This is part of our Diabetes Stories series, where people living with diabetes share their personal journeys, challenges, and insights.
Hello! Who are you? And tell us a little bit more about your diabetes.
Hey everyone! My name is Hassanien. I’m 26 years old, and currently living in Sweden. I’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for 13 years.I’m an entrepreneur working on new social inventions to support the diabetes community. Living with diabetes myself for many years has shaped not only who I am, but also the projects I’ve chosen to dedicate my time to.
I was diagnosed at the age of 13, so yes, I essentially grew up with it. At that age, many kids feel pressure to hide things that make them different, but I never felt the need to hide my diabetes. It became a part of me early on, and I learned to manage it openly.
The hardest part for me and my family wasn’t so much the financial side, but rather coming to terms with what diabetes really means. Understanding the condition, sorting through the overwhelming amount of information, and separating facts from misconceptions was a challenge. Emotionally, it took time for all of us to adjust and feel confident in how to handle it.
“To manage things better, I lean a lot on technology and AI.”
Your treatment
How do you treat your diabetes, did a lot change over the past years and are you able to manage it well?
I get a lot of my support from my family, which has always been important to me.
Right now, I’m using an insulin pump with a CGM, and I rely on Novorapid as my insulin. Over the years, my treatment has changed quite a bit. I started with insulin pens, then moved to a CGM, and eventually transitioned to an AI-driven insulin pump. That shift has been huge—it feels like going from constantly managing every detail myself to finally having technology that takes a big part of the weight off my shoulders.
The pump and CGM work together, so most of the time my glucose levels are tracked automatically. I don’t have to test nearly as often as I did when I was younger, which gives me so much more freedom in my daily life.
Looking back, a lot has changed since the beginning, but I’d say all of those changes have been positive. They’ve allowed me to manage my diabetes really well, to the point where I feel in control rather than restricted.
Can you recognize the symptoms of a low/high blood sugar? Do you test often and can you tell a bit more about your experiences with low blood sugar?
Most of the time I can recognize when something’s off, but not always. When my blood sugar drops, I usually feel shaky and a bit dizzy—it’s a feeling I’ve come to know well over the years.
When that happens, I usually grab some Dextro Energy to bring my levels back up quickly.
Since I use a CGM with my pump, my glucose levels run automatically in the background, so I don’t have to test nearly as often as I used to. That’s a big relief compared to the constant finger pricks from before.
And thankfully, I’ve never fainted from a hypo. Let’s keep it that way.
Food and diet
How does your diabetes affect your eating and do you find being on a diet restrictive?
For breakfast, I usually keep it simple with oats, and during the day I make sure to include some dark bread with my meals to help keep things balanced. I’m not really the type to snack in between meals, and sometimes I’ll even skip a meal if things get busy—especially with the life of being an entrepreneur.
When it comes to insulin, I don’t just stick to a rigid schedule (besides the schedule of my insulin pump). If I eat something that’s not the best choice for my blood sugar, I’ll adjust my insulin dose to match. That flexibility makes life a lot easier. Still, I’d say food can feel restrictive at times, especially while juggling the unpredictable rhythm of running a business. It takes extra planning and discipline, and sometimes that’s tough.
When it comes to drinking enough water, I have to admit I’m not the best at staying hydrated. I don’t drink as much plain water as I probably should. Instead, I tend to go for carbonated water most of the time—it just feels easier to reach for.
As for people asking if I “should” be eating something, it doesn’t bother me. Most of the time, they just don’t understand what diabetes really means. Instead of getting annoyed, I try to explain. I see it as a chance to share a bit of knowledge and maybe break down a few misconceptions along the way.
Do you believe that a plant based diet can improve diabetes? Did you ever experiment with this?
I haven’t actually tried a plant-based diet myself, so I can’t speak from personal experience. What I do believe in is keeping my meals balanced and paying attention to carbs.
Do you have a hard time eating out in a restaurant? And what are you thoughts on making this easier?
Eating out has never really been something I enjoy. Part of it is that I find it challenging when I don’t have dark bread with me to balance things out. That little detail can make a big difference in how I feel after a meal. Because of that, I usually avoid restaurants altogether—it just feels easier to stay in control when I eat at home.
When I do think about food I really love, though, my favorite has to be Dolma (vegetables). It’s a traditional dish from Iraq, and if you don’t know it, I’d say it’s worth looking up. It’s the kind of food that feels like home and comfort to me, much more than anything I’d find at a restaurant.
“Simply having to keep it all in mind, all the time!”
Exercise and work
Does your diabetes restrict you from exercise or your daily job?
Diabetes doesn’t really stop me from exercising or doing my daily work. I make it a priority to stay active, and for me that means going to the gym regularly. It helps me feel balanced, both physically and mentally, and it definitely plays a role in keeping my blood sugar under control.
As for work, I wear a few hats. Besides being an entrepreneur focused on creating social inventions for the diabetes community, I’m involved in various other projects as well. My work can be unpredictable and demanding at times, but I’ve learned to adapt and manage my diabetes alongside it.
Final
Do you have any positive or negative effects because of your diabetes?
The hardest part of living with diabetes is simply having to keep it all in mind, all the time. It’s not something you can ever switch off from; there’s always that awareness of carbs, insulin, and blood sugar running in the background of everything I do.
At the same time, it’s strange to imagine life without it. Diabetes has shaped me in so many ways that I honestly don’t know how I’d live without it. If it were cured tomorrow, would we ever really stop thinking about carbs, insulin, and blood sugar? It feels like it’s become part of who I am.
To manage things better, I lean a lot on technology and AI. It makes the daily routine less overwhelming and helps me feel more in control.
Still, diabetes does bring other challenges too. For example, healing from scars takes longer, which is one of those hidden struggles that people don’t always see.
What is the best advice that you can give to non-diabetics, new diagnosed diabetics and diabetics?
For people who don’t have diabetes, I’d say this: living with it often feels like living a double life. On the outside, things might look normal, but behind the scenes there’s constant monitoring, adjusting, and decision-making that never really stops. A bit of understanding goes a long way.
For someone who’s just been diagnosed, my advice is to take a deep breath—it’s going to be alright. Give yourself time to adjust and to learn. At first, it feels like too much information, too many rules, but step by step you’ll figure it out.
And for those already living with diabetes, the best advice I can give is to get your knowledge right. Really learn about your condition and your body, and then experiment. Try different foods, different routines, and see what works best for you. Diabetes isn’t the same for everyone, so the more you understand yourself, the better you’ll be able to manage it.
What would you ask the other diabetics?
What is your biggest fear of having diabetes?
Share your thoughts in the comments—I can’t wait to hear from you!
Ready to share your story with the world?
At Diabetic Me, we dive into the real-life stories of people living with diabetes, uncovering the challenges, triumphs, and everything in between. Through these powerful stories, we aim to shed light on what it truly means to live with diabetes, offering understanding, inspiration, and support.
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