03/11/2026
"I have Type 1 Diabetes for which the treatment is taking your medications as prescribed by your doctor, exercise, and eating right. The latter is the reason I became a Registered Dietitian; I wanted to help people who were dealt a similar hand.
Recently, I had a patient in his early 20's who was struggling to manage his diabetes. Before going to see him, I read through his chart and found note after note from doctors pointing out his “poor diabetes management.”
Clipboard in-hand, I knocked on his door and asked to take a seat. With his arms crossed, he nodded toward an empty chair. I introduced myself and told him that when I was first diagnosed in 6th grade, I ended up in the hospital just like him (my patient uncrossed his arms). I described the parade of medical staff who repeatedly lectured me about “glucose this” and “A1c that” (my patient turned his shoulders to face me). I told him that every day with Type 1 is a science experiment impacted by sleep, stress, carbohydrates, and countless other factors (my patient scooted closer to my chair). I shared my main grievance with him: people who don’t live with chronic disease will never understand the weight carried by those that do, yet sometimes they are the biggest critics. At this, my patient threw his hands into the air and exclaimed, “Right?!”
After that, we talked for over an hour about food and diabetes. He lit up at the science I shared, (and anecdotes from my teenage self). If my patient is reading this, schedule a follow‑up in the clinic. We have a lot more to talk about.”
Loren’s firsthand experience navigating nutrition while growing up with Type 1 diabetes allows him to empathize with his patients. Thank you, Loren, for everything you do!
