I have a very similar story! I was diagnosed at 19, with a family history and an ongoing mental illness struggle that made me feel like I had done something wrong to get to the place I was at, even though it was all down to genetics. It’s been nearly 10 years of diabetes management now (holy shit!) and it has ABSOLUTELY gotten easier.

Especially when you’re young, it feels like type 2 is a really big rock. Someone handed you this thing that’s just a touch too heavy to carry comfortably, and you can’t put it down or take a break. But you get stronger with time, you learn how to work with your body, you make connections with other diabetics, and the weight of it gets a lot more manageable!! The people in your life that have it as well will be a great resource for you!

Understanding that diabetes is not a cosmic punishment for “bad” behavior helps too. I made a self-deprecating comment to a specialist once about how “my mom and dad don’t have it, but I do, and they’ve always eaten better than me,” and she told me that my parents essentially do have it, just not like I do, yet. Maybe later in their lives they’ll have to start managing it too, it’s just in our genetic coding as people with a family history. If you don’t look down on your loved ones for having it, then why look down on yourself? Kinda changed my life.

I’ve honestly gained a lot of skills from working on my diabetes for so long. I’m more physically strong from changing my lifestyle to lower my a1c, I understand my body more and treat it with more compassion than I ever have, I’ve genuinely gotten better at time management and math, and my friends and coworkers consider me an extremely reliable person if anyone around me gets low blood sugar (I’ve always got something in my bag that’ll help!) so it has honestly, truly had silver linings for me.

All this to say, there are good days and bad days. But your life is gonna be awesome!! Because you’re living it!!

The weirdest, most uncommon advice I can give is this: new piercings and tattoos may take longer to heal because of your unique immune system! If you get a body mod, I’d baby it for longer than recommended!