Hi all,
I am new here, but have been lurking for a few days. I got my official, final diagnosis of T1 less than a month ago, but it took 17 years to get here.
I was diagnosed in 1999 in the hospital. I thought I had the flu, incredibly thirsty and dry heaves. My mom and husband took me to an urgent care, the meter read high, so off to the emergency room. My bg was over 800, but I wasn’t in DKA. The doctor from our church came in, took over my care and dx me with Type 1. Started on R and NPH, did really well for about a year and a half. Then the lows started. 23, 34, so on and so forth. I was divorced by that time and began seeing a new doctor. He seriously questioned the diagnosis and apparently ran additional tests and changed my diagnosis to T2. Took no meds until 2007, then the numbers began to climb. Tried Metformin, didn’t work. Tried adding Januvia, didn’t work. Started on Duetact, which worked, but I put in 70 lbs, then started having lows again. I took myself off the meds in 2009, figured I was too complicated and lost the 70lbs (I gave up, essentially). Started back at a Dr in 2013, who treated, what I thought anyway, my Type 2.
Fast forward to January 2016. Admitted to the hospital in Lactic Acidosis from Metformin (per the ER Doctor) and a kidney stone. No infection, but a1c was 8.4 and bg at 333 (my non compliance is showing again). Was told I was extremely lucky to be alive and given a prescription for Lantus and a glucometer. My NP thought it was a crazy idea, but gave me a prescription for Novolog and told me to get in with an Endo ASAP. Saw my Endo PA the beginning of May. Had my a1c at 6.2 on a dose of 23 units of Lantus at night and 1:7.5 carb ratio. My Endo decided that even though I fit the profile of T2, the best thing to do was to run the labs. To her surprise (and mine) GAD was 34, c peptide was .9 (1.1-?, so low), fbg 96. No other antibodies, but a definite diagnosis in her mind. I am now in a t:slim and am fighting the insurance for the experimental CGM (Ha!).
I’m happy to have the right diagnosis. My blood pressure has normalized, I have no complications, and the bald spot on the top of my head has filled in (apparently my scalp is the clear sign of high sugar levels). My cholesterol has always been spot on, and once the acidosis was cleared up everything else is normal.
My maternal grandfather was Type 1 and was diagnosed and released from the Army Air Corp in his early 20s. Everyone else, my paternal grandfather, my mom and my brother are T2.
It’s just been such a strange ride, and I can’t believe I made it to almost 37 without having something bad happen. I don’t care what ‘type’ I have, I’m just so happy to have the right treatment and the right team behind me.
Thanks for reading, it helps to spill it out there! I have found so many posts that have been helpful here over the past few months.
5 Likes
Wow… glad you have finally got a diagnosis and your tslim. I hope you get your dex and that is great your bald spot is gone too. No complications is great and your A1c was good on levemir. You are lucky you didn’t get to dka at some point in all of this and very lucky you survived the lactic acidosis, the kidney stone and everything else.
Hello…and welcome!
4 Likes