Ep: 006 - Accept yourself and change the world. Living with type 1 diabetes.
Jenna Chapman - Bio
My name is Jenna, I am 17 years old and I live in a small community in northern BC. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 3 years old and watched my brother get diagnosed when I was 9.
Through living with this condition and watching my brother, I have learned the meaning of strength and bravery.
My hope is to show people that their diagnosis does not define who they are.
I want to help them know that we don’t have to let this hold us back from what we love.
Resources:
What is type 1 diabetes? - Mayo Clinic
Summary
Jenna, a teenager living with type 1 diabetes, shares her journey of diagnosis and the challenges she faces in managing her condition. She emphasizes the importance of not letting diabetes define her and finding coping strategies, such as music, to overcome difficult days. Jenna also discusses her decision to become a volunteer firefighter and how she reconciled it with her diabetes. She is passionate about spreading awareness of invisible conditions and is working on a capstone project to put a face to these conditions. Jenna encourages others to embrace their invisible conditions and share their stories.
Takeaways
Do not let your condition define you; it is a part of you, but not who you really are.
Find coping strategies, such as music, to help you overcome the challenges of managing your condition.
Seek support from family and friends who can help you navigate the difficulties of living with an invisible condition.
Spread awareness of invisible conditions to promote understanding and acceptance.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
00:33 Journey of Diagnosis
03:02 Challenges of Managing Diabetes
04:15 Not Letting Diabetes Define You
05:02 Coping Strategies and Music
07:35 Becoming a Volunteer Firefighter
10:34 Spreading Awareness of Invisible Conditions
12:18 Importance of Acceptance
13:17 Capstone Project on Invisible Conditions
14:23 Overcoming Misunderstandings
17:11 Future Plans and Navigating Adulthood
20:20 Vision for the Future
21:47 Encouraging Others to Share Their Stories
25:41 Embracing Who You Are
26:13 Final Words of Encouragement
Episode Highlights
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was three years old.
For me, it would be managing your sugar levels when growing and when you're sick, because everything in life can throw your sugar levels off balance and just trying to keep on top of them when you are going through an illness. Also, having people understand the highs and lows that a diabetic will go through. And understanding that when our sugar levels are high and low, our brain isn't getting the oxygen that it needs to survive. Lastly, not letting your diabetes define you or hold you back. For me, this is when I have struggled with lots and I have often let my diabetes be the main decision making tool that I would use. And it has taken a while to realize that it is a part of me, but not who I really am. It doesn't define me.
So I went to that practice and I laid out all of my medical stuff and they were willing to be there for me. And they are willing to help me through this. And they realized that I am a diabetic in that there are times where I physically can't be there or go on a call, but when I am there, they are looking out for me and reminding me that my diabetes does not have to hold me back.
I often felt set apart.
Being accepted means for invisible conditions, it's just people understanding that you are a little different than they are and you have to do certain things to keep yourself alive. And just understanding this and taking you for who you are and not trying to change you or exclude you.
And when I went to talk to the main person, they didn't quite grasp the fact that because my sugars were high, my brain wasn't functioning. And therefore, I couldn't finish this project right now. And they compared me to the other people, saying that everyone has days like that. And when I went to talk to them about it later, about how it bugged me.
They said, but it's not invisible. I can see your sights in your legs and arms. And that's only a small part of what diabetes is.
I've been a part of the class who asks questions, and they ask questions about everything. And so they kind of created that in me, the sharing my story and who I am. And like, I want to encourage people to, when someone asks, don't climb up and hide this part of you, because it's a big part of you, to answer these questions, because this is what will show people that what you go through is real and it affects your everyday life.
Transcript
Tim Reitsma
Jenna, I'm so excited to have you on the Invisible Condition podcast. I've known you since, well, geez, since you were born. I saw you, I've been watching you grow into this amazing human and this amazing advocate. You live with type 1 diabetes, and that's what we're gonna talk a little bit about today, but we're also gonna talk about advocacy because I know you are an outspoken advocate in your school. So thank you for coming on today.
