“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus in my teenage years. At that time I did not have the maturity to understand how serious this is and what it means. It was a tough time for my family and me, but with the right guidance, I have managed to turn my tragic story into a happy one.”

Rudra Pratap Singh, currently 18 years of age, is a type 1 diabetic living happily with his parents in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His diabetic journey started 3 years ago and has been nothing short of a rollercoaster.

At 15 years of age, Rudra was living his life like every other teenager. He was carefree, excited, a bit rebellious and hopeful for the future. But all of his hopes and dreams were put through the test when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after a series of health complications.

A dark phase

When Rudra was diagnosed, his sugar levels were around 330-350.

“Being a teenager, I was a bit excited about this at first, to be honest. It felt like a new challenge to me and I was not aware of the seriousness of the situation. I treated diabetes as some disease that will get better with medicines. It was only when I started to face it did I realize it was a whole different reality.”

Not knowing that diabetes was actually going to stay for life, Rudra got more confused with his everyday state, and unaware of the consequences, he did not control his lifestyle much.

“I did not get the proper guidance from anyone regarding diabetes at that time. And I was a bit of a rebel too so when everyone told me to avoid sugar, I had even more cravings for it.”

Remaining in the dark about diabetes and how to manage it with everyday lifestyle, Rudra found himself feeling depressed. He was losing weight and kept so unwell that he often had to miss school. He was going through the most important and defining phase of his school life yet the challenges in his path were much larger than what any of his friends could understand or relate to. This made him feel isolated and he spent his time overthinking about what his uncertain future would hold for him.

“I was constantly confused and frustrated at my situation. I could not do the same things as my friends. There were too many restrictions on me and I had to inject myself everyday. My parents were trying their best to find a way to help me but with no success.”

Meeting the right doctor

The dark clouds in Rudra’s life were finally lifted when he met his current doctor - Dr. Rishi Shukla.

“The day I met Dr. Rishi, I had eaten a rasgulla and my sugar levels were very high. He sat me and my mom down and gave us a proper counselling session. It was an eye-opener for us because till then, we were just walking in the dark. I felt an instant connection with him and he talked to me like my caregiver. With the proper guidance, he helped us cope with the situation, both physically and psychologically.”

It was not just Dr. Rishi’s effort to take the time to counsel him, but also his family-like touch which impacted him the most. From that point onwards, Rudra began to see a change in himself and his family. All of them started building a better future for him and he started making the necessary modifications in his lifestyle.

“I finally knew that diabetes is in my life forever so I better accept it and learn to live with it. This acceptance was the hardest part but once I crossed it, everything fell in place. I started eating a healthy diet and joined the gym immediately after my session with Dr. Rishi.”

But the amazing guidance, counselling and treatment from his doctor is not all that Rudra is thankful for. He also introduced him to Zyla who has been helping him manage his sugar levels on a day-to-day basis under the guidance of Dr. Rishi

“My journey with Zyla has been tremendous. I am so grateful for that! Of course, I wanted to make the lifestyle changes, but the Zyla team are the ones who actually guided me through what changes I need to make and how. The team would catch the smallest mistakes I was making in my routine unknowingly and counsel me. They have helped me adopt all these healthy and diabetes-friendly habits in my daily routine so smoothly.”

Through the tunnel

Rudra even considers diabetes as a blessing in disguise because it made his family bonds stronger.

“After living such a dark time with my family, our bond became stronger than ever. From a rebellious 15-year old, I have now become a proper mama’s boy. I have seen my family, especially my mother, cry and suffer. I have cried with them, in fact. It made us feel so vulnerable and connected. This hardship made me come closer to my family.”

Currently, he is in the best shape that he has ever been in his life. He speaks proudly of the self-transformation he has managed to achieve. This has certainly been a journey of self-discovery for him physically, mentally and emotionally where he has grown from a rebellious teenager to a responsible young man.

“I have worked hard on myself and physically I am more fit than ever now. Anyone who looks at me is shocked to learn that I have diabetes because I’m in such fine shape. Emotionally also I am so much happier. I never feel embarrassed to openly discuss my condition with anyone and can express myself more freely. Now I make memes on the internet all day and laugh much more than I used to.”

He has developed a new-found sense of positivity, liveliness and confidence within himself which he now spreads to each and every person around him. He chooses not to focus on what all Diabetes has taken from him, rather all that he has learnt and gained in life from this experience.

“I see diabetes as the best teacher in my life now. I definitely did not experience a normal childhood but I’m glad to have found the light at the end of the tunnel. One thing it taught me is a never-give-up attitude. I never thought I could be this strong but it has given me the reason to believe in myself. I can proudly say I’m a Type 1 Diabetes warrior”

His greatest strength

When asked about his greatest strength, Rudra immediately recalls his family and their level of care and dedication for him.

“I cannot forget my father and my entire family’s support through all this. They have never made me feel left out because of my condition. My father has worked hard to ensure I have everything I need in life and more. When I was depressed, they were even more depressed than me. That’s just how families work, don’t they? One for all and all for one.”

But like most kids, Rudra also holds a special place for his mother in his heart.

“We often hear people say that parents are like God. In my life, I have actually experienced this. My parents are my God. Especially my mother - my biggest strength. She works twice as hard now to give me the food that I need because I’m so picky and with the limited options that diabetics have, it becomes even harder. But she has never complained. I am so thankful for my parents and no amount of words will ever be enough to express that.”

Even during festival times, his mother makes sure to cook a special sugar free sweet for him so that when everyone is having sweets, he is not left out. Their story beautifully depicts that a mother’s love knows no bounds.

His message to fellow diabetics

”Diabetes is not the end of the world. It can change your life completely but it depends on how you look at it. It is a chance for you to become healthier. I might never have taken the healthy steps that I took in my journey if I hadn’t been a diabetic. It’s a reason to eat healthy and exercise daily. Today I feel healthier, happier and fitter than non-diabetic people.”

In his journey, Rudra has understood the importance of having a community to support one another through this experience.

“I am honoured to be a part of the community of Diabetes Superheroes. I would like to take this opportunity to tell each and every patient out there that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!”