At 21 I was enjoying my college life. I was recovering from major shoulder surgery and my sister was just about to graduate college. What seemed to come out of nowhere, I was peeing all the time and always seemed thirsty. I was losing weight at a fast pace without trying. Then fatigue set in. WebMD said these were symptoms of diabetes. My mother said there is no way because it was not in the family. Then, the blurry vision. My mom got scared, called the doctor who did my shoulder surgery, and he said these things were not normal post surgery. Then I threw up after eating breakfast. The next morning my mom called and said to go to the ER. She was in the area because my sister was graduating that weekend.
As I sat in the ER and answered the questions from the nurse, there was no doubt in her voice about it being Type 1 diabetes. I was admitted and hooked up to all sorts of IV's. I scared everyone but never thought about what I was going through. I had to learn to check sugars, count carbs, and take shots. Very frustrating to learn. I ended up in a room with a Type 2 diabetic who was getting a toe removed because of neuropathy. Early lesson on taking care of myself. After four days I was released. Before I knew it, I was home for the summer, I met with a nutritionist and began exercising regularly. I got right into my regular schedule with these extra things I had to make sure I did everyday, multiple times a day.
From that day, I have never looked back. I educated myself on the disease, everything I could learn. I do any activities that someone without diabetes would do. I became a personal trainer and currently have a number of diabetic clients and am sharing everything I know. I also have a company that is raising money to find a cure for Type 1.
Hanson, MA
