Oh my goodness, what a response! Thank you to everyone for checking this out! I feel so extra especial! And exclamation points are the key to life!
I'm still trying to figure out what each post will consist of, and I didn't even quite get everything in that first one that I wanted... but short posts are easier (to read, and to write). I truly hope that my experiences and knowledge somehow make it to the people who need it the most, because I know I could've used a 'me' when I was diagnosed. A doctor telling me that it'll be fine and I'll get used to it is not really all that believable when I've already glazed over and think my normal life has come to an end.
I specifically remember meeting with my... second cousin? I don't even know exactly what our relation is, but he also has Type I Diabetes. He told me that eventually it just becomes second nature. Then his dad chimed in and added that "it's just like me having to put on my glasses every day." Excuse me, no. Injecting insulin into my body with a needle every day is not the same as PUTTING ON GLASSES! Of course now, 9 years later, that is exactly what it's like. I cannot imagine a day without checking my blood sugar and taking insulin. He spoke the truth.
A typical day for me includes checking my blood sugar 4-5 times (before breakfast, before lunch, before I exercise, and before dinner- I SHOULD check it before I go to bed; but for me, if I know my blood sugar before dinner and don't eat anything out of the ordinary, I know what it'll be before bed). I take "fast acting" insulin (Humalog) with my breakfast (I sprinkle it on my cereal. No I don't.), and that goes for lunch and dinner as well. Every day around noon, however is when I take the "long acting" insulin (Lantus) which is the base-line that works for 24 hours. Injections don't hurt, and checking my blood sugar doesn't hurt. You've had it done when you get a physical (the way they do it actually DOES hurt though).
As comfortable as I am with having this disease, I don't know how other people feel about it. So unless I know the person well, I will not do any diabetussness for all eyes to see. Some people are terrified of needles, I can't fault 'em for that! I've also encountered people who don't seem to understand a polite/socially acceptable way to react when I tell them I have diabetes. I've gotten, "What did you do to get that?!" How nice of you to be so sensitive, I went down to the corner store and found it on aisle 7.5.
I just had dinner with a friend of mine and we were talking about my post #1, and she was just asking questions about everything. That is my absolute favorite. I LOVE when people are interested and willing to listen and learn. It's so much a part of my life now, that when I try to explain certain things to untrained ears, I remember I need to really break it down (I was once in that same boat). And I love it. So please feel free to ask questions (that will also help me for ideas for posts)!! Thank you again to everyone for your support, this is very exciting for me! Anyway, just a little extra day-1 burst of information!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Welcome!!
Oh hello! You may recognize me from... somewhere, but only if you know me. I am here today starting this blog for YOUR benefit and pleasure; or displeasure perhaps, but let's hope for the best!
I'm on a mission to give advice, dispel myths, and be an advocate for health while living with Type I Diabetes! It's also been called Diabetuss (not really except for the old man in the commercial), Diabetes Mellitus, and Juvenile Diabetes. I want to tell my story so that others out there who might be feeling lost, confused, sad, petrified, what-have-you can have a cheerleader in their corner (and not a doctor-cheerleader).
Where oh where should I start? Well first of all, I am 26 years old and have been living with diabetes now for 9 years, which is hard to believe. If your math is as good as mine, you'll figure out that I was a senior in high school when I got diagnosed. Having fun yet?? It was actually two weeks after my graduation that I was diagnosed. June 17, 2002. But I must rewind. While the actual word "diabetes" was a complete and total shock, I had been relatively sick for about 6 months. Being "off" for 6 months and knowing why is pretty annoying; being "off" for 6 months and having ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why is infuriating and a little bit scary. Picture this if you will (or try): you are the most thirsty you have ever been, ever. You might say you have sand in your mouth (but might not). You chug a billion gallons of water, yet still feel just as thirsty as before the chuggage. What the heck. That was symptom number one. Symptom number two was frequency of peeing. Holy bananas, I think I peed all day long. Symptom number three was weight loss. Extreme weight loss, and unexplained to boot. I guarantee everyone at my high school thought I'd become anorexic. I looked like skeletor. For a reference, I am about 155lbs today. By my diagnosis date, I was 117lbs. I'm 5'9. Unless I was trying out for heroin-addict-runway-model party time, that is not a good plan. Once I started noticing the weight loss (when it was getting to the scary point), I started to eat as much as I could, having a Snickers bar because it was a day that ended in 'y'... and I kept losing weight. Might sound like the dream diet, but good gravy it was not worth it. That brings me to symptom number four. ZERO energy. I mean zero. Not a brain-tired, but a oh-great-I-still-have-these-anvils-attached-to-my-ankles tired. And this was all happening in the midst of my last crew season. Zero energy + one of the most physically demanding sports out there = horrible. Those were the most prominent symptoms. And like they say (do you know They? So knowledgeable, really), hindsight is 20/20. Those are all FLAMING red flags for diabetes, but when you aren't thinking along those lines, then it's just mysterious.
