This is my story so far living with Diabetes… every day is a challenge.
I’m 21 and got diagnosed with Type One Diabetes in March 2009. My symptoms where the following; eating everything and anything but not putting weight on, drinking all the time, and when I mean all the time, when I saw a tap I was under it, cramp in both calfs at night and tired all the time. I just put it down to me finishing college and working all the time.
My father got diabetes type one about 15 years ago and I tested my blood levels a few times and they were mid teens. That is when my fiancé asked me to go to the local chemist to get it checked again and the result was 35.5mmol. I still went to work that night, but I do remember drinking about 15 Red Bulls within my 4 hour shift.
I left it for a few more days and then decided to phone my GP for a blood test whilest I was at college. The practice nurse said get to A&E asap. So when to the hospital and they found ketones in my urine, I was still feeling a little calm at that point and my mum came and met me at the hospital, I was put on a sliding scale and test after tests where carried out.
Once discharged that night (I honestly didn’t want to stop in over night, the nurse gave me 16 units of insulin for the night) I went back everyday to see the diabetic clinic and was taught how to inject and what to do on a daily basis. At the beginning I was okay with everything and trying to come to terms with the diabetes and I was cool with it all for a few months and then one day it just hit me I didn’t want to have the condition and be labelled a ‘diabetic’ so injection times became the enemy!
The diabetic team I am under are fabulous and they honestly do try to understand how diabetics feel, it is just the Doctors and Consultants that pointed the finger all the time.
In February this year (2010) I had had a stressful Christmas and January and the weekend of my birthday I just didn’t want to do anything, didn’t want the fuss! I didn’t have my insulin for a few days and was off my food also really tired, didn’t really check my blood and because I was use to high mid twenties I didn’t think I was ill or was harming myself. That is because when I was diagnosed nobody explained to me what complications or serious things could happen to me and that night early morning of my birthday (14th February).
I was being sick, had stomach cramps, feeling aggressive and didn’t know what to do, either to take some insulin or just drink and keep hydrated. I was being sick every 10 minutes for about 5 hours and this is when I though I need to get to A&E and that’s when I started to get short of breath because I was scared and didn’t know what was happening.
I go to A&E and ketones where present in my urine which I knew would have happened. I was put on the assessment ward and given oxygen to help me try and relax. I was on the assessment ward for about 6 hours before I was taken the Critical Care Unit (also known as Intensive Care).
At this point I didn’t really know what was happening all I kept hearing slightly was DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) which I heard about but didn’t know what it was or how serious it was, then the doctors found that I had pneumonia and the only best way to get me better was to be put on a ventilator. I was asleep for a week and when I work up all I got everyday from the consultant and doctors was it was my own fault for having ‘bad control’ of my diabetes not once did they mention about the pneumonia I had and that would have led to the DKA not that illness makes DKA ‘work’ faster or how much is affects your diabetes.
When I woke up and tried to get movement again that is when the doctors found a blood clot in my lung which had come from the groin drip I had had in. so stayed in hospital for another week.
Overall I stayed in hospital for a month and I have learnt a lot while being in hospital about how serious Diabetes is if you don’t control it, that is why I have just finished the DAFNE Course (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) and this course is the most amazing thing and I would highly recommended for anyone who likes to eat but is worried about eating to much for their set injections.
After being on the DAFNE course I learnt a lot and fell pregnant in November 2010 but miscarried in January and the midwife and diabetic team said it was down to ‘bad control’ of my diabetes which I think was totally wrong my hba1c at the time was 9.8 the lowest it’s ever been at the time.
I carried on going to appointments and having bloods done, I had and still do have my good and bad days, which diabetic doesn’t?!
Then I March of this year 2011 I fell pregnant again and in May I went into hospital or a week as a planned admitted patient to have the insulin pump put on and I think if anyone has the chance to get one off your Diabetic Team. Go for it, my bloods have been super. From being at 17-22mmol most of the time to going no higher than 10mmol is an amazing achievement I think I’ve accomplished when it comes to my diabetes. Yes it’s been a challenge and my diabetic team still have a dig when I go and see them if I have an odd high or two but at the moment I’m 22 weeks (as of 5th August 2011) and my last hba1c was 8.2 the lowest ever. Which is amazing. In the last 6 weeks I’ve had 3 hba1c’s done and all 3 have been dropping it was first off a 9 then it went to 8.6 and a week later it was 8.2. I’m due to have one in a few weeks time and hoping to have it lower. This time a year ago I couldn’t see myself and my bloods being within the ‘normal’ range. A 11.0 would be a hypo to me but I have hypos at 2.0 or lower, that’s the only thing I have to deal with is hypos and sickness!
