Diabetes Awareness Month

November is diabetes awareness month, and in honor of this I thought I would reminisce and tell the story of my diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. Some diabetes info for you first:

1. There are two types of diabetes, types 1 and 2.
I have been blessed with type 1.

2. Type 1: people with this type of diabetes produce very little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes require daily injections of insulin to survive.

3. Type 2: people with this type of diabetes cannot use insulin effectively. People with type 2 diabetes can sometimes manage their condition with lifestyle measures alone, but oral drugs are often required, and less frequently insulin, in order to achieve good metabolic control.

4. At least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes; this figure is likely to be more than double by 2030.

5. Around 3.2 million deaths every year are attributable to complications of diabetes; six deaths every minute.

6. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

It all happened the summer before I started 6th grade. Looking back on that time all my family members now recognize the warning signs and symptoms of diabetes such as frequent thirst, urination, and weight loss. At the time my parents and family attributed them to the fact that it was summer in Florida, and always 100 degrees outside. Playing outside in that heat for hours would make any kid thirsty, right?

A few weeks before school was to start back we were going to have our last hooha of summer. We planned on going to my Aunt and Uncle's lake house about an hour away from home and spend the weekend. I was SO excited. I always loved that lake house and the time we all spent there! We went to the lake and the first night after eating McDonald's I became violently sick. I remember sleeping on the mattress on the floor in the spare room trying so hard NOT to throw up. I lost the battle and cried out for Mom. Mom stayed up with me all night. We had no idea what brought this on, perhaps something bad in my happy meal earlier?

I do not remember all the details, but I am sure my Mom does! All I know is that I was very, very sick. We went home and Monday Grandma came to stay with me while Mom and Dad went to work. Monday was bad. I remember being so tired from throwing up, that I could not walk to the bathroom to throw up anymore. I felt so exhausted and just wanted to be a normal kid again. No child should ever feel like this! When Mom came home from work I was crying and could not stop. There was this odd pain, I remember it vividly. I told Mom my heart hurt in between gasps for air. At that point we rushed to the hospital.

Upon entering the ER, Mom told the story, gave them my symptoms and so on. Blood and urine was taken for tests, and immediately a diagnosis made with my blood sugar over 800-I had type 1 diabetes. I needed to be taken to the nearest Children's Hospital which was about an hour away. I was taken via ambulance with Mom following. I remember asking the drivers if they were the men who came to take care of my Great Grandma when she was sick, though Mom says I was completely out of it...so maybe I was dreaming. There was a fine line between me and a diabetic coma, and I was very close to crossing it!

Next thing I remember is waking up in a dark hospital room with Mom sleeping in the chair next to my bed. She woke up when she heard me and told me that everything was going to be okay, that I was sick but would get better. I had diabetes, type one diabetes and would have to take insulin shots. WHAT? The only thing I knew about diabetes was that Stacey from the Babysitter's Club had diabetes. My best friend Keri and I loved reading Babysitter's Club books and they frequently mentioned Stacey and diabetes. I was not alone, because not many people in my family were familiar with the disease; non familiar with Type 1 and a 12 year old who has it. I did not have that many visitors in that room in ICU, but when I was moved up to the 5th floor I did. Family members were always there visiting and Dad and Hunter too!

So now the training classes start, for about a week we had several classes to go to. We had to learn everything; how to measure food, how to count carbohydrates, how to determine the amount of insulin to inject, how to give insulin injections, how to check my blood sugar, when to check my blood sugar, what to do on sick days when I could not keep any food down, how to monitor blood sugar during exercises...and much more. We needed a lot of information, and we got it fast!

I am so grateful for my outstanding family who was there with me every step of the way. Thank you all for learning how to care for me, and letting me know what I was not on this journey alone. I do not know where I would be without the support and love of my family and also the knowledge of the staff at Wolfson's Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic. Their classes and helplines were helpful for years!

I remember many things about those days in ICU and that week on the 5th floor! I remember asking to call Keri (my BFF and Maid of Honor) but not telling her I was in the hospital. Her mom gave her the news after our phone conversation. I remember Aunt E bringing me some of Mandi's clothes so I did not have to wear hospital gowns. I remember Uncle Chuck offering to have his nose pricked with a needle when I was crying because they were going to prick my finger and I was scared. I remember the activity room and all the crafts that I got to do there! And, most of all I remember our diabetes Educator Pamela telling us not to let diabetes run our lives and reminding us that everything is written on paper with pencil-not on stone.

That is my diabetes story, well most of it-all that I could remember! Promote diabetes awareness this month and contribute to your local diabetes organizations. Together we can find a cure to this disease!!