Tim Reitsma
So I wanted to start off by asking a little bit about your journey of diagnosis. So can you share just a short summary or the timeline? And what do you remember? I know you were really young when you were diagnosed, but what has even your mom filled you in that time when you were being diagnosed?
Jenna Chapman
So I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was three years old. I don't remember much about this time, but I do know that I was being raised by a single mom who took my brother and sister and I to the Children's Hospital down in Vancouver, where a family was willing to take a same for the three weeks that we were down there.
Tim Reitsma
Wow, so three years old. Has your mom, well, my sister shared anything about that time with you about like, what was she experiencing through that time?
Jenna Chapman
I know it was very overwhelming for her having this happen to her daughter. She was very overwhelmed.
Tim Reitsma
Yeah. And so I'm curious, you don't remember because you were three, but how did, how did your mom know that there was something going on?
Jenna Chapman
Well, we actually went to the doctor to see if my older sister was diabetic because she was showing the signs and we knew these signs because my biological dad is diabetic. So we went in to get RE checked out and she was negative on all the counts and I was positive. And then Kalib, my younger brother was antibodies-positive, so he was bound to get it at some point in his life.
Tim Reitsma
Wow. And so you've been living with this diagnosis, um, since you were three. How old are you now?
Jenna Chapman
I am 17.
Tim Reitsma
Yeah, I knew that I was just testing you to see if you knew. So 17, so you've been living with this diagnosis for an incredible amount of time. And what are some of the biggest challenges for managing your diabetes just from your perspective?
Jenna Chapman
Um, for me, it would be managing your sugar levels when growing and when you're sick, because everything in life can throw your sugar levels off balance and just trying to keep on top of them when you are going through an illness. Also, having people understand the highs and lows that a diabetic will go through.
And understanding that when our sugar levels are high and low, our brain isn't getting the oxygen that it needs to survive. And lastly, not letting your diabetes define you or hold you back. And for me, this is when I have struggled with lots and I have often let my diabetes be the main decision making tool that I would use.
And it has taken a while to realize that it is a part of me, but not who I really am. It doesn't define me.
Tim Reitsma
I love that it doesn't define you. And that is one of the central messages of invisible condition is, our conditions don't define us. And it's easier said than done, especially when you know that if you're going to go do something, maybe a physical activity or go do something that is, it might cause your sugars to go out of balance. How do you, how do you juggle that?
Like how do you, how do you deal with that and overcome that? Because I know for me, it's easy to say it doesn't define me. My Crohn's doesn't define me, but I need to know where all the washrooms are in my walk around our neighborhood. So I'm curious, how did you overcome that or how are you overcoming this?
Jenna Chapman
It has taken a while, but I have been so blessed to have this family that I do have, and they have been with me through it all. And they have helped me realize that I have people there for me to help me through these struggles. I also turn to music. That is what gets me through those hard days and overcome the stuff that I go through. So for me, having a day to myself with my music is what I need to realize that I have people there for me that I am not alone going through these struggles.
Tim Reitsma
Thanks for sharing that. And that's a vulnerable share. And that's one thing I really appreciate about you is you don't hold back and you're not afraid to share. And, um, I'm curious. My brain went off in like three different directions right there. I'm curious what music is there a specific song right now or specific artists that you are gravitating towards?
Jenna Chapman
I listen to lots of the Christian music and one of my favorites is Perfectly Loved and it talks about how it's about that we're not a problem in this world that God made us and He loves us for who we are. We're not a mistake. He put us here for a purpose.
