Inspiring Stories

confused

At 23 I was overweight and tired of it. I went in for a check up and went on a diet. After loosing 30 lbs I started feeling just tired all the time, so, i went in just to get checked again. There it was after LOOSING weight i had T2D. For several years after that i lived in denial and depression, not really paying attention to the fact i have this illness. I was young a mother and wife. I was a good person in college to better mine and my family's lives, why was this happening to me.

At 27 i had just gotten a job i was loving as a Respiratory therapist in a children's hospital, when i got pnuemonia. My mother came to check on me and thought i was dead and took me to the hospital. My skin was grey and you could count my ribs...all of them. While in the hospital for a week and a half i learned i was in DKA and at some point my pancreas has stopped producing insulin. I was now a T1D.

Here it is almost 5 years later and i am doing much better only one other MILD bout with DKA. I am on an insulin pump that i now feel without i would no longer be here. My sugars are still high and i still have my stints with depression, but I am learning more and more with every day and becoming more accepting that this is part of who i am. I will never understand why or how... just that it is. I will continue on and not let it own me.

Michele McManious
satsuma, AL

Diagnosed with 1

I was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 4. I started with the typical symptoms: excessive thirst, excessive hunger but losing weight, and all of a sudden I was wetting the bed, which I had never done before.
My mom took me to the hospital and the doctor told her its normal kid behavior. There's nothing wrong with me. After a few weeks of the symptoms persisting, she took me in to a different hospital and the doctor immediately knew. They did a blood test an my blood sugar was over 600. They educated my parents on what my diagnosis wa and how to treat it. They had to take classes as well, on how to take care of a type 1 diabetic.
I remember crying when my parents tried testing me or doing my shots. But it's as normal to me now, as breathing. I was able to give myself shots by the age of 6. I'd say my biggest struggle was/is educating others. Teachers would take away parts of my lunch they thought I couldn't eat. People these days still try to tell me what I can and can't eat. I'm 25. I've been a type 1 for 21 years now. . I can probably educate those nurses who educate others on it. . I don't believe diabetes defines me. I definitely don't own it. It's still a struggle to keep my blood sugars under control. But it does not and will not define me.

Megan Arledge
Tulsa, OK

Still going strong

I was diagnosed 42 years ago now. I was 7 years old and had no clue what was going on. I knew I felt awful and had no idea why. When my parents took me to the doctor, I still did not realize how very sick I was. I remember going there and getting some blood work done. As we pulled into our drive way, the hospital was already on the phone saying please come right back here now! I spent 7 days in the hospital and started taking insulin right away. I have to say that the shots did not bother me all that much because I started to feel so much better when I took them. I remember being told I should never have children. At 7 and sick that did not sink in. My blood sugar was in the high 800's when I was diagnosed and as any diabetic can tell you, that kind of high just makes you feel like drained! I have seen so many changes in the field of diabetes research in 42 years. When I started this journey, my mom boiled my glass needles to clean them before giving me my shots and now I am on a pump. Technology and research have come a long way so far so I believe there is no reason we cannot find a cure for type 1 diabetes in my lifetime. Today I feel so blessed to have a loving husband of 30 years, 2 healthy children of our own, 2 adopted children and 6 grandchildren! I still struggle daily with this monster called 'diabetes' but I come out on top because I am still here. I have lost some eyesight, my kidneys function at about 45%, I have had a heart attack and double bypass surgery and I have neuropathy in both feet. I will turn 50 this year. When I was 7, the doctors told me 50 was my life expectancy. My new goal is to prove them wrong! Send your positive thoughts and prayers my way and take care!

