Hello :) Recently Diagnosed. Likely Reasons. Relieved I Now Know. My History And A Warning!

everway9

Well-Known Member
Messages
229
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Nothing springs to mind :)
Hello everyone. I hope your all doing good today!

I'm not completely new here. However I was diagnosed on Friday.

I have a post (see link below) which gives a run down on whats been happening with me over the past few weeks, my mental state and symptoms. Please take a look if you wish to know the details.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/not-diagnosed-yet-but-very-high-glucose-level.106113/

Although I have been diagnosed this is the best I have felt for at least 2 months. Finally getting to know why my life has been going downhill so fast recently. Hopefully things will get better for me soon.

I have had quite a bumpy ride through my life since I was about 24. I have made many many mistakes and regret them so very much. My diabetes is self inflicted so hopefully this post will help others to avoid the same mistakes.

A brief history about me....

Born in Southport, Lancashire 09/02/1978. At 9 years old we moved to a lovely house in the middle of nowhere just south of Carlisle in Cumbria near the Lake district border. All was good up until I was about 24. However, since 13 the things which have led up to me being diagnosed with diabetes all started behind the 'smoking tree' at school where I tried my first cigarette. I had tried alcohol during the occasional family meal at the local pub. I tried cannabis for the first time at 15 and I loved it. From then on it was a downward spiral staircase. I cant remember exactly what age I was but at about 17 I had tried amphetamines (and goodness knows what else that they were mixed with). The cannabis went on from there with occasional (separate) binges of drinking and and meth. A little later I had used cocaine too. I have also abused benzodiazepines and opiates (except heroin) at various times too. So, not surprisingly, at 24 and after enduring a lot of stress in the workplace I was diagnosed with clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. I think the main cause of this for me was obviously the drugs but I feel it was mostly the cannabis. I have been on numerous anti depression drugs since. By 30 I was regularly drinking and smoking cannabis with more binges of meth and cocaine. The cannabis was causing high anxiety. Two or so years later I had managed to give up the cannabis and had very rarely used meth and coke. So after that the anxiety became much less. Not long after I was introduced to Kratom. That really helped with the depression and all was pretty much OK. Until of course I had built up a high tolerance to it. Then I went back to alcohol which very quickly got seriously out of control.

It was alcohol pretty much all day every day until 2 years ago when I ended up in hospital with extreme abdominal pain. When they woke me up after a 10 day induced coma I was told of the damage the alcohol had done. Ruptured Spleen (Open splenectomy), *PANCREATITIS*, a damaged liver, gall stones and very nearly complete kidney failure. You would have thought that 1 visit to hospital would have stopped the drinking but the grip it had on me was indescribable. Eventually after being totally stupid, selfish and had had 12 more trips to the hospital was the time I stopped the alcohol. That was Christmas last year.

The following few months I felt like I had been reborn again and all was going really well. Then from the beginning of June I started to go downhill. Getting more tired everyday but at the same time I was so tense, couldn't relax, my depression got worse and I lost interest in everything I love. I thought it was the depression and anxiety. I was thinking Diabetes or Anemia in the back of my mind for the past couple of months but it was only last week when I started to be so thirsty and craving ice cold water (and lots of it) I knew something was seriously wrong. That's when I asked for a blood test and here I am now starting my new journey.

I know there are many different types of diabetes and many different causes and or reasons why people have it but the cause of my diabetes surely is a self inflicted one. So I hope that my post will also serve as a warning and help deter some youngsters from using drugs, which includes alcohol. Some people do not think of alcohol as a drug, but it is. Alcohol has the potential to do so much permanent damage to our organs. One of which is the pancreas. Pancreatitis is extremely painful to put it mildly and increases your chances of developing diabetes.

Anyway. Now that I have been diagnosed and have been injecting since only Friday I already feel so much better. I now realise just how bad things have been and how much my sugar levels have been changing over the last 2 months. The last week especially. It's obviously been creeping up on me for a while.

I have been told that its a long road I'm now on and there will be many pot holes. But I hope I can dodge as many of them as possible. :)

If any of you would like to comment I would be love to hear from you.

I also hope that in time when I get more experienced that I can offer help and advice to others as much as I possibly can.

Thanks so much for reading.

Andrew.


Added 17:22.... With being in hospital so much I had to switch to e-cigarettes as I was still smoking. Since then I actually prefer to use them and up until 2 weeks ago was only smoking 1 cigarette every 3 days. Thinking whats the point in still smoking real cigarettes... so I stopped. Now I'm slowly cutting down on the nicotine content of the e-liquids.
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,796
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hello everyone. I hope your all doing good today!

