220. Living With T1D Through Breast Cancer, Retinopathy, and the Road Back to Yourself (ft. Erin Provost)

Erin Provost was living a busy life as a wife and mom when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 30. In 2023, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and spent the better part of a year fighting her way through it. Just when she thought the hardest part was behind her, a routine eye appointment introduced her to one more word she never expected to hear: retinopathy.In this episode, Erin sits down with Lauren to talk about what it looks like to manage T1D through a cancer diagnosis, radiation, a hysterectomy, and the complete loss of her ability to feel her lows and highs. She talks about the guilt, the burnout, the deep fear of insulin that took root after a terrifying low, and the moment the retinopathy diagnosis finally pushed her to get the support she had been needing. She shares how coaching helped her go from 50% to 75% time in range by taking it one small step at a time, and what it meant to finally stop being angry at herself and start forgiving herself for the years of hardship.WHAT WE COVER:What it felt like to manage T1D while fighting breast cancer, how her A1C climbed to an 8.5 during treatment, and why she does not blame herself for itHow accidentally doubling her metformin dose led to a terrifying low that created a lasting fear of insulin, affecting every bolusing decision she made from that point forwardWhat it was like to lose the ability to feel both lows and highs after a hysterectomy, and how she learned to navigate T1D without any of the physical signals she had relied onThe moment at her eye doctor appointment where she finally decided she could not keep going the way she had been and sought supportHow coaching helped her take one step at a time, starting with something as simple as eating breakfast, and how those small steps compounded into real momentumWhat it means to stop wallowing, forgive yourself for the hard years, and find your way back to yourselfWHAT’S NEXT:🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.📊 Diabetes burnout is real, and it can show up in ways you don’t always expect. Take the Diabetes Distress assessment and see where you score.💻 Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.📧 Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.Stay connected with us: Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthTikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthYT: Reclaim Your Rise SUBSCRIBE & REVIEWIf Erin's story helped you feel less alone in the weight of everything T1D can bring, subscribe and leave a review so more people navigating this disease can find it.