Townsville’s Jenna Cantamessa inspiring diabetes community with social media success
Jenna Cantamessa is turning her struggle into strength, sharing her daily life online and raising awareness about the condition.
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Jenna Cantamessa was just 19 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), the news was “earth-shaking” and it took her a long time to adjust to her ”new normal”.
“When I was diagnosed, I thought my life as it was, was over. My 19-year-old, worry-free self went into a state of panic. I can say that not only my life was turned upside down with the diagnosis, but my whole family was,” she said.
“The language and concepts and math that you have to wrap your head around with diabetes in a short timeframe with no previous knowledge is so foreign and overwhelming. You have to learn it quickly to keep yourself alive and healthy.”
She said having an incredibly supportive family helped her deal with the chronic condition and said the advancement of diabetes technology has also been a huge contributing factor.
Creating a community
Now, at 30 years old, Ms Cantamessa is sharing her life with T1D and advocating for greater access to and awareness of diabetes technology in Australia.
Her Instagram page @typeonevibes has over 16,000 followers and shares her daily life living with T1D, highlighting the issues she has to deal with daily and advocating for greater access and awareness.
She says having her Instagram page makes people feel less isolated.
“You share your diabetes hacks, situations that are happening that you don’t know the answers to and people find comfort in having the same issues as others and work together to see if they can solve it,” she said.
Ms Cantamessa volunteers at many diabetes events across the country and says it is important to build connections with healthcare professionals and newly diagnosed individuals.
“Sharing my personal story online with T1D has given me opportunities to connect with those from the online community in person, and it’s experiences like this that mean so much to me,” she said.
“I’m flying to Melbourne on Saturday to be emcee at the JDRF Type 1 Summit and have just come back from attending a children and family diabetes camp over at Magnetic Island.
“Additionally, I speak to nursing students at TAFE about living with Type 1, offering a lived experience perspective that textbooks can’t provide.”
Living with T1D
When she was first diagnosed Ms Cantamessa carried jelly beans, needles, insulin and a blood glucose meter with her everywhere she went.
In 2021, Ms Cantamessa started using the Omnipod when it was first released and has enjoyed most of what pod-therapy has to offer.
“I was on Multiple Daily Injections for nine years, averaging five injections a day. Now, I only need to change the pod once every three days,” she said.
The Omnipod is an insulin management system applied to the body that provides continuous insulin delivery for up to 72 hours.
Information is then fed to a device, the Personal Diabetes Manager, that shows the user their levels in more detail.
Ms Cantamessa says the Omnipod has been a game changer, but still uses parts of her old method just in case.
“With improved technology, I still have to carry jelly beans on me at all times, as well as spare insulin, an omnipod and a CGMS (continuous glucose monitoring system) in case I have a tech malfunction,” she said.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has just announced the approval of the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System.
It is Australia’s first tubeless, automated and waterproof insulin delivery device into the Australian market.
Living an active lifestyle in the North Queensland sun, Ms Cantamessa says the Omnipod has integrated well into her daily routine.
“It’s the little things, like swimming on an island and knowing I’m still receiving insulin because the pod is waterproof. Or, while I’m running around organising events, I only need to carry the PDM with me and can administer insulin on the go without having to stop and find a place to inject,” she said.
“I believe the upcoming release of the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System will be an even bigger game-changer for us.
“Technology also provides our healthcare professionals with a clearer picture of our diabetes management. It easily uploads our data, allowing us to work together with our healthcare providers to better manage our condition based on accurate, real-time information.”
Breaking the stigma
Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune chronic condition and there is no cure.
More than 130,000 Australians live with the condition, with two in three newly diagnosed under the age of 30.
Type 1 and 2 diabetes come from different causes, with Type 1 resulting from the pancreas not making insulin due to the body’s immune system attacking the insulin-making cells.
Type 2 diabetes is the when the pancreas makes less insulin than it once did, making your body resistant to the insulin. It is caused due to factors including obesity, inactivity and genetics.
One in four Australians with diabetes take insulin daily, and over a quarter check their glucose levels daily.
Type 1 diabetes represents around 10% of all diabetes cases in Australia.
Ms Cantamessa says there is a stigma associated with her condition, saying that many people believe diabetes is caused by poor diet.
“There are 42 factors that affect blood glucose levels. Many people think it’s just food that influences these levels, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said.
Noting both the mental and physical toll diabetes has on an individual, Ms Cantamessa says everyday diabetes is different.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘Perfect diabetes management’ – it’s extremely challenging. Seeing a flat line on your CGMS data is so rare, we call them ‘unicorn days’,” she said.
‘Silver lining’
Reflecting on the 12 years since her initial diagnosis Ms Cantamessa recognises how much her life has changed.
“Diabetes weaves its way into every facet of your life; your work, your relationships, and your relationship with yourself and your family,” she said.
“It changes your life, and you have no choice but to accept it and work with it, otherwise it can easily consume you. You always have to think one step ahead.”
Despite the challenges Ms Cantamessa says the silver lining to her diagnosis is the experiences and people she has met over the past 12 years.
“I’ve met incredible people, gained invaluable knowledge, developed a deeper understanding of others living with chronic conditions or disabilities, travelled to amazing places and given the opportunity to have a voice at events that discuss the lives of people living with T1D.
“A cure is the dream, and I hope that one day it becomes true.”
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Originally published as Townsville’s Jenna Cantamessa inspiring diabetes community with social media success
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