Meet Alex

Alexandra Park is an actress, writer, and producer best known for her role on The Royals and the Australian series Home and Away. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dog. 

My diabetes diagnosis could not have come at a worse time. It was two months before I was set to leave Australia to move to Los Angeles. My doctors advised me to cancel the move, but I was determined and moved to LA as planned. Shortly after, I accepted the role of Princess Eleanor for the TV series The Royals and I was off to London for filming.   

On set, I was obsessed with keeping my blood sugars in range, and it was mentally exhausting and isolating at times. I developed a routine before each scene to check my blood sugar, make sure I had glucose on hand, and give myself insulin shots if needed. I had things under control, but I was always so worried that my condition would interfere with the scene or let the crew down. 

  During this time, I was very much in denial about my type 1 diabetes. So much so that I pushed it to the side while I struggled with the very busy schedule of being a lead actress on a TV show in a foreign country. Unfortunately, this was the start of my many scary experiences with hypoglycemia.   

  It wasn’t until my blood sugar went so low that I went unconscious that I finally started accepting my condition. Being diagnosed with diabetes came with a new set of challenges, but it didn’t have to disrupt my goals and aspirations. I realized that I could still live my life how I wanted to, as long as I made an effort to manage my condition properly.  

My biggest piece of advice for people living with diabetes is to find the therapy that works best for you. MDI worked well for me for a long time, but I recently switched to an automated insulin delivery system, and it helps me balance my highs and lows, which makes a big difference in my mood, energy levels, and overall health. It works hard in the background to help keep me in range, so I can focus on the things that are most important to me.   

 For people living with T1D, there’s often a lot of guilt or shame with navigating highs and feeling like you’re not doing enough to keep them in check or that you did something wrong.  It’s also stressful thinking about how these prolonged highs have a cumulative impact on my health over time. The long-term complications are scary, and I certainly want to be as healthy as I can for as long as possible.  

Living with diabetes isn’t easy, but advancements in technology, increased awareness, and a strong community of support make it much more manageable.