As a senior in high school, obviously college was around the corner. I had to get a physical exam for the college's records (and my own of course), and when I went in, my doctor recommended I get some blood work done. She had also had me start a food diary, because I have no doubt she was worried I wasn't eating. Boy was she wrong. Fast forward to 2 weeks later and the phone rings. It's my doctor. It was June 17, and I was just getting ready to have some breakfast and my mom gets off the phone and calmly tells me that my doctor thinks I have diabetes and we should get to the hospital immediately. Oh. Right then. Uhhwhat? She told us that my blood sugar was 636. Normal blood sugar is about 80-150. HELLO! I later learned that most people at their diagnosis have blood sugars over 1000 and have acid in their blood. I was doing quite well all things considered. I asked my mom if I could even EAT anything, and my doctor had said maybe just some toast. So I had a half a bagel with jelly on it. After some diabetuss-schoolin from me, you'll learn that a bagel and jelly is quite possibly one of the worst choices I could've made! Woops!!
Off to the hospital we went, me dragging my negative-energy feet and so utterly numb as to what the frick was going on. Mum, for the record: I love you, and you did everything right. We got to the emergency room and they quickly got me hooked up to an IV (insulin and HYDRATION). I remember after about an hour or so, I looked at my mom and said, "I'm not thirsty!!!" What was in that IV, GOLD?! Gold sates thirst, FYI. That was an amazing feeling. The rest of that day is a bit of a blur, but I know I had some sort of sandwich in that room that really wasn't very good. I got transferred upstairs in Children's Hospital to continue with the remedies. And the beginning of the biggest learning curve I'd ever encounter. It was a LOT of information in a very little time; and forget about being inundated with information, I was having to assess the insane change that was going on in my life. Diabetes? Injections? What in the cripes are you telling me? One of my first thoughts was, "Oh my god... I'll never have a coffee frappe again." Coffee frappes (ice cream and milk for those of you who are not from Massachusetts) have been one of my most favorite ice cream situations in the world. And diabetes was going to take that away from me? Well color me deflated. And burgers and fries?? So many thoughts running through my head; one of which was questioning whether my choice to go to Virginia for college was a good idea anymore. I'd be so far away from my family, and I'd have to tell a random roommate why I had needles, what diabetes is, why I have it, what it's like, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. HELP!!
After three days at Children's Hospital in Boston, I'd already gained about 5 pounds which was unreal. And I was HUNGRY. For 6 months, my body hadn't been processing food correctly, and wasn't converting it into fuel. Once that got 'fixed' my body was like, "WHOAAA, what is this?? This feels GOOD!" It was incredible, and I was ravenous. Hence the rapid (and healthy) weight gain! Despite several great things going on, I was so scared to go home. There would be no doctors to monitor me, nurses to come check my blood sugar at 2am just in case it dipped low. How on earth was supposed to do this on my own. Luckily it wasn't entirely on my own. I had the support of every single person in my family, which I am incredibly grateful for. I'm not sure what I would've done without them and their visits in the hospital! Everyone was a little bit scared for me, but that was hidden with hugs and cheers for dealing with this new diagnosis with vim and vigor!! But still. Scary. Seriously. My mom and I got back to the apartment and it was like, "Ok, so... now what do we do?" I felt accomplished after I walked to Walgreens on my own. That's how iffy everything felt- could I walk down the street without... what? Passing out? Tripping and landing on my diabetes? I was just a confused and scared mess. Going to sleep was petrifying. I had to set an alarm to wake up so I could check my blood sugar on my own to make sure it wasn't low. That first night it was at 90 when I checked. 90!! Yes!! But I FELT low, because when your blood sugar has been over 400 for so long, 90 feels low. I'll get into details in future posts about lows and highs and what they feel like. Anyway, the support of my family is what helped me through that whirlwind. My now step-dad was living with us and would figure out the exchanges for carbohydrates so I could calculate my insulin dosage, I was getting phone calls from family checking in, etc. Everyone was amazing and I am forever thankful to each and every one of them! I love you all.