I'm not completely new here. However I was diagnosed on Friday.

I have a post (see link below) which gives a run down on whats been happening with me over the past few weeks, my mental state and symptoms. Please take a look if you wish to know the details.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/not-diagnosed-yet-but-very-high-glucose-level.106113/

Although I have been diagnosed this is the best I have felt for at least 2 months. Finally getting to know why my life has been going downhill so fast recently. Hopefully things will get better for me soon.

I have had quite a bumpy ride through my life since I was about 24. I have made many many mistakes and regret them so very much. My diabetes is self inflicted so hopefully this post will help others to avoid the same mistakes.

A brief history about me....

Born in Southport, Lancashire 09/02/1978. At 9 years old we moved to a lovely house in the middle of nowhere just south of Carlisle in Cumbria near the Lake district border. All was good up until I was about 24. However, since 13 the things which have led up to me being diagnosed with diabetes all started behind the 'smoking tree' at school where I tried my first cigarette. I had tried alcohol during the occasional family meal at the local pub. I tried cannabis for the first time at 15 and I loved it. From then on it was a downward spiral staircase. I cant remember exactly what age I was but at about 17 I had tried amphetamines (and goodness knows what else that they were mixed with). The cannabis went on from there with occasional (separate) binges of drinking and and meth. A little later I had used cocaine too. I have also abused benzodiazepines and opiates (except heroin) at various times too. So, not surprisingly, at 24 and after enduring a lot of stress in the workplace I was diagnosed with clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. I think the main cause of this for me was obviously the drugs but I feel it was mostly the cannabis. I have been on numerous anti depression drugs since. By 30 I was regularly drinking and smoking cannabis with more binges of meth and cocaine. The cannabis was causing high anxiety. Two or so years later I had managed to give up the cannabis and had very rarely used meth and coke. So after that the anxiety became much less. Not long after I was introduced to Kratom. That really helped with the depression and all was pretty much OK. Until of course I had built up a high tolerance to it. Then I went back to alcohol which very quickly got seriously out of control.

It was alcohol pretty much all day every day until 2 years ago when I ended up in hospital with extreme abdominal pain. When they woke me up after a 10 day induced coma I was told of the damage the alcohol had done. Ruptured Spleen (Open splenectomy), *PANCREATITIS*, a damaged liver, gall stones and very nearly complete kidney failure. You would have thought that 1 visit to hospital would have stopped the drinking but the grip it had on me was indescribable. Eventually after being totally stupid, selfish and had had 12 more trips to the hospital was the time I stopped the alcohol. That was Christmas last year.

The following few months I felt like I had been reborn again and all was going really well. Then from the beginning of June I started to go downhill. Getting more tired everyday but at the same time I was so tense, couldn't relax, my depression got worse and I lost interest in everything I love. I thought it was the depression and anxiety. I was thinking Diabetes or Anemia in the back of my mind for the past couple of months but it was only last week when I started to be so thirsty and craving ice cold water (and lots of it) I knew something was seriously wrong. That's when I asked for a blood test and here I am now starting my new journey.

I know there are many different types of diabetes and many different causes and or reasons why people have it but the cause of my diabetes surely is a self inflicted one. So I hope that my post will also serve as a warning and help deter some youngsters from using drugs, which includes alcohol. Some people do not think of alcohol as a drug, but it is. Alcohol has the potential to do so much permanent damage to our organs. One of which is the pancreas. Pancreatitis is extremely painful to put it mildly and increases your chances of developing diabetes.

Anyway. Now that I have been diagnosed and have been injecting since only Friday I already feel so much better. I now realise just how bad things have been and how much my sugar levels have been changing over the last 2 months. The last week especially. It's obviously been creeping up on me for a while.

I have been told that its a long road I'm now on and there will be many pot holes. But I hope I can dodge as many of them as possible. :)

If any of you would like to comment I would be love to hear from you.

I also hope that in time when I get more experienced that I can offer help and advice to others as much as I possibly can.

Thanks so much for reading.

Andrew.


Added 17:22.... With being in hospital so much I had to switch to e-cigarettes as I was still smoking. Since then I actually prefer to use them and up until 2 weeks ago was only smoking 1 cigarette every 3 days. Thinking whats the point in still smoking real cigarettes... so I stopped. Now I'm slowly cutting down on the nicotine content of the e-liquids.


