Midlife Type 1 Diabetes: Why Not Me After 50
Living with type 1 diabetes in midlife brings a perspective you simply can’t see when you’re younger. As I turned 50, I began to understand how even the hardest seasons shaped my purpose in ways I never expected.
There’s something about a long drive that quiets the noise.
As I was driving home from a few days of team sales meetings in Minneapolis, I had hours alone on the road and space to think.
And today, something unexpected kept rising to the surface:
Gratitude.
Not the surface-level kind, but the kind that comes from reflecting on a life you didn’t fully understand while you were living it.
30 Years of Work, Growth, and Hard Lessons
I’ve been in the working world for nearly 30 years.
There have been incredible mentors who became lifelong friends, great workplaces, and, if I’m being honest, some stinkers too.
There were seasons of confidence… and seasons where I doubted everything:
My abilities
My decisions
My worth
At the time, I didn’t understand why I found myself in certain situations.
But now, at 50, I can see something I couldn’t before.
God put me here for a reason.
Midlife Perspective: What I Couldn’t See Then
Every challenge shaped me.
Even the ones I would have never chosen.
There’s a kind of wisdom that only comes with midlife, one you simply can’t access in your 20s or 30s.
Back then, challenges felt like interruptions.
Now, I see they were formation.
And surprisingly… I feel grateful.
Living with Type 1 Diabetes in Midlife
My experience living with type 1 diabetes is no exception.
It’s hard.
It’s even made me rethink what “good control” really means in this season of life.
And, it’s relentless.
Lately, navigating prescriptions, insurance, and prior authorizations has been exhausting.
But during that quiet drive, I had a realization:
Even this… has shaped me.
Not because I’d ever choose it.
But because of what it’s given me.
From “Why Me?” to “Why Not Me”
When I was first diagnosed, I remember asking:
Why me?
No family history.
No warning.
But now, that question has shifted:
What if there’s a reason I’m here?
Because without this experience:
I wouldn’t understand what so many women with type 1 diabetes go through
I wouldn’t feel this deep desire to advocate
I wouldn’t have stepped into spaces I never imagined.
I wouldn’t have met so many amazing, kind, and humble people living with type 1.
The Need for Type 1 Diabetes Community in Midlife
I never saw myself as someone who would lead in the diabetes community.
But then I experienced the power of it.
The connection.
The support.
The reminder that you’re not alone.
Now, living in Iowa, I’ve lost count of how many times someone has noticed my Dexcom and started a conversation.
Each one reinforcing the same truth:
We need community.
We need support.
We need voices.
I’m not saying no one else is stepping up.
But I am asking:
Why not me too?
Finding Purpose After 50 with Type 1 Diabetes
Turning 50 has taught me something I didn’t expect:
You don’t need to have everything figured out to step into something meaningful.
You just need:
Lived experience
A willingness to care
And the courage to say yes
Even when it’s uncomfortable.
Even when it wasn’t part of your plan.
If You’re in a “Why Me?” Season
If you’re there right now. I see you.
But maybe one day, you’ll look back and realize:
The very thing you questioned…
Was the thing that shaped you.
And maybe even the thing that positioned you to help someone else.
A New Question to Ask Yourself
If you’re still asking “Why me?”…
Maybe the question isn’t finished yet.
Maybe it’s becoming:
Why not me?
You’re Not Alone in This
If you’re navigating midlife with type 1 diabetes and feeling like no one quite understands what you’re going through. I see you.
This is exactly why I started Midlife T1D.
More conversations, more support, and more real-life strategies are coming soon.
