I’m Katerina — and I’m the mom of two kids with Type 1 Diabetes.
My daughter was diagnosed at age 2. My son, Makar, was diagnosed at age 4. Between the two of them, I’ve been living this life for over 21 years. Counting carbs, calculating boluses, checking blood sugar at 2 AM, and trying not to lose my mind in the process.
This isn’t a medical blog. This is a real mom’s notebook — the one I wish existed when we got our first diagnosis.
Two Diagnoses, One Family
When my daughter was diagnosed, I didn’t know what Type 1 Diabetes was. I didn’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2. I didn’t know that her body had stopped making insulin and would never make it again. I learned everything the hard way — in hospital hallways, through sleepless nights, and by making every possible mistake.
By the time Makar was diagnosed, I thought I was ready. I wasn’t. Every child is different. Every body responds differently to insulin, food, stress, and activity. What worked for my daughter didn’t always work for my son. I had to start learning all over again.
If your child was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I want you to know — the panic fades. It doesn’t disappear, but it becomes something you can manage. Just like the diabetes itself.
What We Use Every Day
We’re an Omnipod 5 and Dexcom G6 family. I’ve been through finger pricks, syringes, multiple pump systems, and more CGM sensors than I can count. I write about our insulin pump experience and the technology we actually use — not what a brochure says.
When I talk about how we bolus for pizza or how we handle overnight lows, I give you the exact numbers. Not “adjust as needed.” The actual carb count, the actual pre-bolus time, the actual temp basal we set. Because when your kid’s blood sugar is 350 at midnight, you don’t need theory — you need someone who’s been there.
Hockey, Homeschool, and Blood Sugar
Makar plays travel hockey. If you’ve ever tried to manage blood sugar during a 6 AM practice, a tournament weekend with three games in two days, or a road trip with fast food as the only option — you know it’s a different world. I write about sports and Type 1 Diabetes because no textbook covers what happens when your kid drops low in the second period.
I also homeschool. That was a choice we made partly because of diabetes — the flexibility to check blood sugar during lessons, to pause when numbers are off, to eat when we need to, not when a bell rings. I share what that looks like for our family, the good and the messy.
Why I Started This Site
For 21 years, I managed everything in my head. The patterns, the tricks, the failures, the wins. I never wrote it down.
Then I realized — there are parents right now sitting in a hospital room, Googling the same things I Googled two decades ago. And most of what they’ll find is written by people who don’t live this life.
Double T1D Mom exists because I do live it. Every single day.
I write about what actually spikes blood sugar in T1D kids and what to do about it. I write about the emotional weight of T1D burnout — not just for kids, but for us, the parents. I share recipes with exact carb counts, travel strategies that actually work, and the honest truth about what 21 years of T1D parenting has taught me.
This Is Not Medical Advice
I’m not a doctor. I’m not a nurse. I’m not a certified diabetes educator. I’m a mom who has given tens of thousands of insulin doses, called the endocrinologist more times than I can remember, and learned most of what I know from experience — the kind you can’t get from a textbook.
Everything on this site is what worked for our family. Your child is different. Always work with your endocrinology team. But if you want to know what another T1D mom does at 3 AM when the Dexcom alarm goes off — I’m here.
Let’s Connect
If you have questions, want to share your story, or just need to know someone else gets it — reach out. You can find me on Pinterest and Facebook at Double T1D Mom.
You’re not alone in this. I promise.
— Katerina