A few months after dx at 21 I read an article in Balance by a 25 year old who'd been T1 for about 5 years, hadn't paid any attention, and so had developed some serious retinopathy. She said her doctor told her if she carried on like that, she would be blind soon. That article seriously motivated me to pay attention. I remember saying to myself that's not going to happen to me, I am not going to go blind. So I've spent a lot of time looking after my sugars, but have still had a good life, few beers at the weekend, backpacking in Asia, and am able to say almost thirty years later that my eyes are fine, and that keeps me motivated.
Sure, there are never any guarantees with complications, but I know that provided I pay a bit of attention to it, I improve my chances massively. That motivates me.
After I learned the basic rules of how much insulin for how much food, I never really bothered looking into T1 too much, wasn't that fussed about research, the minutiae, as I didn't want it to take over my life. Like a lot of people say, it has to live with me, not me with it. But about ten months ago, I decided to fork out for a freestyle libre. I'm really glad I did. Sure, £100 per month, but seeing as that works out per day at the cost of a return bus ticket, I'm happy to pay that for the peace of mind it gives me. Dropping to the point I might go hypo? Downwards arrow shows me so I can nip it in the bud with 5 gm before it even happens. How hard is foot on floor kicking in this morning? Can see it on the graph and pin it with 2u before it starts. Etc. etc. It's like being able to tailor what I do in life to make T1 so much more manageable, can see things developing and stop them before they happen. It's been hugely motivational, like I'm now co-operating with my T1, not fighting it. It levels the playing field.
PS: lol at 51 sounding old! I'm turning 50 next week, so this weekend will be the last weekend I ever spend in my forties! Am going to have to hit the pub, fit in a few tequilas and pretend I'm in my twenties again!