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Home > Knowledge & support > Resource hub > Justin on embracing his differences as a gay man with type 1 diabetes
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May of 2021. I was misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes earlier that year. Luckily, after documenting my experience on Tik Tok, the diabetes community came to the rescue with comments and helped me get the correct diagnosis.
I think getting diagnosed with diabetes later in life has its advantages; I’m old enough to research and seek out the best ways to treat my diabetes. That said, I still experience constant obstacles which help me grow more and more as I live with this disease.
I’ve learned to use my diabetes as a strength instead of allowing it to be a weakness and this thinking comes from my struggles growing up gay. Of course, being gay is not a weakness, but it was ‘difference’. Once I learned to embrace my differences, and see them as uniqueness and strength, that’s when I fully allowed myself to live my authentic life.
To learn more about tech in a fun and entertaining way, check out Justin’s videos on Tik Tok @diabetech and over on his YouTube channel Justin_tech.
In 2024, Mason Barnaby was asked by Instagram influencer Zachery Dereniowski if he would like $1,000 or a ticket to a baseball game. His response – to see the baseball – went viral. We caught up with Mason to find out how T1D brought with it a new favourite sport.
Living with T1D since 1971, Sarah has witnessed a revolution in care and technology. But as she gets older, she is concerned about the lack of knowledge and understanding of T1D in care settings.
MJ works full-time as a chef in London and has recently started volunteering as an assistant to our Events and Supporter-Led Fundraising team.
Bob has lived with type 1 diabetes for 10 years and is one of our dedicated Community Connector volunteers.