Hope my story has helped others and other people experiences come out of you.
I’m 21 and got diagnosed with Type One Diabetes in March 2009. My symptoms where the following; eating everything and anything but not putting weight on, drinking all the time, and when I mean all the time, when I saw a tap I was under it, cramp in both calfs at night and tired all the time. I just put it down to me finishing college and working all the time.
My father got diabetes type one about 15 years ago and I tested my blood levels a few times and they were mid teens. That is when my fiancé asked me to go to the local chemist to get it checked again and the result was 35.5mmol. I still went to work that night, but I do remember drinking about 15 Red Bulls within my 4 hour shift.
I left it for a few more days and then decided to phone my GP for a blood test whilest I was at college. The practice nurse said get to A&E asap. So when to the hospital and they found ketones in my urine, I was still feeling a little calm at that point and my mum came and met me at the hospital, I was put on a sliding scale and test after tests where carried out.
Once discharged that night (I honestly didn’t want to stop in over night, the nurse gave me 16 units of insulin for the night) I went back everyday to see the diabetic clinic and was taught how to inject and what to do on a daily basis. At the beginning I was okay with everything and trying to come to terms with the diabetes and I was cool with it all for a few months and then one day it just hit me I didn’t want to have the condition and be labelled a ‘diabetic’ so injection times became the enemy!
The diabetic team I am under are fabulous and they honestly do try to understand how diabetics feel, it is just the Doctors and Consultants that pointed the finger all the time.
In February this year (2010) I had had a stressful Christmas and January and the weekend of my birthday I just didn’t want to do anything, didn’t want the fuss! I didn’t have my insulin for a few days and was off my food also really tired, didn’t really check my blood and because I was use to high mid twenties I didn’t think I was ill or was harming myself. That is because when I was diagnosed nobody explained to me what complications or serious things could happen to me and that night early morning of my birthday (14th February).
I was being sick, had stomach cramps, feeling aggressive and didn’t know what to do, either to take some insulin or just drink and keep hydrated. I was being sick every 10 minutes for about 5 hours and this is when I though I need to get to A&E and that’s when I started to get short of breath because I was scared and didn’t know what was happening.
I go to A&E and ketones where present in my urine which I knew would have happened. I was put on the assessment ward and given oxygen to help me try and relax. I was on the assessment ward for about 6 hours before I was taken the Critical Care Unit (also known as Intensive Care).
At this point I didn’t really know what was happening all I kept hearing slightly was DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) which I heard about but didn’t know what it was or how serious it was, then the doctors found that I had pneumonia and the only best way to get me better was to be put on a ventilator. I was asleep for a week and when I work up all I got everyday from the consultant and doctors was it was my own fault for having ‘bad control’ of my diabetes not once did they mention about the pneumonia I had and that would have led to the DKA not that illness makes DKA ‘work’ faster or how much is affects your diabetes.
When I woke up and tried to get movement again that is when the doctors found a blood clot in my lung which had come from the groin drip I had had in. so stayed in hospital for another week.
Overall I stayed in hospital for a month and I have learnt a lot while being in hospital about how serious Diabetes is if you don’t control it, that is why I have just finished the DAFNE Course (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) and this course is the most amazing thing and I would highly recommended for anyone who likes to eat but is worried about eating to much for their set injections.
After being on the DAFNE course I learnt a lot and fell pregnant in November 2010 but miscarried in January and the midwife and diabetic team said it was down to ‘bad control’ of my diabetes which I think was totally wrong my hba1c at the time was 9.8 the lowest it’s ever been at the time.
I carried on going to appointments and having bloods done, I had and still do have my good and bad days, which diabetic doesn’t?!
Then I March of this year 2011 I fell pregnant again and in May I went into hospital or a week as a planned admitted patient to have the insulin pump put on and I think if anyone has the chance to get one off your Diabetic Team. Go for it, my bloods have been super. From being at 17-22mmol most of the time to going no higher than 10mmol is an amazing achievement I think I’ve accomplished when it comes to my diabetes. Yes it’s been a challenge and my diabetic team still have a dig when I go and see them if I have an odd high or two but at the moment I’m 22 weeks (as of 5th August 2011) and my last hba1c was 8.2 the lowest ever. Which is amazing. In the last 6 weeks I’ve had 3 hba1c’s done and all 3 have been dropping it was first off a 9 then it went to 8.6 and a week later it was 8.2. I’m due to have one in a few weeks time and hoping to have it lower. This time a year ago I couldn’t see myself and my bloods being within the ‘normal’ range. A 11.0 would be a hypo to me but I have hypos at 2.0 or lower, that’s the only thing I have to deal with is hypos and sickness!
Hope my story has helped others and other people experiences come out of you.
