Living the Life--Type I Diabetes: Know the Signs

World Diabetes Day

My kids have it rough.  If they complain of being thirsty too often or have to pee more frequently than usual, they are subjected to a series of finger pokes and blood sugar checks.  Whether they think about it  or not, along with my nose to one and my legs to the other, I may have also passed along the genes/propensity to get diabetes. 

I'm careful with them because I know the signs. If my parents had known what to look for, my diagnosis would have been much less dramatic.  But this is me friends, so I suppose anything short of dramatic would have been out of character. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my blood sugar was over 800 and I was in full ketoacidosis--I struggled to breathe, I couldn't stop puking, I was hallucinating, and I couldn't stand or move on my own.  If we had waited any longer for treatment, I would have gone into a diabetic coma, and the odds of coming out of one of those aren't pretty.  But I did receive treatment, and every day since I have been figuring out how to live with it.  

This week was World Diabetes Day (November 14th).  According to the International Diabetes Association, the number of people with diabetes is increasing in every country and within a few years, the United Nations has determined that it will be at pandemic levels throughout the globe.  So friends, know the signs.  Be aware of them in your children for Type I and yourself and those older for Type II.  Here's a quick run down:

-Excessive thirst
-Frequent urination
-Lack of energy
-Weight loss 
-Frequent infections/illnesses
-Headaches/difficulty concentrating

There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent me from getting Type I diabetes, and hindsight is always 20/20.  Knowing the symptoms is key to prevention in Type II at least, and the sooner you catch Type I, the easier it is to control within the first few months.    Life may be rough for my kids that's for sure.  But if we can avoid the drama my family and I went through all those years ago, it's definitely worth the finger pricks now and then.