Protect Your Feet with Lily Trotters, A Diabetics Story by Sarah Mullins (A Lily Trotters Flock Ambassador)

My name is Sarah and I am a wife, mom of four, teacher, trail runner, ultramarathoner and recently I added a new title-type 1 diabetic. In January I was training to run my first 50 mile race. I was so thirsty and hungry and so tired all the time. I thought it was just because I was busy being a mom and training for a big race. By the end of January I was so sick and could not get out of bed one morning. My husband called my best friend who came over immediately

and drove me to the ER where I was quickly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To say it was a shock would be an understatement. I was admitted to the hospital where I spent the next few days learning all about how my life was going to change. The big change was having to give myself insulin multiple times a day. Instead of just eating and drinking whatever I wanted whenever I wanted I was going to have to watch everything I ate and constantly think about how

it would affect my blood sugar. At first it was very intimidating and overwhelming but over time it has gotten easier. I still have to constantly think about what I am eating and how it will affect my blood sugar and give myself insulin based on what I eat. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to continue to run and keep my blood sugar at a good level while running. Running acts as insulin and brings your blood sugar down. If I give myself too much insulin

before I run than my blood sugar can go too low during my run and I have to stop and eat sugar. My sugar of choice is gummy bears! In the beginning there were many times that I had to stop during a run and eat gummy bears. There are still times that I go low so I always keep gummy bears with me while I am running. Another thing I have had to change is the amount of water I

drink in a day. I thought I was drinking enough but it turns out I was not. I now have to drink around 100 ounces a day and sometimes more depending on how far I run or the heat and humidity.

One of the biggest concerns with diabetics is our feet. Every time I go to the doctor they look at my feet to make sure everything looks good and I don’t have any infections. It is easy for diabetics to get infections in their feet. Obviously my feet are very important to me and my running. I love using my lily trotters during my run and especially after my run. This summer all my runs have been in my crew lily trotters and I love to wear my knee high compression ones after my run to help my feet recover quickly. Diabetes is a life change but you can still do all your normal activities with a few changes.