My body was consuming itself from the inside, dumping dangerous amounts of acidic by-products into my bloodstream. I had type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease sometimes called juvenile diabetes, though it can strike at any age. In type 1, the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether, unlike in type 2, where insulin resistance develops, usually - but not always - due to lifestyle factors. Type 1 is much more rare, making up about 1 in 30 of all diabetes cases in the United States.