Motria Iwan, Victoria, BCx Diagnosed Age 14
“Hi, I’m Motria. I’m a JDRF graphic design volunteer and user experience and interface designer based in Victoria, BC. I have been living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for over 11 years. I was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 14 on June 1st, 2010. The months leading up to my diagnosis, I noticed I was losing weight, but I thought it was attributed to starting club sports for the first time. The week before being diagnosed, I went on a trip for a few days with my grade 8 class. I was insatiably thirsty to the point where I was picking up random water bottles rolling around the bus to drink them.
I had no idea about the severity and complexity of type 1 diabetes when I was diagnosed. The best way to describe it is being given the keys to a helicopter without any training. Once I started taking insulin, I noticed my body quickly started changing because my body’s cells were finally given the insulin they desperately needed to turn food into energy. I struggled with my body image because of how fast I started gaining weight from the insulin and during my teen years, I resented myself for not maintaining the same weight I was before I was diagnosed. Throughout my teen years, I struggled with my relationship with insulin; I would ration my dosing to lose or control weight. I also felt extremely guilty for the financial burden T1D cause my family.
In high school, I was bullied for having T1D, by both classmates and sports teammates. It was to the point where I was ganged up on and harassed until I was in tears. I struggled to manage my diabetes and no matter how hard I tried; I was always made to feel like I wasn’t doing good enough. At work, I have been discriminated against by managers who told me I was not allowed to check my blood sugar unless I was on my break. High and low blood sugars for people with T1D don’t just happen on breaks!
I struggle with being self-conscious about my illness. I’ve been embarrassed when I’ve had low blood sugars because I start to sweat, shake, and become weak. I feel even more embarrassed when my diabetes affects my ability to perform at school, work, or elsewhere. It feels like I need to prove that I am better than my illness, regardless of how well I’m already doing.
Although type 1 diabetes has negatively impacted my life in many ways, there have also been many positives. Type 1 diabetes is part of who I am and through practicing self-compassion for my own illness, I’ve developed a deep sense of empathy for the struggles of others. I am extremely grateful for the incredible friends I’ve made because of my diabetes. Even though I sometimes still feel the need to prove that I am better than my diabetes, it has pushed me to work that much harder and even achieve more than others who do not manage a chronic life-long illness. My experience with type 1 diabetes has inspired me to turn my own negative experiences into something positive for others.
Motria also advocated to have Langford City Hall in BC to proclaim November as National Diabetes Awareness Month and she organized the Royal BC Museum, Victoria City Hall, and the BC Parliament Building to light up blue on November 14th in honour of World Diabetes Day and 100 years since the discovery of insulin.
Motria loves contributing her abilities as a user experience and interface designer to benefit the type 1 diabetes community and she aims to inspire other people with T1D.
