Famed boy band singer Nick Jonas spoke candidly about his relationship with diabetes at Dexcom's A Letter to Diabetes, where celebrities share their testimony about living with the disease.
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Jonas was diagnosed in 2005 at the age of 13 and described the daily decisions involved in managing the condition.
"Hello, old friend," Nick began in his open letter.
"It's funny how often we talk," he continued. "Staring at my phone to see where my glucose is. Reaching for my pump to bolus because I'm about to eat something with 17 carbs. Those are just a couple of the hundreds of little decisions I make every week."
"Most people never notice them. But they add up to a real relationship, because that's what diabetes is. It's an ongoing conversation between your body, your mind and your devices," the Disney alum said.
Nick Jonas Shares Inspiring Message About Living With Diabetes
Jonas recalled how the diagnosis changed his perception of life and predictability.
"I'd built my whole life around this unrealistic structure and belief that I was in control. You took that apart over the years, bit by bit," he wrote.
Jonas called the diagnosis a double-edged sword because of the lessons forged through pain.
"Part of me is grateful I learned that lesson. Part of me resents you for it. Full stop. There are days I wonder what life would feel like without you," Jonas said.
Jonas noted the community has been a massive silver lining of his diagnosis.
"I always struggled to feel like I belonged anywhere. At school, I felt misunderstood. In most circles, for that matter. Through my childhood and youth, that was the theme. It wasn't until I started talking openly about life with type 1, and meeting other people who were living it too, that I finally felt like I belonged somewhere," the singer said at Dexcom.
By opening up about the emotional and physical toll of his diagnosis, Jonas hopes to inspire other diabetes survivors to thrive.
"I share my story for the 13-year-old who just got diagnosed and is lying in a hospital bed, scared to death. I want them to be able to look up and see someone out there living their dreams while managing all of this, every single day," he explained.
