Inspiring Stories

I control my diabetes it doesn't control me

I was 12 when I was diagnosed, I remember wetting the bed constantly and feeling so embarrassed because thats what young children do. But I knew that something was wrong as I would hear mu mum and dad talking about diabetes, thats when they took me to the doctors, makes me laugh looking back I was so excited to be having a day of school. Nothing can prepare anyone for the long path of diabetes and the places it takes you. Like many young people at first, you don't realize what harm your doing to your body not checking your bloods and taking you insulin. If your young and reading this, one day weather its tomorrow or in a few years you will understand your illness so much better. Look at it in a positive way, look at what its taught you, not many young adults have the responsibilities us diabetics have. Its all about finding the right balance for you being eighteen your bound to go to party's and have a few drinks and probably too much chocolate but were all still human. Recently I told my mum that on my tenth year of having diabetes I'm going to celebrate my disease and what it has taught me about life and how to look after myself. I hope you all do to.
Thanks for reading, Kenzie
Type 1 diabetic and proud

Kenzie
Nottingham, United Kingdom

Living with type 1 diabetes

I'm a 41 year old single mom who was recently diagnosed in the last 18 months with type 1 diabetes. I hadn't been feeling good for about 6 months or so. I passed out one day and didn't wake up for 24 hours. After that I went to the hospital where tests were run and my sugar was well over 600. I thought diabetes was a death sentence because of all the shots I was having to take. With the flex pens I feel like I'm in control not the diabetes. I'm down to 3 shots a day compared to almost 7 I started out on. Life is a blessing so let's find a cure for type 1 diabetes!

Anonymous
Supply, NC

From survivng to thriving...

Hi,

For nearly two decades I horribly mistreated my body in an effort to stay thin. I truly believed that having type 1 diabetes meant I had to make a decision between having tight blood sugar control (taking appropriate amounts of insulin) and having a thin and healthy body.

Because I was diagnosed at 12, I was preoccupied with my body and developed a combination of eating disorders.

I used disgusting strategies like binging and purging, skipping shots, not eating for days and working out like a fanatic to keep my frame lean and thin. However, this wreaked havoc on my blood sugars and A1c levels. Eventually I began to look sick, puffy and felt terrible.

In college my A1c was over 14. It wasn't until I was denied going into the piece core and my "go to strategies" to stay thin stopped being so effective that I decided I needed to find a formula that would allow tight blood sugar control and also keep my body at a weight I desired..

I searched the Internet far and wide with no viable solutions; everyone kept saying take more insulin and get better control. This, as anyone with diabetes knows, is a recipe for weight gain, inflammation and visibly looking puffy. This was not a viable option.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my body a testing ground for what type of food and exercise regime would allow me to have both a fantastic body and excellent blood sugar control.

In conjunction with an M.D., a semi-pro body builder and a licensed nutritionist I finally narrowed in on a formula that took me from an A1c of over 14 to under 7 (and still getting better). I also successfully dropped 15 pounds in the process.

I have never felt or looked better and I love the idea of sharing my story with the world so all those with type 1 diabetes out there can have the tools they need to successfully live happy and healthy lives with type 1.

If I can do it, anyone can!

Jessica Johnson A1cWise
Tempe, AZ

Kidney Problems!

I am a diabetic and my doctor told after looking at my blood work. That my kidneys have some damage to them. The next time i did some more lab work after 3 months. She seen my lab work and said she was puzzled, she said my kidneys were normal. Then i told her i was drinking stinging nettles tea,that i had my sister bring from Washington state. She looked it up online and said yep it says it helps your kidneys!

Darrell Pohawpatchoko
Lawton, OK

Type 1 for 40 years

Hi, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in September of 1973. It will be 40 years this coming September and I have absolutely no complications, which is amazing because for the first 10-15 years there were no blood glucose monitors, no insulin pumps, and man made insulin had not been invented yet . . . insulin was taken from cows & pigs. Back then we had to pee on a paper test strip and if it turned dark purple you had high blood sugar, if it turned green you had medium high sugar and if it turned yellow you had slightly high sugar. The needles were much thicker and longer than today. My parents sent me to a summer camp for diabetics (Camp Firefly) and that really taught me how to take care of myself, and more importantly, it showed me that there were other kids that were just like me. We have come a long way but we NEED A CURE!

Eat well, stay active, think positive, and TEST, TEST, TEST!!!

Adam
Boyertown, PA

Diabetes... Won't Control My life!

