My crazy story

Hello everyone,
If you will take the time to read this mess, I thank you, I may be all over the place, so feel free to ask any questions, also, I’m not 100% sure what all I will be writing, but with that lets begin!?
So for those who don’t know me, my name is Sarah, most people call me Boo, I am currently 21 years old, finished collage and am working full time as a Mechanical Engineer (BIM, Revit, AutoCadd) I have many tattoos, and music is a huge part of my life, along with animals and family…and paying way to many expensive bills. But enough about that stuff, if anyone want to know more feel free to ask, I love to talk, or listen.
So I guess I have been diabetic for about 9 years, sure doesn’t feel like it, coming up on 10 in March…Oh, if you didn’t know I was DX on March 1st, 2008, my birthday is March 7th, yeah, let me tell you that was some month…I remember a lot over the last nine years, though it feels like it has only been a year or so, I remember I was in school, young clearly, and we had taken a field trip to I think like a dine and musical type place, boy did I eat that day, that was a pig out day for what was to come later…I remember getting home an my parents were kind of off, but they were pretty straight to the point, kind of, they just came out and said we have to go to the hospital, and at the age and time I hated needles, doctors, everything, so naturally, I bawled my eyes out, dad comforted me as well as my mom but she was trying to get things together so we could leave, what lead to that point, was my mom was concerned that I lost about 40+lbs within not even a month, don’t remember what all was done, but next thing I knew we were there, and was in the hospital for a handful of weeks, things went okay, but I never took my shoes off, so nurses and doctors knew me as such, and I never talked to anyone because I didn’t want to be there, I just wanted to leave, I think the main thing I hated was the IV, I still can’t stand even the thought of them. So yeah we were there for a good amount of time, my original doctor was a woman, she was not the best to put in nice words, so we had gotten another women who was amazing, I recently just lost her, she up and left for unknown reasons, but along with the stay there, I was not allowed to leave, because get this, I wouldn’t give myself a shot…they wouldn’t let me leave because of that small little thing! Now granted I am sure most of you can but I was not about that life so soon, so my dad yelled at one of the nurses or some doctor, and I left that night, and to this day, I mean I am on the pump now, I do that all on my own, but I can only sometime get myself to give myself a shot it needed, but I still get others to do it to, you know they need to be kept up to date as well, lol. So there we were, trying to just learn things…One main event that had happened, not sure on dates but was more so when first DX, we use to go camping with my grandparents, me and my brother, we had left the house and got something to eat one the drive over the their house, my BG was in the 200s I think, let my mom know, but ate and covered didn’t think anything of it (was on the pump) traded off to the next ride to go camping, we had to stop or go to a store for a coffee pot because the one they had broken somehow, I remember getting a orange soda, think it only had like 7 carbs, well we had gotten back and ate dinner, I didn’t feel too great, but thought it was just homesickness, I really want to go to the arcade to win a prize and all but ran to the restrooms because I felt sick, was real close to being sick but nothing really came up, and I felt pretty good after thinking I was about to, walked out said what happened, but felt good, went to play games or back at the site, came right back, the sickness, I think my mom had called me and my brother, but I let her know, again thought it was just homesickness, but ended up getting sick, was up all night being sick, grandmother gave me medicine that morning, that came up, soda, that came up but did help a little, and yes I was checking my numbers, but the PDM or meter just read “HIGH”, and it all became a mess, my brother called my dad he ended up coming up which was a pretty good drive, and everyone kept telling me do this do that, but I was at about 10%, I couldn’t do a single thing, I was laying on the ground, tired, sick, I was a mess, I think we ended up changing my pump, which we believed to be the problem, but the damage was already done, so we got all my things, and left to go home, surprisingly I didn’t get sick in the car ride home, but we got back home, mom called my doctor, and I was sitting at the table with a trash can, and my mother giving me one big glass of water after another and me just bringing it all back up in the trash, I had nothing in me, but the doctor said to take me to the closest hospital, all I remember from that was not wanting to go, getting in the car, passed out and waking up having to walk in. We went in I sat down to my surprise to be taken rather quick, I was told to sit in anther chair, they got more information, the I was wheeled to a room, they did a whole bunch to me, asked me more questions, had a nurse (man) hit on me but wrong place and time buddy, lol I know he was just trying to cheer me up, I mean I was young. But we ended up being there for a good amount of time, they weren’t allowed to do anything with me so I had to be transferred, to my hospital, an thinking of an ambulance ride, please let it be that, nope…I was terrified, I had to be air lifted because of the state I was is (not us state like my wellbeing state) so we had to wait for that to come, very nice guys whose job they had come in strapped me up an all and loaded me up, one thing I remember was they did check on you while flying they put a headset on you, they didn’t put it on correct, but it was half on, they sit there with you, they made it as enjoyable as possible, so it took a little while to start and stop the helicopter, but we made it to my hospital, unknown to me, my parents said they would meet me, but they did end up leaving going home then meeting me, not a big deal, but yes, they rolled me in, went into the ICU, people in the helicopter chatted with me an all, they left, a nurse came in and stared asking me a boat load of questions, I ended up passing out on her, next thing I know I woke up to see my parents walking in, that’s about all I can recollect, but I was on my death bed, and I am happy to have had my parents the doctor at the time and everyone in the ICU unit, and just everything from everyone, the cards, flowers. I still think I haven’t been 100% since, still very tired…or could be the lack of sleep…But yeah, that was more interesting of a story or nightmare then how I got DX to being with, I clearly have learned from that, and that had been the one major thing to happen in my 9 almost 10 years. Also with the whole get well thing, I had gotten lots of love, I was helping at a daycare, and all the kids made me get well cards, it was the cutest thing, my mom’s friend had sent me flowers, I got so many cards from family, I was very blessed, even the hospital, the Unit of people all sent me things. Since then, I have been doing pretty well, I think we all have our highs and lows (literally) but we still push through, learn and grow. Just some general information, I clearly was MDI for a while, and when I could go on a pump went to a convention type thing to learn about my options at the time, I had chosen the Omnipod, because of what they offered, and my main thing was it was tubeless, and auto insertion, still use it to this day because no one else has made what I am looking for, I had to go in to the hospital to be monitored and figure out numbers and all for when I got it along with at home lesson, but what I remember about that was I couldn’t eat or anything drink even, but it was the fact that I once again had to be at the hospital…I think I had about the whole dang learning students want to come in all day, I was so fed up with it, me and my mom were hiding if we saw them standing outside the door to my room, if we were in the room I told them to tell them no, I just was so fed up, I had meant a few though, one was a girl who was diabetic, she was cool, showed me her pump and was interested in mine, because it was relatively new, also remember back to when I was DX, I didn’t take off my shows, yep, they remembered me when I came back to the whole pump setup thing, lol. I may just jump around here now, but I have had few doctors, like I said I had one nasty one but got rid of her quick for the best one ever, recently just lost her for unknown reasons, while with her I tried seeing this one guy, he was a joke but ended up leaving, but I was done with him after like the send visit so I didn’t care, lost the one I liked, but we found this guy I am with now, he’s not the best, but it’s something. Oh also wanted to add, yes I still dislike going to the doctors and all, mine surprising still works at the hospital, and where my old one was, but everything else doesn’t bother me to much, IV is still an no way, but yeah…

