Who? what? when? where? why?

Who: I was with my Pastor in the ER before being sent up to ICU
What: I was waking up in the middle of the night every few hours to pee and then I got 7 charlie horses in one night.
When: September 27th, 2007. There was a going away party for a co-worker, I had a slice of cake and felt horrible after that.
Where: In the ER, I knew my blood sugar was 518 (for a non diabetic that was scary) I kept saying to my Pastor that was there at 11:30 at night, “I don’t want to be diabetic, I don’t want to be diabetic”. I spent 2 days in ICU and left with the understanding that I was in fact a diabetic. It took a little bit of time to get it all sorted out, I was 27 and had just become Type 1.
Why: I feel that I’m one of the lucky ones because God’s controlling me. He’s given me the motivation and desire to work with my diabetes and in the process I’m learning more about suffering, persevering, humility, and seeing God as my Father… because he’s my provider and protector. Since becoming diabetic, my relationship with God has become far more solid.

Who were you with when you were first diagnosed? I was by myself. I bumped into my pastor in the waiting room beforehand, though, and told him what was going on when he asked me why I was there. He told me he would pray and that helped me feel less alone. What were you doing when you had that thought "something is wrong"? After a week of 2 or 3 nightly bathroom trips. Since type 1 runs in my family, I knew that I was experiencing symptoms. I tried to explain it away, though, and didn't get it checked out until a month later. I was doing laundry and needed half an hour to haul my laundry up the three flights of stairs from the dorm laundry room to my room. When I was done, I needed an hour long nap to recharge. When were you diagnosed? January 24, 2012. My blood sugar was 342; high enough to make me feel really bad, but not high enough to require hospitalization (thankfully!). Where were you when you first heard the D word? I don't remember where I was when I first heard the word, but I know I was about 9 years old. I first learned about type 1 when my cousin was diagnosed at the age of 7. Why do you feel you're one of the lucky ones with diabetes? I don't really like the word "lucky" in this question, because I don't really believe in luck. However, I do have a lot to be thankful for. First, I am very thankful that I'm alive and fairly healthy. Prior to the isolation of insulin, people with diabetes lived short, painful lives. Life with diabetes might not be fun, but I'm grateful for the chance to live!

I'm also grateful that I don't have to deal with diabetes on my own. I have an uncle and two cousins with t1 diabetes, so I've known the basics of type 1 for a long time and I know they're there for me when I have questions and need support. (My patient uncle put up with calls from me at all hours of the day and night in the weeks immediately following my diagnosis and still gets lots of calls). My boyfriend's sister has type 1 as well, so he was in some ways more familiar with it than I was when I was first diagnosed and has been a great help as I'm in the process of adjusting. I've got many, many supportive friends at school as well who have driven me to appointments and the pharmacy (I don't have a car at school).

I don't understand why, but I believe God allowed diabetes in my life for a reason, and I'm confident that He will bring good out of it, even though diabetes itself is bad. One of those good things is increased humility. It's reminded me that I'm not invincible and given me greater sensitivity to struggles other people are facing.

Who: I wasn't actually present. At dx I was in a coma induced by DKA. I didn't really wake up until the ICU--my mother was there and told me I'd been diagnosed with diabetes.
What: I'd been ignoring symptoms for a couple of months. Probably the biggest clue was having to get up in the middle of some movie to go to the bathroom. And being willing to drink from the fountains at the theatre. And then there was that last really bad nausea thing that I had going on.
When: 24 July 2008. I was 31 years old.
Where: In connection with my personal body? In the ICU as I was drifting back to consciousness. I'd heard of it before, but not in connection with me or anyone else in the family.
Why: I don't know. Sometimes bad things happen, and there isn't ever a good reason. I just have an overactive immune system, I guess. I may never know the proximate cause. But it doesn't really matter, I just have to deal with the reality I've been given,

Who: my mother.
What: I was making a new notch in my belt because it had gotten too big.
When: September 1, 2006- about two years later.
Where: Ironically, I had been interested in diabetes for years. The first time somebody agreed with me that my symptoms might be diabetes was when I was talking to my boss about my symptoms, about two weeks before I was diagnosed.
Why: 'Cause I'm special.

Who and what and where all go together for me. I had been wondering for a couple months about increased thirst and peeing. Then I started losing weight without trying which at my age (58) was definitely odd. I knew the first two things were indicative of Diabetes but didn't know about the weight loss so I looked it up online and saw it was. So I asked my doctor for a blood test. When they called and said my fasting blood sugar was 325 I didn't know what the number meant, so just said "so that means I have Diabetes?" I wasn't surprised and just assumed I had Type 2 as that "was what people my age got". The doctor assumed the same and I didn't figure out any different for 15 months. When Original diagnosis - July 2007. Correct Diagnosis and treatment - February 2009

why am I lucky? Because I'm smart enough and the internet is here and TuD is here, to figure out I'm actually Type 1. Because I have good insurance (even into retirement) and can pay for my medical needs including my pump. Because I have all of you.

