Damnit

January 13th 2009 is a day that i will never forget. Since middle school i can remember there being times when i would get all shaky and have a strong desire to eat everything in the house. Little did i know these “hunger pangs” as mom would refer to them were a precursor to something much much more serious then me being a hungry 13 year old.

I had been drinking a lot of water lately, no big deal i’m just thirstier then usual. I had been going to the bathroom all the time, no big deal i have been drinking tons of water lately. The weight dropped off gradually so i just figured all those college pounds were finally dropping off. Then my mother told me that being thirsty all the time and going to the bathroom all the time were symptoms of untreated diabetes and to go to the doctors. I made the appointment, still absolutely positive that nothing was wrong with me and my pancreas was working just fine. I go into the doctors office, tell him my symptoms and he breaks out a glucose meter first thing. Quick prick of my finger followed by a “Damnit” coming from my doctor’s mouth and i knew what he was going to tell me before he ever said it. I have diabetes, being that i’m 24 and in good shape, it was almost definitely type 1. Diet and exercise werent going to solve this problem.

Later that night a lab tech called me to inform me that my glucose level came in at 850 mg/dl, and i should be on my way to the hospital shortly. The fact that i felt fine at 850 spoke volumes about how long i had been running really high for. The doctor at the emergency room was unimpressed with 850, and i sat in the waiting room for half an hour waiting for my very first shot of insulin. Couple hours later i left with a handful of syringes and a vial of novolog, with instructions to make an appointment with an endo asap.

Its been almost a year now, and my stomach is full of scar tissue, my mood is at an all time low, im constantly drinking orange juice or worried about the long term damage of high blood sugar to my kidneys, eyes, heart, and other valuable organs. But i have diabetes and this is how its going to be for a long, long time. Damnit.

By ctjude