Day of Diagnosis

I'm hoping over time to get this blog to look more the way I'd like it to look, so stay tuned for changes.

In the meantime, I said I'd mention my diagnosis story. I was 14 when I was diagnosed. I had symptoms for probably close to a year before I finally went and got tested. I had every symptom in the book; thirsty all the time, frequent urination, weight loss, extreme fatigue.

I remember going up a half flight of stairs at school and just wanting to sit down because I was SO tired! I remember sleeping in class. I NEVER used to sleep in class. Anyway, I finally went to the doctor. I think what's hard about it is the symptoms are like the frog in boiling water. If you raise the temperature slowly, he doesn't even realize how bad it's getting. That's how my symptoms were, but finally, my mom had heard enough excuses, and took us to the doctor. What's funny is, on the way there I ate a package of 6 chocolate donuts. That's another thing - I was hungry ALL the time, but I was losing weight like I wasn't eating a thing! It was really quite great - other than feeling like death warmed over and everything.

So, my pediatrician ran some tests and I was diagnosed on a Wednesday night while wearing my peach BUM sweatshirt, and my bleached Guess jeans. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember sitting in the waiting room while we waited for the test results. I remember laughing nervously when the doctor told me that I had diabetes. I remember going to church and my youth minister telling me I should just go ahead and cuss because I'd feel better. I remember talking with a friend on the phone after church and looking at the bowl of candy in our kitchen and thinking - I'm never going to be able to eat that again...

I'll get into my trip to the hospital in my next post.

The thing about diabetes is it never goes away. Everyday, it is there. Some days, I hardly notice it. Then days like today when I'm more active than I anticipate, I fight lows all day long. Does that ever happen to you?? Just have a bad diabetes day - where your sugar are all over the place, and therefore, so are your moods? Well, that was today for me. So, I'll leave it at that for now.

Good night,
Gretchen