about me

Hi, and welcome to The Honey Siphon!

The Honey Siphon is a type 1 diabetes blog, created as a response to my need to form words around how I experience life with this autoimmune disorder, and as a free space for a supporting and caring diabetes community.

So, why "the honey siphon"?

It was Greek physicians who first coined the name 'diabetes', meaning 'siphon, to pass through', referring to a patients need to frequently urinate (I for one can relate!). Thomas Willis, in 1675, added the word 'mellitus', meaning '(like) honey, sweet', referring to the sweet smell of a patient's urine.

Therefore, The Honey Siphon - a much sweeter sounding name for a sometimes bitter disorder. Also because it sounds like a delicious siphon-brewed tea :)

The person behind the keyboard

My name is Ciwi, and I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was eight years old, almost twenty years ago! Eeek! Together, my diabetes and me have been through childhood, teen years, living on my own years, and marriage + pregnancy + life with a baby/toddler/preschooler years.

I live in Sydney, Australia with my amazing husband who gets me through crashing-faster-than-you-need-to-in-the-grocery-store-hypos, and works hard to supply me with CGMs and insulin. Together we have the most amazing 3-year old, lovingly referred to as chicken pie :) 

When I'm not here writing about life with type 1 diabetes, I am a stay at home mama, and a part time nursing student, something which I love nerding out about! I have a crazy dream to specialise within a variety of nursing, the list is currently:

Paediatrics

Neonatology

Clinical nursing, specialising in Diabetes

and last, but absolutely not least, midwifery!

Research shows that living with a chronic disorder like diabetes, coping with biological and hormonal factors plus needing to manage diabetes on a daily basis more than double the risk of developing depression.

I have found that these things, expressing myself and finding people who experience the same things, takes a lot of the T1D-life-stress off my shoulders.

It was only a few months ago that I realised there is a whole diabetic online community out there. People who know exactly what I mean when I talk about the frustrations of diabetes, and people who know that it isn’t the end of the world. People who know that life goes on, gets up and keeps moving, but still give 100% to support their fellow dia-buddy. People who I’ve never talked to or met, but who have inspired me to tell my account of the diabetic life. 

And I love it! I’m so inspired every day by you. Keep on being you!