Inspiring Stories

became Diabetic in my 50's

I did not know anything much about how you can become diabetic. I knew all the classic symptoms but did not realize that a reoccurring bladder infection could be a sign. I was was in shock my number was 7.1 and was told I need to lose weight. The next day after finding out I ate all the junk I could eat because I thought this was end and that I was going to be eating cardboard from now on. Little did I know and learn.
It has been a progress in my journey with being diabetic and there are days I am angry that I have to watch what I eat. I am beginning to accept the fact that I have to be careful and watch what I eat. I have lost weight about 23 pounds and try to walk everyday. I do have to watch the starches because I love them way to much and I am trying to cut down on them. I am eating more vegetables,fruit,fish,whole grains and low fat milk. I have gain a little bit of weight and trying to lose some more so I can stay healthy.
I want to tell people that are new to being diabetic that it gets easier as times goes on and you get used to eating healthier food,just remember to not beat yourself up for eating junk food once in awhile. I wish you all the luck and hang in there!!

Dana Wood
Portland, OR

Diabetes is not the end of the world.

My name is Jayla. I am almost 15 years old. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January 2005. I was in the 1st grade at the time. My first 3 years of having diabetes went pretty uneventful. In Spring of 2007I went into DKA. I got really sick rather quickly. My mom took me to our local hospital who looked at me and sent me home with a diagnoses of the flu. After being at home for a few hours things took a downhill turn. I started throwing up and having chill and horrible chest pains. Mom took me to the hospital where they then sent me by ambulance from our local hospital to the closest children's hospital about 90 minuets away. I ended up in the ICU for about 3 days. Then I went up to a regular floor and stayed another two. Then I went home and struggled to catch up with my school.
Another year passed and I made my way into middle school. During the course of one school year i went into DKA's and hospital stays more then 4 times. Staying caught up with school was impossible. But I managed to keep up somewhat. Schools where not very understanding. I was held back in 5th grade for missing so much time due to being in the hospital or sick.
Years have passed and I am now going into my freshman year of highschool. My diabetes has not changed too much yet I stay very optimistic for this next year. This year brings lot of changes as well. Now I dont have to go to the nurse to take my insulin before lunch. I am aloud to carry my insulin and meter with me and self administer my insulin. If I do go into DKA this year im certain that my friends and teachers will help me catch up. To all of the teen diabetics. Yes diabetes sucks but its not the end of the world. As Nick Jonas put it in his song" A little bit longer and I'll be fine"
Thank You.

Jayla Brock
Jamestown, NY

My son..my hero!!

July 29th, 2011 was the day that changed our lives forever....my 11yr old son Robert was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I was in shock, scared, sad, angry and confused. Not one person in my family had or has it! My thought process was "Now what?" would he be able to play sports, grow big and strong, go to college, could he die? I didn't know what to think. So, I rolled up my sleeves and decided that T1D would NEVER stop him from doing anything.

The first year (honeymoon phase) we had our ups and downs but it wasn't that bad. We learned as much as we could while Robbie endured shot after shot and checking his blood sugar often. He was just beginning Middle School so it was challenging for him physically and especially emotionally. He didn't want anyone to know he had something wrong. He was embarrassed that I spoke to ALL of his coaches but it was a must. I also made sure his best friends were aware of what T1D was and how to help him if he needed it. Then the 2yr came.....everything changed. Now he is on the pump and wears a Dexcom. It is still a constant battle..his A1C ranges from 7.5 to 8.5...being a teen isn't easy and add on T1D.

Now my son is 14yrs old is 6' 1" and weighs about 195. He is on 3 lacrosse teams (made JV team in 8th grade) plays football and volleyball. By looking at him you would never know there is anything wrong but as a family we endure the mood swings, the leg cramps, the depression, the scary lows and the agitating highs. Despite all of this Robbie NEVER lets T1D from stopping him. He takes honors classes, in the Honor Society, plays hard at sports and loves to spend time with his family and friends. It is a constant struggle but he handles what has been dealt to him with courage and strength. We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments thus far......he is my son.....my HERO.

