Christina talks about how living with Type 1 Diabetes, and seven other auto-immune conditions, makes exercise difficult – but how essential it is to support her mental and physical health.
Type 1 diabetes means my body doesn’t produce insulin, so I must wear an insulin pump 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Without the insulin it gives me I’d die. It’s pretty complicated, but when you boil it down that’s pretty much the end result. I work hard everyday to keep myself alive!
I was diagnosed ten years ago this year. But I also live with a whole bunch of other things, underactive thyroid, pernicious anemia, so I need B12 shots every eight weeks, and Sjogren's syndrome to name a few. It’s a pretty complicated picture.
So I do struggle sometimes with my mental health. Spending every day in fight-flight to keep myself alive is draining and leaves you feeling a bit on edge at times. Not to mention if I have to wake up in the night to treat my blood sugars – tiredness has a bit impact on mood.
Exercise is a complicated one, as it massively impacts my blood sugars. So every time I just even go for a walk I have to think – what have I eaten, how much insulin is in my body, and where am I going? Or if I plan to exercise, I have to do lots of prep – setting less insulin on the pump, and thinking about meals. It’s a barrier for sure.
But I couldn’t manage my mental health without exercising. I ran a 10k a few years ago and the feel-good hormones after running are the best! Sadly, I’ve now got osteoarthritis in my knee now so can’t run. But I’m walking and using the cross-trainer, and strength training. I’m also a big fan of some Yin Yoga.
My favourite exercise though is my morning walk with my husband, through the cycle paths, trees, or to see the sea. We’re very lucky where we live.
Even though it’s hard sometimes, and I maybe end up hypo (low blood sugars), and occasionally crying in the kitchen eating jelly babies, I think not moving would make things worse, both mentally and physically.
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