Tim Reitsma
Hmm. Oh man, that's, it's going to choke me up. I love that perfectly loved. And, and when we think of our invisible conditions, now I often define it as this is my normal. This is, this is how I live my life. Um, and some days it's easy to say it's not going to hold me back. Day like today when we're recording, uh, I'm feeling the opposite of that, but if we just look to the people that are surrounded, surrounding us, maybe we don't have, maybe you're listening and you don't have that circle of people. I'm here. I'm here to listen and I'm here to connect with you because you are perfectly loved as you are. Thanks for sharing that. I know we look a little bit off script and I appreciate you supporting me with that. And here's another off script question that popped in my mind. And you're 17 years old. You said that you've learned to not let your diabetes dictate or define who you are and hold you back. You're also a volunteer firefighter. And that to me is just wild. And so how did you reconcile that decision of, of this is something you want to do and you live with diabetes?
Jenna Chapman
Well, so my sister is actually the one who got me started. And when she joined, I didn't want to because I didn't figure that my diabetes would handle it. So when I turned 16, I started thinking more and more about it. And the one day before R.I. was going down to practice, I went for a walk and I prayed. And after praying, I realized that I wanted to try it and I wanted to see what would happen. So I went to that practice and I laid out all of my medical stuff and they were willing to be there for me. And they are willing to help me through this. And they realized that I am a diabetic in that there are times where I physically can't be there or go on a call, but when I am there, they are looking out for me and reminding me that my diabetes does not have to hold me back.
Tim Reitsma
Wow, and for those who are listening, maybe you're in the workplace, maybe you are afraid to share your story. I just wanna encourage you and say, well, you don't necessarily need to tell your story, but if you're feeling that call, that burning desire that you wanna share with your colleagues or you need to share with your workplace or you wanna share with your friends or your school, maybe you're a student listening to this, more often than not, the way... this group of firefighters reacted to Jenna is how people react. There are people who don't react that way. Don't get me wrong. But stepping out in that faith of going, hey, here's what I can do. Here's my limitations. And here's the value I can bring. The people around you just accepted you, correct?
Yeah, they accepted you for who you are. And, you know, something that I've admired about you through your whole high school journey, and even in your elementary side, elementary school is just bring an awareness. We're recording this in its diabetes awareness month, but maybe you're listening to this in a different month. So this is in November when we're raising awareness for a variety of invisible conditions.
One thing that you do is you or passionate about spreading awareness. Talk to me about that. Like what are you doing to not just spread awareness, but why? Why is this important?
Jenna Chapman
So in elementary, I often felt set apart. So I started doing assemblies with the grade I was in. And then as I got older with more, including more of the school and the teachers and my peers and the support staff, can understand what it is that I go through every day on a daily basis so that they have a better understanding of how they can help. And to me, I feel as though this is important because this is who I am and who I will always be. And if they can have an understanding of what it is so that they can better help me, I feel more accepted and I feel like they can understand why I act the way I do sometimes when my sugars are not in the correct range.
Tim Reitsma
Could you be able to tell me a little bit more about what that word accepted? You know, it's important to spread awareness, to feel accepted and...
Tim Reitsma
What does it, I guess, what does it feel like to feel accepted versus not accepted, especially when it comes to invisible condition?
Jenna Chapman
Well, I would say, like, being accepted means for invisible conditions, it's just people understanding that you are a little different than they are and you have to do certain things to keep yourself alive. And just understanding this and taking you for who you are and not trying to change you or exclude you.
To me that would be accepting for a person with an invisible condition.
Tim Reitsma
Yeah, thanks for that. And I know, what are you doing right now? So you are grade 12, you're working on a project. I know this because you've shared your project with me and so I'm gonna support you as much as I can and in ways I can. What are you working on in your capstone project for grade 12?
Jenna Chapman
So my capstone project is about bringing awareness to all the invisible conditions that are out there. So that I can put a face to the invisible condition. So it's not just these big words that people see, that they see a face and that they can understand that there are people who are affected by this on a daily basis.
