Sara Imadi studies at the University of Ottawa.
Courtesy of Sara Imadi
Nov
Syrian Canadian Sara Imadi studies Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and currently works at a Community Health Centre in Ottawa South. She lives with Type 1 Diabetes.
When were you diagnosed with Diabetes?
I was diagnosed halfway through my year of grade 12, at the age of 17.
How has Diabetes changed your life?
In the literal sense, Diabetes comes with a lot of daily adjustments, but the main one is that my body was telling me to slow down and to take care of it. As complex as they are, our bodies are fragile, and anything can affect them at any time, sometimes over stressing or worrying about small things that are not worth the trouble mentally or physically. It also made me aware of all the small, daily tests of patience that we have to endure in order to survive. Being afflicted by uneasiness or hardships, small or big, as a diabetic especially, is (inshaAllah) rewarding if one learns to be patient and thankful.
What do you wish more members of the public understood about Diabetes?
A few things I wish more lay people understood about Diabetes is the common one: not everyone has Type 2 Diabetes, especially not the youth. Often getting the questions “but you’re not fat” or “you’re young” gives the impression that you’re perfect if you’re young and skinny, which is not the case for most Type 1 Diabetics, and on some level, it is upsetting that people still think everyone is free from flaws. I’m not sure if I can speak for the other young diabetics, but if someone wanted to understand more about Diabetes, I would much prefer they ask a more appropriate question, like “tell me about it” or “what is it”, as many of us have learned to do when discussing sensitive health questions with others with similar illnesses.
How do you manage Ramadan with Diabetes?
For myself, I try to come up with a good diet for suhur and iftar, take less insulin at suhur to last the entire day without going low on sugar, and not overwork myself too much during the day. Some days it lasts, other times it doesn’t and I break my fast before iftar.
What advice would you have to other young people living with Diabetes?
It gets better. There will be good days and bad days, but it really does get easier to manage and adjust. The important things are to take care of yourself and have a good support system.
To learn more about Diabetes visit The Canadian Diabetes Association
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