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I have to always be aware because my blood sugar goes too low, I could literally die,” Rylee Arnold had painted the seriousness of her health condition just with the one-liner. On the verge of turning 16, the diagnosis of type-1 diabetes had turned the 19-year-old’s world upside down. Moreover, it threatened her dance career like anything. Because in Rylee’s own words, “It is a little bit tricky to manage my diabetes on show days, because typically when I am stressed, my blood sugar tends to run higher than it usually does.”

Rylee admitted that on show days she would take in a higher dose of insulin than a regular day. Rylee had said,

“It can be tricky, but I think I’ve figured out my mojo with diabetes on show days.”  Indeed, for Rylee, identifying her own disease was tricky since she was carrying it, undiagnosed for a long time. Rylee had first talked about her diagnosis in May.

Rylee’s family has two doctors, one being her father. Despite that, her family was initially in denial when Rylee told them that she might have diabetes. But the disease was showing its colors as Rylee was having symptoms like rapid weight loss, severe thirst, and frequent bathroom visits. “

I just kept getting sicker,” Rylee had said. One day, it reached the tipping point and Rylee finally had a conversation with her father.

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There was one day…I was like, ‘Dad, you know, like I really do not feel good. Could we get like my blood checked?’ I was like, ‘I went pee like seven times in the night last night.’ So we went to the hospital, checked my blood sugar,” Rylee revealed. The results were scary, to say the least.

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It just said ‘High’, which was crazy because that means it was above 600…They like did a bunch of tests on me and then they told me that my blood sugar was 1,023,” Rylee said. for the unversed, 70 to 99 mg/dL is considered normal in a fasting blood sugar test. According to research, a blood sugar level that high can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, when the body breaks down body fat rapidly. The liver turns this fat into a substance called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic.

After going through all these, Rylee has a fair share of idea about the importance of keeping track of the blood sugar level. Notably, according to data from IDF Atlas, in 2022, 1.52 million people suffering from type-1 diabetes around the world were less than 20 years old. On the other hand, according to a study published in the BMJ, a total of 17.4 million people across the globe will have the disease by 2040. So for these millions, Rylee has taken a meaningful step.

On November 14, Rylee Arnold posted an elaborate message on her fight against diabetes. She informed,

“I’m partnering with @dexcom to encourage people with diabetes to change their perception of what’s possible.” Founded in 1999, Dexcom, Inc., valued at $28 billion, empowers people to take control of diabetes through innovative continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems. According to Dexcom’s website, “Dexcom G6 measures glucose levels up to every five minutes using a sensor inserted just underneath the skin, and wirelessly transmits glucose readings.” Let us take a look at how it works.

The system has three components. 1) The water-resistant sensor, two hours after its insertion, begins continuously measuring blood sugar levels. 2) A transmitter that sends real-time blood glucose readings via Bluetooth to the Dexcom CLARITY app on a smartphone every 5 minutes, and 3) Dexcom CLARITY, an app and a web-based software accessible on a computer that provides information about current and historical glucose values. Understandably, with the entire arrangement, the type-1 diabetes patients can live their life much more normally, without the fear of a sudden collapse due to fluctuating blood glucose levels.

Indicating that Rylee further wrote,

“I hope to inspire others to know that with the right technology and support system, you can achieve all of your dreams—I’m living proof of that as I step onto the DWTS stage in pursuit of that Mirrorball trophy!” And look how she wins in her way!

On November 12, Rylee Arnold had two challenges in front of her at DWTS. Along with her dance partner, she had to perform a Viennese Waltz, emulating Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’s steps in Season 31. Here’s a fun fact: since her childhood, Arnold has been idolizing the iconic dancer. Therefore, filling in her idol’s shoes seemed to be a tough job for her. Additionally, the duo had another barrier waiting on the path. 

During the landmark 500th episode of DWTS, the judges sprung an instant challenge on the teams. They would just have a few minutes to prepare for the routine. And guess how Rylee Arnold and Stephen Nedoroscik thwarted the challenges? For the Viennese Waltz performance, the duo received 29 out of 30 and, in the instant challenge round, they collected 25 out of 30.

Meanwhile, the scores earned them a third-place finish, keeping them alive in the contest. The entire journey finds a fitting mirror when she says, “Every day, I move my body and work on my skills to continue to push myself to be the best dancer I can be!” That is what has been her go-to formula in the battle against the disease. 

Rylee Arnold was down, but not out

On World Diabetes Day, Rylee Arnold wasn’t just about raising awareness—she came ready to fight the fight. Along with an inspiring Instagram post, she sat down with Women’s Health to talk about her journey, her grit, and the early days when diabetes threw her life (and dance moves) into chaos.

“I was 15 years old and in the middle of my dance season when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes,” Rylee shared, recalling the moment her world flipped. It hit right in the middle of her budding dance career, and as she admitted, it wasn’t just an internal battle—it showed on the dance floor. “When I was dancing, I was always told, ‘You look like you’re out there and you’re not trying.’ I was, but my body just wouldn’t do the things that it needed to do.” Despite pushing herself to stay fit, diabetes had other plans.

Things got so bad she ended up in the hospital with severe stomach issues. But Rylee took those tough lessons in stride. Since then, she’s been keeping her blood sugar in check, her determination sky-high, and her feet dancing toward greatness. “I didn’t want my diagnosis to stop me,” Rylee Arnold was firm with her priorities. And judging by her fiery performances in Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, it’s safe to say she’s more than keeping up.