How were you told you had diabetes?

Type 1 and LADA
1

I was 17. I had experienced all of the classic signs, so my parents took me to the Dr. After checking the blood sample, the doc came back into the room, and said, “Well the numbers are high, we’ll need to get him over to the hospital”. And that was pretty much it. I don’t remember there being a great deal of shock or outburst, etc., Or . . . at least my parents hid it well. I kind of think they weren’t real sure what all of that meant right at that moment. I do know one thing, once we settled into it, they were the most supportive parents any diabetic kid could ever want.

How were you told?

2

I was very ill for about three days. Thought I had pneumonia, which I’ve had before. My husband took me kicking & screaming to the ER. Before they had finished admitting me, I was near comatose. DKA, BG 809. Woke up in ICU on IV. Nurse told me. Turns out that I also had pneumonia.

You’re fortunate to have parents who took in stride (or at least presented it this way to you).

3

I was pretty ill and mentioned ‘the thirst’ to a friend when he mentioned the D word. went straight on diabetes.org.uk and noticed i had all the symptoms and realised i was blind and had lost 2 stone and hadnt actually gone into uni for 2 weeks… for some reason i didnt do anything about it…

next thing i know im admitted into accident and emergency with a BS of over 40mmols and 4+ keytones, good times!

4

I was 14. I was sick for ages before I was diagnosed. Lost around 3 stone (42lbs), went from about 126 down to 84, and I was eating EVERYTHING in sight (and drinking, as well). Went to the doctor, who said she thought it was “very unlikely” to be diabetes, but checked my blood sugar + pee; lucky she did because I had off the scale BG, ketones and urine sugar, and went straight to children’s. After they put the drip in I was there for 2 days and 1 night, and after that the nurse came to mine for the next few days to supervise the shot (premixed NPH and regular - AWFUL).

5

I was 7 and pissed in bed, which I didn’t do normally… My parents both being doctors and at that time still had a practice at home, so they tested my urine (my dad even tasted it I believe) and that’s how I was diagnosed… Don’t really remember how they told me about it, but we went to the hospital and that’s where I learned to shoot insulin and stuff like that.

Both my younger brothers also have diabetes, they just tested with my meter and already knew most of how it worked which made it a lot easier for them :wink:

6

Hello, My name is Kathleen and my sons name is Michael, who just turned 4 on Dec. 17, 2008. I just got dx:d on Sept. 26, 2008. I thought that he had the flu and was getting dehydrated. Everything he ate or drank he threw up and then everything he drank he was peeing. I thought nothing of it until he starting losing so much weight in less than 24 hours. He"s eyes where sunk in and teeth showing like you see those little babies on TV. Plus my older daughter asked why he was losing so much weight. I stopped took a step back and looked. She was right so I called the Doctor. When I told him everything, he took a urine culture and BG test and told me to take him to the ER. When we got to the ER his sugars where in the 400’s and by the time we actually got into intensive care his sugars where in the 700’s. I would give anything to take this and have it myself. I myself had Gest. Diabetes and hope that I didn’t give this to him. They say that I didn’t but I still wonder. He is doing very well and I am very proud of him. He’s a strong little boy. God Bless all of you!

7

I was 18 and had gone for a physical and then went to visit family in another city for a week. I had all the signs, woke up 5 to 6 times a night to pee. I couldn’t stand for very long with out getting dizzy when I got home, and my parents said that the doctor I had seen asked for me to come back to have a blood and urine test re-done. The day after I had those tests she called to let me know my parents were on their way to come get me and bring me to the ER in the hostpital she worked at. She also asked me to go sit with my neighbor till my parents made it home. I don’t remember who told me exactly that I had type 1, but I remember thinking I might be before I was put in the hostpital.

8

Well I ahd been sick for months. The doctors just kinda brushed it off. I knew something was wrong with me, but I didnt know what. One day I woke up walking into walls and I knew I had to go to the ER. After running tests on me, they delivered the news. They basically told me Id be shooting insulin the rest of my life. It didn’t hit me then, but now I feel like Im trying to cope best I can. I feel like Im morning the death of my old life and trying to adjust to the new one.

9

#1 - my first child crashed with hypoglycemia at birth. She was hospitalized for a week with high bilirubin, and they said, “Oh gee, you were probably gestationally diabetic.” Back then, the numbers to be diagnosed were higher.

#2 - With my second, I spilled +6 keytones, +6 glucose, and +2 protein in a urine test at 3.5 mos. gestation (about my 2nd prenatal appt). This was first thing in am (bout 9 am) - they immediately wrote up an order for a 3 hour GTT and sent me over to the lab. The lab technician told me that was what I was being tested for. She explained to me the difference between gestational and T1 and T2. Later that day, they called me in and told me to come down to a CDE and learn how to inject myself with insulin. I had a 1.5 yo in the office who sat quietly on a chair while I did this.

#3 - At 6.5 mos gestation with my 3rd, my perinatologist called and said to get the syringes out again.

#4 - After three years of rising trigylcerides and LDL, and then my blood pressure rising, and my a1c jumping .5 pts every three months, this summer, I begged my internist to give me something. After trying to control it with diet and exercise and failing, I had to beg for medication. I knew enough from my first two experiences that I was going to catch it before my a1c was over 8.

Now, these memories have faded - and it seems like I have just always had diabetes. I remember being scared, confused, ignorant, and worried. But looking back on it, I just handled it.

10

i was 14, after snacking on like 6 oreos and a giant glass of milk my mom gets a phone call from my doctor telling me to rush into the hospital right away… all i remember after that is alot of crying lol

11

My doctors told me after I was sick for a month and then after sevral doctor visits he found ketones, so he told my family that we need to test his bg and get him to the hospital. I was over 500 and i just remember being in the car sayin i dont wanna go to the hospital,after i was told i was hours off of death.

