I'd been living with early diabetic level a1c since I was around 12 years of age (that was the earliest mention of numbers I could find in my medical records), at 16 I went vegetarian (at which point my a1c dropped slightly below diabetic levels and would stay on just that shy mark till I was 20, when it started to clime up.
I was actually referred to an OBGYN because I'd become active and well that side of things needed taken care of by someone who took care of that stuff, she got my files and within the week of getting them she had me at the local hospital for a GTT (glucose tolerance test). That's where the fun began, the test was only supose to take like 6 hours or less (can't remember what the time should have been, its been a while), ended up being there 12+ hours (it was 7am when I arrived it wasn't till almost 8pm that I was allowed to go home - I almost ended up getting admitted).
I'd brought my book (which I finished while being there), I'd brought my sketch book and pens for drawing, plus a puzzle book to go though - never thinking I'd actually end up using all of it while there plus draining the 5 sets of batteries of my and CD player that I'd brought with me.
I over heard the nurses talking a few times as I watched people come in and get tested and what ever priod of time later told they could leave, yet I wasn't one of them. They'd come in draw blood ask me how I was doing I'd say fine, getting hungry or thirsty (all they would give me was ice chips, I was so NOT a happy camper with just those ice chips). The nurses each time where commenting that they couldn't understand why she was still up and about, I had no idea at the time that they where talking about me or what they where even referring to as I had no context for their conversation.
But finally a doc actually came in to the room that they'd stuck me in and he had a nurse with him, I was perplexed and worried at the same time - he said that the tests was not going as expected and that they needed to get a line into me other wise I'd need to stay the night os they would complete the tests. I was like, um alright why? whats wrong? they wouldn't tell me. Needless to say took the nurse a few tries to get a usable line (took a butter fly needle being used to get a good line into my arm) and I was put on IV fluids (at least that's what I assumed it was because the bag was blank - which is really strange since most hospital fluid bags are marked.
Well after what felt like ages more blood was drawn and nothing, I was really starting to get board and hungry. Was also having trouble trying to get back into my book (was trying to reread it from the start) it just wasn't happening, was getting tired of no answers being given and my questions being avoided. Around 6pm, the doc comes back and said "good news, your going to be going home today, bad news is you have an appointment with 123 doc second week of the new year (i went in for GTT December 27th 2003) unless ABC happens in which case you need to get to the ER stat"
I was like why? what's wrong why have I been here this long? what is going on? what was found?
He was like, "I'm sorry to say your diabetic" my jaw hit the floor and I don't remember what I said but the tone of his voice and his makers you'd think he'd said I had cancer instead - I was shocked at how he'd said it (its the one major thing that stuck with me all these years after). He never said what type, the nurse who gave me the discharge papers gave me a pamphlet that says "Living with Type 2 Diabetes" so I assumed I was like my mom a Type 2, boy was I wrong in that assumption. But I assumed it because well what else would I think with being given such a pamphlet, I had no reason to assume Type 1, after all they would have given me a T1 information if I was wouldn't they? Apparently not as the case turned out to be.
I saw the endocrinologist, and when he said T1 I was like but they gave me info on T2, what gives? He was like something to the effect some info is better then no info, and they didn't won't to alarm me, say what? ummmm right. Needless to say I didn't believe him and it would be a number of years before I'd even be willing to listen to him. The first visit went as it went, he gave me a script for insulin which I refused to fill (didn't have the funds to do it to start with so I just went back to what I'd been doing).
My three month appointment came up and I went, though I didn't won't to but I did - he was displeased that I'd not filled the script and said maybe they where wrong maybe I was T2 so he started me on Metformin and Avandia (which didn't last long, within the year I was off the Avandia because it had been pulled from the market as unsafe) and I had started to connect with other's online and was larning more things. The more I learned the more I was concede they had it wrong that I couldn't be T1 - age for one I was past 25 and though I was running high (10 to 15) it wasn't as high as the research I'd seen say I'd be if I was T1 not on insulin (never even heard about the honeymoon phase at that point in time).
So it went on like that for a good year before my numbers started to clime up there and not come down, and my a1c started to clime as well as a result. Finally my endro showed me my paper work, the test results, the lab reports all of it. I'd spent enough time looking at my mom's results to know what I was seeing and it wasn't good. My numbers where going up and not coming down, despite being vegetarian and having a high fitness deal (hitting the gym for up to 6 hours a day) my numbers where on the increase and my antibodies where telling the tails that I didn't won't to see.
Finally end of 2004 I admitted the truth that insulin was my future, but I still was in denial to various degrees. It wouldn't be till I connected with special someone in my life (my future wife) that I'd actually wake up to what was going on. I'd agreed to the insulin back in the start of 2005 but with no income I was not taking it regular because I couldn't afford to do so. In 2007 I ended up with emergency surgery (had a hysterectomy) and on the table well lets say waking up was a blessing. In hospital was when they started me on Toronto (which I actually had an allergic reaction to) saying it was the cheapest insulin I would be able to afford (its like 20 a vial or something) within insurance until they learned I couldn't take it and would be forced to take humalog (humlin and me don't get along for some reason either).
After surgery I ended up in hospital for several weeks because of complications from the surgery and post surgery infections that there was not OTC antibiotic I could take - had to be on an IV drip. It was in hospital that I got my only insulin/diabetic training I'd get to date. I also put on like 50+ pounds while in hospital that have been a bleeping nightmare to get off and keep off.
Now since 2005 I'd been on only lantus, though I'd had a script for humalog, I'd only filled it once and never again because of the cost, I couldn't afford both of them at the same time, not when I was using to little humalog and tossing over half a vial a month - it wasn't cost effective in my eyes (yes I was not not awake to what I was doing to my body) and I figured that at least with the lantus in my body I'd have something which was better then nothing (good thinking in general, but not 100% right).
In 2009 I got married, the day before I got married I had my annual appointment, it was then that I got told I either smartened up and started taking things seriously or right there and then I could try a clinic doc instead for my treatment as he'd had enough of me unwillingness to face the facts and start taking care of myself. Ya he gave me some vary plain speak to say the least, plus the whole talk of how could I marry someone with Eplepsy if I wasn't going to even take care of myself, I'd be putting my wife in danger. That actually hit home on many levels more then anything else had up to that point in time, for some strange reason.
So on that day he gave me a month supply of pens (instead of vials) and said after my honeymoon to call him with my decision, if no call he wished me luck but if I did call back I better be willing to follow though with it. And follow though I have, its not been easy and its been costly. I've gone into credit card debt just to afford the amount of insulin that I've needed, I've tried to get funding but until my recent employment I've had 0 luck getting anything that would even cover half of the cost, never mind almost 100% of it. When I'm not working for the company (its a seasonal contract job) I struggle to make what I made while working to pay for the insulin and test strips. My wife is still unemployed (its been 6 years and she's been unable to get employment and what I've gotten well lets say we'd be homeless if it wasn't for my folks because what I make we can't live on not an afford her epileptic medication and my diabetic supplies).
I know canada has a great heath care system - but in some areas its not better then the US in parts which is sad to say but its the truth, though I'd still not choose to live in the US (and I had the choice when I got married, I could have immigrated to the US instead of my wife immigrating to be with me here in Canada because she wonted better medical care then she was able to get down there, plus she wonted me happy and that meant being here).