Judy Pape
Yakima, WA

My basketball coach saved me

I have always been active, from the time I was in sixth grade I had been on a
competitive basketball team playing multiple games on the weekends. My freshman
year of high school I made the school basketball team. Before Christmas break I
was in the starting line and play the entire game. After Christmas break I lost
my drive. I was falling a sleeping in class, constantly eating and drinking, and not being
able to get through practice without wanting to hurl. My coach sat my down after
a game in February and told me I needed to figure whatever was going on that she
had taken a huge chance on me and I was letting her and the rest of my team
down. I told my mom and that next day we went to the doctor. He checked my blood
sugar with a puzzled look went and checked the urine sample. He came running
back in and said look I'd love to chat but we need to get you to the Barbara
Davis Center (type 1 diabetes research place in Colorado). They took one look at me and
knew I was sick. I had a blood sugar of over 700 and wondered how I had even
been able to get through such a busy lifestyle. They said I had class on what
was going to become the new normal. I cried I hated needles how could they
become part of my life? That next morning I looked at my dad and told him he was
going to have to do my shots for me. I am now a freshman in college living with
my diabetes. I still play sports (rugby is my game) and live like a normal
college student. It has become part of my life but does not rule me.

Megan
Greeley, CO

Successs through it all

My son Kendall, who is 16 now, was diagnosed at age 2 1/2. We noticed he was leaking urine through his diaper, seemed to be losing weight, and then one Sunday night we noticed he was breathing a little fast. We took him to the pediatrician Monday morning, one of the practice's other doctors saw him and insisted he had asthma - even after I insisted he didn't, and sent us home with a nebulizer and steroids.

By Tuesday morning he was practically comatose. They rushed us to Children's Hospital in Buffalo, where he was in severe Ketoacidosis. He spent 36 hours in ICU, and for the next few days we learned all about dealing with Type I diabetes, Insulin, shots, glucagon.... It was a difficult time but we got through it.

Kendall has taken it all in stride, and has done very well. He skipped 3rd grade, and is not only a senior in high school, but is the class Valedictorian (358 in the class). He Is a National Merit Semi-Finalist, and has taken/takes Honors and Advanced Placement classes. He plays baseball on numerous leagues in the summer, and is active in many school activities and sports. He will be starting college at age 17 in the fall of 2014.

I guess our message to all out there is Type I doesn't have to hold you back!

Anonymous
Tonawanda, NY

The Cops Came To My Door!

When I was 10, I got all the typical symptoms of diabetes, and because my uncle was a T1, my mom got me tested.
One morning when I was getting ready for school, the police came to the door asking for me. They told my mom that the hospital couldn't find my contact information, so they enlisted the police to track me down. My mom was to get me to the ER ASAP. My blood sugar level was around 45, and it was life or death.
So my mom took me to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and transferred to the city (our local hospital didn't have a pediatric diabetes specialist). I spent the next two weeks learning ALL about diabetes. When they sent me home, I refused to give myself the shots until my mom threatened to take me back to the hospital and I gave in.
Over the years, I've had my ups and downs with my diabetes. I've never been in diabetic shock, but I have had ketoacidosis too many times. I struggle with my blood sugars and have a higher a1c then I (or my endocronologist) would prefer. But I've long ago accepted my disease. Blood sugar monitoring and insulin shots are as normal and natural to me now as breathing. I have many diabetic friends (lifelong friends made at the diabetes summer camp in Ontario, Canada named Huronda) and a great support system.
Although I'd love to see a cure for diabetes in my lifetime, I know it's a part of who I am. Only a part though. I will forever believe that I have diabetes, diabetes doesn't have me. When you let it control your life, you're letting your disease win.
I am now 23 years old, diabetic for 13 long years. And it hasn't beaten me yet.

Jaclyn Jarvis
Collingwood, Canada

Sweet Serenity

We were in the middle of a busy and hot summer. My 2 1/2 year old daughter, who had been potty trained early, started wetting the bed at night. I realized she had been drinking more, and chalked it up to the heat. Soon, she was constantly asking for water and gulping it down. I remember joking with her and asking if she had been lost in the desert for days. When I mentioned it to the daycare providers, they said they noticed she would sometimes lay down during the middle of play time.

