For or against celebrating your “Diaversary”?

When you’re living with diabetes, the hardest part is often accepting it.  On the one hand, there are people who deny it and see their diabetes as their worst enemy.  And on the other, there are those who get used to the idea of living with diabetes and see it as a daily companion.  For those people, what is more natural than celebrating  their “Diaversary” – the anniversary of their diagnosis? From a cake to the organization of a party, there are many ways to mark the event.

The “Diaversary” does not have unanimous support

Not everyone living with Type 1 diabetes agrees with the principle of the “Diaversary”. While some like Remy prefer to forget this date because it reminds him of bad memories, others like Betty are not against a celebration but for… other reasons: “I totally accept my 27 years with diabetes, but it has never crossed my mind to celebrate the date of diagnosis of a disease. On the other hand, if one day I am cured, I’ll have a mega party! “.

Some with T1D admit to having totally forgotten the day, month, or even the year of their diagnosis. In this case, the concept of the “Diaversary” crosses their mind… when they see the posts of others on social networks!

Diaversary, or how to think positively about Type 1 diabetes

The “Diaversary” can seem like a silly idea for some, like Jean: “I think about this date every year but never do anything special, but in the future, why not! “.

For others, it may be the opportunity to give a few days of respite in the strict monitoring that can be imposed on a daily basis. This is the case for Sonia who doesn’t do things halfway and celebrates her “Diaversary” for several days: “I celebrate it every year by taking a week of vacation and enjoying brioche, tasty dips, cakes, etc. Good habits will not resume until the following week.” Now there’s an idea!

The “Diaversary” can be seen and felt as a victory in the control of a chronic disease, it can be the symbol of the acceptance of Type 1 diabetes. Severine, diagnosed only 7 months ago, is planning her first anniversary: “I think that I will celebrate my 1st year, by thumbing my nose at this scourge of a disease which, in the end, changed me but did not destroy me. A small victory which is celebrated one day at a time! “.

For people with Type 1 diabetes, the “Diaversary” represents a positive moment, which brings cheerfulness to the experience of the disease.

An opportunity to think about yourself and challenge yourself

When you say anniversary, you think of…gifts! This is an opportunity to get spoiled! Doris receives gifts from her relatives: “I also celebrate my diabetes every year. Diabetes is a part of my daily life and, as it is not always easy to manage, this anniversary allows me to think about it positively. This year, I even received a gift from my brother:  sugar cubes and goodies! “.

Some diabetes advocates even share their “Diaversary” with their communities on social networks. This is the case of Mathilde (Les aventures de Mathilde), a true globetrotter who, to celebrate her “Diaversary” has took a road-trip to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.  Cool, right?

Elise and Anne, founders of Diab’ Aide have for their  20th and 22nd anniversary of their diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, respectively, decided to run their first marathon. They have, for the occasion, created the event “1 year = 1 km“. Their community was invited to challenge themselves by participating in a virtual race on April 14, 2019, the day of the Paris Marathon. The participants had to register for the Facebook event, move 1 km that day (running, walking, pedaling, swimming, or riding a pony) and prove it through a GPS tracking app.  Living with Type 1 diabetes  was not a condition for participation. Each victorious challenger received a medal and a t-shirt.

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The whole Diabeloop team wishes a very merry “Diaversary” to all people living with Type 1 diabetes!