I was diagnosed with T1 at age 22 and many have assumed I was T2 because of my age as well! (People are also surprised when I tell them that I have diabetes because I'm not fat. It's kind of funny in a way.) My uncle was diagnosed with T1 in his late 30s, however, so I've known for a long time that T1 wasn't something that only small kids got. It's part of the reason that I think people need to be better educated about diabetes. There are a lot of misconceptions out there that could potentially make catching and treating either type harder.

Who: with Mom in ED
What: fading in and out of consciousness in ED
When: Feb 10, 1984- I was 15, glucose 696
Where: Waking up in the ICU, starving, a breakfast tray was delivered to me with French Toast and syrup and started eating it and having the nurse say " you can't eat that, you're a diabetic".
Why: not lucky, but grateful to still be here and with only minimal complications, considering it took me about 10 years to get out of denial and start taking care of myself

WHO: my dad was with me when I first heard the news
WHAT: I was visiting New York for a summer trip. Extreme thirst, extreme going to the bathroom, and then throwing-up let me know that no, whatever this was, I could not ride through it.
WHEN: Summer of 2006, I believe
WHERE: At my dad's apartment...doctor called.
WHY: That only God can answer, lol.

Who: I was alone with my primary care physician.
What: I was getting ready for bed and had horrible abdominal pain. I had class and work the next day so I decided I would go to the doctor afterwards.
When: October 4, 2012
Where: I was in the doc's office. Before I was "officially" told, I overheard a nurse talking to my doctor because she couldn't believe how high my BG was and that I was still up and walking.
Why: I'm still not sure yet. Maybe to get me back to the athletic person I was before I got sick.

who: with my doctor and the nurse who would also become "mine" with my diabetes.
what: looking in the mirror before getting in the shower and thinking i was looking thinner and thinner. getting up two and three times a night to pee and drinking oceans. water was like nectar, it never tasted so good!
when: november 2011, i was 36.
where: in the doctors office with her.
why do i feel lucky? i dont feel lucky to be diabetic at all. i do feel lucky i didnt have to grow up with this, that i got to be a normal kid and teen, without the fear of hypos and sweets deprivation.

Who: My opthalmologist. Went to see him for blurry vision.
What: See above.
When: 1995, Spring or Summer, not certain.
Where: First heard the D word when I was very young. Mother explained to me what it was; can't remember how the subject arose.
Why: Because I got my mental wake up call in time to take control and do something about it. Because I've gotten really good information about management and control, from both self study and this magnificent community. Because I have (somewhere) found the self discipline to do what's needed, and because it's working. Because without the D to motivate me, I probably would not be taking as good care of my health as I now do. And because otherwise I would not have met some of the truly wonderful people who hang out here.

Who? I was on my own
What? When I weighed myself and'd lost 2stone in weight although eating normally
When? 31st December(New years Eve)
Where? Doctors
Why do you feel your one of the lucky ones with diabetes? I haven't allowed it to affect me :)

oh i like that question, although it is an old thread
here we go
i was 8, so dont remember exact details, but im gonna try.
WHO: my mom was with me and also told me
WHAT: my mom found out. she is a nurse, so she thought something is wrong
WHEN: May 12, 2004
WHERE:so when my mom first told me (she got phone from doc) i was getting dressed at home. but that wasnt really the big thing. at that moment we thought we had to go to a local doc and it hadnt really sunk in with me. the moment i understood it was bad was when like 3 hours later, my mom came to the circus where we had a school project running at that time, and told me in tears that we had to go to the hospital in one hour. that is basically when i found out i was D
WHY: because i accepted it as a part of me, as something i can not change, only improve by my relationship with my diabetes. also, i have a great support team who helps me if i need help

I was with my former gp in his office when he told me you are "Diabetic" and I said are you sure- could something else cause the high bg and other lab results.

I don't remember, there were several moments over a two year period or so where I thought something was wrong. In the weeks before my dka I was at a farmers market and I felt ill, I started sweating and told someone- she said eat some sugar because it was probably low bg. Somehow I attributed a lot of my symptoms to early meno, my imagination and emotional stress from a bad break up. I went to several doctors but none of them did a simple bg test when I had obvious symptoms of high bg and my gp didn't hospitalize me when he finally diagnosed it. I almost died due to all of it. Symptoms were fatigue, mood swings, depression, stinging/inflammation in my whole body when eating acidic food, severe yeast infections which didn't respond to treatment very well, weight loss, trouble breathing, eating/drinking a lot, craving sweets- these were worse in the last 3 weeks or so), blurry vision, dizziness, sweating, pain/tingling and so on. I also had high ketones before the doc visit, nausea, vomiting and unclear thinking.

May 11 2012

I already knew a lot about D, type one oddly, I had watched a very good film about it
about 10 years ago and I recently found a paper I wrote in junior high about Type 1 and the whole physiology of it. Kind of prophetic I guess since I had it and didn't realize it. I did have other symptoms much earlier on too but I guess I was fighting it off my whole life.

I also had hypoglycemia which I confirmed with testing in the 10-15 years before it came on. I'm sure this was the beginning of it coming to a head since my body wasn't properly regulating my bg.

I don't think there is anything lucky about D. I hate this disease and what it has done to my life and I hope there will a cure and or better treatments one day. I do consider myself very lucky that I survived all of this and that so far I can afford to keep myself alive with the treatments we do have available.