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msdebagain
05-23-2007, 11:30 PM
i'm new here, here's some of my story. i'm sorry its so long, but for the first time in 10 yrs i'm finally participating in my diabetes.

i'm type 2, but not a new diabetic. been a non cooperative, poorly managed diabetic since 1997. i ate what i wanted, didnt check my sugars, drank soda, gained weight etc etc. just last year i got a tester, and my sugars were ALWAYS high, when i tested (very rarely). they were 400 and up, sometimes just reading HI. looking at my meters memory, there are some that say 575, 550.

i thought i was invincible. how wrong i was. apr 23 i woke up short of breath, vomiting, pain in my flank (kidney) lethargic. i got some vicodin from my mother in law and just figured it would go away. i dont remember much from that time, but apparently my hub forced me to go to the doctor, who sent me to the ER immediately. i was told if i had waited 1 day i'd have died. i was admitted with liver problems, kidney disease, and dka. my A1C was 14.6, my sugar was 590. i was in the hospital for 7 days. they had me on everything from potassium to insulin. i dont remember much of the first 3 or 4 days there. the doctor told me i had just about every symptom of DKA.

i've been out of the hospital since may 3. i have a bladder infection. amoxicillin didnt work, and i just finished cipro. my sugars were going back up after a week at home, so i am now on glyburide, metformin, actos. they are going back down. i dont have any ketones which is good. i'm also on meds for triglycerides, and i'm on lisinopril and lovastatin.

some GREAT things have come out of this. i'm eating healthy for the first time in my life. it took me all of this time to get my appetite back, so i've lost 41 lbs since april 23. i was overweight, the weight loss is scary, but i needed it. being told you should have died is awful. i drink water all day, EVERY thing i eat is good for me. i am the girl that would rather have the bowl of grease rather than the meat. that has all ended. i eat veggies, pasta, and will be seeing a dietician for the first time ever. i somehow ended up anemic, so i'm slowly getting my energy back, i look like a little drunk when i try to walk, but i go every day.

why am i telling you this? i wish someone would have told me a story like this when i was first diagnosed. for 10 yrs i felt great, never felt sick. until apr 23, a day that changed my life.

Thank you all for reading my longggggg story!

catgalla
05-24-2007, 12:26 AM
Welcome!! Better late than never I always say. I was a bit like you when I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I didn't believe it because I felt fine. I'm not sure what got me into looking more closely at it, probably when I became pregnant with my son. Ever since then I've been really good except my diet could be better but all and all I'm under good control. Well I hope you feel better soon, which you should. Someone's looking out for you!! I bet that scared you to death!! Good luck!! :)

shabbie6247
05-24-2007, 01:42 AM
its important that people understand the 'bad' side of diabetes more.
thanks for sharing your story and welcome to our family here on DF

xMenace
05-24-2007, 04:54 AM
Welcome.

Now you can take your story and set it on the big stack with the rest of ours, hopefully to forget about it. If you are ready to move forward, strap yourself in and lets go! ;)

princesslinda
05-24-2007, 05:29 AM
Welcome MsD! So glad you found the forum...DOUBLE glad you've decided to turn things around healthwise. Your story sounds like that of my mom except that mom never turned her situation around, continued to live in denial and died at 54 after many complications. I wish she had had the courage you are showing right now...she'd have loved watching the grandkids grow up.

Thank you so much for sharing your story....i'm sure it will make many people stop and think about what can happen if we don't do all we can to control our diabetes.

Wishing you a health and happiness on your journey! Keep us posted on how things are going. Hang in there!

Again, Welcome!
Linda

kgm0612
05-24-2007, 06:04 AM
Thanks for sharing your story with us........and WELCOME! You'll find wonderful support here and a ton of information.

Karen

notme
05-24-2007, 08:41 AM
Welcome to the forums Msdebagain. Your story sounds like many of our stories. I am happy to hear you have decided to take control of your life and your diabetes.

msdebagain
05-24-2007, 08:43 AM
how nice to log on and see such supportive responses. I'm sure i will learn a LOT here!

bryan42
05-24-2007, 08:58 AM
So glad your with us! Spend a lot of time here,it is VERY beneficial!

shockme
05-24-2007, 09:08 AM
welcome msdebagain!thanks for sharing your story.it may prevent complacency...happy to hear you're on the right track!take care,trish

Peggy
05-24-2007, 09:14 AM
Thanks for sharing your story. We each have our own but few are as dramatic as yours. You shared it with us as a cautionary tale for others. May I offer you one, too? My husband's story started out very much like yours over 25 years ago with a stay in the ICU with DKA. He came out of the hospital a reformed man, determined to change his lifestyle and be healthy. Since then I have seen him backslide and end up unhealthy again, fortunately only once more with DKA. Please, when you are tempted to relax your vigilance over your diet and exercise, remember how you felt lying in a hospital bed with the doctors telling you how close you came to losing your life! As my own Endo likes to say "Don't let a slip trun into a slide!" Congratulations on turning your life around and best wishes for a healthy future!

msdebagain
05-24-2007, 01:13 PM
Thanks for sharing your story. We each have our own but few are as dramatic as yours. You shared it with us as a cautionary tale for others. May I offer you one, too? My husband's story started out very much like yours over 25 years ago with a stay in the ICU with DKA. He came out of the hospital a reformed man, determined to change his lifestyle and be healthy. Since then I have seen him backslide and end up unhealthy again, fortunately only once more with DKA. Please, when you are tempted to relax your vigilance over your diet and exercise, remember how you felt lying in a hospital bed with the doctors telling you how close you came to losing your life! As my own Endo likes to say "Don't let a slip trun into a slide!" Congratulations on turning your life around and best wishes for a healthy future!

thank you for telling me about your husband. i told my doctor that i would never go back into the hospital again. i now know that i am not invincible. you know? before, when i drank a big gulp and had a greasy taco, no one would argue with me. NOW? i said 'i want something with carbonation' back in the day someone would have brought me a coke. this time? my 13 yr old brought me a club soda. its nice to have everyones 'buy in' this time around :)

GrammyByer
05-24-2007, 02:50 PM
Welcome to the forum and keep on the track that you are on fight now so that you can live to your potential instead of damaging your body. We all wish you the best.