Right Where God Wants Her To Be

Kelsi Allen has learned to control her diabetes instead of letting it control her

by SARA ROTHWELL

photo by ALAMOND PHOTOGRAPHY

CrossFit Texarkana is the place Kelsi goes to relieve stress. She loves working out and enjoys being around people who push her to be better every day.

T1D has shaped Kelsi into the person she is today. She shares that this photo reflects her the most. Taken on the Texarkana College campus in her TC scrubs, this photo shows her insulin pump in her right hand and the continuous glucose monitor (aka Dexcom) in her left arm.

This group photo was taken at K.I.D.S. Day Camp held at the Texarkana Fun Park in 2016.

Kelsi Allen was introduced to the medical field at a young age because she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was just 5 years old. She was born and raised in Texarkana, and many of her role models were medical professionals. She has learned from them throughout her life and continues to grow in her knowledge and abilities as she now works with them in the medical field. Kelsi’s childhood dream was to help people like her who have diabetes. She says, “I think it makes a world of difference when you can empathize with people because you have walked in their shoes.”

Kelsi has been blessed with amazing parents that have been great role models throughout her life. Her father works as a Nurse Practitioner at Family Medical Group and has been a nurse for as long as she can remember. Her mother is a teacher and currently a professor at Texarkana College. Kelsi has a little brother, two sets of grandparents, “two adorable dogs and one crazy cat,” that she couldn’t imagine life without!

After graduating from Texas High School in 2015, Kelsi moved to Conway, Arkansas, with a plan to study nursing at the University of Central Arkansas. She completed all prerequisites after her first year but unfortunately was put on the waitlist for UCA’s nursing program. Kelsi was heartbroken about this news, and after multiple talks with her family, she had been convinced that she should at least apply to Texarkana College’s nursing program. “I waited until the last day to put in my application, and not even a week later was accepted. After a lot of tears and many prayers, my gut, which is never wrong, told me I needed to move back home,” Kelsi admitted.

Soon enough, Kelsi started the Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) program at TC, and she says it was the best decision she made that year! In the process, she met her best friend who currently works as a nurse in the ICU with her. Kelsi was also able to learn from what she says are some of the best professors out there.

During May of 2019, Kelsi graduated from TC with an amazing support system behind her. Soon after graduation, she started her dream job as an ICU nurse. Kelsi says, “I am currently working in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System as an RN, and I love it!”

July 5, 2020, marked Kelsi’s one year anniversary of nursing.

As a Type 1 diabetic, Kelsi feels as though some people are uninformed about the subject which can lead to misunderstanding. A Type 1 diabetic is a person whose pancreas does not produce insulin. Controlling their blood sugar with a low carb diet or taking a pill is not an option. Their bodies convert everything they eat into sugar, that is glucose. When the glucose rises, the pancreas is supposed to release insulin which is what the human body uses to convert glucose into energy. Type 1 diabetics have to do the job of their pancreas since it can’t on its own. Kelsi explains, “If we do not control our blood sugar by taking the correct dose of insulin, the glucose stays in the bloodstream and can cause further complications that are very dangerous.” Stress, sleep, hormones, exercise, mood, and many other things affect blood sugar levels. Depending on what your life looks like, your body needs different amounts of insulin every day. This makes it difficult for people like Kelsi to control their blood sugar levels in a convenient way.

Despite her diabetes, Kelsi has always been active. She played travel soccer when she was 8 years old until she turned 14 and made the varsity soccer team as a freshman in high school. She is currently a member of CrossFit Texarkana where she continues to try and stay healthy and fit. She is very conscious of what she puts in her body, even though she can eat whatever she wants just as long as she takes the correct amount of insulin. “I choose to eat healthy in order to make things easier for me and my body,” says Kelsi.

Attending K.I.D.S. Day Camp has served as one of Kelsi’s biggest support systems. She attended for the first time at age 5 (pictured here with friend, Kaylee on the right) in 2002 and has gone back every summer since then. She nows serves as a counselor/group leader for the kids.

Since technology continues to advance, Kelsi is very thankful for the devices that help her manage her diabetes through her everyday life. She wears an insulin pump and a glucose monitor which allows her to continuously check her blood sugar levels. Kelsi says she prays daily that there will be a cure someday, “but until then I will continue to show people how I control this disease instead of letting it control me.”

COVID-19 has not made being a brand new nurse easy for Kelsi. Through this pandemic she continues to grow in her abilities as a nurse and become a stronger woman every day. Having an autoimmune disease makes her more susceptible but, “I work with the best team of nurses who make challenges like these seem easy,” acknowledges Kelsi.

Kelsi (right) with her brother, Conner, and parents Melanie and Steve, during their 2018 summer vacation to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Kelsi has learned so much more about herself through the challenges she has faced this year. She’s been encouraged to push herself more than she ever thought possible. Empathy, compassion, respect, and integrity are only a few things that Kelsi’s patients and their families have taught her. She has thoroughly learned how to manage stressful situations with a good attitude and think critically when need be. At first, it was overwhelming for her to know that people’s lives were depending on her. After the first few weeks of work, Kelsi was questioning if she could really be a nurse. She soon realized that God had her right where he needed her to be. “When I spend four, 12-hour shifts with a very critical patient, and I get to see them leave the ICU, it’s the most rewarding feeling and makes me realize how lucky I am to be able to do what I do,” remarks Kelsi.

Her future plans include going back to school and getting another degree. Kelsi is unsure what degree that will be but the thought of the unknown excites her. “I am looking forward to seeing where life takes me!” she exclaims.