When Life Moves Fast (And You Don’t Lose Yourself) | Midlife T1D & Hormone Health
I haven’t posted since the first week of January, and for good reason.
The last couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind.
Over the holidays, I realized something important: I was tired. Not just “I need a nap” tired. But deep, hormonal, midlife fatigue that was trying to get my attention. So instead of pushing through like I normally would… I rested.
Really rested.
Then my husband, son, and his girlfriend and I went on vacation to Florida, and it was exactly what I needed. We made memories, laughed, unplugged, and I let myself be present.
This was the moment I realized I really had needed the rest.
The Plot Twist I Didn’t See Coming
The day before we left for vacation, I got recruited for a new job.
What started as a phone call turned into a 5:30 a.m. airport email from a CEO asking me to write a two-page summary of my career story while I was sitting at the gate in Des Moines.
By Sunday, I was on the phone with him.
By Wednesday, I had an offer.
By Thursday (still on vacation), I said yes.
The largest pay increase of my career.
A leadership team that genuinely cares about people.
By February 9th, I was flying to Philly for manufacturing tours, then Atlanta, then Fargo to pick up my company car. This week I’m in Sioux Falls for training, and I’m having a blast.
Writing my career story at 5:30 a.m. in the Des Moines airport. I had no idea how much life was about to change.
It’s exciting. Energizing. Unexpected.
And it’s a very good thing I chose to rest before all of this unfolded.
Midlife, Type 1 Diabetes, and a The Hormone Curveball
In December, I was still trying to figure out why waves of fatigue were hitting me every couple of weeks. After paying closer attention, I realized I had likely increased my progesterone too much. The timing lined up, but I’m not sure I would have figured that out on my own.
A couple of months ago, Melissa Slemp from @type1.in.midlife reached out to me on Instagram and invited me to join her weekly group coaching sessions for women navigating perimenopause and Type 1 Diabetes.
At first, I thought, “I don’t have time to take on one more thing.”
But there was a small nudge in the back of my mind.
I couldn’t help thinking how powerful it would be to connect with other women going through the exact same struggles. After all, isn’t that the very reason I started Midlife T1D?
So I joined.
And much to my delight, the very first group session was absolute gold.
Not just because I learned new insights that gave me a fresh perspective on my own health… but because I realized how much we need each other.
In one of those sessions, as we talked through hormone shifts and energy fluctuations, it became clearer that my increased progesterone dose might be the culprit behind my fatigue waves.
If I had continued to live in my own silo, I may have suffered much longer.
Instead, I felt supported enough to experiment thoughtfully, slightly reducing my dose while waiting for my new insurance to kick in so I could follow up with my practitioner in March.
The fatigue improved.
That moment was powerful for me.
Not because I handled it perfectly, but because I listened sooner.
And because I didn’t do it alone.
Do you ever notice how sometimes the right people show up at exactly the right time?
Travel, Food, and a Surprising Win
With holidays, vacation, airport food, restaurant meals, new job travel, and zero routine… eating as clean as I prefer was challenging.
There were nights I thought,
“Okay… that might’ve been a bit much.”
If you’ve ever traveled with Type 1 diabetes, you know how easily routine disruption can impact blood sugar. I’ve written before about why travel can wreck blood sugar (and what actually helps with Type 1 diabetes) and this season definitely tested those strategies in real time.
I indulged.
I wasn’t perfect.
I definitely wasn’t meal-prepping.
But something was different this time.
My body signaled “that’s enough” much sooner than it used to.
Because I’ve already done the work to stabilize blood sugar, prioritize protein, reduce constant carb cravings, and step out of vicious hunger cycles… I didn’t even want to overindulge the way I used to.
And when I came home?
I craved clean food.
I craved energy.
I craved feeling good.
Coming back to my routine felt easy, not punishing.
In the past, I would’ve needed a strict reset. Now, it feels more like what I shared in how I gently reset after the holidays (without dieting or guilt), steady, intentional, and sustainable.
And here’s the part I’m genuinely proud of:
My weight maintained.
At 50.
With Type 1 Diabetes.
During perimenopause.
Through holidays, vacation, hormone adjustments, and cross-country travel.
Maintenance during disruption is a win.
Not perfect. Just steady. And that feels really good.
It used to be a guaranteed 5-pound swing every time life went off routine.
Not this time.
That tells me something has shifted, not just in my habits, but in my metabolism and my nervous system.
The Bigger Lesson
I used to think progress meant pushing harder.
Now I know progress means listening sooner.
Listening to fatigue.
Listening to hormones.
Listening to hunger.
Listening to “that’s enough.”
Listening to “I need rest.”
I didn’t stop building Midlife T1D because I gave up.
I paused because life accelerated, and I chose to navigate it in a sustainable way.
And now I’m stepping back in with a new commitment:
To build.
To share.
To encourage midlife women with Type 1 Diabetes.
But not at the expense of my health.
This season feels different.
Not hustle.
Not burnout.
Not white-knuckling.
Aligned.
Grounded.
Sustainable.
If you’re navigating midlife, Type 1 Diabetes, hormones, career shifts, or just trying to figure out how to grow without burning out, you’re not alone.
We truly need each other in this season of life.
And I’m building this differently now.
And I’m bringing you along with me.