Kelly Ziegler Woolsey
West Sayville, NY

11/11/11 (My diagnosis date)

On January 22, 2012 I wrote the following on my facebook wall...

"Hi, I am a recently diagnosed Type1 diabetic who takes 4 shots of insulin and 2 pills a day to keep my blood sugar under control. Hopefully someday that will change, but for now it is what it is. I have changed my diet to eat more balanced and lower carb meals. My goals are simple... Through meds, diet and exercise to maintain lower BG levels. I will be an advocate for people with diabetes and I will raise money and awareness for diabetes research. I will try to be a positive example for others who suffer from this disease and I will be thankful for my relative good health despite my diabetes. In the hospital or at the Dr's and Diabetes Center I have encountered many who suffer far more than I and I am thankful to God for the opportunity to try and make a difference. If you like me, think of me and if you love me say an occasional prayer for me. ~Peace"

A year and a half later and my HbA1c is down to a 5.9, I take no pills, I'm in great shape, I was the 4th highest fundraiser for the Tour de Cure bicycle event, I talk to anyone and everyone who has a question about diabetes and as always I thank God for my good health! So far so good!!!

~Mark

Mark
Pittsburgh, PA

I was in denial

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 28. Around that time my marraige was going sour and I was headed for a divorce. After I left my husband I went into a downward spiral and couldn't pull myself out of the depression that was weighing me down. I started losing weight like crazy and decided that I loved the weight loss, more than I cared about my health. I was living with constant yeast infections, painful bartholin cysts that were severly infected. I could not focus my eyes, my feet would burn, my legs ached, my mind was foggy, and I was extremely tired. You name it I was feeling it. After being hospitalized numerous times and being told by doctors, that I was killing myself, I still did not want to comply. I have recently remarried and my husband and I have a total of 10 kids together. This new begining has opened my eyes and made me realize that I don't want to live my life in a hospital bed and that being thin isn't all that matters in life. I have been taking my insulin religiously and though there is damage from my bull headed years of being in denial and telling myself I wasn't sick. I feel great!!! Please take this disease seriously and care for it as soon as you are diagnosed. I have wasted years of my life by not caring. You are worth the fight!

Melissa Widdison
Riverton, UT

Logan's Story

On May 18th 2006, our lives changed FOREVER. In the days leading up to then, Logan had been VERY thirsty, having accidents at night and very irritable. I knew the signs but I didn't want to admit it. I made him a doctors appointment, making sure that he didn't have anything to eat or drink before we got there. His fasting blood sugar was 348. The doctor immediately called an ambulance and made plans for us to be transferred to
Arkansas Children's Hospital where my worst fear had become a reality....Logan is TYPE 1 DIABETIC. We have learned so much in the past 7 years and we continue to learn every day. I have always told Logan that he is not different from the other kids, he just has to do things differently. Logan is a smart, polite, ambitious young man who has a vision of CURING DIABETES. Logan is very active in our local FFA (Future Farmers of America), in 2012 he won 1st place and Grand Champion with his pig "PING". He also loves to volunteer with the Knights of Columbus, Susan G Komen, and JDRF.

