My Diagnosis Story

20 years ago, at age 12, I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic. My life changed forever! I remember that I had been quite sick. I was throwing up, drinking a lot, peeing a lot, and just feeling generally miserable. The flu was going around pretty good that year. I also remember that I was falling asleep really early in the evening. Like 7:00 or earlier. It wasn't at all like me because I am to this day, a night owl. My Mom took me to the doctor thinking I had the flu or something like it. I was just not getting better like everyone else.

I remember that appointment very well. It was with our pediatrician, Dr. Biery (Pronounced like Berry). I remember her leaving the room to check if my labs came back yet, and I heard them talking in the hallway through the door. I heard her say the word hospital. I remember asking my Mom, "Did she just say hospital?" That freaked me out a little. But the doctor came back in and explained what would happen. We were to go immediately to the hospital. As a child with large family, this was my first ever time having my own room. I honestly LOVED it! I was there for a week, and it was awesome. I had my own tv, room service, and the sweet solitude of being the only occupant in the room! I was hooked up to IV's, less than delightful, but it was the first in a very long list of diabetes related needles to enter my body. This was T1D's first attempt out of 3 now at killing me, and it was nearly successful, but we got me in just in time. I remember them saying that if we had waited, we were hours from me being in a coma or worse.

Eventually, they told me that I would not be leaving the hospital till I could give myself a shot on my own. Being 12, I was old enough to do that stuff on my own. Younger children aren't asked to do that of course, but they are once they are older, you betcha! As most normal children agree, I hated needles passionately! They found a way to make it fun for me. They gave me a vial of saline, a syringe, and a beautiful bright orange. They said orange skin has a similar appearance to human skin, just oranger, so that's why they used it. Do you know what happens when you inject saline into an orange? It squirts right back out at you! As a 12 year old, very easily amused, I had hours of fun in the hospital with my saline drowned orange. But eventually the time came to pull out the insulin IV and get me going on my own shots. I remember the nurse did my first one because I freaked out, convinced it would hurt. In the course of my freaking, she gave me the shot and I didn't even know it. I was shocked! Didn't feel a thing! I remember on my discharge day, I had to be in a room with several doctors and people and I had to give myself a shot in front of them before leaving. Yeah, no pressure! But I did well, if I do say so myself.

I was lucky to go home to a family full of curious and supportive people. My siblings loved watching me do my shots and check my blood sugar. I remember we would count down the numbers on my bg meter till the result appeared. The count was a lot longer back then! 

My doctor then was Robert Larson. I LOVED this guy. He was extremely supportive. I thought I was pretty VIP because I had his pager number and I was calling him every day for the first while to report blood sugars and progress. He really helped set me up to be independent as far as doing all this myself. So grateful for that! His CDE, Colleen, was wonderful as well. She was very kind and helpful. Especially after the "honeymoon phase" (your pancreas's final go before being officially dead) was over and things got a lot harder. When our insurance changed, and we could no longer go to their clinic, both us and them were genuinely sad to no longer be working together. I remember Dr. Larson looking so so sad at my last appointment with him, and I gave him a hug to cheer him up.

Over the last 20 years, my road with T1D has been really really hard. I won't lie. My control over my bg's has been awful for a lot of years now. I never had found another doctor like Dr. Larsen. Nobody supportive and willing to explain things to me. They knew less about T1D back then than they do now, but still, if you can't be supportive to your patients in a general humanity way, please please please don't become a doctor! About 2 years ago, I finally found an endocrinologist who has a teacher's heart. He has been so supportive of me. I finally have A1C readings in the 6's, something I've never really had before. I hope he never retires!!

When I decided to do this post, I asked others what they thought about my T1D and how it effected them back then. I am glad that I did because I learned something knew. I never knew what my bg reading was at diagnosis, but now I know! And it wasn't good.....oye! The following point of view is from my parents:

"Before you were diagnosed with this disease, the flu was going around the house I think in February. Well. everyone got better except for you, you kept on getting worse, started losing weight and missing school, on the days you went to school chances were I had to go get you. Finally I took you to the Doctor and there was where we found out you would be going  to the hospital because your blood sugar was around 840. I called dad to let him know and away we went to Riverside hospital in Mpls. That is where the education started and our love for Dr Larson and his nurse Colleen grew. Although you were so excited having your own hospital room and tv ( the other kids were jealous, worried but jealous). I can remember you had to learn how to do shots with an orange and you seemed to have a wicked gleam every time you poked the orange. I would have loved for you not to have to go through this but, it was a good education and it helped the whole family to learn that when you have a medical problem learn about it.

Your dad and I felt scared at first. We didn't know about diabetes except for type 2 which I had since about age 23. I really didn't know type1 existed. The learning process was very strange because of learning about the honeymoon phase and then how diabetes really comes to pass, Then comes the mixing of the insulin. Then needles and strips, and pumps, but that (the pump) came when you were older. Dad came to as many appts. as he could. He was supportive but as we learned it didn't get any easier watching our little girl do shots. But you seemed to grasp it really well but then again you were older. It was very much life changing but I feel that Heavenly Father had a plan for you. Hind sight being 20/20 I know he chose you to go through this for our family to help us become more aware of things and change. The time I was really scared I think you were 18 then and ended up in the hospital. But with the Lord's help we made it through . It also made your dad and I closer to God. We had to rely on him a lot back then and even now."

There you have it all! That's my diagnosis. Does yours sound similar? What did you and your family go through? I will be forever grateful that Heavenly Father placed me in such a supportive family. I had so much love from them when I got home. Feel free to share your story too!
Have a great night sweethearts!