I was diagnosed 26 years ago and at that time there weren't any meters easily available for diabetics. You had to urinate in a cup and then add a chemical to the urine, shake it and then check the color against a color chart. We had the test in my house because my mother was a diabetic.

I remember when I first did that test. I had been ill for a week and felt terrible. My only symptom was thirst and had stupidly taken to gulping down orange juice mixed with water. My mother had been diabetic for years but no one really thought I had it. I was just sick. Well, I was really sick but I had the idea I had lost weight and went on the scale. I had dropped 10 pounds in one week!

That's when the idea I might also have diabetes entered my mind. I took the urine test and the color came up bright orange -- the worst color. On to the doctor and hospitalization. My ketoses were high and it took a week to get me balanced.

What's your story?

Well.. when i was little, as little as i can rember i used ot go to teh doctor every three months for a series of shots and had to pee in a cup and he woudl take blood.. then he woudl give me this needle with clear liquid and tell my mom i could not eat for about 45 minutes, then he told her what I could have....
that was back in 1963/1964.

When I was 7 he told my mom I " May have something simialr what geralds mom and dad have but its not realkly teh same" he pout me ona strict diet and gave me thyroid pills.
Grandma, grandpa and great grandparents were all diabetic.
At the age of 8 he said I had something similar to diabeets, but itys borderine, i coudl go either way...........

Up until I was 13 I woudl go every threemonths for a series of shots and tests. always the same thing..........

When we left for other parts i had my weight under control for teh most part, i just wanst hungry but I was always thristy.

Skip foward to 1976, i went ot teh doctor because i had lost sight in one eye, blood sugar was at 185 fasting. I passed out and they gave me orange juice. I went up to 215.. no indication no doctor pinpointed it.

skip foward again to 1988, i was pregnant with my daughter GTT indicated that i had mild diabetes, but was controllable on a slightly high fiber high protein diet. Lucky for me i always ocmplied with diet requests.
I was actually 10 weeks away from my due date.

Fast foward to 1996 I developed Pouemocytis pneumonia with infectious conjunctivitis. I was a mess. My blodo levels showed nothing. I had gone to eating practically nothing. Afterwards hwoever i balooned up to 310!

June 1996 I slept for three months. I have no reccolecction of teh summer of that year I dropped 112 pounds......

Then all the blodo tests showed i had no platelets and a sky high white count. Luekemia? Blood sugar level continually stayed at 285

fast foward to liberation \2000
I had developed what we thought was a boil on teh inside of my right leg......
i suffered for about two weeks and hubby took me to the ER. to which teh ER nurse asked if I was diabetic. I said no,, but i happily agreed to take the meter test. YaY! i was diabetic. I was thrilled to hear the news.... Imean extatic. They thought I was nuts. She said she sent the sample to teh lab for plasma calibration 412 was the official number. more insulin in my IV.. my feet stopped bruning, my hands stopped tingling.
I explained to her thatI was happy that I finally had confirmation thatI had suspected all along and now i can relax and have it taken care of........

a day after the leg surgery i was up, making my bed. The DE came in and sat with me for an hour and went over everything.. gave me my meter and took to it like a duck takes to water.......
That was July 27th at 3AM the day of my liberation..................

I am now free on insulin, and i am notbeholding to amajor diet anymore. I am slowly loosing weight, the last 50 pounds.
Since then I went on to be a DE, write a diabetes handbook that was accepted by the Inida ministry of health as a pictoral guide, left medicine, Earned three presidential physical fitness awards working on my last, climb waterfalls, day hike, snorkel, and have a fairly easy small job.

Iknwo it doesnt make sense, but since DX my life has become more free...
sure i have ot watch what I eat, but with insulin oif i eat a bit too much or indulge a little i have immediate control.
I turned type 1 four years ago when my pancreas finally exhausted itself form continued stimulation with orals.
And i am happy that i use insulin........

julie

then