So, November is Diabetes awareness month. Also 4 years ago a bunch of people decided that November 9th would be D-Blog day - and that's today! heehee.
I can't believe it's been nearly 8 years since I was diagnosed. I can remember it like yesterday, but being as it's a daily managed disease it's also hard to remember life without it.
The few weeks leading up to diagnosis were really quite awful. Couldn't get enough to drink at all, everything I drank comes right back out 20 minutes later. I had no energy but to lay on the couch all day. I didn't even want to play video games with my little brother, something that I used to really enjoy. I dropped over 20 pounds in 2 weeks.
Figuring it had gone on too long to be the flu my wonderful mother took me to the doctor where we waited awhile in urgent care to find anything out. Finally the doctor came back in and said I had a blood sugar of 346 (or somewhere around there) and to take me to the hospital. They would be waiting for us. We stopped off at home, grabbed a few things then to the hospital I went.
Upon arrival my blood sugar was over 400 and they had a hard time getting an IV in I was so dehydrated. I don't remember much else from that night. There was this awesome teddy bear named Rufus that I slept with that night. It has patches on it that are supposed to simulate where you give your insulin shots.
Shortly after all that I started struggling very very badly with Diabulimia. It has only recently been recognized as an eating disorder among the medical/professional community. It is a very serious condition, though. One that landed me in the hospital numerous times, one where I passed out shortly after arriving there and they were trying to force potassium down my throat and I just threw up instead. Woke up a couple days later attached to heart monitors, IV's in both arms and generally in a very awful state of being.
It is still a struggle to deal with, but nothing like it used to be. Now I like to be healthy, or at least try. I get frustrated when I spend day like yesterday in the 400's and not coming down (when I wouldn't have cared one little bit a couple years ago). I took 40 units of insulin just to bring that number down - I didn't eat till near the end of the day when I just wanted food! Of course I didn't make the healthiest of choices - Pizza and a Homemade Cinnamon Roll - keeping me in that 400 blood sugar range the rest of the night.
It's been a crazy 8 years. Being Diabetic has helped shape me into who I am. It is wearying, frustrating and downright depressing at times - but I will not let what is forever part of my life get me down for long. I love to live and not be restrained by Diabetes - as people told me I would be. I love having had a successful diabetic pregnancy, an adorable daughter, wonderful husband, a fantastic family and life.
Happy D-Blog day, Everyone!
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