- Messages
- 4
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hey everyone, my names David, I’m 41, an Invictus Games Gold medalist and Type 1 Diabetic.
On 19th May I had a HB1AC of 147 and was ultimately diagnosed with T1D. No prior history, straight in at the deep end. I was thirsty all time despite drinking water constantly, burning sensation in my throat and chest, going to the toilet every 90 minutes like clockwork day and night, lack of energy and struggling with training. I was 85.5kg at the end of April and on Sunday 14 May I was 72kg. I called the doctor the next day and the news came a few days later.
Doctors made it very clear that had I waited any longer I may not have lasted another week. They also said I should reconsider my place on Team UK. They were flatly told no. My justification was that the training camps would give me a safe, controlled environment in which to test and adjust my diet, training and my limits. The Invictus games would give me a goal to aim for and strong encouragement to learn quickly.
Despite loosing an immense amount of fitness, the constant, steep learning curve and the mental toll this took on my confidence, I was determined to go on and represent my country again. In short, I succeeded in my goal and, the icing on the cake, I received a Gold Medal in the cycling time trial.
Unfortunately, I have had very little contact with other T1Ds, I’ve learned to live with the condition by trial and error for the most part and now, post games, I am trying to learn to live a normal life outside all the training. Hence why I’m finally reaching out to forums like this in the hope of gaining greater insight and opportunities.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, please feel free to reach out if my story is of interest.
David
On 19th May I had a HB1AC of 147 and was ultimately diagnosed with T1D. No prior history, straight in at the deep end. I was thirsty all time despite drinking water constantly, burning sensation in my throat and chest, going to the toilet every 90 minutes like clockwork day and night, lack of energy and struggling with training. I was 85.5kg at the end of April and on Sunday 14 May I was 72kg. I called the doctor the next day and the news came a few days later.
Doctors made it very clear that had I waited any longer I may not have lasted another week. They also said I should reconsider my place on Team UK. They were flatly told no. My justification was that the training camps would give me a safe, controlled environment in which to test and adjust my diet, training and my limits. The Invictus games would give me a goal to aim for and strong encouragement to learn quickly.
Despite loosing an immense amount of fitness, the constant, steep learning curve and the mental toll this took on my confidence, I was determined to go on and represent my country again. In short, I succeeded in my goal and, the icing on the cake, I received a Gold Medal in the cycling time trial.
Unfortunately, I have had very little contact with other T1Ds, I’ve learned to live with the condition by trial and error for the most part and now, post games, I am trying to learn to live a normal life outside all the training. Hence why I’m finally reaching out to forums like this in the hope of gaining greater insight and opportunities.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, please feel free to reach out if my story is of interest.
David
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