Welcome!  My name is Sysy Morales.  (Sysy is pronounced like two letter C’s)  I’m the creator of this site.  I’m a wife, stay at home mother of twin toddlers, diabetes advocate, and a freelance writer.  I juggle glass balls all day (you probably do, too!)

I’m attending the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to be a Certified Health Coach and to learn as much as I can about nutrition.  It took a lot of work to change my eating habits but when I did, my entire life changed and I want to help others make the same journey.

If you are a woman with any type of diabetes and want straight forward encouragement to strive to be as healthy as possible and still remain your fabulous self then you have come to the right place.  I believe it’s time for diabetic women to have it all:  health, energy, freedom, children, and their choice of work.  I also believe it all begins with healthy glucose management and the right attitude.  If you’re a man with diabetes, please stick around!  You’ll find most of the site’s content is for any gender, any age.

It’s the principles which have worked for me that can work for you.  Not the details of diabetes management.  (Remember, I’m no doctor!)

What The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes means:

The title of my blog/website probably lends itself to confusion and debate.  So I’d like to disclose what exactly I intend for it to mean.

First of all, I came up with the title “The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes” about 7 years ago.  I had already read all the books about diabetes that I had found at my local library and I was displeased with the way the information seemed unfriendly and unapproachable.  I knew most of what I needed to know but I wanted to read something helpful to my life surrounding diabetes.  I began daydreaming of having found a book which was written by an author I could somewhat relate to.  I made a list of topics I would have liked to read about in a resourceful, fun, and soulful diabetes book (catered to females).

I couldn’t find such a book and eventually decided I’d write the darn thing.  I wrote several chapters but kept getting stuck because I didn’t feel ready.  I was still in a dark place regarding my life with diabetes.  I still had high A1c’s and I couldn’t discipline myself to do anything.  I dropped out of college since all I did there was suffer anxiety attacks.  I couldn’t even test twice a day.  Twice a day was too hard.  I cried all the time and was filled with negative self-talk.  How was I going to encourage others when I couldn’t even encourage myself?

Eventually I did get myself back on track and my entire life changed for the better.

Since part of what I wanted to include in the book was inspiration, I wanted to reveal all of my diabetes past.  I wanted to show how someone could go from very depressed and overweight with unmanaged diabetes to a much happier, healthier person with great blood sugar management. I wanted to share my journey.  I wanted to give hope to those who find themselves feeling how I once did.  I just wanted to say, “You can do it.  Your path will be your own but you can make the journey.”  I’m now back in the saddle when it comes to writing that book.

I just want to say to you that where the title of this blog says “guide” I do not mean for you to “do as I do” or to “think as I think”.  I am not trying to give the impression that I’m the diabetic “to follow” or someone with all the answers.  By no means.  I’m writing the book and I’m matching the title of the book with the blog.  And on this blog/website I am doing my best in trying to help our cause and welcome any contributions to that in the form of emails or comments.

My sister Ana contributes to this blog, as well.  She has had type 1 diabetes since age 3 and is now a Junior at JMU studying studio art.  Below are she and I at my wedding.

What we do…

• Post about topics we find worth mentioning.
• Advocate for diabetics everywhere by putting up my most brave and vulnerable thoughts so diabetics can relate and not feel so alone and so non-diabetics will be moved to help our cause or at the very least, understand us better.
• I post comments every day on as many fellow diabetic blogs as I can in hopes that they will continue feeling supported to keep doing their fantastic writing and sharing and advocating.
• Post about issues in dire need of awareness and do our part in spreading word about important diabetes initiatives such as The Big Blue Test.
• Interview others who inspire us in hopes that they’ll inspire you.
• Constantly try to make it clear when we don’t know something for sure, and we don’t have problems with differing opinions.
• Advocate strongly for every diabetic (every human being) taking responsibility for their actions.  I am tough on this because only through taking responsibility for MY actions have I managed to come to a much better place in health and in life.
• I am moved easily and feel a great deal of empathy.  This makes me worry about everyone out there but also helps keep me motivated.  I grew up feeling like I was pretty bad at most things I attempted to do or learn.  But, I feel at home with advocating for diabetics and I have boundless energy and enthusiasm for what I’m doing here (something I’ve never experienced before).
• We welcome guest posts.  If you have something you want to share with the world, feel free to use my blog as a platform.  Just no full on marketing please!

So in closing…

If my story helps, great.  If my blogging about a helpful cause to support gets that cause more support, wonderful.  Most of all, if this site just inspires you to feel more motivated about learning more about your diabetes, taking responsibility for your actions, and following through with the right actions to reach your goals, then I could die happy, right now.

As always, thanks for reading.

~Sysy

contact me at Sysy@thegirlsguidetodiabetes.com

ps:  If you enjoy reading the stuff on this site why not sign up for free email updates?  I’ll send you a newsletter every month with links to the latest articles and other useful stuff.