What's your Diabetes story? (How did you find out you were diabetic?)

[RhiRhi]

Sorry if there is already a thread on this, I couldn't find it. ☺

I'll start with mine...
A few days before the 27th August last year at the age of 23- I was feeling groggy, had heartburn (nothing new) which turned to chest pains. Me being me, tried to ignore them in the hope of them going away...
The 27th came around and i'd been up all night in bed doubled up with the chest pains still.
I eventually told my mum but by this point I could barely catch my breath.
She rang NHS Direct and they sent an ambulance straightaway.
I was taken to hospital but the lady who signs you in at the A&E part took one look at me & said 'viral infection, we've got no beds' and I was sent to the waiting area.
I was telling my partner I felt I was dying and he kept going up to the nurse to tell her (by this point I was also being sick)
Fast forward nearly 8 hours of waiting.....
The doctor took one look at me & said 'I think you might be diabetic' :O And I was admitted with severe DKA! Which I then found out can be fatal if left untreated.
[[Apparently the constant heartburn for over a year was a sign but I had no idea!]]
The worst part was, a woman who was taken through to the doctors before me was there because she'd had false nails on & one was hanging off and pulling her own nail with it & she needed it dressing! Talk about a waste of time!
Two days in hospital and a massive overload of information that wasn't sinking in followed.
I've been up and down with it, mainly down to be honest.
I'm on track now (finally) & i've come to accept that Type 1 Diabetes is here to stay and there's nothing I can do about it!

I'd love to hear your stories!

 

[Vesemir]

It was the hottest summer I can remember so the thirst seemed normal. I was buying ice-creams to quench it. Obviously not helping. I kept falling asleep, feeling more and more out of it, self-medicating with more and more ice-creams - then my tongue went green. I just couldn't cool down and I remember buying a massive head-high fan and dragging it to my ventilation-challenged flat. I could barely manage it...I'm not well, I said to myself. So I made my way to a walk-in-centre and awaited the bad news. I kind of guessed what it was as my mothers side have a long history of it. Next thing I know I'm in hospital on a drip. Had better summers.

 

[Engineer88]

I was 'sickening' my grandparents said, long story short a week later my mum was at my bedside as I was in a coma at 2 and a half and very near death DKA. Luckily the 3rd GP i had seen in a few days had been to a conference on juvenile diabetes a week or two earlier and rushed me to hospital.

 

[Natalie1993]

In March this year, Friday the 13th to be specific , I can't remember how it all started but I was waking up with bad cramp at the bottom of my legs, loss of energy, was always snapping at people (don't normally) was drinking a lot of drinks! ( probably tried out all the drinks at the shop) wasn't eating much at all so lost a lot of weight (went down to 6 stone) , had a blood test on the Thursday 12th March and that same night an out of hours nurse came and told me to go to my doctors in the morning, me, fearing the worst, thought diabetes, didn't know anything about it and I'm still learning now, went doctors next day and was told go to the hospital straight away, was diagnosed with dka and told if Id left it any later I would of been in a coma, my sugars were 54, because of my weight they had to treat me how they would treat a child, they struggled at first to get blood from me as I was soo dry, went home on the Sunday that weekend and told in there yeah diabetes type 1, everyone at the hospital nurses and doctors were very supportive so I can't think them enough! So yeah, type 1 diabetic and I'm trying to deal with it and be strong, Sorry for the long post btw!



#3

 

[alexhill05]

The weekend before I got diagnosed I cycled around from Edinburgh, around Loch Lomond, over to Ireland up to the giants causeway, back down to Dublin and then finally cycling from Holyhead to Gloucester. About 500 miles in 4 days. I felt super fit, my new bike felt awesome and I couldn't wait to explore the rest of Europe in a similar fashion..

Then that week, the unquenchable thirst, pissing lots. What. So got my BG checked at a pharmacy that Saturday - 33mmol. Rode some steep gnarly downhill trails on the Sunday, my eyes felt like they were rattling around my head and blurry; I could barely see where I was going.

Went to the walk-in clinic on the Monday morning then after some hours waiting for blood tests - 'you have diabetes you should go see your gp'. Then he tested my ketones and I went into the hospital instead I cancelled my plans to ride Europe, although still did the megavalanche which was awesome.

Despite that, it's been a pretty good year. I've barely ridden the road bike since, but have a good 12,000 miles of Europe to ride next summer - I literally can't wait now. I ran a marathon with 2 months training because I wanted to and generally am more ambitious (and more stupid) about what I want to do

 

[Sam223]

27th March 2008, I had been celebrating a friends 15th birthday 2 weeks before and we had ended up drinking as teens do, I spent the next 2 weeks drinking upwards of 10 litres of water a day, shortly followed by going to the toilet every 30-40 mins, after the teachers got frustrated with me 'time wasting' I went to my GP a quick urine text and I was told to get to hospital immediately, no ambulance for me.I got my ambulance ride 2 years later and then again in September 2011 when I had two bad DKA cases and was in intensive care. Still here and doing much better but still fighting a slightly high Hba1c

 

[alicerebekah]

Mine started a few months back. I was feeling so tired so went to see my GP who told me to get on with it (his actual words!)

