Rhea1

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi
I was di agnosised at 7years old. Just before my 8th birthday and a few days before christmas. I remember spending Christmas eve at the hospital being shown how to use blood glucose machines. It was very surreal. To be honest my mom just cried and I thought that a bit of medicine will make it all go away...i soon realised that it wasn't reality. That's when I started to struggle and accept my diabetes. Type 1 and on insulin checking my bloods up to 10 times a day. We this really my life? I couldn't have as many treats as I use to have...everything had to be checked for carbs.....always checking my blood....it was taking over my life....i had enough, I just wanted it to go away.... .i was the only child in my school with it... I felt isolated at times.. restricted. Angry....why me? What would happen if I stopped taking insulin and not checking my blood...eating things I'm not suppose to. This was becoming my life. I'm just over 9 years old now and i still feel the same. Where do i go, who do i turn to..... ? Reality i just dont know.
 

therower

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,922
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
That was a cruel ruse when they got me to do that on my first day - for a moment, I thought, this ain't so bad, I just need to carry an orange around with me and inject it every now and then...
I was down for the inject an orange ruse. GP said come back tomorrow and practice nurse will show you how to inject. Fortunately I received a call from hospital DSN who cancelled GP appointment and insisted I went to see her asap.
From what I remember of a hectic day was the observation that injecting into fruit was somewhat silly or words to that affect.
I wonder if H&S would allow such practices nowadays? I mean look what happened to Snow White after she ate fruit that had been tampered with.:banghead::banghead::banghead:
 

porl69

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Stupid people
Diagnosed T1D 46 years ago aged 6. Can't remember anything apart from being diabetic. Put both my parents through the mill on numerous occasions when young. To me it is "just the norm"
 

LooperCat

Expert
Messages
5,223
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
I was 24 and studying for a PhD on plant biochemistry. I had a nasty dose of gastric flu, and within days I was ragingly thirsty, weeing all the time and had lost a fair bit of weight. Went to the doctor about the flu as soon as I felt strong enough to get there (I was living in a sort of hall of residence, but effectively alone), he took a urine test, declared it as sweet as golden syrup and said I had to get to Hemel Hempstead hospital ASAP. I had to ask my PhD supervisor to drive me there as I wasn’t well enough to use public transport, let alone drive myself.

I don’t remember much about the hospital part, I don’t even know if I was on a drip. I recall the side ward I was on being empty except for me, and I have never felt so alone in my life. I cried and cried and cried. A really brusque nurse showed me how to inject and said I needed to keep my levels between 6 and 8. I was discharged with a carrier bag containing mixed pig insulin and urine test sticks

My then boyfriend (we married a few years later) was working in Germany so couldn’t come over, and I don’t think my parents thought it was serious enough to travel the 200 miles. None of us knew a single thing about diabetes. All I knew was what I had learned in A Level Biology, and I do remember thinking that knowing my luck, I’ll end up with that...

Somehow or other, I ended up back at my parents’ house in Somerset for a couple of weeks and it really began to sink in. I had my first hypo in my dad’s car and we both panicked. Me because it felt so horrendous, and my dad because he just didn’t know what to do. The enormity of it all was a massive thing to cope with for them. I was adopted as a baby and felt guilty because I was “faulty” and had given them this to deal with. My first worry was that I wouldn’t be able to ride my motorbike any more. My boyfriend’s fear was that we wouldn’t be able to go out to eat. My mum later told me her first thoughts were that nobody would want to marry me and I’d never have children. Sadly she died a few months after I was diagnosed - she never got to meet her grandson.

I went back to my studies, and drank and drank and drank to numb my misery. I ended up in some very dangerous situations, including a near-rape. I came out of the other side of that after a few months, went to New York for a week and had a massive hypo in the middle of Grand Central Station. I was mortified. I’d had one right in the middle of the plane taking off too... I’ve been in burnout for years, I just had enough for a while and tried to live in denial, taking my basal but not bothering about any of the rest of it. That nearly killed me. Twice. I’ve got back on the wagon now that I’m using a Libre, I think it was the fingerpicking that did my head in. I don’t mind injecting.

Tl;dr - I fell to bits initially but I’m okay with it now. Not delighted, obviously. But I still ride motorbikes, eat out, travel the world, get married (twice so far, think that’ll do, unless anyone has a recipe for keto wedding cake) and have a wonderful kid (the toerag actually likes blood testing me before driving). Life is pretty good and I feel so fortunate to be living where and when I do. If I was American I’d be bankrupt or dead, or both!
 

JoeT1

Well-Known Member
Messages
277
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Diagnosed less than 6 months ago at 28.I was in Intensive Care in DKA. I was very weirdly calm, and have dealt with it so much better than I thought I ever could. I went from 14% HBA1C at diagnosis to 6.4% and eating Keto since, something I didn't think would be possible.

You learn so much about yourself and realise that you are stronger than you thought you ever could be. Sure, there were some evenings at the start when it was tough as my levels gradually came down, some frustration, but on the whole I am a better person and healthier person now.
 
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mountaintom

Well-Known Member
Messages
574
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I was 24 and studying for a PhD on plant biochemistry. I had a nasty dose of gastric flu, and within days I was ragingly thirsty, weeing all the time and had lost a fair bit of weight. Went to the doctor about the flu as soon as I felt strong enough to get there (I was living in a sort of hall of residence, but effectively alone), he took a urine test, declared it as sweet as golden syrup and said I had to get to Hemel Hempstead hospital ASAP. I had to ask my PhD supervisor to drive me there as I wasn’t well enough to use public transport, let alone drive myself.

