A Chronic Entrepreneur: Olivia Djouadi
Olivia Djouadi was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was just one year old. She was told she wouldn’t live past 30. She made decisions and lived her life, studying, marrying her husband and having children, but it wasn’t until she passed that milestone – the age of 30 – that she finally realised she was going to live and began to live her life in a different way because of it. Five years ago, she was then diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She now works as an integrative psychotherapist and counsellor, working to support other people who live with chronic illnesses and those who have suffered trauma. An incredible woman, Olivia shares her story of her experiences growing up as a woman with type 1 diabetes and now with multiple sclerosis.
What’s your Chronic?
Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis.
Where/when were you diagnosed?
Diabetes at one year of age, multiple sclerosis five years ago.
What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
Helping people who have survived trauma emotionally (I’m a trauma specialist) and those who are living with a chronic illness. I’ve given conference talks on chronic illness and online counselling.
What came first, the chronic or the entrepreneurism?
The chronic. At age one, that’s been my normal, however over the years, like MS, the diabetes comes with complications such as nerve damage and a stroke six years ago. I chose a career that could work around my health needs.
How did this path come to you?
Many years ago, someone said I’d make a great therapist so I took a few classes and loved it. I then trained and started practicing and during the time my stroke happened I was doing my graduate studies and another course in online counselling. I stuck to finishing both as a goal and completed, but felt exhausted. Now I have the job I want with a schedule I can change if needed.
Did you go through any sort of 12-stages of grief with the diagnosis or take it in its stride? How did the process manifest itself? Did you immediately reassess your life?
As a teen I went through an angry stage where I was mad with the world that I had type 1 diabetes. That subsided in my twenties. When I was first diagnosed with MS, I was a little sarcastic about it as it didn’t make sense to me. So as both type 1 diabetes and MS are autoimmune disorders I told everyone my diabetes was lonely so MS joined the party.
Then I went research mad and kept demanding my neurologist tell me what was going to happen. I wasn’t happy with pamphlets, I wanted to know everything.
My training as a counsellor shifted my work to online and I also took a job as an online tutor in counselling and supervision. Life ticked by and I just dealt with the fatigue with extra naps daily. Then scans showed it had gotten worse so a lack of night vision, being more clumsy and spilling cups of tea started happening. At present I’m sitting with a broken ankle and I’ll have 12 weeks in a cast because I fell suddenly and awkwardly on a tired day. Still I’m back at work online and trying to get used to the restrictions that this has caused. Right now, my MS feels like a disability as it has led to broken bones. I now have a wheelchair which I’m thrilled about because I can get to the shops and, at some point, will try to get the bus into town.
My adult daughter keeps pointing out that I’ve always had a busy life and keep taking on too much. She said my body is not 100% so why am I trying to do 120%. She might have a point.
Did you seek out or join organisations representing your chronic for support or did you find comfort and answers elsewhere? What would you recommend in hindsight?
I joined a meeting about diabetes and found it quite negative as people seemed to be in a different place to me so I didn’t return.
I did online when we got a family computer. I was a member of a special needs group for parents, a few about diabetes, but I’ve avoided joining MS ones as I was part of an MS study at the local hospital and went downhill quickly within the 6-week program. I think it scared me as I didn’t know what was to come and after seeing this it shook me up. I have also been in my own counselling to balance some of the reactions that came up and found someone who also had a chronic illness.
How have you changed, if at all, in your relationships, decisions and values?
My relationships changed the first time I met my husband. My attitude had been I’m never marrying because marriage sucks (parents had a messy divorce) and I didn’t want to burden anyone. I had been told as a child my diabetes would kill me at age 30 so I didn’t want that on another’s shoulders. I met my husband and, in that instant, I had to marry him, it was love at first sight. Five months later we married. It wasn’t until the day after my 30th birthday that I realised I was going to live. By this point I’d had two kids and told my husband, ‘Once I die take them back to North Africa to be raised by you and family.’
So now that I was alive, I decided to get re-educated and enter a new career rather than choose subjects because they sounded interesting. It took time and I also had two special needs kids down as they were born 10 weeks early and no help. I loved being a stay-at-home mum and, despite being short of money, we managed it. I think the only thing that bothered me was people pointing out I had a degree and ought to get a real job. When they both started school, I started taking classes.
What is your life philosophy and has this changed?
My philosophy used to be I have to have as many experiences as possible before I die (although I never said that out loud). Then, after 30, it was I can now have a normal life and I’ll build a career path and help my kids succeed to the best of their abilities.
What do you wish you’d known before?
That I wasn’t going to die.
Are you on any treatments? Why/why not?
I take insulin in a pump for diabetes plus many pills that either help organs or are preventative. My MS drugs I’ll start soon with injections three times a week so I’m a little nervous.
What advice do you have for others starting out on this journey?
That help is available and they you are your own person first, who just happens to have a chronic illness to manage.
What is a ‘bad day’ for you?
Not being able to do anything due to tiredness. When my diabetes is unbalanced it has a bad affect on my MS so symptoms increase. A side effect of long-term diabetes is fatigue so it’s like it hits twice.
What do you do on a ‘bad day’?
Listen to audio books because I get super anxious if I achieve nothing in a day.
How do you deal with stress?
See a counsellor, chat with a few friends who have various chronic illnesses and are quite determined, and watch films.
What do you struggle with the most?
People assuming I’m fine when I’m having a tough day because it’s unseen. I get it, as it looks like I have everything sorted out.
What are you most proud of?
My kids, my husband and finishing my studies. I was in a unit for low achieving students – turns out I had dyslexia and was bright.
Who are your back up dancers?
I have people that can step in for my work if I’m off long-term but apart from the recent accident with my ankle, I don’t take time off. It’s important to note that my part-time schedule doesn’t even seem like enough hours. I still have a special needs adult/teen with brain damage so he is also with me a lot as there’s not much support where we live. My husband is absolutely brilliant and helps on my tired or unwell days.
Best bits of being a Chronic Entrepreneur?
That I’m in a job I love helping people and also helping my adult kids towards their own success.
Worst bits of being a Chronic Entrepreneur?
Knowing my brain has lots of ideas and my body isn’t on the same page.
Are you a 5-year planner or are you winging it?
A little of both, yes, I have plans for the future but I’m also winging it as well.
Dream weekend plans and have these changed?
Beach walks which are a few hours by train as I don’t drive.
Ultimate dinner party guests?
My best friend, Malala Yousafzai, Theresa May (I’d like a quiet word with her about the state of things), Peter Benenson (founder of Amnesty International), Carl Jung, T. S. Eliot.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Slow down. You’ve got plenty of time and you will make it.
What’s next?
Building my business and finishing a book I started writing on trauma years back
How can people find you?
@oliviadjouadi
https://oliviadjouadi.online/
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