Hi,
Your post is shocking reminder that sometimes you get the shifty end of the stick, you have a dependency on all things that are addictive and hopefully before it's to late can steer yourself away from the downward spiral.
I can so relate to the alcoholism as it is rife in the wife's family, her brother died aged 33, with acute alcohol poisoning, a very similar story to yours.
Her father is alcoholic and lucky to be still with us, her uncle's have died because of alcohol related problems, her sister has had the big warning, and so on! It's definitely in the genes!
But as her other sister and the wife herself has been festival for twenty years, her other brother is a reformed alcoholic, so it can be done!
I think you have the reason to be well again despite the falling off the wagon episodes, maybe because, now you have to inject and be more positive about your health, you have had a right good kick up the backside. You need to look after your health. Hopefully you can get a referral to counselling. That would be such a help to you, they do great work and try to get you back towards a decent life.
Finally, if you have stayed with this, it is not your fault, any condition wether it's diabetes, drugs, alcohol even eating disorders is that, a condition, you can't help it, it's your body reacting to what your brain is telling you. It's temptation for an easier mind state.
It can be overcome, with help and a mindset and lifestyle change, there is hope!

Best wishes on your journey!
 
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everway9

Well-Known Member
Messages
229
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Nothing springs to mind :)
Hi nosher8355. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I'm sorry to hear of the losses in your extended family.

Yes. Regarding the counselling. I have had many sessions of different forms over the years and some acupuncture and all of it's really helped a lot. I have appointments for more sessions with my usual councillor and psychotherapist and I'm really looking forward to them. It's always good to get a reminder every so often. I always feel it's easier to go and see them when your feeling OK and as I'm feeling so much better already I know I'm going to get more out of it.

Thanks again :)
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,796
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
My second post in reply to yours, was my life was going to hell in a basket and no doctor and even an endocrinologist knew what was going on.
I found another endocrinologist after over ten years of being unwell with multiple problems, struggling to get an answer to why, it was that was making me so ill, but not knowing, was awful, I call it my hypo hell. No matter what I did, what diet, what the hell was making me fat and losing my mind and my life.
I was lucky to find someone who knew what was happening and an answer to my horrific symptoms, which included anxiety, a touch of depression, weight gain, loss of memory and continuous hunger, many others!! it was because I was having fluctuating blood glucose levels and hypers and hypos.
I felt enormous relief at finally being diagnosed.
I had a hospital stay and loads of tests. Which confirmed my endocrinologist diagnosis. I learnt a lot from him.
But I learnt more on this forum. Together they saved my life.
They and a couple of posters showed me how to control my condition.
How to live my life again.
I got my life back!

I've never been as fit as this for over forty years!
I'm healthier than I could have imagined.
I'm back in full time and more working!
I travel without worrying around the country supporting my local football club.
Football is now my only sin!
Can't drink, can't smoke, can't eat carbs, because I'm intolerant to them.
No chip butties, no roasties, no rice with curries, you get the picture!

But I'm happy, I'm allowed to live my life.
I have four kids, seven grandkids, and hopefully ill be around to see my great grandkids. I fully intend to.
My condition will not beat me.

I can only offer my story as an inspiration to find something or someone to give you an excuse to live your life again. It's never too late.
This forum will help and inspire you.
There is always some new twist to the diabetes umbrella, New conditions to understand, as is often said, we are all different.
Learn from those who know how to get control.
And as I said, get your life back!

Sorry about the sermon!
 
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everway9

Well-Known Member
Messages
229
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Nothing springs to mind :)
No problem.. The sermon is very inspiring. I'm very happy that you got back on track and are enjoying life. I'm amazed at just how much better I feel already since Friday. I dont want to tempt fate but I dont think it's going to be too long until I get back on my feet proper! And I'm looking forward to it! :)
 

Salvia

Well-Known Member
Messages
812
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
so glad for you that you are feeling much more positive after a rather bumpy journey so far, with the help and support of your medical team and the good people here, I'm sure you'll succeed in changing things around on a long-term basis. You have already succeeded with several life changes and should be rightly proud of your achievements, well done with all your efforts. I look forward to reading more about your future successes as you progress; and for any queries, there's plenty of info here to answer any questions or concerns you might have along the way. :)
 
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MissMac

Well-Known Member
Messages
234
@everway9 I just wanted to say how enlightening that you have shared the whole story, a real heart on sleeve as I am sure there would be those out there who may judge (not here in my opinion, they are all just too lovely). Good luck in your new journey and keep us all posted xxx
 
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everway9

Well-Known Member
Messages
229
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Nothing springs to mind :)
Thanks MissMac. :)

I'm not afraid of being judged. Everyone has their own opinion and they are entitled to it.

I dont always feel like typing much as I'm not such a good typist but when I do and I have the time, I like to share as much as I can in the hope of helping others just as much as myself.

Thanks again. :)