This way they can understand what it is like for those people and how they can better help them and accept them for who they are. And that these people didn't choose to have an invisible condition. They didn't ask for it, they didn't want it. But it's who they are. And I want to spread awareness by doing this capstone so that people can understand that they can accept these people for who they are, because this is who they will always be.
Tim Reitsma
Hmm. That ties nicely right back to what you said at the beginning is it doesn't define us. It's just who we are. And, uh, have you, have you had any conversations with people or have like had to maybe argue with people about your invisible condition, your diabetes and that it's real and that it has an impact. And, and, uh,
And it does affect your life.
Jenna Chapman
Yes, I had it where I was doing a project and my sugar levels kept going high and high. And when I went to talk to the main person, they didn't quite grasp the fact that because my sugars were high, my brain wasn't functioning. And therefore, I couldn't finish this project right now. And they compared me to the other people, saying that everyone has days like that. And when I went to talk to them about it later, about how it bugged me.
Jenna Chapman
They said, but it's not invisible. I can see your sights in your legs and arms. And that's only a small part of what diabetes is. So, yeah.
Tim Reitsma
Mm hmm. It is such a small part. You know, I don't know what it's like to live with diabetes. I have no clue. But the power in your words of saying, Hey, it affects the oxygen going to my brain. It affects the way I think. And to be in a classroom and knowing that self awareness because living within invisible condition, you learn self-awareness very, very quickly and what's triggering and what's not. And if you know you're not feeling yourself and to have somebody say, it's not invisible, everyone has bad days or days like this.
I think I would have like flipped tables and, you know, been very angry, but you approached it with calm and grace. Wow. That's amazing. I don't know what else to say about that. It's just to have that level of self-awareness is pretty phenomenal. And you know, you're graduating grade 12 and what is your hope after grade 12? Are you... going to work? Are you going to university or you don't know yet? What's your plan?
Jenna Chapman
this time I'm wanting to go into a career that helps younger kids. But as I really am passionate about younger kids, like little kids and helping them succeed through life. So I want to do something that's involved with little kids and helping them succeed in their life and showing them that they can be who they want to be.
Tim Reitsma
So it really ties in with your advocacy of even your project, the way you've lived your life is, hey, this is who you can be. And when you think about graduating high school, and I know you're in the medical system here in British Columbia, Canada, where you're still involved in children's hospital and you're going to be graduating out of that soon, and what comes up for you when you know that you're going to quote unquote have to become an adult and navigate everything on your own. Like, what comes when you hear that, how are you feeling about that?
Jenna Chapman
nervous and scared. I mean, it's a lot of pressure trying to navigate through not just life, but life as a diabetic and doing things to keep yourself alive every day where everything affects it. So when I graduate and start coming out of the Children's Hospital, there's a lot of pressure that is feeling.
Tim Reitsma
Hmm. I can imagine. I feel the emotion and I hear the emotion in your voice in that. But I know that, you know, you've got an amazing support system. And because you are outspoken and you're an advocate, that's going to carry with you through whatever schooling you do and wherever you land in your in your life and never lose sight of that.
Maybe that's just me putting on my uncle hat right now, but, you know, never lose that, that determination and drive to drive awareness. I was reading a post about disability or about diabetes and just about how, you know, too much insulin can kill you. Not enough insulin can kill you. And it's just the right amount is how your body's, and just putting it in that perspective, um, was wild to me and how when we navigate these things that are invisible, even though you see a site, oh, I see your site, it's not invisible. Well, what goes in that site is what keeps me alive. That's just crazy to think about. And so as you are heading off into finishing grade 12, what is your vision for the future when it comes to invisible conditions or just in general, what is your hope in your vision?
Jenna Chapman
I want people to understand how everyone has a different life and everyone has different struggles. And I want all the other diabetics to realize that you can do what you want to do. And just because you're diabetic doesn't mean you have to create boundaries for yourself. And I want to keep spreading awareness about this to keep reminding people that this is who we were made to be. And it does not hold us back.
