[blacklightmike]

Very brave and wise for one so young, Gobbly. Your story resonates with me deeply... though I am 25 years older, mine is not much different... I was actaully eating pretty well, but not monitoring much... after eight years of Diabetes, Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Hypothyroidism, I was getting tired of being the 'sick' person, and began to concentrate on my other maladies instead of my sugar.

Fast forward to a month and a half ago... I developed a fever and chills, spent 24 hours in bed with no food (or desire to eat at all), just drinking water and peeing every hour. A tremendous pain welled up in my left leg, and when the fever broke, I was left with a purple, swollen shin that hurt so bad, clothing and bedsheets hurt.

I wound up in the hospital ER, thinking I would get an antibiotic and go home. Instead, I was admitted with an A1C of 250, my kidney function at 55%, osmotic diuresis and cellulitis. I had just watched a friend go through a similar situation six months prior, and he lost his leg in the process.

I'm on insulin now, having only been on oral meds before, my diet is stellar, and my 30 day BG average is 101. I feel as if I've been reborn, and shy of becoming a militant former sugar abuser, I hope horror stories like ours will wake someone up who may be in denial about their diabetes.

BTW, no slush puppies, but I did eat a bagel on the way to the hospital... the last one I've had since.