Few weeks go by and the dreadful thirst came and weeing 8 times in the night! Then the blurry vision started. I decided to go back to my GP who sent me for a blood test.

Got called to the doctors the next day and was told I'm type 1. Was tested for ketones and they were super high so I was admitted to hospital for the weekend. That was 3 weeks ago so it's still quite a shock!

Alice x

 

[Sarahbjortomt]

Hey, I was diagnosed in late August, just after my 23rd birthday, I was so thirsty all of the time, eating so much, was so tired and lost about a stone. Because I have my birthday in August I thought i was tired etc just from going out a lot but I did wonder why I wasn't putting on any weight when I was eating a lot of sugary things, I had stopped going to the gym recently also. So I went to the doctors and she was concerned I was dehydrated and she did a urine test and found ketones. It all happened so fast I was quickly referred to the diabetes centre but she never for sure said u have diabetes. But it turns out I do. I also had a lot of strange heart pulpitations which I worried about before bed.

 

[Cathn61may]

I was ill from birth and the consultant accused my mother of being an over protective mother. I was really ill and GP diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes rushed to hospital in a coma. Nearly died. I was 6 years old. Kept in hospital for a long time. I have had Type 1 for 48 years. Diagnosed in 1967.

 

[steveo4]

It was back in 86 that I became type one I had all the classic symptoms dry throat losing weight feeling tired constantly going to the loo drinking a lot had no idea what was happening and when I went to my gp he said I had a mouth infection and gave me some mouthwash. A couple of days after I could hardly stand up felt so weak so called an ambulance and was rushed to hospital where I was diagnosed as type one. After the initial shock I tried to sue my gp for wrongful diagnosis but he died before I could do it.

 

[ronialive]

I was found purely by chance. My sister was diagnosed as diabetic in the November and she was 8 we also ha d afriend who was diabetic. She had the typical symptoms. When we used to have parties everyone sed to do a urine test as it was quite fun - using a testube and 10 drops of water with 5 drops of urine and add a clinitest tablet- watch it change colour.. One day mne went the wrong colour. My Mum did it again as she thought she might have used my sisters urine by mistake but no it was mine.
she took me to our GP who was a family friend and he was great and sent us to the hospital. The hospital tested and there was nothing wrong. It only showed at 11am. After several months they finally saw me at 11 am and then my mther was the cleverest person alive - how did she know. A week before it was just because you have one doesn't men they all do.

I was on diet alone for over a year and then started on insulin because I wasn't putting on weight.

they have always wondered about my diabetes as this is not normal type one but it also wasn't type 2. tests show it is type 1 but my consultant believes t is a rare genetic type due to the symptoms etc. However the people who do the genetic testing wont check- it costs £50 which I have offered to pay myself.

I was 3 then and am now 46 and use an insulin pump with anima insulin.

 

[RhiRhi]

Thanks for the replies!
It's been good to read your stories
Merry Christmas to you all ☺

 

[asyarlk]

I was diagnosed on the 29th November 2014.
The weekend before I went away with 6 friends to Amsterdam. I was getting dressed to go out for dinner and my friends said I was looking very thin. My boyfriend didn't notice and so I brushed it off. I'd lost a stone at this point. The next weekend I travelled 200 miles to visit my parents as my dad had just come out of hospital. My eyesight was deteriorating and I had lost even more weight. Before I caught the train, I googled weight loss and poor vision, type one came up but I didn't think it would be that. When I finally reached my parents house, they were shocked with all the weight I had lost and took me out for an English breakfast (they were concerned I wasn't eating properly as there have been issues in the past). I said what I'd seen on google so we tried to get a blood test, nobody would do one so I bought a testing kit from boots and tested in the car 33.4mmol. I had no idea what this meant and went back into boots to ask the pharmacist. He told me to go to the walk in centre. I went straight there and the doctor said it probably was type one but I didn't have ketones so I should go back home and go to my normal GP on Monday (2days later). On Sunday I went to get back on the train and my dad said no because I struggled to get up the stairs. He knew I had work the next day and would probably not get a doctors appointment for a while. My parents took me to a&e and I was on a bed in a ward within an hour, on a drip and being tested every hour.

I was so scared but feel I've come a long way in a year and that it doesn't need to change who I am or the things I enjoy.

 

[lizdeluz]

I was teaching, I couldn't get through a lesson without needing a drink of water. Having a drink made no difference, and I started putting 2 and 2 together.
I remembered my Dad telling me about once, when he was a child, he'd been sitting at the tea table in their front room when a man, a stranger, burst in, grabbed the tea-pot and started drinking from the spout.. Apparently this man did not survive another week. Hang on, that would have been in about 1928.
So, abnormal thirst. Went to the school library during my lunch hour, and looked up diabetes. Found all my symptoms. Took myself to the GP. She did a blood test. Before I'd reached home, she had rung to say I'd to go to the hospital straight away.