Tim Reitsma
Yeah, it doesn't hold us back. That's absolutely true. So with that, Jenna, you know, I love that. I love your vision for the future. A place where we can share who we are. A place where, you know, we can be our true authentic selves. Where we're not afraid to embrace our normal. And that's powerful. And how would you encourage others? You're pretty outspoken in your story. How do you want to encourage others to step into embracing their invisible condition and to share?
Jenna Chapman
For me, I've not always been sharing who I am. I've always, I've been a part of the class who asks questions, and they ask questions about everything. And so they kind of created that in me, the sharing my story and who I am. And like, I want to encourage people to, when someone asks, don't climb up and hide this part of you, because it's a big part of you, to answer these questions, because this is what will show people that what you go through is real and it affects your everyday life.
Tim Reitsma
It's real and affects your everyday life. That's perfect. And a thought swirling around my brain today is when we ask questions and people are sharing, they might be sharing some very personal and vulnerable things. And how we react, whether it is our words or even our facial cues has an impact. And so for me, I was sharing once many years ago, somebody had asked me what was going on and I was sharing, I just came out of the hospital and I was sharing and they asked me some more details. So I shared a bit more and then they had this look of disgust on their face and they're like, that's way too much information and walked away. And after that I shut down. Even though it was one person, it had an impact on me and it still has an impact on me because I ask myself, are they asking how I'm doing or what's going on because they care or do they?
Why do they want to know this information?
But as we're building out invisible condition and as you're going through your capstone project, man, it is so, so important that if you genuinely care, ask and if you don't like what you're hearing, just tell that little voice inside your mind, just to, you know, you still gotta care. You asked, so smile, lean in, get curious. But I would also say if you aren't curious about what someone is living with.
Um, I've got a whole lot of words for you, but you know, we'll keep it, uh, keep it played on the podcast. Um, don't even ask if somebody's missing school and you don't care why. Don't ask if you don't care why somebody.
Tim Reitsma
As in Jenna is in your case, you know, couldn't do your work because your sugars were way too high. Um, if you genuinely don't care, then just don't ask. But what kind of society would that be? Right? I see you nodding. That would just be a terrible society to live in. So I encourage anybody and everybody to who's listening to, if you feel that urge to share your story, um, embrace it and share it, the outgoing of support will, will be there and.
You know, as we wrap up, Jenna, I know for your project, there's a lot of importance behind it. And you know, you could have chosen so many different ideas for ending your grade 12 year. What would you like to leave our listeners with in terms of providing them hope or providing them with some encouragement. Do you have any final things you'd like to share?
Jenna Chapman
Being who you are and you know, not like the world will always have their opinion. They will always state their opinions and their concerns. But just realizing that this is who you are and you don't have to change yourself just because someone says you have to.
Tim Reitsma
Well, I couldn't have said it any better, Jenna. You don't have to change who you are because somebody has asked you to. You don't have to be that solution for someone else's ignorance. But what we can do is we can educate, we can share our stories and be like Jenna and be a fierce advocate for bringing visibility to invisible conditions. And so...
Become a volunteer firefighter. I just love that. So cool that you've embraced that. Jenna, it's such a pleasure to record with you finally and to hear your story and to hear your vulnerability. You are a powerful, powerful person with a powerful voice and it's just such a gift that you've been given. And I'm truly honored and proud to be your uncle. And so thank you for coming on. I really appreciate it.
Tim Reitsma
And so to those who are listening, if, if Jenna’s story resonates with you, maybe you or you live with an invisible condition or you know somebody who does and you want to know more, get authentically curious, head to my website, invisible condition.com. I've got an article on how you can become invisible, sorry, how you can become authentically curious. So head there, have a read. And as always, if you're listening to this, um,
What helps me is if you subscribe to the podcast, if you like this episode, if you share it out, then that way we have more reach and encourage more people to lean in to what makes them their normal. So with that, I hope everyone has an amazing day.
