ideas.It’s hard to talk to people about it, especially when as much as they can try, they really have no idea what you are going through, and it isn’t easy getting diagnosed at an age where, for the most part you had your life, and now you basically have to start from scratch and learn what “normal” is for you. I know when I got diagnosed with celiac five years ago, I thought that threw me for a loophole, well, jokes on me.
Hey everyone I’ve created a FB group if everyone would like to join and hopefully we can spread the word and get as many people as possible. Maybe create a community Add people, chat, get to know everyones stories
I was diagnosed about 10 months ago at age 26 and I have been finding that there are very limited resources for newly diagnosed 20-somethings. Thanks for starting the facebook group. I am definitely joining!
Hi all! I was recently diagnosed in March at the age of 28 after being misdiagnosed with Type 2 in 2013! I am so glad that there’s a way to connect for us twenty somethings at such an important time in our life. When we should be carefree, we have a very large burden to deal with. But together, we can be strong and face our battles head on! Thanks so much for starting this group!
This is such a great point. I was diagnosed 4 1/2 years ago. 3 months before my 22nd bday. Obviously a very difficult age to get hit with something like this (not that it’s ever a good age.) coincidentally a friend of mine was diagnosed about a year after I was. It was so helpful and almost comforting to have somebody who could understand.
Unfortunately he passed about 2-3 weeks ago. Again, I feel so alone. Which has lead me to here. it would be so great to be able to meet up with a few other T1’s once in a while.
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Add people, chat, get to know everyones stories