(WXYZ) — Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a loud alarm, rushing to the refrigerator while still in a daze and searching for anything that has sugar. You do this as your spouse lies next to you, sweating, dizzy and suffering from low blood sugar.
While it’s not the norm, it’s the reality for diabetics and their spouses, family members or friends, who are called diabetic caregivers.
I’m one of those caregivers. My wife, Carol, was diagnosed with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), also known as type 1.5 diabetes, in early 2023.
Being a caregiver is something I don’t openly talk about, partly because I’m not the one who has the actual disease, and also because it’s hard to explain how much time I spend on a daily basis thinking about my wife and her blood sugars. My wife was actually the person who encouraged me to write this article, because she knows there are other people out there quietly navigating this journey who may find comfort in a shared experience.
Research shows that people with type 1 diabetes make between 180 to 300 decisions every single day about their medical care. Insulin, the drug they have to give themselves to survive, is also the same drug that could kill them if something goes wrong and their sugar goes too low.
Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7/365 disease, and being a caregiver means that I also have to be on 24/7/365, ready to help out whenever needed. And while being ready to help at a moment’s notice is important, there’s also the planning and anxiety that come with not knowing what could happen.
Carol and I love exploring and traveling, and we recently went on a trip to celebrate our third anniversary in Amsterdam and London. That meant a lot of stress leading up to the trip, just about diabetes.
Things we had to consider before the trip: Do we have enough insulin? Do we have enough continuious glucose monitors (CGMs) and pumps and backups? Do we have backup insulin in case a pump falls off? Do we have the glucometer to check in case a CGM malfunctions? Are there restrictions on traveling with diabetes care in these countries? If the worst happens and we lose access to the insulin, where can we get some? Will the hotel have refrigerators in the room for the extras? If not, will they hold the insulin for us?
What’s it like to be a type one diabetic? Here’s just some of what my wife has to get every 90 days to survive pic.twitter.com/x2vwJJscqX
— Maxwell White (@MaxWhiteWXYZ) July 15, 2025
There were also questions and concerns during the trip, as we were walking often, taking trains, spending the whole day away from our hotel, etc.
I should say that my wife doesn’t often call me her caregiver. Instead, she calls me her “diabetic manager” and her “sometimes producer.”
She sees an endocrinologist four times a year to see how her diabetic care is going, along with a thyroid autoimmune disease she has called Hashimoto’s.
I’m by her side at those appointments, which often are high-stress and emotional, despite being told that Carol is doing everything right. It’s a reminder that this is a lifelong disease and something we never get to stop thinking about.
While we have a massive support system, type 1 diabetes and caregiving can also feel incredibly lonely at times. We only know a few people who are T1ds (shoutout Jade and Hope), and there aren’t many people who I can talk to about the stress of caregiving. Many people don’t know what we deal with on a daily basis.
Last year, I interviewed Adam Schefter, the ESPN insider who is best known for breaking sports news. His wife is a type 1 diabetic, and so, he’s her caregiver. It was the first time I remember talking to someone who had also been through similar experiences. Finding a kindred spirit in Adam and hearing his stories made me remember that I’m not alone.
Watch my interview with Adam Schefter in the video below
So, if you know anyone who has type 1 diabetes or a person who is a caregiver for someone with T1D, reach out and see how they’re doing. Ask questions, because some of us love to share our experiences as we all work toward creating an informed community around.
