They say that laughter is the best medicine, but if you’ve ever talked to a diabetic, then they’d say it’s actually insulin. Olympian Charlotte Drury (she/her) and associate managing editor Chloe Trout (she/her) would agree, and really hope that you laugh at that joke. For World Diabetes Day, the two type 1 diabetics (and now, diabesties?) sat down and had an honest convo about the lows, highs, and everything else that comes with living with a chronic disease.

CHLOE: You’ve shared your health journey on social media which has inspired diabetics all over the world. It’s a vulnerable and admirable thing to see, so thank you for doing that. If you don’t mind sharing a bit more, what was the day of your diagnosis like?

CHARLOTTE: The moment itself that I got the call was shocking, but also full of relief knowing that I finally had an answer. I was struggling with my mental health at the time and linked my symptoms to that, ignoring that there might be a physical explanation for why I was feeling the way I was. And then that penny dropped and I realized, “This isn’t normal. Something has to be wrong.”

All the days after my diagnosis were difficult and terrifying, as you probably know. It was like that for a solid year, where almost every day felt like I was walking uphill and trying to learn this almost unlearnable thing and grieving my old life and who I was before being a healthy, able-bodied person. Then, it got better. I started to build a community, which is actually in large part thanks to Breakthrough T1D with all of the events that they’re always hosting in different cities. There, I met other type 1 diabetics for the first time after being in Tokyo during a pandemic training for the Olympics. Once I found my people, it started to get a lot easier.

CHLOE: That’s awesome! My dad, a retired teacher now, had heard of the organization through an old student of his who was also diabetic. As soon as I was diagnosed, my parents got me into that same community knowing I’d need it since I didn’t know any other diabetics, either.

CHARLOTTE: How old were you when you were diagnosed?

CHLOE: I was 8, and now I’m 28. My diabetes is a whole a*s adult [laughing]. That said, I’m still learning new things everyday about this disease—and one thing that’s stuck out the most is that it isn’t as linear as it’s made out to be. Is there anything that’s surprised you to learn about?

CHARLOTTE: You nailed it with the, “It’s not as linear as people think it is.” I remember being in the doctor’s office after my diagnosis and him saying, “If your number is this, then you do this, and then if it’s this, then you do this. Oh, and if you’re eating this, then you do this.” I was like, “First of all, that’s a lot of things to do.” Then in practice, none of that’s even working for me! So then I’m thinking, “Am I doing something wrong? Am I dumb? Am I missing something?” All of these questions come up, and then you get onto the community forums and realize that it’s not as cut and dry as medical journals make it seem.

CHLOE: Exactly! Something that I wish I knew earlier on living with diabetes is how much it would affect my mental health. What are some ways you take care of yours?

CHARLOTTE: Mental health has always been something that’s been at the forefront of my life. I’ve struggled with depression since I was a teenager—going through the things that I have at such a young age with so much pressure, ya know? From competing for my country and then losing the Olympic spot and then coming back to gymnastics… I was just sad a lot of my life. I didn’t realize that until I became an adult, after I was diagnosed with diabetes, and got into therapy.

As you know, diabetes and mental health can be a huge strain. A lot of the time in my weekly sessions, we talk about the identity shift of being somebody who was one of the best in the world at this physical thing to being scared to go to sleep by themselves. Or, has this brand-new identity that keeps asking, “Why me? Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? How am I going to live the rest of my life with this?” All of those big questions that take away from focusing on the day in front of you, they were hammering me hard for a while. Now, it’s sort of like diabetes is in the backseat of my life. But that was definitely something I had to learn through therapy. You’re just one person. Having a sounding board to help you untangle the mess that your life is with a chronic illness is important.

CHLOE: You can say that again. Although diabetes has been around for a hot minute, there are still so many stigmas surrounding it. Do you have a least fave one?

CHARLOTTE: So, I have two thoughts on this. One, I don’t mind the stigmas when somebody comes up and says something ignorant if I’m in a good space and feeling at ease with my diabetes. But if somebody says something fairly ignorant to me and I’m not in a good space, I do want to bite their head off. For example, because I wear a CGM in a visible place, gym bros come up to me like, “Oh, are you wearing that for working out?”

CHLOE: Stop.

CHARLOTTE: Yes! One time I got so mad and just walked away. I was self-conscious of it. I didn’t want to talk about it. I’m pretty sure my blood sugar was 275 [laughing]. Like, this device on my body was not an invitation for you to ask that! However, sometimes I really enjoy it. I was in a Pilates class a couple of months ago and afterwards, the person who was on the reformer next to me goes, “My son wears a CGM. It was so fun to watch you in class!” That’s part of the reason I love wearing it, so I can invite those conversations in. The flip side of it is that you get to form genuine connections with people who need them. And I need them, too.

CHLOE: That reminds me of this time I went to Disneyland. I had my Omnipod on my arm and a person was staring at it while we were waiting in line. All of a sudden, they were like, “My daughter is diabetic and we’re trying to figure out what pump to get her. Can we ask you about yours?” I talked about my experience with these lovely parents who I could tell were scared for their child. I remember saying, “It’s going to be ok. You guys got this. She’s got this.”

CHARLOTTE: Those ones are so impactful and powerful. I love that.

CHLOE: Me too. Do you have any resources or advice you’d like to share for other diabetics?

CHARLOTTE: Again, find your community. Being diabetic automatically puts you into this group that you would never assume is a community you’d even want to be a part of. Breakthrough T1D has incredible communities already pre-built as well, so look up your local chapter and find out what events are happening near you. Plug yourself in, and it won’t be as terrifying and scary and lonely. We’re lucky that there are organizations out there that are not only fighting to make sure this disease doesn’t take any more lives, but also that we can eventually live a very normal, regular, and boring life.

CHLOE: Boring sounds amazing.

CHARLOTTE: I’m excited for boring.