pure curiosity

[Boulton]

working on diabetes related projects has me completely facsinated by how the body works, and the multitude of different ways that it can tell you something isn;t right.

I was wondering, how did you first realise that something might ahve diabetes?

did somthing happen? was it a routine check up?

share share!!

 

[Mandarin]

OK!

I began by feeling a little more tired than normal but this began as a very gradual thing, probably every 3 or 4 days feeling just that little bit worse.

After a couple of weeks of this I started getting up in the night for the loo - not totally unsual for me but more than normal.
Around 6 weeks after the tiredness began we went to Glastonbury Festival and I was getting up at least twice a night and having to walk from the middle to the edge of the feild for the loo - not good because it was TOO far, and waiting in the queue in the mornig was physically painful.

I was also beginning to feel really thirsty and had to carry water around with me.
By the time we got home on the monday I was totally exhausted and took about 2 days to get back on my feet.

It was the following Monday - after standing on the scales and realising that I had lost almost 2 stone that I finally went to the Doctors who took a blood test and told me to ring on Thursday for the results.

I called on Thursday but by this time I was throwing up, ragingly thirsty and bed ridden, they told me that the doctor wanted to see me and could I come up immediately. I told them that there was no way I could get up there because I felt so ill so they sent the doctor round within 25 mins who called an ambulance and by 11am I was tucked up in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask, catheter, heart monitor and one or two other bits and pieces attached, and surrounded by medics.

Thy sent me home after 5 nights loaded with leafletts, phamphlets, monitors, insulin, record books,contact numbers, my next 3 appointments with them, potassium tablets and Diabetes!

Hope that wasnt too much info - I just felt an urge to share that.

Its a good way to vent

 

[Ellen]

Sounds like you got help just in time. My symptons were far less obvious, in fact I thought I had a thyroid problem (thyroid problems in family). I was passing a lot of water but was never thirsty and had tiredness mid-morning. I had a fasting test at hospital and was told that I was glucose intolerant and if I lost a stone I would be ok. Stupidly I didn't manage to lose a stone and I have been Type 2 for 9 years now. I think my less than obvious symptons are common and there are lots of people walking about with Type 2 without knowing it.

 

[matt]

Last November I was having trouble sleeping, waking up in the night and needing the loo. I also started suffering from excessive cramp and felt dehydrated all the time and was drinking lots of water and coke. Its weird and difficult to describe but I felt like the way my body works had changed. Anyway I went to the doctor with what I considered at the time to be vague and trivial ailments and within the hour I was diagnosed type I and sent to the diabetes centre at my local hospital to pick up insulin, glucose monitors and the rest of it. 3 hours later I was back home. What a day!

 

[Claire]

I didn't really even notice anything at the time - scary!

Looking back, I was tired, but I'm always tired from a long commute and lots of exercise. I was thirsty and hungry, but I am always thirsty and hungry - exercise again! I was in the loo a lot, but I'm always in the loo a lot - because I drink a lot and eat lots of fruit/veg.

I had noticed that my eyes were blurry about six months before I was diagnosed, but assumed that I just needed glasses. I am the only one on both sides of my family who doesn't wear glasses/contacts.

The only reason I went to the doctor was because I had a urine infection that I couldn't kick with stuff from the chemist. But then I didn't even bother getting the test results for that because it seemed to clear up. The receptionist at the GP left a couple of messages on my mobile saying please could I come in and do another urine test, but didn't elaborate on why. I was busy at work and the surgery is not local to my workplace, I felt OK so I just ignored the messages!

I had some leave booked in the summer and thought I might as well go back and get that test done seeing as they kept hassling me about it. Turned out there was glucose in it, I was in for a blood test within a couple of days and found a message on my mobile phone from my doctor telling me my blood sugar was three times higher than it should be and that I needed to see the diabetes nurse at the surgery - nice way to break the news!

Then it all made sense...I had been waking up that week with a numb hand which stayed numb all day, on top of everything else.

Scary, though - I would never have gone to the doctor about my symptoms, just thought I was a bit run down and overdoing things. I'm sure the only reason I didn't end up in hospital with ketoacidosis was because I was eating very healthily and exercising a lot.

Claire

 

[Dennis]

In my case it was a blood test for something entirely unconnected that showed a high blood sugar level (14.4mmol/l). Before then I wasn't aware of any of the normal symptoms.

 

[chocoholic]

I had no idea. It was picked up when I went to a blood donoring session for the first time.

 

[rogervansteeden]

My troubles began first with my thyroid gland being underactive, at work feeling exhausted sitting at my desk then when i was gardening i began to feel ill and had to go and lie down,thats when i went to my Doctor they did a blood test and found that i was type 2 which didnt totally surprise me as my mother and sister are both type 1 and i know its sometimes hereditary.

 

[Silvercat]

I just was incredibly thirsty every night and drinking gallons.

 

[sofaraway]

I was very thirsty for a couple of days, so I did a urine dipstick test and it was positive to glucose, I told my mum and she took me to the doctors.

