Stefany Shaheen

Trent with his son, Jack on Halloween

When people find out that one of my children has Type 1 Diabetes, often the first question asked is whether or not anyone else in our family has diabetes. Unfortunately, we do have another family member who has been living with Type 1 diabetes for years. The one person who has this distinction is my brother-in-law, Trent.

When you think about the term brother-in-law you might imagine some distant relative who you make small talk with at holiday gatherings, but my relationship with Trent is quite different. Trent is more like my brother than my brother-in-law. Trent lived with my husband and I when he first moved back to New Hampshire; he married a member of my extended family – a woman who I grew up with; I had the privilege of being present when his son was born; and our children are now great friends. So it is safe to say that we are close relatives and are regularly part of each other’s lives. Trent was the person who helped our family come to terms with the realities of living with diabetes. He taught us how to grocery shop, hosted Elle for sleepovers – complete with late night blood sugar checks and was always at the end of a 24-hour helpline when I had questions about any one of the complex and confusing dynamics that accompanies diabetes.

Trent was diagnosed with so called “juvenile diabetes” or Type 1 diabetes as an adult. His relatively sedentary lifestyle and hearty appetite was well established, but he did not get the opportunities afforded by Type 2 diabetes to make lifestyle changes and ultimately avoid insulin. Unfortunately, Trent was handed the super charged autoimmune disease requiring multiple daily injections of insulin.

We learned about Trent’s diagnosis soon after he returned from a vacation in Florida when his symptoms became acute after drinking copious amounts of the Sunshine State’s orange juice. Blurry vision, headaches, frequent urination and an unquenchable thirst prompted long conversations with his mother, my mother-in-law, about the possibility of diabetes. Trent’s life changed even before his diagnosis was confirmed. Immediately after that conversation with his mother, Trent drastically changed his eating habits and began exercising more regularly.

Today, Trent’s A1C rarely climbs above 5.5. He maintains tight blood sugar control, eats a lean healthy diet and is remarkably disciplined about exercise. Trent’s story is one of hope and possibility. In the scariest moments after Elle was diagnosed, I found it comforting to think about my brother-in-law and friend, Trent. He is a shining example of the good that can come from the challenging realities of living with a chronic disease. Trent is not sick. He is in outstanding physical condition. In fact, when I told him that I wanted to write about him, he told me that it was important for people to understand that he feels better today than he did before he was diagnosed with diabetes. Amazing – right?

Whether your story is hopeful or painful or lots of both, I trust that Trent’s story will inspire you to share your struggles and triumphs. Are you living with diabetes? Are you caring for someone who is or who might be? Please feel free to post your thoughts, anxieties and victories here. I look forward to the comfort and reassurance these stories will provide to my family and so many others.