I was terrified when I found out I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I did not know what to expect, but through time I became comfortable with my new lifestyle and you will too!
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of nine. I did not fully understand what was happening, and to be honest I was terrified. In most diagnosis stories people gain many symptoms that lead them to think they could potentially have T1D. These symptoms could include being constantly fatigue, increased thirstiness, frequent urination, hunger, dizziness, blurred vision, or even changes in ones mood. For me, I did not show any prominent symptoms that concerned me or my parents. Instead, I was at my normal physical checkup where my doctor had me urinate in a cup, and because we had no concerns we left to head home. On our drive my doctor called my mom to inform her that he noticed a large amount of sugar in my urine and it was necessary for me to go to the hospital as I most likely had diabetes.
Being in the hospital I was not too sure what was going on. All I understood was now that I had diabetes I had to check my blood sugar by pricking a needle in my finger to get a small amount of blood that a device could read as my blood sugar. For a nine year old, that was weird. I also had to accept that I would have to get shots multiple times a day. This was one of the scariest things for me to hear because growing up I was terrified of getting shots. I was the kid who would hide under my doctors desk when needing my flu shot, so I was thinking how could I go the rest of my life getting shots every single day? But I learned that this was something I would just have to get used to. Being young this was very hard to understand, but through time I realized that if I avoided this my body would just feel worse. Having a small pinch from a shot definitely outweighed the symptoms I would get with high blood sugar. Being able to accept this routine takes a huge amount of time, but I am so happy that there are other ways to get insulin, such as the pump, which have made my life so much easier.
After spending two days in the hospital, I gained a better idea of what my life would turn to. That I would have to check my blood sugar around six times a day, get insulin whenever I ate, and have to monitor where my blood sugar was so I could feel and perform my best. Doing this at the hospital was easy because I had trained nurses who were taking care of me, but the moment I found I had to go home I burst into tears. Sounds weird right? I was finally able to head home and I was so upset by it. Believe me I did not like staying in the hospital, but instead I starting crying because I did not trust that my parents would be able to take care of me. Looking back, that was one of the craziest things I could have ever thought. My parents have done an amazing job with me, and to be completely honest I feel they know my body and diabetes better than any doctor. Of course, at the time they were probably just as terrified as I was, but they managed everything in the best way possible. I cannot extend the amount of appreciation I have for them. Waking up in the middle of the night to check my numbers, learning a new lifestyle of counting carbs and calculating insulin, and even now being in college they are still so involved. I am four hours away and they still check in on me and my numbers to make sure I am always okay.
Being diagnosed with diabetes can be terrifying, but it is manageable. The amount of support you gain from the people around you is amazing. T1D should not hold anyone back from pursuing any dream they may have. I mean take it from me, I got diagnosed on a Thursday, spent the night in the hospital and then on Saturday I played in my hockey game. To this day I am still very active in sports, playing ice hockey at the collegiate level; and diabetes has not held me back in any way.
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