My name is Schané Jacobs, and this is my story.

For 30 years, I have lived with Type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed before my 21st birthday, at an age when I was still discovering who I was and what I wanted from life. I never imagined that diabetes would become such a huge part of my journey—or that I would experience moments that would test me in ways I never thought possible.

There have been good days, bad days and days that I honestly didn't know how I was going to get through.

I have experienced frightening blood-sugar lows, comas, hospital visits, endless injections, fear, frustration and the exhaustion that comes with constantly having to think about something most people never have to think about. I have also experienced love, motherhood, heartbreak, loss, loneliness, relationships, personal struggles and the many changes life brings as we grow older.

There were times when I felt strong, and there were times when I felt completely broken.

But somewhere along the way, I realised something important: I am so much more than my diabetes.

I decided to write My Bitter Sweet Struggle because I wanted to tell the truth—the whole truth. Not just the medical side of diabetes, but the emotional side too. The side that people don't always see. The fear, the tears, the frustration, the strength, the laughter, the lessons and the moments that have shaped the woman I am today.

I am sharing the things I have lived through because I know there are other people out there who may be struggling silently. Someone newly diagnosed might be terrified of what lies ahead. Someone who has lived with diabetes for years might simply need to know that they are not alone.

This book is not about being perfect.

It is about surviving, learning, falling down, getting back up and finding the courage to keep going.

This is my bitter sweet struggle.

These are my experiences, my lessons, my heartbreaks, my victories and my truth.

And if even one person reads my story and thinks, “I am not alone,” then sharing it was worth it.

Diabetes doesn't own me. I own it.

And after 30 years, I am still here.

I am still me.