Laugh your heart out. dance in the rain. cherish the moment. ignore the pain. live. laugh. love. forgive&forget. Life's too short to be living with regrets.

My run with diabetes hasn't been the greatest, but since I've had it for so long, I can't image what life would be like with out all of the injections and multiple daily tests!

I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when I was just 18 months old. It took the doctors 4-5 days to figure out what was wrong with me. I guess it wasn't obvious! A few months later I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

From what my parents tell me, we had pretty good control when I was younger. My Endo, who was the only one in town, retired. So, I was left without an endo for quite sometime. I suffered my first DKA when I was 4 years old. I was hospitalized for a week. Going through grade school wasn't a huge deal. My friends were really supportive, and wanted to learn more about both of my "diseases." I missed a lot of class in 2nd grade, as my sugars would always drop low. Jr. High was alright. I started seeing a new endo, so it was rough trying to get things regulated and consistent. My blood sugars were consitently high, with the occasional lows, it was never where it was supposed to be. High school was an experience. I found myself going to the nurse at least 2-3 times a day with extreme highs and lows. We talked to my endo about this, and he said that it was all just a part of having diabetes, and that we didn't need to change any insulin or anything, just to live with it!!! WHAT?! i remember my A1C's in high school being right around the 9-10 mark. not good.
I stopped seeing my endo when I began college. I sometimes saw the diabetes educator they had on campus at the health center, but he wanted me to change insulin without supervision, and I didnt think that was a good idea, at all, so I didnt' do it. With the added stress that college brings, I found myself having highs and a few lows, and sometimes even in the okay range! UNTIL--this past school year, which was my junior year. Back in late march I had really high sugars-like the meter said "HI"-which is never a good thing. These were consistent highs. I wound up going to the health center because I thought I had the flu or somethings. Turns out I was severely dehydrated, and had slight ketoacidosis, but they said that after some IV fluids I'd be good to go. Well, I was for only two weeks.

By mid to late April of this year (2009) I was thirsty all the time, and had to use the bathroom allllll the time, ya know like how you are right before you're diagnosed? Well that's what it was like, except I'd had diabetes for almost 16 years at this point! I checked my keytones and they were at the highest that they could go, and I also tested the glucose level in my urine, and it was at the highest that it could go. I called my parents freaking out about what was going on, as I was so sick to my stomach, and had tons and tons of projects and papers and exams were just around the corner! I called the ER to get their take on things, and they told me to get in there ASAP! (and not to drive myself!) I went into the ER that night with a blood sugar of 755. I was put on IV's and tons of blood work was done. I also had a very low potassium level, which is very bad for your heart (my pathophysiology class taught me that!) My bi-carbonate level was an astounding 20. Anything over 15 is considered DKA. So obviously I was now in full blown DKA. When the nurses were trying to get my hospital gown on me, I full out passed out. I think I freaked out my friend who was with me. Once my sugars were down, the doc admitted me overnight for observations. I was finally moved up to the cardiac floor at 3 AM!! I had extreme highs and lows my first night in the hospital. I went from a good number down to 30 after giving my novalog. I then spiked up to 405. That continued for the next 2 days. They finally took me off novalog, and put me back on R. It was better but there was still the extreme highs and lows. i was in the hospital for 4 and a half days, and was put on lantus insulin the day before I went home.

The sugars are much better now, for the most part. My highest number has been 345, which occured today (7/9/09). I've had so many lows though! anywhere from 29 and up. The only thing I don't like about Lantus, is that it's made me gain weight. I lost a lot when I was in the hospital, but I've gaid 30 back. :(

I'm really hoping for the One Touch PING pump! I really think that I would benefit from having it. And it's pretty discrete, so it's good for an on the go and active college student!

Plus, I'm really glad I found this site, and only wish that I could have found it sooner! :)