Diabetes, what is your personal experience? How did you find out you had it?

Answer 1

I lost a lot of weight, was extremely tired, extremely thirsty and kept having to go to the bathroom. That was 20 years ago when I was a child (jr high). Now, its my lifestyle! But my family benefits from the diet. I am a healthy male in my 30s with 3 kids. Im in better shape than my friends who are not diabetic. Trying to get Life Insurance is a killer though! (LOL)

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Diabetes runs on both sides of my family, for me it was more when would I get it, not will I get it. When I went to my doctor for a regular check up, he told me I was borderline diabetic, and to watch what I eat, which I already did for the most part. I've learned since then, if your borderline diabetic, you are a diabetic. It's been three years since I was diagnosed.

I knew months before I was diagnosed that I had diabetes, I knew the symptoms, I was in total denial, in fact I was the queen of denial.

The first thing I did when the doctor made it official, (YOU ARE A DIABETIC) besides taking my meds, was get a glucose meter and started taking my glucose 3X's a day. I now take it 5X's a day. Then I started to get my team together, including an endocrinologist, diabetics teacher and a dietitian, this was tough, I went through a lot of people before I found my team.

Like most people I hate needles, and I had a staring contest with my lancer before I got up the nerve to take my own blood.

I started out with pills, moved to Byetta, which had to be injected, another staring contest, then I moved on to insulin and now I'm on an insulin pump and have the best control I have ever had. So there is a light maybe not a bright light but a light none the less at the end of the tunnel.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I've been a diabetic since I was four (4) years old. I am now in my late thirties, and have rebelled against every bit of practical advice, medical or otherwise, since the age of six (6). I don't do anything, save taking my insulin on a daily basis, that promotes the typical 'good diabetic' lifestyle; I live on coffee (w/cream and sugar), iced tea, and don't follow a diet. I eat what I want, when I want. My daily exercise regimen consists of light housework and walking to and from the coffee-maker. To date, the only serious complications I've suffered are the loss of an eye when I was eighteen (18), and the recent diagnosis of Level III kidney failure. Why do I live like this? Well, people tell me that my life expectancy is greatly reduced, and I simply tell them that 'life' involves LIVING; otherwise, it's simply existing. My philosophy is that I can EXIST to be eighty or so, or I can LIVE, taking chances and experiencing things that I would have otherwise missed out on. Life should not be defined by the number of years a person is alive; rather, it should be defined by the experiences one has while alive. Certainly, I might die sooner than the status quo, but at least my time will not have been passed in fear and inactivity. In most cases, this is NOT the type of thing you'll read about in any article, or find at the other end of an information link. I am neither suicidal, nor unhappier with life than most; I am simply taking the best shot that I can at LIVING. Good Luck in your Search for Real-Life Experiences regarding Diabetes "Sweets"!

Answer 6

Went for a routine medical and the blood test revealed it. I took on board the advice given about diet etc and over a very short period, I think 4 months, I lost 3 stone in weight. Subsequent tests have shown that I have effectively reversed the diabetes and I keep to a fairly strict diet which causes me no hunger but I avoid all fats, strong and too many alcoholic drinks, no cakes or biscuits and of course no sugar.
I am probably more healthy now as a type 2 diabetic than I was previously.

Answer 7

Well, I have gestational diabetes, but I found out through a random glucose test which came back high. Then I had the glucose tolerance test, which came back even higher! Thinking back I should've known...I was gaining weight really fast for no reason, and I was thirsty ALL the time. I wasn't peeing more than normal, as I'm 32 weeks so peeing a lot IS normal.
I was so mad and so sad about it...I thought all my sweet tooth cravings had given me diabetes...but the diabetes educator said it had nothing to do with it. The diet is really not fun, but I know it won't be for much longer. I don't mind testing my blood sugar, but it really is hard on me when they are higher than they should be.

Answer 8

Over a period of a couple of months I started feeling extremely tired but didn't feel I could go to the doctor about that, but when I developed some painful, sore, itchy patches that wouldn't respond to any treatment, I thought it was time to make an appointment. I donated a large sample of blood and was called back to the surgery a couple of days later and told I have diabetes. That was the day before my birthday!

With Christmas coming up as well, I was told to make an appointment in January when I would be 'sorted out', in the meantime to take it easy and not to worry.

I knew nothing about diabetes, so paid a visit to a bookshop and chose a couple of books out of many. One of them was a BDA, now Diabetes UK, book and included recipes. It was a relief to find out that I didn't have to make any changes to my diet. Oh, and it was a relief to find out what was wrong with me as I had been imagining far worse.

Apart from the inconvenience of having to take tablets and do blood tests, I think the worst experiences I have had relate to ignorant people who insist that to have diabetes means you are fat and live on a diet of sugar. Other people treat you as if you're not a human being, and tend to shun you.

Answer 9

Well in some respects I was lucky. My gran had Diabetes for most of the time I knew her. My dad had Diabetes. My step-dad had Diabetes. My uncle had Diabetes. Looooot of Diabetes in different branches of my family. So, being morbidly obese I knew there was a fair chance the damn thing was gonna get me. I was in college when it did, and people have mentioned the main things - exhausted - I mean can't-keep-your-eyes-open, sleep for a day kind of exhausted. Peeing almost constantly. Thirsty as hell. Don't know if anyone else has mentioned the insane, incendiary rage though? When I ate wrong, I'd get furious with the stupidity of people, the existence of people, simply want to stab them and move on. Total madness. Did a test, and had ketones in my urine, which was diagnostic.

Was on diet control for the best part of a decade, shifted to oral medication when it no longer seemed to be controlling it. Now on maximum medication because essentially I've had some dumbass times of non-compliance, and now I have a little liver damange and a little eye damage because of it. So now I'm on "probation" to get my blood back under control and postpone the shift to injecting Insulin for a while.

Answer 10

Was getting lots of headaches, tired and sleepy all of the time, and would get dizzy on occassion. Diabetes runs in my family, and I had just lost my Mother to complications of diabetes a month before I was diagnosed. Big lifestyle change, and I try every day to eat what I'm supposed to eat, and stay away from the bad stuff. But, it's very difficult. I have to keep in mind that I want to be around for my kids, as they are still young, and that's what motivates me to keep trying.