Ever wonder what things you should learn before going to college as a type 1 diabetic? We’ve got you covered. In this episode, Jessie & I talk quickly go through many things that T1Ds should know about or learn to do before they head off to college.
Knowing how to handle yourself before you go to college is a big deal, especially for type 1 diabetics. It’s a brand new environment, you’re on your own, and it’s often the first time that diabetics are taking care of themselves 100%.
Wins & Fails
Colleen’s Win: This win isn’t really diabetes-related, but it eases stress levels, which affects blood sugars. I took a vacation and got all or most of my content for that week prepared in advance, which means I didn’t have to do any work while I was off. This is a huge deal for me because even when taking PTO from my day job, I still work on my side stuff.
Jessie’s Fail: Jessie’s sensor died two days before she went on a 7-mile hike with her Dad. Her blood sugars were great all day during the hike, but in the middle of the night after that her blood sugar dropped to 57 mg/dL.
Tip of the Week
This is a repeat hack from episode 22 because it’s really useful for when you’re in college. If you don’t want to buy the specialized sharps containers, you can use a big plastic bottle or jug like plastic gallon-sized or half-gallon sized milk cartons, vinegar jugs, old bleach containers—basically anything that has a thick plastic shell and a cap. All you have to do when it’s full is duct tape the cap shut and then toss it in with the garbage.
Diabetes Spotlight
The spotlight this week is on the College Diabetes Network. Founded in 2009 by a college student who felt isolated and struggled to manage her diabetes, CDN has grown to over 3,500 members at 224 campuses. They publish multiple resources for type 1 diabetics, including one that answers many of the questions you’ll probably have about college with diabetes.
Now It's Your Turn...
What are your tips and need-to-knows before going to college as a type 1 diabetic?
Mentioned in This Episode
Community & Social
- Join us in the Half-Dead Pancreas Club, our private Discord community for people with T1D.
- Follow us on Instagram @thisistype1pod, @jj_crystalkat, & @type1ravenclaw
- Follow us on Facebook
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Credits
Our music is by Joseph McDade. Check out his website here!
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