Living with Type 1 Diabetes and Growing a Tiny Human
[This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen here.]
Welcome back, Tranquility Tribe! Today’s episode of the Tranquility Tribe podcast is extra special because it is the first episode in the Influencer Moms series! Through this series, Hehe highlights the everyday moms who are doing AMAZING things. Today Hehe talked with Audra, an expecting mom who has an abundant amount of insight into the world of dealing with a chronic illness before and during pregnancy (as well as some uplifting words of advice!).
So who is Audra?
Audra lives in Alabama with her husband
Brian and her black lab Hamilton, and all three of them are currently preparing
for the arrival of new baby Nora Jo! Audra has lived with Type 1 diabetes
since she was diagnosed at 19, right after starting college. When speaking about her diagnosis, Audra
notes that most individuals with Type 1 are diagnosed during their childhood
but that there is also another common diagnosis window between ages 19 and 21.
Because Audra’s family has a history of Type 1 diabetes, finding out that
she had the disease was not a complete shock; however, her family was not aware
that she had the potential to develop it at the age that she did. Needless to say, getting used to the new
lifestyle and treatments required by Type 1 diabetes was an adjustment.
What is Type 1 diabetes and how is it different from gestational diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune
disease that causes the body to lose the beta cells in the pancreas that are
responsible for producing insulin. The insulin that the pancreas produces
allows the rest of the body’s cells to absorb glucose. This glucose is the major energy source for
all cells; without the ability for cells to take up glucose, the body is unable
to function properly. On the other hand, in the case of gestational
diabetes (as well as Type 2 diabetes), insulin production is stunted but is not
lost completely. This means that both
gestational and Type 2 diabetes can be treated by stimulating insulin
production, whereas individuals with Type 1 diabetes must either wear an insulin
pump or give themselves insulin injections regularly in order to make sure that
they have enough insulin in their bodies.
The Amazing Audra!
And this is where you begin to
see how truly amazing Audra is - despite having to constantly monitor and
regulate her blood sugar levels, she doesn’t let diabetes get in her way.
A (pre-pregnancy) half-marathon runner and a collector of motivational
quotes, she loves to share her experiences and positivity through her social
media.
Audra’s resilience has been
especially apparent over the past couple years, as she has gone through
multiple hospitalizations on top of struggling to get pregnant. In early February of 2016, she was under a
lot of pressure due to the demands of work, financial worries, and relationship
stress, and she was experiencing a large amount of anxiety because of it. On the morning of February 3rd,
she woke up to find that her blood glucose readings were in the 200s (for
non-diabetic individuals, these readings should be between 80 and 120; for
Audra, they typically do not go over 180).
She quickly realized that the cannula that was supposed to be delivering
insulin to her body was bent and therefore she was not getting any
insulin. In an effort to get her
readings back to normal, Audra gave herself insulin, fixed the pump, and went
to work. However, by the end of the day
her readings were in the 400s, she was having trouble breathing, and her vision
was blurry, so she decided to go to the hospital. There, she learned that she was experiencing
diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and that it had caused her blood to reach the
acidity level equivalent to that of a 9 volt battery. After 24 hours of being hooked up to oxygen
and receiving insulin, she stabilized and was able to return home.
The following weekend, Audra had
to go back to the hospital because her body was experiencing DKA once
again. She levelled out and was
relatively healthy until March, when she unexpectedly went into anaphylactic
shock. Needless to say, Audra’s ups and
downs at the beginning of 2016 kept her social media followers on the edge of
their seats. Her health finally
stabilized around the same time that Brian was preparing to leave for the
military. Although Audra was feeling
healthier, Brian’s departure created an extra amount of stress because it meant
that Audra would be living alone for a while, which is always dangerous for
someone with Type 1 due to the possibility that they may not wake up if their
blood sugar gets too low when they are asleep.
Despite all of these problems,
Audra made it through the year with her strong, positive spirit. However, she was still having trouble getting
pregnant. Infertility is not uncommon
among women with Type 1 diabetes because the issues that the body has with
processing insulin can lead to the development of cysts on the ovaries, a
disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Because PCOS affects the occurrence and
timing of ovulation, it can make it difficult to identify the best times to try
to become pregnant as well as the likelihood of getting pregnant at all. Audra was using ovulation tests and fertility
drugs in order to track her ovulation and increase her chances. She decided to have a hysterosalpingogram
(HSG) in order to identify potential blockages in her fallopian tubes that
could be affecting her fertility, and then the magic happened! Later that month, after the HSG and a family
vacation, Audra took a pregnancy test and learned that she was pregnant!
When asked what she did to get
through her health issues and her struggles with infertility, Audra claims that
her mindset was the key. Staying
positive through difficult situations is essential for maintaining both mental
and physical health; it’s okay to feel sad, angry, or stressed at times, but
have faith that everything will work out and prioritize your wellbeing. Audra talks about the especially
disheartening situation that she experienced when her sister-in-law was
expecting and Audra was still having trouble getting pregnant; although she was
happy for her, Audra notes that it can be isolating and frustrating to feel
like you’ll never enter the “moms club.”
At times like these, utilizing your friends and family for comfort and
support can help you stay positive. And,
as Audra likes to remind herself, it’s important to keep in mind how other
people may be feeling in a specific situation and to offer support if you feel
they might need it.
In addition to staying
optimistic, Audra emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between all
aspects of your life. She mentions the
difficulties that she has trying to juggle her personal health, her baby’s health,
her mental health, and her diabetes. She
recommends allowing time to key in to the natural highs and lows of pregnancy
and taking advantage of the high-energy days but also giving the body time to
recover when necessary.
Audra’s parting piece of
advice? Take everyone else’s advice with
a grain of salt. Despite people’s good intentions, everyone has their own
stories and it’s important to remember that your story is your own and no own
else’s. Be kind and gentle to yourself
and to others – pregnancy is a stressful, crazy, busy time. And it’s okay
to complain about being uncomfortable – be honest with the people around you,
and don’t be afraid to lean on your team when you need to.
If you want to learn more about Audra and
follow along with her journey, you can find her on Instagram at
@audrashoupesmith.
Don’t forget to join our private Facebook, The Tranquility
Tribe Podcast, and follow us on Instagram at @tranquilitybyhehe!
"Welcome to the Tranquility Tribe"
Written by our Guest Blogger, Kyra Shreeve. She is a Biochemistry, Health Policy, and Music student at Brandeis University.
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