So here is my maiden voyage of a blog post and I hope to continue and reach some people who might otherwise be lost and need some help. I feel like a seasoned diabetuss veteran, and would love more than anything to be a cheerleader to new diagnosees who think their normal life might be over. IT'S NOT! I went to Dairy Queen last night and had a Blizzard. And I have diabetes, remember? It's all about moderation, and exercise is a very important part of the maintenance. I love answering questions about it and my life with it, so please feel free to ask and/or comment. Until we meet again (or I add a new blog post...)!!
I'm on a mission to give advice, dispel myths, and be an advocate for health while living with Type I Diabetes! It's also been called Diabetuss (not really except for the old man in the commercial), Diabetes Mellitus, and Juvenile Diabetes. I want to tell my story so that others out there who might be feeling lost, confused, sad, petrified, what-have-you can have a cheerleader in their corner (and not a doctor-cheerleader).
Where oh where should I start? Well first of all, I am 26 years old and have been living with diabetes now for 9 years, which is hard to believe. If your math is as good as mine, you'll figure out that I was a senior in high school when I got diagnosed. Having fun yet?? It was actually two weeks after my graduation that I was diagnosed. June 17, 2002. But I must rewind. While the actual word "diabetes" was a complete and total shock, I had been relatively sick for about 6 months. Being "off" for 6 months and knowing why is pretty annoying; being "off" for 6 months and having ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why is infuriating and a little bit scary. Picture this if you will (or try): you are the most thirsty you have ever been, ever. You might say you have sand in your mouth (but might not). You chug a billion gallons of water, yet still feel just as thirsty as before the chuggage. What the heck. That was symptom number one. Symptom number two was frequency of peeing. Holy bananas, I think I peed all day long. Symptom number three was weight loss. Extreme weight loss, and unexplained to boot. I guarantee everyone at my high school thought I'd become anorexic. I looked like skeletor. For a reference, I am about 155lbs today. By my diagnosis date, I was 117lbs. I'm 5'9. Unless I was trying out for heroin-addict-runway-model party time, that is not a good plan. Once I started noticing the weight loss (when it was getting to the scary point), I started to eat as much as I could, having a Snickers bar because it was a day that ended in 'y'... and I kept losing weight. Might sound like the dream diet, but good gravy it was not worth it. That brings me to symptom number four. ZERO energy. I mean zero. Not a brain-tired, but a oh-great-I-still-have-these-anvils-attached-to-my-ankles tired. And this was all happening in the midst of my last crew season. Zero energy + one of the most physically demanding sports out there = horrible. Those were the most prominent symptoms. And like they say (do you know They? So knowledgeable, really), hindsight is 20/20. Those are all FLAMING red flags for diabetes, but when you aren't thinking along those lines, then it's just mysterious.
