One of the themes that comes up again and again on The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes is that while diabetes changes your life, it doesn’t have to limit it.
In this episode, I spoke to Sally Rice, whose story sums that up perfectly.
Sally was initially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes before discovering, years later, that she was actually living with Type 1. It was a frustrating journey that involved years of treatment that never quite seemed to fit, constant questioning, and eventually pushing for the tests that confirmed what she had begun to suspect herself.
But what stayed with me most wasn’t the misdiagnosis. It was Sally’s determination not to let diabetes stop her doing the things she loves.
When a Type 1 diagnosis comes later in life
Many people associate Type 1 diabetes with childhood diagnosis, but that’s not always the case.
Sally was diagnosed as an adult. Looking back, the signs were all there:
- extreme thirst
- tiredness
- unexplained weight loss
- recurring infections
- changes in her eyesight
Initially, she was told she had Type 2 diabetes. For several years she tried to manage her condition with medication, while feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
Eventually, further testing revealed the truth: she had Type 1 diabetes.
For Sally, finally getting the correct diagnosis brought a strange mix of frustration and relief.
Like many people living with Type 1 diabetes, she finally had an explanation for why things hadn’t been working as expected.
The London Marathon that never happened
At the time of her Type 1 diagnosis, Sally was training for the London Marathon.
Suddenly she found herself learning how to use insulin while also trying to understand how exercise would affect her blood glucose levels.
The combination felt overwhelming.
In the end, she made the difficult decision to withdraw from the marathon.
I suspect many people living with Type 1 can relate to that feeling. A diagnosis doesn’t just affect your health. It can affect plans, ambitions and the confidence with which you approach everyday life.
For Sally, running stopped overnight.
Why running with Type 1 diabetes can feel daunting
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was hearing Sally describe her relationship with exercise after diagnosis.
Before Type 1, running was simple.
Afterwards, it came with questions:
- What will happen to my blood sugar?
- Will I go hypo?
- Have I taken too much insulin?
- Should I carry glucose?
- Have I eaten enough beforehand?
Anyone who has experience of running with Type 1 diabetes will recognise this thought process.
Exercise adds another layer of complexity to an already demanding condition.
Returning to running
Five years after her Type 1 diagnosis, Sally decided she wanted to run again.
Rather than jumping straight back into long distances, she returned through Couch to 5K.
Starting again wasn’t easy. There were dark evenings, cold weather, rain and the humbling reality of rebuilding fitness from scratch.
But there was also something else:
Confidence.
By this point, Sally had a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), years of experience managing insulin, and a much deeper understanding of how her body worked.
Step by step, she found her way back. Today she’s happily running 5K and enjoying it. And that’s perhaps one of the most important lessons from her story.
Sometimes we don’t need to get back to exactly where we were. Sometimes we just need to get moving again.
Meeting her husband through diabetes
As if the story wasn’t already unusual enough, Sally’s diabetes diagnosis had another unexpected consequence.
She met her husband, Chris, on a DAFNE education course.
For those unfamiliar with DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating), it’s an education programme designed to help people with Type 1 Diabetes manage insulin and carbohydrate counting.
What started as a diabetes education course became something much more.
Today, both Sally and Chris live with Type 1 diabetes.
While neither would choose the condition, they both recognise that there are advantages to having a partner who understands exactly what daily life involves.
The carbohydrate counting, the insulin calculations, the alarms, the planning, the unexpected hypos.
There’s something powerful about not having to explain yourself.
Travelling the world with Type 1 diabetes
One thing Sally refuses to do is let diabetes stop her travelling.
Together, she and Chris continue to visit some of the world’s most remote destinations.
From Bhutan to India, and with Mongolia already on the horizon, they demonstrate that living with Type 1 diabetes doesn’t mean staying close to home.
It does require preparation. Extra insulin, pare sensors, emergency supplies, careful planning.
But planning isn’t the same as limitation.
And that’s a distinction worth remembering.
Living well with Type 1 diabetes
Throughout our conversation, one thing became clear.
Sally doesn’t see diabetes as something that should define her.
It’s something she manages. It’s part of her life. But it isn’t her life.
She runs, she travels, she runs her own business, she spends time with family and friends and she gets on with living.
That approach won’t necessarily look the same for everyone. But it’s a reminder that life after a Type 1 diagnosis can still be rich, active and rewarding.
A final thought
One of the reasons listeners tell me they enjoy The Long View is because they hear stories like Sally’s.
Stories that don’t focus solely on diagnosis.
Stories that show what’s possible afterwards.
Stories that remind us that setbacks don’t always mean stopping.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, considering running with Type 1 diabetes, or simply looking for reassurance that life doesn’t end with a diagnosis, Sally’s experience offers a powerful message:
Type 1 diabetes may change the route, but it doesn’t have to change the destination.
You can listen to the full conversation with Sally Rice on The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, a Type 1 diabetes podcast sharing honest stories, practical experiences and inspiring conversations from across the diabetes community.
If you’re looking for the best diabetes podcast for real-life insights into living with Type 1, explore the other episodes on the blog or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Listen here on Spotify: Ep 15: Sally Rice – Misdiagnosis, marriage and Type 1 Diabetes – The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes | Podcast on Spotify
And here on Apple: Ep 15: Sally Rice – Misdiagnos…–The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes – Apple Podcasts
Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.