12

The med tech called with the results of my yearly (50!) blood work and said that my Fasting Glucose was 136 and the doctor thought I had diabetes. What the *!%! I was living a healthy lifestyle, zero symptoms, no diabetes of any sort in the family.

13

I was not feeling well for several weeks. No energy, lots of bathroom breaks and dry mouth. After a few weeks of feeling that way I went to the doctor and was told, “Your blood sugar is high”. It was around 1200. That did not mean anything to me until they rolled in the gurney to transport me (911) over to the hospital because he did not want me to drive myself. I spent four days in the hospital. I am off meds and doing fine.

14

I told myself. I was 20 and had all the classic symptoms and looked them up on the internet and thought I had diabetes. I used my dad’s glucose meter because he has pre-diabetes and my sugar was 417mg/dL. I cried so much that night and the next day I went to my family doctor who didn’t even put me on insulin! He gave me Januvia which is only for type 2 and he diagnosed me as type 1! He gave me a referral for an endo and I finally started insulin 3 days later. I think my story is crazy because I probably should have went to the hospital and my family doctor should have put me on insulin right away.

15

I had blurry vision and contacted my eye Dr. and they said maybe I should see my M.D. first. I did and the next day he called me and said get to the office tomorrow you blood sugar is right at 600. I had Gest. with my first 2 kids but did not know it would result into this. I was so scared and had no one to lean on or help care for me. I cried and cried.

16

I was staying at my cousins while my parents were on their honey moon. I was 11. I got sick and two months later my mom took me to the doctor because she thought I had diabetes. She worked with animals and they have the same symptoms. 2 days later I was rushed to ICU because my sugar was 1100

17

Rewind: It started last (school) year. For the first time since I was a child, I wet the bed. I had no logical explanation. Soon It was routine: drinking and eating everything in sight, going to the bathroom way too much, dropping about 40 pounds (from 180 to 140, and I have gone to 130). Also, loosing very good muscle tone, especially in my legs. I was a soccer player, and had to quit playing because I was so weak and tired all of the time (not to mention the horrible attitude!). I also got dizzy a lot, especially at school. My daily routine consisted of: waking up, going to school, coming home and napping, wake up to do homework, go to bed.

After about 6 or 7 months living like this, I knew there was something. I told my parents about it, but they didn’t think it was much of a problem, more like a “phase”. So, my mother suggested exercise and yoga So, I tried that out for a little while, but I wasn’t feeling ANY better.

So,everyone noticed these weird symptoms, and my friend said that it sounded like that of diabetes (her cousin was diagnosed about a year before this). So, I started researching. Finally, I started asking my mother to make me a Dr. appointment. For some reason this got put off for about 3 months.

Fast forward to January 23: I went to the doctor on Friday morning. He asked me what was going on. I told him, “I want to get checked for diabetes”. So, I have a urinalysis and some blood work. In about 20 minutes, he comes back into the room. After he talked to the nurse outside, he told me my sugar level was 464. I was like, what does that mean? Then he told me that I had diabetes.
Even though I was sure I had it, the news just made it so real. At that moment I couldn’t do anything BUT cry. Then he gave me an insulin shot and told me to go home and eat something. He called the hospital to let them know I was coming, so they could get me a room.
So, I spent 2 days in the hospital; I had to learn how to do shot and everything about my diabetes.

I’m just thankful that we caught it in the early stage, so I wasn’t in DKA or anything.

18

My mom told me. It was after a day at Disney world, running form one drink stand to another. I was sick and on about 10th time I got up at night to pee, and seek water. Mom came in and can did a urine sugar stick. Well anyway it came back 4+, whatever that was, and mom said oh my. I said what? She says rick it looks like you have diabetes. Today I know how hard that was for her. Mom was very ill with diabetic complications, we were on vacation, I was sick, I cannot imagine.

Rick

19

I told all the symptoms to a friend of mine and she was convinced that i had diabetes. I didn’t think much of it, because i thought the way i was feeling was normal for a person who never worked before. I worked all day long and figured this was just how you felt. And i started drinking more water since i started exercising, and figured that was normal to. But because i didn’t have insurance i never went to the doc. I did see the nurse prac at the local urgent care, she said my sugar was high, and then prescribed me some pills. I didn’t take the pills because i really didn’t know what was going on yet, and i guess i figured i was alright. It wasn’t until a couple days later that not untill i started feeling really sluggish. That day i slept on and off, my mouth was super dry, and i drank alot of water. My friend called to check on me and while i as passing in and out of conscious she told me to go to the er, my boyfreind took me immediately. ER doc said that if i hadn’t come sooner then i would have died from DKA. 20,000 dollar hosptial bill and now curren times, life still sucks with diabetes. I’ve been diagnosed 3x at the ER for diabetes, it’s like yes this i know… silly hospitals.

20

I went to the hospital one morning because my stomach and back really hurt for 2 days (it was more like a burning sensation) when I got there and told the ER staff what was wrong they checked me out stuck an IV in me and put me in a room. I had no idea what was going on, but allowed them to do more tests. the next evening a Doctor came into the room and asked me how long I had been a diabectic? I told her " about 3 seconds " she frowned at me, and after a long pause told me that by the tests, that I have been diabectic for at least 15 years! anyway I remember 2 things that really stuck in my head from that experence #1 was finding out I was diabetic and #2 when something called your triglycerides are 3600 you should not be able to live. oh yeah one more thing I don’t look good when I am yellow.