“I didn’t want my diagnosis to stop me,” Rylee Arnold had her priorities straight when she was first diagnosed with her health condition. At the cusp of turning 16, the 19-year-old—who’s a So You Think You Can Dance phenom and professional Latin and ballroom dancer Linsday Arnold’s younger sister—had a diagnosis that initially did put a damper in 2021. In her own words, it has been all about “the blood sugar scares, counting carbs, hauling supplies, and crazy management.“ 

The rising star first openly talked about her diagnosis in May this year. Revealing she had Type 1 diabetes—a condition where the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin—Arnold revealed how it was a huge learning curve for her. As per a study done by the National Library of Medicine, people who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes are prone to fluctuating blood glucose levels affecting physical activity, illness, and stress. As for Arnold, when she started getting her symptoms, her family, comprising two medical professionals, didn’t even believe her until that one day in July when she convinced her doctor-father otherwise!

Arnold—who revealed the earlier stages of her undiagnosed diabetes journey left her with rapid weight loss, unquenchable thirst, bathroom visits every 30 minutes, and feeling fatigued to the point where she reconsidering her dance career—first realized she might have Type 1 diabetes thanks to a TikTok. She dropped a text on the family group, “They were like, ‘This is so funny. Like you do not have it.’ So I continued to live my life. I just kept getting sicker.”

For the unversed, a level of 70 to 99 mg/dL is considered normal for a fasting blood glucose test. Remember this as you read the story further… Arnold then talked about her heartbreaking discovery, “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. It like wouldn’t even read on the thing.

“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.” As per several research papers, a blood sugar level that high is often life-threatening and can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition where the body breaks down body fat at an abnormally high rate. The liver then transforms this fat into a fuel called ketones, which makes the blood acidic.

Better late than never, but there are still days when things get too hard, especially with professional commitments keeping her on her toes all the time. In a segment of interactive Instagram Stories, Rylee responded to a fan question that read, “How do you find managing diabetes on show days? Voting for you guys!!” She confessed, “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.” 

She admitted that on show days so her go-to formula would be to take in a higher dose on insulin than a regular day. Although Rylee flaunted herself on having figured out this mantra, the body can be quite unpredictable. And sometimes when its does its own thing, “It can be tricky, but I think I’ve figured out my mojo with diabetes on show days.” 

As for her DWTS stint with America’s sweetheart and a pommel horse perfectionist, Stephen Nedoroscik, the duo shook their legs to the beats of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now,’  during their debut performance and scored a 21/30. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Rylee Arnold, Nedoroscik’s dance partner and the mastermind behind the routine.

However, Nedoroscik himself is also no stranger to what it feels like battling health issues alongside your profession.

Nedoroscik aces DWTS debut like a pro

The gymnast suffers from an eye condition called strabismus, also known as crossed eyes. While that can lead to a double vision, there’s nothing that the gymnast can’t master, right? Much like Rylee, Nedoroscik has found his mantra to tackle his condition with his pommel horse routines.

He agrees that without the glasses, his vision is, “It’s not necessarily clear, but the thing about pommel horse is if I keep [the glasses] on, they’re going to fly somewhere.” Thus, even though he has to compromise on a clear vision, he relies on other skills to pass through. “When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment,” he admits relying on his hands and senses.

We’ve seen a glimpse of how that works out perfectly for him in Paris. But, dedication is his middle name. And once again, it’s paying off. His Dancing With The Stars debut on September 17, was well received by fans and the judges, the latter scoring him generously for his athleticism. And well, Rylee put an extra bit of Nedoroscik touch into her choreography, by making the entire act themed around a ‘Rubik’s cube.’ Remember how confessed solving the same was a stress buster and exhibited the same on the Jimmy Fallon show?

Their energetic and synchronized premiere jive led DWTS to post, “There’s no stopping the good times with Stephen and Rylee!” from their official Instagram handle. And well, the fans loved it too. If you watched it, what did you think of Stephen Nedoroscik’s dancing talent? Let us know below!