As the week went on, the drinking and urination became more extreme. I decided to call the pediatrician to get her checked out for a UTI. In the back of my mind I thought about diabetes and mentioned it to my husband. But I really didn't think it was possible. I called our pediatrician's office and waited patiently but didn't receive a call back. Frustrated by the end of the day, I called a different office and since it was 4:45 p.m., they had me come in first thing the next morning.

After doing a urinalysis, they physician came in and said there was glucose in her urine. He was very solemn and said we needed to confirm with a blood test. Serenity's blood sugar was 483. I started to cry knowing at that moment, my sweet baby's life would be changed forever. All the doctors and diabetic educators told us we had caught it early but I was still upset that I had waited so long to get her checked.

Serenity has done so well and made it easy for us. She knows what she can or can not eat. When others offer her candy or desserts, she turns it down or asks if she can bring it home to her brother. She never gets upset at school when others are snacking. She knows she has a schedule and sticks to it. She will be turning five soon. Everyday we are amazed and proud of how wonderful she handles diabetes.

Bridget
Charleston, SC

My amazing Son, Father and mostly my friend!

My son John Thomas Madison is now 23 years old with two beautiful Daughter's. When we first learned he had T1D I at age 10 our lives changed forever. Every morning for about a week he would wake up sick to his stomach but he would still go to school and seemed fine the rest of the day. By day 5 he had no energy, was extremely thirsty and pale as a ghost. He came to me and ask if he could go to the doctor. By the time we got to the ER his blood sugar was 750. Immediately an ambulance whisk us away to a children's hospital where we would spend the next three days learning how to give shots, count carbs etc....Our lives were forever changed. He has had extreme highs and even scarier extreme low blood sugars that were so low he was going into a diabetic coma and an ambulance had to be called when we could not wake him up. Now that he is an adult most people don't even know he has TD1. He never complains and never feels sorry for himself. I pray everyday for a cure for this relentless disease!!!!

stephanie cleveland
palm coast, FL

My sons journey with Type 1

Kenny, my son, appeared to be losing weight, so tired, and a thirst he could not quench. I googled the symptoms and all that popped up was Type 1 diabetes. I was convinced that was not what was wrong with my son. The next day a coworker of mine who is a Type 1 herself listened to what my concerns were. She wanted to check his blood sugar, but just by looking at him she knew. She said "I'm so sorry" and tested him. Her meter just read warning high blood glucose. We immediately went to the ER where they came in with the news. Your son is a Type 1 diabetic and his blood sugar is over 950, he will need to be transferred to another hospital. His fragile body was loaded into the ambulance and his journey began. He was admitted into pediatric ICU for 5 days, we heard words that we almost could not comprehend....kidneys shutting down, body was turning against him, insulin, shots, blood sugar checks, carb counts, it was almost too much to handle. Then it was my turn to give him his first insulin injection, my hands shook and tears were in my eyes. 1,2,3...I did it! Then I looked into the eyes of my 11 year old son who said "is this how it will be the rest of my life mom", and with such a heavy heart I told him yes, and how sorry I was. He looked up at me with a smile on his face and told me it would be alright, that we could do this. We learned a whole new way of life in those 5 days, and he was right....it is alright. We are 4 1/2 years into this now, and it's not always alright, but we always overcome. Today Kenny is a typical teenage boy who enjoys hunting and fishing, a typical boy who quietly battles this disease...and never gives up hope that a cure will come. He is an example that he may have diabetes, but diabetes will never have him.

Trish
Poplar Bluff, MO

My Blues

I have been a diabetic for over twenty years, I have also been one of the lucky ones, no major complications, but I have seen what this disease can do to you over a long period of time. For new diabetics you should know that you can live a normal and healthy life, it just takes a lot of effort and self control, but its so worth it. For everyone else dealing with the disease or someone with diabeties...you have to be aware of your Highs and Lows, these things will make or break your days. Pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, watch what,when and how much you eat, get plenty of exercise You can be the Best Diabetic you can be. A cure is on the way, maybe not in my life time , but one day NO Shots..... YEAH.

Renee
Arlington,, TX