The beginning

Aged 12yrs old 14 days till my 13th birthday looking forward to becoming a teenager and all the drama that comes with it. However at the beginning of January I had lost quite a bit of weight my family and I just thought it was down to pubity. But I had also had this incredible black hole for thirst I had managed to drink 12 bottles of 2lt fizzy pop in the space of a week. My eyes also began to blur and found myself constantly on the toilet (the never ending pee) so off to the doctors me and my mum went. After taking a blood test ( blood sugar was 22.0mmol average blood sugar for a non diabetic was between 4-7) and urine sample (ketotic) the results were in I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and booked into the hospital the next day where my life would change forever. I wasent scarred I think when your a child nothing can bring you down you think your invincible to everything I had heard of diabetes as both my Nan's were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later on in life and yes there's 2 types.

* Type 1 is often referred to as juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a form of diabetes mellitus that is most common in children but can be diagnosed at any age. The cause of type 1 diabetes are different than those for type 2 diabetes though the mechanism for development of both diseases are unknown. Theories include the possibility that a virus may stimulate the auto immune response. As more insulin producing cells in the pancreas are killed off, the body can no longer control it's blood glucose levels and the symptoms of diabetes begin to appear. Type 1 inability to produce insulin.

* Type 2 diabetes is a globally common metabolic disorder affecting over 2 million people in the UK alone. Type 2 is normally diagnosed in adults however the ever growing of obese children is can now also be diagnosed in children too. Type 2 resistance to insulin

And for goodness sake get them right unless you want to make make us type 1s angry!

And back to the hospital I had to watch a video (yes I know an actual VIDEO) explaining this to me (it didn't make sense) information over load. I did my first injection myself  it didn't hurt but the pen was actually quite heavy to hold and the insulin smelt revolting back then it was pig insulin it was really cloudy (I remember thinking hope I don't turn in to a pig.) I always had to take it half an hour before a meal I was on a small fixed dose then (as they call this the honeymoon period as your pancreas is still producing insulin if that's the honeymoon period I now want a d'ivorce) I had to dial it up myself and I only had to have 2 injections a day can still remember the name mixitard 30. At the beginning the only thing I really hated was checking my blood glucose pricking my fingers hurts a lot. and still does to this day I would much rather have an injection rather than do this 4-6 times a day. Like today I can prick my finger and blood would come out of a totally different hole I some times feel like a professional pin cushion. I had to grow up faster than other children my age as this illness was a huge responsibility I knew there was no cure just management but I was a child the constant questions of why me, why now I didn't know anyone else who had it and who was my age I was the only child in secondary school who had it. Unfortunately my grandad was diagnosed with liver cancer the same day and passed away just under a month later it was quite a hard time for us all but I managed to get my blood sugars under control and went back to school on the Monday and that's when it all began I'm different.

Charcot part 3

Well last Friday was my recent foot check up and it went very well despite the 3hr appointment time but they treat everybody's problems for as long as there needed and that's why it's very time consuming. The waiting room was rammed as it usually is I don't know if its the same in every hospital but our foot clinic only runs two days a week and if there's an emergency people get shuffled (like I did so I don't moan). There are too many chairs in the waiting room as the majority of us are in wheelchairs I'm sure it would make more sense to remove some other wise you get dumped by the water fountain. Some wheelchair users really do need L plates not me I'm fantastic my nurse has already put me down for wheelchair rugby! But it's an option. I was called in by the chiropodist (not the nasty one she hurts) my feet were fine no heat and non swollen (smug) I have my scan next week and my doctor is very confident that its possible my air casts might eventually come off. She even booked me in to have my feet measured the same day yay! The doctor was lovely he measured my feet and I had to put my feet in this strange box that sank when I put my feet in very weird experience  . Then I got to pick my sexy new shoes (snort) those catalogues really do know justice and they should be here in 4 weeks. I have funny feet apparently my big toe is not flat from underneath to the end of my little toe. However he thinks I may only need special soles eventually so I can't complain and also my heel now clicks but let's see what the scan says first fingers crossed. Although I was having a conversation with my friend only last week that if my feet have crumbled I would rather amputate then surgery (theres been times when i wanted to hack it off myself its been that painful) and I would like one of those blade legs (do I get a discount on shoes if I only need one shoe or should I save it for someone who had the opposite leg off) my friend just laughed and said you've really thought about that haven't you my reply was yes.

Diabetes burnout

I'm sure I'm like most diabetics that I tend to get bored of checking my blood sugar and carbohydrate counting its like a faze I go through. Sometimes I'm brilliant at it and sometimes I just wanna scream at my blood machine for telling me my blood sugar is high when I've not eaten anything. Apparently it's called diabetes burnout and its extremely common amongst all type 1s i just thought it was depression? When i get it its often eating time every time I eat its a chore and sometimes I think it would be so much easier not to eat at all surely my blood sugars will be stable then? Wrong! I forgot to add that one biscuit I ate 2 hours ago (bitch blood machine knows everything!) I don't know if there's something you can do to stop yourself getting diabetes burnout maybe it's just part of life and the illness itself or if its just a quick reminder that i have it 24hrs a day 365 days a year no holidays! And that you just need a good kick up the bum and to sort yourself out but luckily today is a good day! :) Right where's the biscuits?! Yes pump I can hear you (don't forget to bolus, bolus, bolus.....