October of 1986, I passed out at K-mart while shopping for Halloween Candy with my Mom. I took out a whole rack of vacuum sweepers with my head as I fell to the ground. I was diagnosed at the ER later that morning with a blood sugar of over 500.
It was hard being 17 years old and now taking 3 shots a day to control my diabetes. I was told that I should and probably could never have children but in 1992, I gave birth to wonderful daughter. I was told many times that I could not do things because my diabetes limits me. And I proved everyone wrong!
I won't let diabetes rule my life or ruin it either! I am on an insulin pump and I exercise daily and eat healthy because I know that will make sure that I will be around for my grandchildren.
I use every opportunity to discuss my diabetes with people that are unknowledgeable about what diabetes is. I wish and pray every day for a cure to Type 1 Diabetes. I know that in my life time, I probably won't see a cure but I hope someday that it becomes as much of a priority as it is for the cure of cancer.
Until then.... I will stay positive and live my life everyday the way it should be!

Lorena A.
Trussville, AL

Fighting 2 Autoimmune Disorders!

My name is Stefanie, I am 26 years old. In October of 1993 at the age of 7 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I have never been on an insulin pump and have never had a drivers license. I am not always in control but I am me. In March of this year I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. Another autoimmune disorder. Because of this my health has taken a fall into the gutter. But I do not despair! I have fought so hard my whole life to get where I am today. I have a beautiful 6 year old daughter (which I was told I never would have because of my health,) I have a tattoo (which I was told would cause my ankle to rot off and have to cut my leg off,) I have one college degree and I am working on a second (after my health kept me from finishing high school,) I have survived several severe infections that should have killed me, I have my own business (co-owned with my sister in law,) and I volunteer 3 days a week cooking lunch for elderly persons at an adult day care program. Today I am still alive! Today I am fighting for life! Today I am awake and moving! Today I am still me! Without my will to keep going I would not be me, and without my diabetes I would not be who I am today! In October I will be throwing a 20 Year Party for my Diabetes!

Stefanie Bond
Penn Valley, CA

My type 1 diabetes :)

I'm 21 years old and I have had diabetes for 8 years. My mom diagnosed me when I was in 7th grade. She is an EMT and I started drinking a lot more water than usual. I was at school and I felt like I wasn't completely all there, she came and picked me up from school and took my sugar and it was 564. She immediately rushed me to the children's hospital and they diagnosed me as a Type 1 Diabetic.
I was on the shots for 2 years until I went on the pump and it was the best possible thing for me. I have gone through 2 pumps because one was discontinued and now I have a new one. Now that I have grown up with diabetes, I have learned to live with it. I always tell people I have diabetes as soon as I meet them, it is hard to hide my tattoo on my wrist that says it. I'm happy that I haven't had any major eye, kidney or foot problems and I'm very thankful to my family and friends who have stood by me through everything and nothing has changed. I can't wait until there is a cure for type 1 diabetes. sometimes I wish for a normal life.

Suzi Fairbanks
Manchester, CT

I am a Diabetic!

I just want to reach out to all diabetics out there. I was diagnosed in 1991 when I was 10 years old because it runs in my family, but since my diagnosis no one in my family has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. My father has it and has had it since he was 4 years old. I am now 32 years old and fight every day with my diabetes. I take care of myself as best as I can but as the years go one with this disease I am now starting to deal with some of the other effects diabetes causes. My eye sight is now suffering, my kidneys are becoming a worry to my doctor and now I feel the diabetic nerve pain in my feet and legs and deal with the constant ugly dry skin on my lower legs. I have noticed no matter how hard you do everything the doctor says something else arises with this disease. I eat as I am supposed to, check my sugar levels 6 plus times a day and take my insulin when I am supposed to, exercise. I do everything the doctor tells me to but like I said I always have something new to deal with because of this disease. I hope a cure is coming soon. I would be so happy and so would a lot of Type 1 Diabetics!

Michael Scott Learned
Phoenix, AZ

My lesson

I was only five years old when i became diabetic. I didn't know what was going on when i was rushed into the hospital. I just knew there was a lot of people there who looked really sad for a long time, i spent weeks in a hospital with people pricking my fingers and doing lot of new things but know one really looked at me and told me i was a diabetic until the day i left to go home where they told me i couldn't eat and drink all the stuff that i use to. As i got older my parents told me i was the type of diabetic where my body doesn't produce insulin and that i'm gonna be a little different from every one else. At first i didn't like it at all but as i got older i realized that diabetes taught me responsibility and that life can be really short if you don't take care of your self. so for the past 11 years I've been taking care of my self like crazy trying to make sure i'm healthy. Now i'm in high school and i'm on the school wrestling team and tennis team and i have done so good with my self that a lot of my close friends don't even know i have diabetes. So i think of my diabetes as more of a lesson or a challenge then a curse cause i wouldn't be the same person i am today with out it.

Christian Beasley
metter, GA