James Talarico reveals surprising way politics led him to get diagnosed with incurable disease

Texas Senator James Talarico says a demanding campaign walk in 2018 led to the medical emergency that revealed he had type 1 diabetes. His account highlights how the condition can go unnoticed until a life-threatening complication develops.

Talarico walked 25 miles in the Texas heat, became fatigued and nauseous, and later slept for 36 hours before his family took him to hospital. His blood sugar measured 900 mg/dL, and doctors diagnosed diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to coma and death without insulin. Type 1 diabetes has no cure but can be managed with blood-sugar monitoring and treatment.