Hi, I’m Swati.

I’ve lived with type 2 diabetes since 2018. Back then, life was full of long office days, quick meals and trying to fit everything in. Diabetes was already part of my family’s story on my mother’s side. Then it became part of mine.

Looking back, I gave so much of myself to my work that caring for myself often came second. Meals were irregular, movement was limited, and rest was easy to put off. Alongside my family history, these were part of the picture—but I’m learning to look back on that time with understanding, rather than blame.

Over the years, I’ve kept a journal of my meals, glucose readings and how my mood changed throughout the day. Gradually, it became about more than numbers: my energy, my emotions and the moments when I struggled to find a word.

What I felt less prepared for was the psychological side of living with diabetes. On some days, I noticed higher readings alongside feeling sluggish, irritable or craving more carbohydrates. Those days could feel harder to navigate. I wanted space to understand and talk about that experience, because how I felt mattered too.

There were times when I felt I was figuring it all out as I went—and even now, after years of learning what works for me, some days are still difficult. Knowing what helps and having the energy, time or headspace to do it are different things. I don’t always manage the movement or meals I’d planned, and that can bring frustration or guilt.

On those days, I want space to talk openly with someone who has been through something similar. Someone who understands, who can share their own experience, and with whom I can feel heard and work through those feelings.

That’s why I created this space. My background is in engineering: I studied electronics at the University of Mumbai in India and spent seven years working in the semiconductor industry.

Over time, I found myself spending more and more of my time reading about diabetes and the psychological experience of living with it. What began as a way to understand my own life grew into a direction I wanted to pursue. I went on to complete a master’s in psychology at the University of Exeter in the UK.

This space brings together what I’ve studied and what I’ve lived through, with room for you to share your own experience.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before we talk.