Chaka Jackson

My name is Chaka Jackson, the Founder of Diabetic Social. I am a type 1 diabetic. One day I woke up and my life was changed forever.

At 19, I was pregnant, attending school, and living life. I had a doctor's appointment for a checkup and the nurse asked me if I was a diabetic; I told her no she just looked at me and said OK and walked out. I left the doctor's office untreated and unaware of why she would ask me that question. Five months after my delivery, like most type 1 diabetics, I was experiencing symptoms like excessive thirst, fatigue, urinating a lot, and weight loss. I thought all my symptoms were due to having a new baby with colic and not getting the proper rest I needed.

My grandmother, a registered nurse, noticed my signs and suggested that I go to the doctor to be tested for diabetes. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was devastated and unaware of the diagnosis. After being diagnosed with diabetes, it was difficult for me to find information and a support group about managing this condition. I did not know what to do or where to start. I was told I had to take insulin and check my blood sugar before eating anything for the rest of my life.

No one in my family is a type 1 diabetic, so I found myself dealing with this independently. I treated my type 1 diabetes as if it did not exist. I was very careless and irresponsible, not knowing the importance of proper care and diet. After years of suffering from high and low blood sugars, I dealt with depression and loneliness. That's when I realize the seriousness that type 1 diabetes can have on a person's physical and mental health. After those experiences, the realization of educating myself about diet and self-care became more critical.

I find myself desiring a need to communicate and relate to others with the same and similar lifestyles. Living with type 1 diabetes, which I call a journey instead of a disease, is living this life to the fullest without what I need (a well-functioning pancreas). While on this journey, I learned that living without something you need does not limit you from having a wonderful life experience. Knowing there were others like me made me discover the need to create a space for all of us and that’s when Diabetic Social was born.

At that moment, I decided to live!!