Wake up call!!!!! Type1.

[sammi4688]

Hi everyone I am 27 years old and I am type 1 diabetic. I was diagnosed while pregnant in 2008, after having my son it stayed and it turned out to be type 1. At first I never took it seriously, I think I was in denial, then realised I should be as my son was getting older. I've took control of my diabetes now and have managed to really reduce my hba1c . I still occasionally have a splurge where I will have some chocolate, full fat coke or a few more alcoholic beverages than maybe I should at the weekend but I'm in more control than I ever have been. Anyway the reason for my post is I have just watched a programme I recorded called 'Kitchen Impossible' and it's basically about a group of trainee chefs with additional needs who want to get into the food industry as chefs or staff. There was a 24 y/o man who went blind 4 months ago, straight away I was like aww poor thing I would hate that, only to then find out the reason he went blind was down to complications with type 1 diabetes! What a wake up call for me, straight away I burst into tears and felt every emotion possible. But one thing it has made me do is realise I need to continue to work towards keeping my sugars at a good level. Not sure why I wrote this post just needed to vent to people who understand how scary this is, people who are living it to

 

[Juicyj]

Hiya, like you I developed gestational whilst pregnant with my daughter, however it went for a couple of years and came back as type 1 after falling very ill after coming back from holiday. I learnt from that moment that unless I took control it would mean complications in later life, I think in that respect I was lucky to get it at an age where I could acknowledge it fully and not when I was younger and probably prepared to take risks and not take it seriously. I think despite the potential complications some people have an attitude of 'it won't happen to me', when quite clearly it can and it will.

Well done for acknowledging it, I live each day trying my best as I don't want to be a burden to my daughter in later life but even without her I still wouldn't want my condition to affect those around me so that why taking responsibility is down to us

 

[TorqPenderloin]

It's important to remind yourself of how serious this disease is and I'm glad you had that moment of clarity.

On the other hand, it's important to also remember that diabetes management has changed SIGNIFICANTLY in the 21st century. With good control, there's no reason why you can't live to be 100 years old and WITHOUT diabetes complications.

 

[azure]

I saw that programme. Yes, it shocked me too because the man was so young. I'd assumed he had some kind of genetic or progressive issue, but to hear it was caused by diabetes was a shock.

As @TorqPenderloin says, it's important to keep positive and do the best we can. Year on year there's progress in understanding and treating diabetes - and towards a cure.

 

[yingtong]

I could of easily been me,I abused my D from 14 to 22 years old,I played many sports to a semi-professional level and I met my now wife and turned my diabetic life around,thankfully I have only a couple very minor complications and have been Type 1 for over 53 years and still going strong,albeit my grandchildren keep me on my toes and I will not let the big D get me.i started a new chapter in my diabetic life,starting on a pump 5 months ago and it is going really well.So life can be good even with this bloody horrible disease.Keep going sammi4688,you are doing well.

 

[Maxy]

Great to hear your efforts and success in managing your levels and lowering your A1C, congrats for that and keep up the good work Sammi.

T1 diabetes is like a having a tiger on your back the whole time.. treat it right and it might treat you right- ignore this tiger and it will one day turn to bite you.

If you have sugary treats on the occasion ensure you are properly bolusing properly- are you currently carb counting?

Keep up the awareness, get eyes/feet checked routinely- there are plenty people here who can offer advice/help or just listen to you and share their experiences.

 

[sammi4688]

Thanks everyone means a lot to hear from people who live this everyday. I do carb count yes, I'm on the omnipod pump which has really helped to help me control my sugars.

 

[becky.ford93]

I saw the episode too and was in shock!! I feel so sorry for him, though I presume there must have been some level of neglect in terms of control at some point to have caused it to happen so young and so quickly. Can only hope I never end up in the same position, but hats off to him for not just giving up.

 

[Auckland Canary]

I checked the background to this and it seems he had a bad bang on the head which detached his retinas. So it may be less related to his T1 control than 1st appears

 

[Buxton1998]

Hi, I too developed Diabetes in pregnancy and it stayed, I also saw that programme, and it really frightened me as I'm having treatment for retinopathy at moment, I saw opthamalogist yesterday and I asked him about it, and have to say I wasn't comforted. It appears my sight is stable at moment, but in his words, 'it's diabetes, no one can say how'll it decide to go, we just have to assess and treat accordingly. It is such a scary disease, which I'm finding out the longer I have it (17 years)

 

[sammi4688]

It is a horrible disease. I find it more difficult that in my family I'm the only one who is diabetic both in my immediate and wider family, so in a sense I feel no one really understands. Things like that just really make you open your eyes.

 

[Buxton1998]

I agree, I'm the only one in my family, my husband doesn't really understand about it and it's only in last few years I've realised how horrible it is when I started with complications.

 

[Musicalheather]

It is a horrible disease. I find it more difficult that in my family I'm the only one who is diabetic both in my immediate and wider family, so in a sense I feel no one really understands. Things like that just really make you open your eyes.

Hello, I'm in exactly the same position, no one else in my family suffers from diabetes or any other kind of chronic illness. They are all wonderfully healthy and aren't constrained by any of the things I am and being newly diagnosed, it's hard to understand things myself let alone try and it explain all the it to them!

 

[sammi4688]

How old are you if you don't mind me asking and when was you diagnosed x

 

[Musicalheather]

I'm 19 and was diagnosed July this year. I found out I was diabetic because I woke up one morning and my vision was completely blurred, I couldn't see anything in focus unless it was directly in front of my face and it lasted for an entire week before my vision started coming back. How did you find out you were diabetic? Did you have a similar scenario? X