Intro to Me

I just wanted to share my experience to being diagnosed as a Type 1 (more like 1.5, will get into that at another time) diabetic at 24.  I know it can be hard and difficult to transition yourself from your normal day to day to changing into a diabetic awareness day to day.

I actually diagnosed myself while in a anatomy and physiology class.  We came upon leaning about the pancreas and how diabetics either no longer have a working pancreas or just become resistant to insulin. The symptoms that stood out to me in class (while wearing a fruit baskets anime shirt) was fatigue, excessive thirst, dry mouth, excessive urination, and unexplained weightloss.  Also knowing that type 1 and type 2 run in my family I decided to go to my local patient first and ask them to check my blood sugar. I told the nurse that I had the symptoms and wanted to get checked.  They tested my sugar and said "too Sweet". My blood sugar was 350.  Doctor came in and asked why I thought I had diabetes (he didn't realize that my blood was just checked by the nurse). I told him that I had excessive thirst and urination and fatigue and it ran in my family.  He said well you are urinating more since you are drinking more. I asked then why did the nurse say my blood was too sweet. He then realized and said oh yea it is high. I told him well I did have a pop tart this morning and he said it didn't matter when I had it that my blood sugar should be 100 or below regardless of when I ate it.  Then referral to endocrinology was given.  Woo hoo, my diabetic journey began at the age of 24 in the summer of 2005.

While seeing endocrinology I got the wonderful workup, blood and urine tests.  Then when I came in to get my results from all these labs I found out I also had hypothyroidism and high blood pressure.  My blood showed levels of a Gad6 protein which supposedly attacks the pancreas.  The PA that saw me said I should start learning to take insulin since eventually I would need to go on full blown insulin and no pills would help me.  So before I left I learned how to inject myself in my tummy and got new prescriptions for five new pills that I would be taking for the rest of my life.  Also a referral to see a dietitian to learn how to eat better.  Hopefully I can put put on this site information about my diabetic journey, diabetic snacks and meals for the family, reviews of the products I try and show/movies I watch, tips for being able to manage pregnancy while being diabetic, giveaways, and support to all!!