 

[ash]

I started feeling very tired at night falling asleep after my tea for an hour or so. I became very irritable when I got low blood sugar levels, needed the loo a lot more often. Then one sunday morning I had to go to my parents house to do a job for them on an empty stomach, and I went hypo on the drive up there. A couple of pieces of toast ans a sweet cup of tea made me feel 100%, and at that point, I realised I had a problem, but took about 3 months after that to get a diagnosis, and then straight onto metformin which made me feel a lot better.

HBa1C 6.3 T2

 

[ThinType2]

Hi

Diagnosed after two miscarriages in 2006, looking back I was very tired but I put that down to stress.

I also went to the toilet a lot but I always have so that did not start any alarm bells ringing.

I also had horrendously sore/burning/itching skin for 1-2 years on and off on a really awkward parts of my body! which the doctor could find no reason for after millions of test, I ended up on medication to numb my skin which was horrendous as it made me even more tired and I put a stone on in weeks.

Within 1/2 hour of my first insulin injection the soreness/burning and itching went and has never come back......I am now pregnant again and things seem to be going along nicely so fingers crossed!

 

[ChocFish]

It happened all of a sudden with me, I stood in the laundry room taking out the washing all happy because it did smell so nice, suddenly I had a wally of a panic attack, my vision was blurred and my mouth dry - I freaked, I was alone in the house at the time, ran over to my neighbour she called the ambulance because I was just pale and my speech was slurred, they did a test, 28.3!!!

I had absolutely NO symptoms before.

ThinType 2 - I hope all goes just perfect for you and baby/family

All the best everyone

Karen

Challenges can be stumbling blocks or stepping stones, it depends how you view them

 

[Willemse]

Hi There,

Like most of the rest I was thirsty and lost a lot of weight, my wife looked at me and mumbled something like your symptons are of diabetes, never suspected this as that time no else in the family was diagnosed but turned out to be type 2 and have been for the past 10 years. As it turned out my mother was diagnosed late onset type 2 in her seventies so family history after all.

Hank

 

[bluebird]

Hi

I asked the doctor to check for diabetes as my mother, sister & brother had it. I had been feeling very tired, irritable and my muscles ached and hands and feet were tingling. It came as no surprise when she said I was diabetic. Have spent hours reading and surfing the internet to increase my understanding of diabetes - sometimes think I now know more than the doctor. But don't question the doctor as she might get annoyed. Lots of advice from members on this site has been very helpful.

Regards Val

 

[Fugs]

Hi,
I had a leg ulcer for two years that wouldn't heal, despite having maggot therapy and every dressing known to man. Even the manuka honey had no effect.
I was at one of my daily dressing changes that one of the nurses decided to check my bg.
Six weeks on insulin and my leg ulcer was healed!

Out of my mind,
Back in 5 minutes


>^..^<

 

[ChocFish]

Gosh Fugsy, oh are you back yet?

Seriously I cannot believe that they didnt test for diabetes much earlier, I mean you had a very slow healing ulcer? Sounds like negligence to me, this is worrying.

Hope you are all ok

Karen x

Challenges can be stumbling blocks or stepping stones, it depends how you view them

 

[siddywest]

I had gestational diabetes in all 4 of my pregnancies so knew that I was predisposed.

I starting having blurred vision, felt thirsty and was so incredibly tired that I could sleep all day and all night (not helpful with a full time job and 4 childre). I bought a urine testing kit from Boots which showed I had sugar in my urine so I went to Lloyds Chemist and they did a fasting test which came back as 14.5 so they sent me to the Dr who the confirmed it. I have Type 2 and have been treating it with medication ever since.

Recently it has been very poorly controlled Hba1c 10.6 recently and I also had shortness of breath and chest pains (thought it was my heart but it wasn't). Very sleepy on a daily basis, very dry mouth and ketones in my urine. Have had to up all my medication and take more and seem to be just about holding off insulin at the moment.

 

[Fugs]

Hi Karen,
It was pretty horrendous at the time, but the nurses here only treat what's in front of them.
The nurse that tested me only did it because I was moaning that my eyesight was so bad that I'd gone into the mens loos by mistake. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Luckily the loos were empty. But in retrospect it wouldn't have mattered if they were full. My sight was so bad I wouldn't have been able to see anything lol

Out of my mind,
Back in 5 minutes


>^..^<

 

[Addy]

I was diagnosed 10 years ago, first symtoms were drinking loads and going to the loo loads but only for one day seemed fairly normal for the rest of the time. Within a week i was throwing up and went to see a kernow doc who did no tests, said i had food poisoning and to see my gp in the morning. The next morning i was completely out of it and had to be dressed and carried to the car and then into the surgery, was in a coma by the time i got into the docs room. So air ambulance jobby (fairly gutted as wasn't awake to enjoy the ride, but got a teddy). Spent 13 hrs in a coma, i was released form hospital a week later luckily.

...falling is not the problem, it's when you land...