As someone with type 1 diabetes, most of my life has involved planning my days around insulin dosages, blood tests and cannula infusion changes. Six times a day, I prick my fingers to test my blood sugar levels. Every two days, I refill my insulin pump reservoir and insert a new needle under my skin to deliver the life-giving hormone, insulin. When I’m not doing either of these things, I’m thinking about what my day is going to look like, and how I need to adjust my insulin intake. Or, I’m doing an inventory of supplies -- syringes, cannulas, reservoirs, alcohol swabs, batteries, vials of insulin in the fridge, the list goes on.
Most people don’t seem to grasp just how much effort goes into surviving every day as someone with diabetes, let alone during a global pandemic.
Since coronavirus landed on Australian soil, we’ve seen shelves in supermarkets and pharmacies completely emptied. I’ll admit, I was concerned about the supply of critical medical supplies I rely on. I filled out a script for insulin, and back-up insulin, along with a couple boxes of insulin pump cannulas.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, and people with the chronic illness have been classed in the “high risk” category developing complications or more serious symptoms related to the coronavirus.
It’s quite common for most people with type 1 diabetes to develop a secondary auto-immune disease. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was seven years old. This was shortly followed by a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis at age ten, which I’ve controlled through a myriad of treatments from steroids to chemotherapy drugs.
You can understand then, that people with type 1 diabetes are going to have a tougher time fighting COVID-19. We are at higher risk of experiencing severe complications from coronavirus simply because our bodies are doing ~the most~ already just to keep us alive.
So, I’ve had to take extra precautions.
I spoke to my GP in the early stages of this pandemic in Australia, who advised me to self-isolate back home where I will have the support of my family to buy groceries and collect supplies from the pharmacy. On Friday 20th March, I packed up my life in Sydney and embarked on the 12 hour drive back to my family’s property in Dalby, Queensland.
After a long trip home across the Queensland-NSW border, I couldn’t hug any of my family. My mother works at a school as a teacher aid, and my dad runs an electrical contracting business. They still have to engage with others outside our “bubble,” so our house is fixed with several hand-washing stations, equipped with signage, instructions from the World Health Organisation, and plenty of soap.
I’m lucky to have returned back to my humble hometown before the borders closed. To have a roof over my head and a family that will support me. To have fresh air and wide open paddocks to go on long walks through.
The stakes are higher in my self-isolation as someone with type 1 diabetes. Others have the luxury of ignoring the severity of coronavirus, those of us who won’t fare as well have to completely physically shut ourselves off from the world.
Due to the risk of complications I face compared to your average non-immuno-compromised human, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.
The scariest part of this virus is the sheer rate of transmission, which is why we all need to work together to #flattenthecurve. We need to be able to depend on each other to do the right thing and stay home -- not just for our health care workers, who will inevitably be overwhelmed by the impact of this virus, but for each other.
I’ve been working for The Feed since the beginning of 2019, and I’m endlessly grateful for the ability to work remotely during this pandemic. But there is no denying that the situation we’ve found ourselves in across the country weighs heavily on our hearts.
I miss my colleagues dearly, along with the life I worked so hard to create for myself in Sydney. We all need to take responsibility and ride this out together. The sooner we slow this spread, the sooner we can return to something resembling our daily lives.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus
