Inspiring Stories

My Dog Diagnosed Me

When I was 9 years old, I started showing the classic symptoms of diabetes. I was constantly getting sick, I went to the bathroom and drank water like it was my job, and I was a 4th grader weighing in at 48 pounds. You would think that my dad, being a physician, would have picked up on these symptoms easily... not quite. It wasn't until my dog would not leave me alone that my parents really began to question what was going on with me. My dog would just follow me around and lick me constantly for (what seemed like) no reason.

My dad took me to the doctor on April 24th, 2006 for an 8:00am appointment, and there I found out that I had Type 1 diabetes. My dog had been smelling the sweet sugary scent on my skin and wanted to lick it all off of me! I didn't know anything about the disease except that my 1st grade crush had it. I was just excited to miss school and seek all the attention I could get.

8 years later, I am still learning how to manage the disease. Each day and each new chapter in my life presents me with new challenges that affect my blood sugar. By no means have I mastered diabetes management, but it has been one part of my life that I would never want to give up. It has taught me more about life, health, and responsibility than any class could. I've met some of my best friends through diabetes camps and groups. Most importantly, I've learned that I can always rely on my dog to tell me when my blood sugar is too high.

Rachel Epstein
Atlanta, GA

Type 2 & over 40

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 3 years ago but just blow it off & didn't change anything in my life till I got real sick about 5 mths ago & went to family doctor for awful headaches & being super tired all the time & tingling in my toes. Yep my sugar was over 400 & was sent to a specialist. Well my world came crashing down when my AC1 was 8.2 & I was put on 2 insulins & more medication. Me & insulin aren't friends & after crying like a girl with the thought of injecting myself 4 times a day & me afraid of needles, I knew this relationship wasn't going to last, thank god. Over the next 3 months I worked on eating right, exercising daily & was hell bent on getting off insulin, which I am proud to say I am off at least one of them, cut my medications in half @ feeling better. As a result of earlier high glucose levels I am left with neuropathy and both legs but that is nor will it stop me from continuing to lead a better life style in hopes one day I might be about to be insulin free some day

Rose Vega
Shrewsbury, PA

whitley

I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 13. It took awhile to even notice I was sick. My parents and I was in shock when we found out that I had diabetes at such a young age. I had to change everything about my life. Today I am 24 and I have came so far. I have learned to live with diabetes so that it did not take over my life. As of today insulin dependent, even though I have diabetes I still live my life to the fullest!!

whitley
winchester, TN

Who would have thought…...

Clara was not herself for about a week, we had just returned from a trip to Arizona to visit my sister and Clara's cousins. While we were their Clara was wetting the bed, she was 4 and potty trained. Finally near the end of our week she still was not herself, she has also started breathing funny, so I took her to the DR. office they said, let's give her a breathing treatment and if she isnt better by tonight take her to the ER. Her breathing was 35 per min. the nurse said if it gets to 45 take her to the DR. Again, they gave her another breathing treatment this one didnt have a strap. I had to hold the mask on my screaming child and wrap my legs around her. She was not able to give a urine sample and the DR. did not know what was up. After the breathing treatment she was a wet rag in my arms. I asked the DR. what about a diabetic coma? He asked do you have diabetes in your family? I answered no. She he tested her, he came back in the room and responded, "she's off the chart, go to Long Beach Memorial" We got in the car, Jim drove I sat in the back seat while Clara was vomiting and talking nonsense and nodding out. A team surrounded her I stayed at her feet with my hands on them, it took 3 IV's one in her arm one in each foot to get fluids and insulin in her. It was scary, she really didn't say much and was confused. She had went into DKA . We didnt caknow the signs, even though they were there. Our lived were changed forever. She was in the ICU for 2 days and PICU for 5 days we had to attend classes each night to learn how do dose her, draw insulin and count carbs. Our lives have changed forever. But our little Clara is the same a strong, brave, smart, loving girl but now she's 10 yrs. old

Melissa
Yosemite, CA

My life with Diabetes

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11, and I am now 23 years old. Having diabetes has had and continues to have it's ups and downs. I think that having diabetes has helped me become more aware of my health in general. I want to be healthy and having diabetes is a daily reminder for me to stay on track with my goal. I am learning different things every day from having diabetes. I have learned to cook for myself, eat a certain way, exercise regularly, give insulin injenctions, check my sugar daily, and many other things. Even though having diabetes can be a pain in the butt sometimes it has also been a blessing in disguise. Having diabetes has given me motivation to take care of myself and balance my blood sugars on a daily basis. My advice to those newly diagnosed with diabetes is to do their best to be healthy and make the best choices that they can to keep themselves healthy. With discipline, right knowledge, consitency, determination, perseverance, and strength someone with diabetes can be just as healthy and even more healthy than someone without the disease. Don't let diabetes hold you back from what you want in life, instead I use diabetes as a catalyst to further my aim of living a healthy lifestyle.

Jamil Ibrahim
Houston, TX

My misdiagnosis

Internally, I was always very healthy. Starting at about age 35(maybe earlier) I started to exhibit the classic symptoms of diabetes, but refused to believe it. My wife was always telling me I might be diabetic, but I always shooed her away with "that nonsense". At about age 44, on a whim...Or maybe to quiet her down some...I decided to get checked. I went in with about 14 hours of fasting behind me, and my glucose level was at 675. At this point in my life, I was out of shape and overweight, plus being in my mid 40's, they diagnosed me as type 2. At about 52, and nearly 10 years of struggling trying to keep my blood sugars down and failing most of the time, my present doctor decided to test me and found out I am actually a type 1 diabetic. Initially, my A1C was almost 14, and my sugar would often spike to 1100 and higher, to the point where I would pass out and stop breathing. I thought I developed an allergy to either peanuts or chocolate, because all this would happen after I ate ice cream with peanuts on it. When I was initially checked, the doctor was very blase about it, as if it was no big deal. I later have heard stories of people with lower BS levels being admitted to the hospital. My doctor gave me a prescription for Metformin, and told me to pick up a glucose monitor and test strips on the way home, and sent me on my way. It wasn't until almost 10 years of struggling that my present doctor decided to look deeper. The way my 1st doctors treated me and didn't seem to take this seriously, then I didn't either. Now I am realizing-like Veerle from The Netherlands-that this is a chronic disease and I need to take it more seriously. After being re-diagnosed, I was put onto a pump and am now doing much better. I still need to work a little harder, but I am getting there.

David
Negaunee, MI

Living With Type I Diabetes

It was the day after Thanksgiving in 1995. I was 8 years old. My mom noticed I was extremely thirsty, moody, and using the bathroom often. Since she had already had diabetes for several years, she knew to check my blood sugar. It was 411. After that, I spent 6 nights at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI. I was excited because I was able to miss school and order all my meals from a hospital menu! I was even lucky enough to have my classmates make me get-well cards and have my third-grade teacher and school nurse visit me! I remember the nurses telling me that I had to take injections everyday and check my blood sugar frequently. My dad had to practice giving insulin injections on oranges because I was too young to give them to myself.

Throughout my adolescent years, I had a completely normal life. I ran cross-country and track-and-field, was in Honor Society, and had as much fun as any other teenage girl! After graduating, I pursued my dream of becoming an elementary teacher. I received my Bachelors and Masters Degree from Rhode Island College and have been teaching special education for the past five years. In recent years, I have ran more 5k's than I can count, three half marathons, and will soon reach my goal of completing a full marathon. I have the most supportive family, friends, and boyfriend than anyone could ever ask for. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful not only for their support, but for my health...and the fact that I was lucky enough to only get diagnosed with diabetes.

On November 24th, 2013, I will celebrate my 18th year anniversary of living with disease. I'm not sharing my story to brag or for pity, but to merely prove to any child or adolescent being diagnosed that diabetes will not control your life. It is simply a lifestyle that you will learn to adapt to. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and if we all support diabetes research and make the public aware of this disease, a cure will soon be found!

Alison Stott
Warwick, RI

a learning experience

i was diagnosed Type 2 in 1997. I didn't take it seriously. i rarely took my meds, and continued to eat and drink whatever i wanted. I never checked my blood sugar and I would switch Doctors when one would lecture me. That was up until 2007. I was sick, couldn't breathe, exhausted etc. After 2 days, i thought i had the flu, i went to the dr. they checked my blood sugar and the meter just said HI. My husband was told that I was in DKA, and if we'd waited one more day, i could have died. He took me to the hospital and they rushed me ahead of just about everyone. I couldn't sit up, and i was confused and couldn't really communicate.

i was hospitalized for 8 days. I was 'Scared Straight'. The entire experience made me look at Diabetes differently. I learned through a dietician how to eat right, check my sugar, and most importantly, exercise. i did end up with some kidney damage, but today i'm on insulin and meds, but i'm losing weight, exercising and eating right. Being a diabetic is a lot of work, but ignoring it is not the way to go. trust me.

debra
San Diego, CA

19 years and counting!

Something just wasn't right. Evan had been drinking and peeing constantly lately and at first we didn't really think anything of it. But when our little 2 year old started laying around and looking very pale and almost gray in color, we rushed him to the emergency room. They kept coming in and taking blood from his finger, at least 4 times. We had no idea what was happening. Then the doctor came in. " Evan has Diabetes, we checked his blood sugar over and over to make sure it was right. His blood glucose level is 1495 and I can't believe he's not dead right now." Yes, the doctor said that! He was amazed our baby was still conscious, let alone alive. At that point we were in shock, we were crying, we didn't know what to do. Evan had to be rushed by ambulance to the Children's Hospital and admitted to the ICU. We spent the next 10 days there learning how to give insulin injections, test blood sugar, and know the signs of low and high blood sugar. When Evan finally came home we went back and forth to the ER because of low blood sugar, after all a 2 year old cant exactly tell you when his sugar is low, and when he was 7 he almost died from low blood sugar. But we worked on it and eventually adjusted. Evan is now 21 and doing great. Evan has never known a life without Diabetes, without testing, and insulin shots, but he still wishes for a cure everyday. My wish for my son is for him to one day say "I USED to have Diabetes.

Anonymous
Virginia Beach, VA

Fight On

In 2011, I was feeling dizzy and couldn't break it. My doctors thought it was just high blood pressure and prescribed medication. The dizziness persisted for almost 2 weeks to where I could barely do my job. Finally one doctor thought to run all the basics and when my blood sugar came back as 580, we knew what it was. I was diagnosed with Type 2 (as many in my family), and was scared out of my mind. But when I sat down with my doctor, I told her I don't like needles and I'm a fighter. Being placed on Metformin, I started eating healthy and exercising every day. Inspiring many people with unique recipes and little tid bits to get through a normal day, I felt great about myself. I starting riding my bike every day. This past year I road the Tour de Cure for diabetes and survived 30 miles, then after that did a metric century (62.5 miles) up and down the hills of Pittsburgh. I amaze myself some days, but still have to fight that diabetes beast every day. I try to help as many people with my story and giving different ideas. This year I'm volunteering with the American Diabetes Assocation with the bike ride and plan on doing 50 miles. Also keeping the 50lbs I lost off and hopefully lose another 30lbs to be at my reasonable weight. Just keep telling yourself "you can do it" and keep up the battle!!!!

Amanda
Pittsburgh, PA