Inspiring Stories

It's not all bad

Hey I'm Gilbert usually known as Gil. I am 23 and was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes when I was 25 months. Like most kids I lived a pretty normal life except for finger sticks and shots but kids would pick on me because I was different from them, I got special treatment in school and it just made me a target. When I turned 13 my doctor told me I could eat what I wanted as long as I took the insulin for it but all I heard was eat what you want. I was tired of being picked on and people making a fuss about me being diabetic so I started to skip finger sticks and shots to pretend I was normal and this resulted in me going into DKA over 8 times in the span of 10 years, with the most recent being in February of this year. I lost my dad to diabetes and my brother who is in the picture with me is also diabetic but is doing well. I have a Godson now and while I am still a little upset that I am diabetic I have grown to accept it. I have friends that care and accept me for me and my diabetes and threaten me if they think I am eating to much sugar, I also have a special person who I can't face if I go back to the way I was just a few years ago. I have realized it isn't as bad as I used to believe. I am often asked if I could give up my diabetes would I? My answer is no, it may surprise people but my diabetes has made me who I am and I wouldn't get rid of it because then I wouldn't be me. I guess what I am saying is no matter how bad people make it seem it isn't really that bad.

So my question to you who read this If I was able to change my way of thinking and better myself , why not you?

Gilbert
New Bern, NC

For all Latinos or Hispanics

Hola, mi nombre es Vanessa. Puertorriqueña, tengo 3 hijos y el mayor, Ian de 9años, fué diagnosticado con Diabetes tipo 1 este pasado 18 de Diciembre de 2012. Cuándo llegamos al hospital al área de emergencias, el doctor dijo q tenía que ser ingresado ya que su glucosa marcaba los 400. Luego de 3 días hospitalizado y muchos estudios, llegó la noticia. Desde entonces ha estado con insulina. Lo más raro q me estuvo, es que mi hijo come muy saludable, es activo ya que también tiene ADD. Nunca comemos en "fast-foods" prefiero un buen restaurante o de plano comer en casa... Con todo esto, aprendí que la Diabetes tipo 1 le puede pasar a cualquiera, aunque, comas saludable, pero es lo mejor. Mi hijo me ha dado las fuerzas que necesito, en vez de yo a él. Es un niño muy amoroso, que ama a su familia. Así que, ENCONTREMOS LA CURA PARA LA DIABETES.

Vanessa
Río Piedras, PR

my miracle x x 0

I have 4 daughters and always wanted a son, i fell pregnant with my first son Thomas in March 2010. I had a great pregnancy, I gave birth to my son on the date given by the hospital it was wonderful seeing my daughters with him. Then when he was 21 months old he became ill with chicken pox, he was losing weight drinking alot weeing in his bed and not sleeping, i took him to the doctors on the friday and was told he had a cold, we didnt think so but listened to the doctor he gave him antibiotix medicine i gave it to him before bed and at 3 am saturday morning we heard him choking we went in to him he had been sick we sat him up but he wasnt right he fell a sleep in the morning we decided to take him the walk in center, we were there for 5 min s and was shouted in, we were there 5 More mins and was told that he needed hospital right away. We got there and he was takin to a bed whete they gave him a blood test and within 15 mins i was told the news he was in a coma and that he had diabetes type 1 i couldnt breath i couldnt stop crying they put dripps in his hands n feet n legs they told me to call every one and to come in see him they gave him 2 days to live if the drip didnt work luckerly it did and after 8 days in hisputal we came home to a dufferent life to what we had before but we had our son and we would do what ever it took he is just lije any other 3 year old naughty funny loud just how we like it

mrs devera bailey
stoke on trent, United Kingdom

there is hope

I was 9 when I became type 1 i took to it very quickly. Unfortunately when I became a teenager I rebelled against everything my doctor asked me to do. I didn't take my insulin I ate everything that was wrong for me and because of this I spent a lot of my early teenage years in hospital with ketoacidosis. This didn't stop me I carried on drinking and smoking eating all the wrong stuff, because of this when I was 16 I developed necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum in english leg ulcers on my shins. I suffered for many years in a lot of pain and travelling to the hospital every week. My legs very rarely open up now unless I accidently bump or cut them. The best control I ever had was when I was pregnant as I knew it wasn't just me anymore, but I continued to abuse my health after I had my children. I have been diabetic for 24 years now and I have neuropathy in my hands, feet and back due to the abuse, my hba1c were always 17mmol and above. I received a accu chek spirit combo pump on the 4th january of this year and it has been a god send, I now almost have it all sorted my blood sugars are so much steadier now that my recent hba1c was 6.8mmol. I feel so much better and healthier now that I look after myself properly. I wouldn't have been able to do this if it hadn't been for the pump and my partner they have helped me so much. I hope someone reads this and gets some help from it so they don't follow in my footsteps. I really hope they find a vaccine or a cure to prevent this in the future.

sandra jelley
Aldershot, United Kingdom

Ups, downs, and downs. Up next: Up!

My thirty-five years of Type 1 diabetes has had its ups and downs. My diagnosis at 17 was a definite low point. Months of declining health, ignored and neglected by a fiercely independent teen, led to near disaster. Yet, I entered college a year later, and enjoyed it--thrived in a challenging environment.

I had a productive work life as a graphic designer, but diabetes and challenged me over and over. The disease flattened me periodically, but I struggled back each time. Recently, diabetes hit me particularly hard. I'm 52 now, and bouncing back is no longer an option. I plan to maybe slide, roll, or crawl back instead. I can't see exactly how I'll do it, but I have a history of "getting knocked down, but getting up again." That's just the norm for me. I have three and a half decades of experience fighting back.