Hmm, I am sure I am missing out a lot more here but that’s all I can think of for the moment. there may be a few mess ups, but I didn’t feel like proof reading this all, lol.
Thanks to those who took the time to read all this mess an rambling.
I’d love to hear any questions you all have.

-ßðð

1 Like

That is indeed a crazy story, quite a ride this disease has taken you on. It sounds like you weren’t taught how to manage the disease very effectively in the beginning. Was this just because you didn’t want to learn, or they didn’t do a good job of teaching you in your first hospitalization?

1 Like

Oh yeah. That was the only crazy thing to have had happened.

I wouldn’t say I didn’t get teached good, I can say I didn’t care to much at first in general heck there are some days you are just fed up, but I didn’t not care to not do anything.

I believe I had changed my Pod that night before or that morning, so I guess my thought was, new Pod no problem, just cover with insulin, should be fine, the fact of then having my number when tested just reading “HIGH” I was already so drained, I would hear do this, and few minutes later I still wouldn’t have moved, and by the time we realized it was the Pod, and I did change it, kinda was just the waiting game, just needed the help of ICU team cause it was that bad. lol.
I try to not look at this as bad, it was a learning experience, I am thankful I didn’t ya know, die.

2 Likes

Great story! Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you went into DKA one or more times early on then?!? That does not sound fun to go through. I’m so glad you adjusted to it well and are doing well in your life!

2 Likes

Yeah, I have been through DKA, lol.

1 Like

That was my same reaction.

The education during our diagnosis was outstanding. It would be difficult to understand the difference without seeing it for yourself. The entire concept of telling a 12-year old during initial diagnosis that it is required to self administer an insulin shot is absolutely staggering. It also does not take weeks for an initial diagnose, stabilization and education absent additional medical issues.

No use crying over spilt milk. It is what it is. But moving on, my suggestion is to be open minded to the possibility that there is a significant amount of information available. Be open to the possibility that people on THIS particular forum have an absolutely unbelievable amount of experience and information. As a Mechanical Engineer you would have the intellect and interest to be able to thrive and excel at your T1 management.

1 Like

It makes me shudder to read some moments on your story! It is amazing how you have had to educate yourself all the way through.

1 Like