How Are You Coping?
Coping, Resilience, Humor, Social Connection, and Finding Joy: Surviving and Thriving with Type 1 Diabetes as We Age
Living with Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong journey, and as we age, the challenges can shift and the burden can become heavier.
But the strengths we bring to the table, in addition to many tools we can access, will help us stay grounded and hopeful. We have coping strategies we lean on, the resilience we’ve built over time, the power of laughter, the value of staying socially connected, and the practice of gratitude and joy.
Whether you’re navigating new health concerns, facing changes in support systems, or simply trying to keep your spirits up, you are not alone. Through the articles shared here, let’s explore how humor, community, and a resilient mindset can make all the difference in living well with T1D and helping others, as we grow older.
Additional Resources
Diabuddies
What are Diabuddies and how to find one.
How to Start/Moderate A T1D Adult Support Group
For folks looking for more connection local to their communities.
Supporting T1Ds
How to support someone you love who lives with Type 1 Diabetes while minimizing the pressure of being a caretaker.
No Stress Art Habits
How to start a super consistent, no stress art habit.
What About Robots?
Exploring the use of robots to guide loving-kindness and walking meditation practices.
Japanese Robots
These adorable Japanese robots are being used for elder care.
Seniors and Artificial Intelligence
Classes across the country help seniors interact with a world altered by AI.
Humor Benefits
Why older adults benefit from regular doses of humor.
Loneliness and Texting
The importance of texting your friends. It matters more than you think.
Journaling
Psychologist urges seniors to use this journal daily for mental health.
Learning Music
Learning music could reverse brain aging (even if you’re already old), say scientists.
Last updated 08/08/2025.
Recent Stories
The Wit and Wisdom of Fran Carpentier: 57 Years with Type 1 Diabetes
“I think that my first husband felt that I made life hard for us. I couldn’t be as spontaneous as he probably wanted me to be. You know this was pre-insulin pumps and CGMs. We were young, he wanted to go out and do things and I felt I had to do things a certain way to keep my sugar really well-controlled. I think I’m the most fun person in the room, but he felt that I was a wet blanket. There was probably truth to it forty years ago. Today, technology has freed up life for us T1Ds. Of course that freedom means relying on all manner of medical apparatus and being visible about it.”
Museum curator, 77, Learns Gen Z (AAVE) Slang and Goes Viral: “Honestly, she ate.”
The National Gallery of Art’s deputy head of sculpture stepped behind a 16th-century urn and began to describe it to the camera. “Chat, I’m about to buss it down Roman Empire style,” said Alison Luchs, 77, using Gen Z slang she recently learned. “Haters will say this urn is mid, but they don’t know we’ve clocked its tea.”
Aging with T1D: In Living Color
Haidee Merrit is a New Hampshire-based artist best known in theT1D community as a cartoonist whose three books of diabetes-themed cartoons and illustrations share a humorous, and often edgy, take on life as a type one. She is also a colorful artist whose works are vibrant and lively, often featuring vividly detailed insects or splashy abstract landscapes. She met with us at T1Dto100 to talk about what led her to her specific art forms and her philosophy about living with T1D.