Anonymous
St. Louis, MO

Just because I can't have sugar, it doesn't mean I can't be sweet.

My name is Rhonda, and I have been a Type 2 Insulin Dependent Diabetic for 23 plus years. In my family tree there is a long history of diabetes. Both of my parents and grandparents had diabetes. I've seen the highs and lows of this chronic disease with the recent passing of my mother at 64 years old due to complications from diabetes. Two out of three of my children ages 18, and 20 have been insulin dependent for over 10 years now; however, there is no sad story for us because we are determined to fight for a cure and overcome diabetes. We have taken the time to learn about the disease, so that we would not have to always feel defeated. One of my famous sayings is "Just because I can't have sugar, it doesn't mean I can't be sweet." We took this sour lemon of a situation called "diabetes", and made sweet lemonade with substituted sweeteners. In closing, in order to feel better about this chronic disease, it will take a made up mind, discipline, and boldness to confront the issue that associates itself with the disease, and that is sugar. I pray that this story will inspire, uplift and encourage someone else who might be in the same place that I was in 23 years ago, when I first was diagnosed to know that you can live for a long time with the disease and still have a productive and fulfilling life.

Blessings,

Rhonda

Rhonda Davis
Sacramento, CA

diagnosed

I wad diagnosed at the age of 11, after a month if being suck, and being told I had a bladder infection. My mom was concerned, because if chest pains, she called my Dr, and was told to take me to the e.r., upon arrival I had been seen, and was told they couldn't find anything wrong, at rhe insistance of my mother, I was tested for diabetes, because of my family history, I ended up with a blood sugar of 736. I am now 38, I have to complications thus far. I have 2 amazing boys who I live for.

Anonymous
la junta, CO

life as i know it

It was in 1968 I was expecting my first child the dr. told me that my blood sugar was a little high as the months went on it got a little higher in a few months we had a beautiful baby boy and all was ok . in about 9 months I got pregnant again and my blood sugar went back up , but this time I stayed real sick and lost a lot of weight . in about 8 months the baby came and he was small but fine and we went home thinking I would start to feel better but I did not in about 3 weeks my husband took me to hosp. my blood sugar had went up to 900 and my weight was down to 72 lbs. I went into a coma I had 2 kids to take care of and I was young and wonted to have a good family life , be happy and raise my kids with my husband and be normal ,life was never going to be normal , . I have had a lot of ups and downs but god has seen me throw a lot of bad days and sickness and gave me a lot to be thankful and happy about. I have had a good life and very blessed to be 64. I still fight every day to eat right and do the things I need to do. . having diabetes taught me to be strong and fight for life. diabetes is not a easy disease and I for one would never wish it on anyone . it takes it toll on your body over the years , I have congested heart failure and have had laser on my eyes about 7 times now to stop bleeding , my kidneys are starting to show signs of damage , they say this is from having diabetes for so long but every day I thank god I have had a good life

Dianne Davis
Phenix City, AL

Diabetes took my mom😥

In 1977 my mom found out she had diabetes but it wasn't a real well known illness then,they still were experimenting.She was on the only insulin at the time for her type and it was nph beef and pig.One needle a day.I was 7 at the time without a dad or
Siblings OR a telephone! I didn't know wtf to do when she wen weird so I'd try to get dry sugar into her mouth when she was passed out.I then had to prop the door open to the apartment so I didn't get locked out and run to the pay phone and phone my gramma,let it ring a cpl times them hang up so she could call me back at the pay phone so I could tell her to call the ambulance.She didn't take real good care of herself either cause its like,how serious is this disease anyways? Needless to say,over the years,because of bad fluctuations in her sugars her eyes started going,her kidneys were constantly sore and she had
To practically eat in the bathroom,she was stuck wearing depends.I raised her I'd say,not much of a childhood for me.To make a Long story shorter,in 1994,when I was 24,It was a Friday morning,I was dropping my kids off with her so I could go to work,That was the morning I found her dead!
Nobody says diabetes kills people,it's the complications from it by when people ask me what happened I say she died from diabetes.It turns out that her one kidney was infected and the other one was too weak to take it so just the exertion of standing up did it and her body was immediately poisoned so she went quick.I guess she should have been on dialysis awhile before that but didn't say anything to me😢

Irene
Vegreville, Canada

overdose of insulin

I am a type 1 diabetic, I was diagnosed when i was 2.5 but we believe i was born with it. I have no nerve damage what so ever. I am on Lantus and Novorapid pens. I am now 32 years old. Two years ago i started with severe migraines, daily. I had been backwards and forwards to Doctors until i went to see a fantastic specialist in South Africa. It turned out that i was having to much insulin and as a result of taking so much over so many years, it was overdose. My symptoms were memory loss, loss of concentration, headaches, exhaustion, fatigue, confusion, gaining alot of weight and then dropping it faster than i gained it and i had lost all feelings of going into a hypo. I would only start feeling the symptoms when i was about to go into a fit. I am a personal trainer and was put off work and exercise till further notice and i had to move back to my folks home in Zambia (i was living alone in Zimbabwe). It is now 1 year since i started seeing my Dr in South Africa, i am doing much better but still have bad days. I have recently got out of a relationship with a guy that i was engaged to so have suffered alot from stress and now recently also started with night sweats which i am trying to get to the bottom of. I will be starting exercise and work soon. BTW....I now inject 24 units less of my insulin. I had never been told or heard of carb counting so that is all pretty new to me and from when i was a child we were told NO sweets what so ever. I have now learned that i can anything i want in moderation, work out my carb intake and live a pretty normal life. My end result.....to be on a pump and to reach out to others with diabetes. I have come to realise that i am passionate about my disease:-)

Anita Viljoen
Lusaka, Zambia