 

[LauraC27]

I was diagnosed in July this year (I'm 26). Had symptoms of fatigue, unquenchable thirst, snapping at people, needing to urinate all bloody night!! I put this down to it being summer, i was tired etc and needing to go to the toilet so often because i was drinking so much.
2 weeks previous to being diagnosed i went on holiday to Ibiza with a friend for 4 days, I didn't feel well at all whilst there, but put that down to being hungover and tired from partying all night. The last night there i had a pain in my stomach so bad i was crying and i had pins and needles so badly all over my body... anyway i came back feeling absolutely awful. I started to recover at home but was still constantly tired and thirsty and then a week later started vomiting and was in bed for 2 days i could barely move. Then i woke up feeling well.. although still very thirsty.. a few days later i saw my dad who was diagnosed Type 1 when he was 22, I told him about the symptoms i had, although didn't cross my mind it was diabetes as growing up it was something my dad dealt with on his own, it wasn't really discussed and when i was old enough to understand he had already had diabetes for so many years it was second nature to him, it's just not something that was talked about. I had no idea what the symptoms were..so.. anyway so he tested my BG and it was 30, so i went straight to A&E.. was admitted onto a ward for a few days... and 6 months later just trying to get to grips with it all! ...That's me!

 

[philchap1]

It was 1967, I was 7 years old riding my bike up and down the street and was knocked off by a car, I was unconscious for a while and woke up in my house with the local Doctor ( who lived in the next street )saying '' he will be fine in a few day's '' few months later I was drinking like camel after 3 weeks in the desert, wetting the bed and losing weight, went into hospital Christmas 1967 and was only allowed to have one present until I went home ( elf and safety ) still had school in the hospital ( boo ) and practiced injections on oranges.

 

[SteveOsborne]

Nearly 2 years ago now, It was February 2014 went for a routine pre operation blood test didnt think much of it and neither did I know the symptoms of diabetes. 5 days later went back to see the anethutis she told me my sugars were 363mg/dl. My response was "is that good or bad" that day got an emergency appointment with my GP then the next day up to A&E. 5 days later left hospital with my roommate who is now one of my best friends who was omitted into hospital because he wasn't looking after his diabetes.

 

[Fayefaye1429]

Rhi thi wow what a story and I never knew about the heartburn so thanks.

Mine is a long story. I was on and off I'll with kidney pains and weird rashes appearing from about 13 years old. I even told people I felt better after sport when I ate something sweet. The response I had was" what you think your diabetic? Don't be stupid" and was laughed at. It didn't stop me though. I started to be come quite unwell and at 15 collapsed in a hotel room. From then on I decided they were listening no matter what. I didn't tell my parents as they didn't believe I was I'll either. I skipped school for blood tests etc. It took 6 months in total to get a referral to the diabetic team but they still didn't believe I was diabetic. I had to tell my parents at that point and they really struggled in particular my mum. The next day at he centre I was diagnosed given an injection and off I went. It was amazing feeling having something to stop hoe I was feeling. I was 7 stone and half at that point. I'd lost 6 and half stone in those 6 months. I knew each morning before diagnoses I was dying and it was aweful to see. 2 months later a nurse told my whole family I was really bad when diagnosed and wouldn't have seen my 16th birthday 2 months away.

Ever since ironically my doctor called knight gave me the diagnosis I have been very happy to not only feel better but to be believed at last!

I know my story sounds very positive, I do though have difficulties, like us all and down days but overall i would say I'm just glad to be alive so that's my story

 

[Jacob_Buchan_]

I was 4 years old and I'd been ill for a day or two constantly going to the toilet being sick, thirsty and hungry all the time and mum took me to hospital and I was in for a couple hours and they found out I was diabetic n once I was diagnosed I was kept in fit 2/3 weeks and then let home n I'm now 14 so had it pretty much my whole life not had too many problems so yeah

 

[koicarp]

I'm 32 and I was diagnosed in June this year.
About a week before I had driven about 400 miles in France down to a racetrack for a trackday in my car.
During this time I had noticed I had been losing quite a bit of weight but didn't think that much about it as this was the only symptom at this stage.
About a day after returning home I had this increased thirst, I drink a fair bit of water normally but not the amount I was drinking! Then around the same time each night for the next few days my eyesight would go blurry. I wasn't sleeping too well but put that down to the amount of water I drinking making me get up a lot for trips to the toilet.
The last symptom, if you'd call it that, I came out in a big rash over my chest and arms which was the last straw so I headed to the doc (apparently they think the rash was caused by high blood sugar "leaking" on my skin which bacteria love).
I was kept in hospital for about 4 days and was told I was type 1.