As a senior in high school, obviously college was around the corner. I had to get a physical exam for the college's records (and my own of course), and when I went in, my doctor recommended I get some blood work done. She had also had me start a food diary, because I have no doubt she was worried I wasn't eating. Boy was she wrong. Fast forward to 2 weeks later and the phone rings. It's my doctor. It was June 17, and I was just getting ready to have some breakfast and my mom gets off the phone and calmly tells me that my doctor thinks I have diabetes and we should get to the hospital immediately. Oh. Right then. Uhhwhat? She told us that my blood sugar was 636. Normal blood sugar is about 80-150. HELLO! I later learned that most people at their diagnosis have blood sugars over 1000 and have acid in their blood. I was doing quite well all things considered. I asked my mom if I could even EAT anything, and my doctor had said maybe just some toast. So I had a half a bagel with jelly on it. After some diabetuss-schoolin from me, you'll learn that a bagel and jelly is quite possibly one of the worst choices I could've made! Woops!!
Off to the hospital we went, me dragging my negative-energy feet and so utterly numb as to what the frick was going on. Mum, for the record: I love you, and you did everything right. We got to the emergency room and they quickly got me hooked up to an IV (insulin and HYDRATION). I remember after about an hour or so, I looked at my mom and said, "I'm not thirsty!!!" What was in that IV, GOLD?! Gold sates thirst, FYI. That was an amazing feeling. The rest of that day is a bit of a blur, but I know I had some sort of sandwich in that room that really wasn't very good. I got transferred upstairs in Children's Hospital to continue with the remedies. And the beginning of the biggest learning curve I'd ever encounter. It was a LOT of information in a very little time; and forget about being inundated with information, I was having to assess the insane change that was going on in my life. Diabetes? Injections? What in the cripes are you telling me? One of my first thoughts was, "Oh my god... I'll never have a coffee frappe again." Coffee frappes (ice cream and milk for those of you who are not from Massachusetts) have been one of my most favorite ice cream situations in the world. And diabetes was going to take that away from me? Well color me deflated. And burgers and fries?? So many thoughts running through my head; one of which was questioning whether my choice to go to Virginia for college was a good idea anymore. I'd be so far away from my family, and I'd have to tell a random roommate why I had needles, what diabetes is, why I have it, what it's like, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. HELP!!
After three days at Children's Hospital in Boston, I'd already gained about 5 pounds which was unreal. And I was HUNGRY. For 6 months, my body hadn't been processing food correctly, and wasn't converting it into fuel. Once that got 'fixed' my body was like, "WHOAAA, what is this?? This feels GOOD!" It was incredible, and I was ravenous. Hence the rapid (and healthy) weight gain! Despite several great things going on, I was so scared to go home. There would be no doctors to monitor me, nurses to come check my blood sugar at 2am just in case it dipped low. How on earth was supposed to do this on my own. Luckily it wasn't entirely on my own. I had the support of every single person in my family, which I am incredibly grateful for. I'm not sure what I would've done without them and their visits in the hospital! Everyone was a little bit scared for me, but that was hidden with hugs and cheers for dealing with this new diagnosis with vim and vigor!! But still. Scary. Seriously. My mom and I got back to the apartment and it was like, "Ok, so... now what do we do?" I felt accomplished after I walked to Walgreens on my own. That's how iffy everything felt- could I walk down the street without... what? Passing out? Tripping and landing on my diabetes? I was just a confused and scared mess. Going to sleep was petrifying. I had to set an alarm to wake up so I could check my blood sugar on my own to make sure it wasn't low. That first night it was at 90 when I checked. 90!! Yes!! But I FELT low, because when your blood sugar has been over 400 for so long, 90 feels low. I'll get into details in future posts about lows and highs and what they feel like. Anyway, the support of my family is what helped me through that whirlwind. My now step-dad was living with us and would figure out the exchanges for carbohydrates so I could calculate my insulin dosage, I was getting phone calls from family checking in, etc. Everyone was amazing and I am forever thankful to each and every one of them! I love you all.
So here is my maiden voyage of a blog post and I hope to continue and reach some people who might otherwise be lost and need some help. I feel like a seasoned diabetuss veteran, and would love more than anything to be a cheerleader to new diagnosees who think their normal life might be over. IT'S NOT! I went to Dairy Queen last night and had a Blizzard. And I have diabetes, remember? It's all about moderation, and exercise is a very important part of the maintenance. I love answering questions about it and my life with it, so please feel free to ask and/or comment. Until we meet again (or I add a new blog post...)!!
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