Wanda F Fiveash
Wheatley, AR

Misdiagnosed

When I was 34, I started having trouble with hypoglycemia. I went from a size 8 to a 14 that year. I didn't know what it was at the time. I just knew I'd come in from the barn and have to crawl up the stairs to the kitchen feeling so weak I couldn't stand. I would snack until my body felt right. My doctor at the time kept making changes to my diet and exercise, assuming I was Type 2. I changed doctors after almost a year and was given a meter to monitor my BG levels. After 2 weeks of seeing "hi", the nurse took bloodwork, gave me and insulin pen with instructions on how to use it, and sent me to the ER. she said she'd fill the doctor in when she saw him on Monday (this was Friday.) I spent 4 hours in the ER on IV insulin and fluids. I was severely dehydrated. The bloodwork came back showing me as a type 1. My BG was over 700. Saturday night I was back for another 4 hours and told if it did not come down they were admitting me. I got lucky. It went down and stayed there. I was given a class on diabetes and education on eating, carb counting, etc. At 35 I was the first female in my family to be a type 1. That nurse saved me. I decided that I couldn't rely on just the doctors. I needed to be an expert with this stupid disease.
Diabetes doesn't stop me. I have an insulin pump (Omnipod). I tried the CGM. I have an alert dog so I can ride without fear of lows to make me fall. I camp, hike, and stay as active as my spine will allow me. I teach out in a portable without having to worry about having a low with no other adults around to help. I continue to research any and all options that could help me live a "normal" life. I've learned a lot about diabetes and I am my own best advocate.

Michelle Dutoit
Lake Tapps, WA

strugle to control until I went on to Insulin Pump Therapy

ok having diabettes type 1 for 23 years Ive struggled for so many years
and well until recently i decided to make a change ,a change meaning
I decided to try insulyn pump therapy and all i can say its the best move
I couldve ever taken ,I know its only been a few months Ive been on a pump
but I know my sugars are getting better daily and it the end means
I will live longer and my HBA1C will be alot better than it used to be like 10 years ago
so if you are like myself and have struggled or struglling
get yourself on to a pump and your life will be so close to being normal its not funny

colin Flanders
wynnum, Australia

I WIN!!!!!!! My Fight With Type One Diabetes

Shortly before I turned 8 yrs old me and my family were headed to Tupelo, MS to see my Grandmother and what was normally a 7 hour trip wound up taking almost 10 hours. We were up there for about a week and when we returned home my parents took me straight to the hospital. On Feb. 20 1994 I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. My glucose at the time was 475 and the Dr. told me that I was very lucky that we caught it early. At this young of an age my life was turned upside down. I was terrified but learned how to survive.
Everything went right for a while after I was diagnosed. Then I entered the 6th grade and things started to get rough. I was always tired, my grades were slipping, and no matter what I did my glucose remained extremely high. Next thing I knew I had my first case of pancreatitis. For a while I was getting a case of it every 3 months. Finally they put me on an insulin pump and everything seemed to balance out. At least until I turned 18. One day at work I started getting sick so I let my boss know that I needed to go home. I went to the hospital and it turned out that I had renal failure caused by the insulin pump so I was removed from it. This was just the first case of many.
Now I sit here at 27 years old and this Feb. 20 will be 20 years that I have been diabetic. I have had 6 cases of pancreatitis, 8 cases of renal failure, and numerous cases of DKA. I also have onset neuropathy from my knees down but no matter what, I WILL WIN!!!!!

Chris Clark
Avon Park, FL

Our Brave Girl

Twelve days after her eighth birthday, our daughter Grace, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes...and our world changed forever. She was very sick and brought to the hospital to stay for 3 days...steps away from a diabetic coma with a blood sugar of 800. We made it just in time, God saved our little girl. After days of screaming and crying with every insulin shot and finger prick, and experiencing every emotion possible, our brave girl started to adjust to her new life. This would consist of counting every carb she would eat, mutiple finger pricks daily, multiple insulin shots daily, watching for 'lows' so she wouldn't have a seizure, adjusting for 'highs' so she wouldn't have complications later in life, and carrying medical supplies on her every where she goes. We learned as a family that this disease is a daily battle.
The hardest part of it all was having to tell an 8 yr old that this will never go away.
Grace is the bravest girl we know to have to endure such a difficult challenge at such a young age. But we know that even with this disease, there is nothing she can't do. She is still the same smart, funny, beautiful Grace we loved before her diagnosis...except now she may have a few extra angels by her side.

Danielle
Enfield, CT