Diabetes hero
Two years ago Emily Vuong, type 1, couldn’t run 2km – now she has completed the New York Marathon
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just 14 months old, after her parents noticed she was extremely lethargic, thirsty and wetting through her nappies, Emily Vuong has grown up knowing no different. “When I started school, I did start to realise I was different to everyone else,” she says. “And I had periods of rebellion where I wanted to ignore my diabetes altogether.”
Despite this, her parents wanted her to live as much of a normal life as possible. “They taught me how to do everything like site changes, finger pricks, bolusing and carb counting; but when they could, they always did it for me,” she says.
Emily, now 23, has been on a pump (Medtronic 640g) for most of her life, and is grateful to also be using the Dexcom G5 system to help manage her diabetes with ease.
Although she admits she wasn’t the fittest kid growing up, seven years ago Emily discovered weightlifting. “I found it the best way to boost my insulin sensitivity over the long-term, especially when I lift heavier weights” she says. “The effects were pretty instant, and it made me feel empowered – like I could actually do something to make managing my diabetes easier
– so I stuck with it.”
In 2018, Emily and her partner Liam decided to train together for the annual TCS New York City Marathon on 3 November 2019. “I’ve always secretly wanted to run a marathon, but I never thought I had it in me!” she admits. “I always assumed my body just wasn’t suited to long- distance running. I had to remind myself that all you have to do is start – the rest will come with time and experience.”
But it wasn’t without its challenges. While weightlifting, Emily’s BGLs are usually pretty consistent, and she hadn’t experienced any big spikes or hypos – until she added running to her exercise regimen. “It’s been a huge challenge to solidify my insulin and food regimen to get my BGLs right during my runs – especially the long ones,” she explains. “To balance things out, I’ve continued to include weightlifting in my marathon training, but have cut down to two sessions per week.”
In training to run the 42.2km course, Emily discovered she needed to become more aware of various aspects that affected her diabetes. Before she goes for a run, she has a snack and lets her body digest it to ensure the glucose has absorbed into her bloodstream. “I found that if I don’t wait long enough pre-run for my snack to absorb, my BGLs would skyrocket after my run, as blood flow is
returned to my gut and the food is absorbed,” she explains. On the other hand, the tiniest amount of insulin in her body causes her BGLs to plummet during a run.
Emily also quickly learnt that when she is dehydrated her Dexcom becomes very inaccurate. Adjusting these aspects, and more, has helped her to manage her diabetes as she runs.
In the lead-up to the marathon in November, Emily chose to fundraise for JDRF Australia – raising a total of $4436* through their Everyday Hero page with the help of her mum, who also donated $1 per pack of 6 sold in her small cookie business.
“Even though diabetes is manageable for me, there are so many people who aren’t as privileged as I am,” she explains. “These are the people that need a cure, and I am raising money in the hopes that I can contribute in some small way to finding that cure.
“I want to live a long, happy and healthy life, and it worries me sometimes that diabetes will get in the way of that. But I know by taking care of myself now, I am helping create a better outlook for myself in the future.” ■