I don’t remember much about the hospital part, I don’t even know if I was on a drip. I recall the side ward I was on being empty except for me, and I have never felt so alone in my life. I cried and cried and cried. A really brusque nurse showed me how to inject and said I needed to keep my levels between 6 and 8. I was discharged with a carrier bag containing mixed pig insulin and urine test sticks

My then boyfriend (we married a few years later) was working in Germany so couldn’t come over, and I don’t think my parents thought it was serious enough to travel the 200 miles. None of us knew a single thing about diabetes. All I knew was what I had learned in A Level Biology, and I do remember thinking that knowing my luck, I’ll end up with that...

Somehow or other, I ended up back at my parents’ house in Somerset for a couple of weeks and it really began to sink in. I had my first hypo in my dad’s car and we both panicked. Me because it felt so horrendous, and my dad because he just didn’t know what to do. The enormity of it all was a massive thing to cope with for them. I was adopted as a baby and felt guilty because I was “faulty” and had given them this to deal with. My first worry was that I wouldn’t be able to ride my motorbike any more. My boyfriend’s fear was that we wouldn’t be able to go out to eat. My mum later told me her first thoughts were that nobody would want to marry me and I’d never have children. Sadly she died a few months after I was diagnosed - she never got to meet her grandson.

I went back to my studies, and drank and drank and drank to numb my misery. I ended up in some very dangerous situations, including a near-rape. I came out of the other side of that after a few months, went to New York for a week and had a massive hypo in the middle of Grand Central Station. I was mortified. I’d had one right in the middle of the plane taking off too... I’ve been in burnout for years, I just had enough for a while and tried to live in denial, taking my basal but not bothering about any of the rest of it. That nearly killed me. Twice. I’ve got back on the wagon now that I’m using a Libre, I think it was the fingerpicking that did my head in. I don’t mind injecting.

Tl;dr - I fell to bits initially but I’m okay with it now. Not delighted, obviously. But I still ride motorbikes, eat out, travel the world, get married (twice so far, think that’ll do, unless anyone has a recipe for keto wedding cake) and have a wonderful kid (the toerag actually likes blood testing me before driving). Life is pretty good and I feel so fortunate to be living where and when I do. If I was American I’d be bankrupt or dead, or both!

Awesome!
 

mountaintom

Well-Known Member
Messages
574
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I knew from my symptoms that it was diabetes but knew very little about the disease itself. I thought perhaps I would have to take some pills for it.
It’s a massive thing to take on board but I think I’m handling it well.
I’m only 2 months in and was diagnosed 1 month after finally kicking a 20 year heavy drinking habit - I have a sneaking suspicion my daily beer self-medication had kept my blood sugars low. When I stopped drinking I lost 3 stone in 3 weeks. So G-d knows how long I’ve actually been poorly and not known. I’m also suspicious that my pancreas was damaged by years of abuse. But according to doctors and GAD it’s autoimmune.

I was hospitalised for 4 days and in the HDU. I’d never been a patient in a hospital before and always had a fear of hospitals and blood tests (I used to faint after bloods been taken) but I was remarkably calm and collected. Now I don’t mind the hospital. I was looked after by some amazing people. There were some far worse off people there than me.

Anyway, the important thing is that I am really glad of the diagnosis because it has saved my life in some ways. It’s given me order and a sense of self that I was lacking. I have always eaten pretty well but now I am eating really well and getting fit and strong. It’s made me conscious of my body as a part of me and not just something to abuse and take for granted. Without sounding too much like a hippy, I am grateful for every day that comes my way.
The only things that annoy me a little are sore fingers and people assuming my condition is lifestyle related and saying “oh so how are you getting on without cakes etc”. Christ’s sake.

ONWARD!
 
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urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Diagnosed T1 at 54.
Expletive deleted.
 

Seacrow

Well-Known Member
Messages
496
Type of diabetes
LADA
I'm lada, I'm fairly sure I'd been diabetic for at least a year based on eyesight changes and general health. I postponed the visit to the gp until after Christmas (was darned well going to have one last blowout). Walked into the office, said 'Hi, I think I'm diabetic' and handed over a urine sample. 'OK' said my very nice gp, who was already somewhat accustomed to me, and stuck the test strip in. 'Yes, I'm pretty sure you're diabetic too' she said.

'Excuse me a moment' and she's on the phone. Blatantly earwigging, I overhear phrases such as: dangerously high blood glucose, ketones off the strip scale, ambulatory patient but she'd be much happier with ambulance travel, needs immediate admittance. This is where it dawned on me - the gp thought I was seriously ill. More than that, I was going to STAY in hospital. But I felt fine, just annoyed with all the drinking and peeing. I tried to tell her, and she looked at me and said 'if I let you go, you could keel over and die just outside. You ARE going to hospital NOW'

In the ambulance the paramedic asked a question needing a reasoned response every 10 minutes. It sunk in a little further, this is serious, and they are actually worried about my survival here. By the time I had gone through A&E and got onto a ward I was dazed and fuzzy thinking. Now I think it was shock, back then they said it was high bg.

Overnight stuff happened. Apparently doctors and nurses had conversations with me. I don't remember any of it. Memory starts up on the second day, it was generally accepted that I was diabetic, would be taking insulin, and would manage fine. I was making calm and reasoned responses, so they discharged me.

I got home and fell apart. I couldn't even look at a syringe, so injecting myself was right out. I'd binge eat chocolate and sweets, telling myself I didn't care. When I did manage to inject I'd take too much so I wouldn't have to inject again for longer. Took me about a year to get to a level state where I was coping.
 
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