I’m Chitra, mother of 13-year-old Vidhyut, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in 2021. It began subtly—with stomach-aches, frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained fatigue, and eventually, rapid weight loss. When the diagnosis came, it felt like the ground slipped beneath our feet. No one in our family had T1D. We were unprepared. The only solace was that we sought medical advice before he went into diabetic ketoacidosis. Overnight, my husband and I became ‘doctors’ sans degrees—learning to count carbs, prick fingers, administer insulin, and respond to hypos and hypers. We became his pancreas—managing every drop of insulin, every carb, every correction.
Our typical day starts with a blood test. He pre-boluses 15 minutes before having his breakfast. Breakfast is usually dosa with eggs, lenthil pizza with cheese, dosa with sambhar. Sundays are cheat days! He eats bowl of cereals with 225 ml of milk, along with eggs and fruits. Lunch is home-cooked food with 60g carbs. He pre-boluses in school accordingly. He leaves at 8am and returns at 5pm. The snacks he carries are usually almonds, pistas, lotus seeds, or a small packet of full cream milk. He ensures that he always has his insulin kit with him. Contents of his kit are:
- Lancet
- Insulin Pen
- Test strips
- Glucose meter
- Needles
- Alcohol swaps
- Glucose tabs
Dinner is home-cooked. It starts with vegetable soup, fresh salads followed by dosa or idli with sambhar or chappati with vegetable stew or millets with lenthil and vegetables.
Birthday parties are a whole different ball game, and we’re yet to master the art of bolusing for them. For now, we manage with corrections every three hours after the party.
Managing with MDI and finger pricks are challenging. He developed allergies to CGMs like Libre and Dexcom, forcing us back to basics—10+ finger pricks a day, multiple insulin injections including corrections, and night checks every 3 hours. Still, Vidhyut never let this condition dim his light.
He’s athletic, playing football, table tennis, and running. He’s also a tech enthusiast, a class prefect, and a gifted musician who once played the keyboard blindfolded at a school talent show. He has won coding and academic awards, and like any regular teen, sometimes sneaks a chocolate or snack when he thinks I’m not looking.
In my search for answers and support, I found an incredible WhatsApp T1D caregiver group. Their kindness and guidance were a lifeline. Resources like “Think Like a Pancreas” by Gary Scheiner, Facebook groups such as Juicebox Podcast, TypeOne.sg, and Juvenile Diabetes Type 1 Support Group have been a life changer.
To caregivers: walk this path with your child, not ahead of them. Teach them, trust them, and reassure them—T1D is not their fault. It’s nothing to hide. Normalize it, empower them, and most of all—love them through it.
Don’t shy away from seeking help when you need. Each day is a new day—and we face it together with renewed vigour and unshakeable hope.
In Vidhyut’s words: “T1D is not a disease. It’s a condition. So don’t let this drain your dreams.”