I have a 7 year old daughter from my first marriage. I remarried when she was 4 to my now ex husband. Our divorce was final last month. Our marriage was stressful to begin with, it was a relationship I never should have been in. Somewhere deep down I knew that. I can't truly express the amount of stress I was under, but I have never felt that way in my life. I am sure that it was all that stress from the divorce that triggered my diabetes.

Anyway, I went on a diet, I was a size 10, and wanted to be a size 6. So I was being very calorie conscious. I still wasn't sleeping well because I was getting up in the middle of the night SO thirsty, and drinking probably between 4-5 gallons of liquids every day, and constantly in the bathroom. I didnt think anything about losing the weight because I was trying to. One morning I got up and I was fixing my makeup, this was in December, and when I stood up, my leg was asleep from the knee down. A tingly feeling like it was trying to wake up. It never did that day, it was like that until after I got diagnosed, correctly, I will get to that in a minute. It scared my dad to death and he kept on me until I went to the doctor. Well, the doctor said it was a pinched nerve and it would go away in a few days. I let it go.

A friend of mine came to visit me for New Years. My daughter was at my parents house, so we went out. Had the best time, and I got so unbelievably drunk. I never drink or even go out much, but I lived it up that night! Well, two days later, on January 2, we went to dinner, 2 of my friends, and my daughter and I. I was so irritable, and moody, and I could have bitten someones head off. I was so thirsty, I know the waiter could have killed me. I made my friend stop at the grocery store on the way home so I could get something to drink. I was so thirsty I actually felt mad, if that makes sense. Well, we got to my house, and she is a type 1 diabetic, and she told me to test my blood sugar. She was going to South Carolina the next day where she lived, and she wanted it tested before she left. I said, "No thats stupid, forget it." She kept on and on, and finally I said OK. Well, I tested it and it just said HI. She looked panicked and said wash your hands and do it again. I was sitting there thinking what is the big deal? So I did it again, and again it said HI. She told my daughter to go get her jacket, that we were going to the hospital. We went to the hospital, and I didnt want to call my family, because still I thought I was being silly. They took me back, my sugar was 717, and they said my urine was over 1000. I knew nothing about diabetes, and I couldnt understand why they wouldn't let me go home. They actually did let me go home about 4 hours later, which my endocrinologist (thank god I found him) told me they never should have done. I went to see my family Dr. who diagnosed me as type II. I saw him for 2 weeks. They did an A1C which came back as a 12.2. I asked him to send me to a specialist, and he said it wasn't necessary. I asked him to send me to a class to explain it, and he did, and the nurse there urged me to find an endocrinologist, she said by looking at me and my test results, she thought I had been misdiagnosed. I am 5'4, 128 lbs, low blood pressure, 29, active. None of the type II profile. I called and found an endocrinologist who would see me. This was January 15. They told me they could get me in March 4. I started crying and told the nurse what was going on. My sugar was still in the 350-400 range consistently, and they had me on a huge dose of glucophage and actos, and I was sick as a dog! She had my emergency room records faxed to her, and called me back and said nevermind, be here first thing in the morning. The endo did an A1C which came back as a 13.1. He did more tests and said I was definitely a type 1. He put me on insulin in his office and started me on Novolog 70/30. I am now on Lantus and Novolog for meals.

I live alone with my daughter and had to explain to her as much as I could about this, and post a large note on the refrigerator for her to call and what to do in case of an emergency. I read your site and cried. I cant imagine having a child with this, or how a child must feel having this. It is hard enough for me, and I turned 30 yesterday!

I think I am in the honeymoon phase now. I am taking the Lantus at night, but I haven't had a need for the Novolog during the day much. My sugars are generally under 200 now. I can recognize the mood swings. I was terrified of what might happen when I was diagnosed. When they put me on insulin, I was afraid I would gain a lot of weight. I haven't gained back but about 3 lbs, and they said that was fluids from my being so dehydrated. I guess thats because even though the diabetes in itself would have caused me to lose weight, I put so much effort into healthy eating and weight loss before I was diagnosed.

My endo is wonderful, and my family has been extremely supportive. Financially this disease will break you. Even after insurance, the costs are so high. My parents have had to help with insulin, and Dr. visits. Which bothered me at first, but if the situation were reversed, I would help them.

Its so much information to try and take in, and counting carbs, and taking shots, all that on top of being a single mom, and constantly running somewhere and doing something, and working full time! Reading your site made me feel better. If Ashley handled it this well, and she is a child, I feel very selfish getting so angry at the world, and upset, and scared. Thank you for posting it!

Amanda Keown
Lebanon, TN