I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about four years ago. I hadn’t felt well for such a long time. Deb, my wife, had been begging me to go to our family doctor and find out what was wrong. I didn’t want to go so I faked an appointment and told her that the doctor said everything was fine. She said, “I still smell a sweet chemical odor on your breath, you’re always thirsty, and you go to the bathroom several times during the night. I know that something is very wrong with you!” The next day when I came home from work she told me that she had called the doctor and found out that I had not gone in for an appointment. She asked me why would I lie about something so serious and did I want to die. I told her that I didn’t want to die and that I’d make another appointment. Deb informed me that she had already made one for the next morning and that she would be accompanying me.

Now, I don’t make it a habit of lying to my wife, but I had not felt well for such a long time. I was convinced that I was dying from a terminal disease. I also have a severe case of white coat fever. Both fears combined had me so terrified. The night before the appointment Deb said something that I will never forget. She said, “I think you have diabetes just like your mom and brother. Don’t you want to live to see our kids grow up?” I fell asleep sometime later with that last question running through my mind.

At the doctor’s office my blood glucose level was tested. The nurse said to me, “Wow! You must have had a big breakfast.” When I told her that I had not eaten anything since 4pm the previous day she looked very concerned. I asked what was the matter and she said, “Sir, your reading is 220 and I am quite certain you have diabetes. Just relax while I get the doctor.” The doctor came in and gave me a brief explanation of what diabetes was, the different types of it, and told me that I should lose some weight and exercise more often. I left the office equipped with my prescription for Amaryl and a reminder to attend diabetic counseling the following Tuesday evening.

The following week went pretty well. I had acquired a glucometer and learned to use it. My blood sugar levels had come down and I was feeling better. I remember thinking to myself that diabetes is not so bad. What’s the big deal? I attended the diabetes counseling session, which was held at my doctor’s office, and met about 30 other diabetics. I thought it was odd that the counseling was being run by the drug company sales people instead of a nurse. I also thought it was more odd that they had supplied a table full of foods for us to eat, most of which was labeled as bad in the diabetic info pamphlets I had read. I finally concluded that either they knew more about treating diabetes than the pamphlets did, or this was their way of making sure we diabetics kept using their medications. I left the meeting feeling very angry and confused.

I began reading everything I could find concerning diabetes. I joined a gym and lost some weight. I kept track of everything I ate and my blood glucose levels in a logbook. My doctor was so impressed with my progress. He said that I was doing great, but that I needed to begin a few medications to protect my body from diabetic complications. He told me he was prescribing Lipitor to reduce cholesterol, Altace to protect my kidneys, Glucophage XR to help with diabetes, and that I also needed to double my dose of Amaryl. He informed me that I had developed diabetes approximately 8 years earlier and that my kidneys had a small dysfunction. I was told not to worry that everything was going great! I had no idea that my A1c level being 12 was a bad thing. I thought that if the doc thinks I’m doing great then it was all I needed to hear. Right? I left his office thinking that having diabetes was no big deal.

Now, four years later I know how big a deal having diabetes can be. It can turn your whole life upside down in a matter of days and sometimes even hours! The end results can have a lasting affect on you.

My daughter had not been feeling well due to having the flu. Around the time she was getting better I began having flu symptoms very much like hers. I had been sick before and was used my blood sugar levels fluctuating. However, after a week I knew that something was very wrong. I had been running a very high fever for the past few nights and had severe chills. When my fasting blood sugar was over 200 for two days in a row I made an emergency appointment with my doctor. He said to take more Glucophage XR and if things weren’t better in a few days to come back. Well, after a few more days of suffering I called in to tell the doc that my fasting blood sugar was over 300. I assured him that I had been eating healthy and that my food was not the cause. I visited his office again and was sent for stat lab work. When the results came in the doctor said that my white blood cell count and sedimentation rate was extremely high. He said that I had some kind of infection and should take few days off from work. He said, “These things take time, especially if you have diabetes. You’ll be fine.”

A few more days pass and my blood sugar climbs to over 400. I’m feeling so sick and now have lymph nodes swollen all over my body. My wife has to drive me to the doctor because I can’t drive myself. The old fears of having a terminal disease return in a big way. My doctor is now very alarmed and orders up multiple MRI’s, x-rays, and blood tests. The MRI’s and x-rays come back clean, but the blood work still shows higher than normal readings. During the following week, while waiting to get into see specialists, I took an anti-biotic, which relieved the lymph node swelling and other flu symptoms. I saw the ear, nose, & throat specialist and the infectious disease specialist, but neither of them could find anything wrong. I returned to my doctor and asked to get a referral to an endocrinologist. I told him that I believed that getting my blood sugar under control would fix everything. He told me that my blood sugar was high due to an infection, but gave me the referral because I persisted. My blood sugar was almost 500 now.

My ordeal had been going on for about four weeks when I walked into the endocrinologist’s office. I had begun to notice a continuous tingling in my right hand and my vision was blurred. I brought copies of every blood test, MRI, and x-ray for the endocrinologist to review. It didn’t take too long for him to see that my body wasn’t making insulin anymore and that I had transitioned to being a type 1 diabetic. I immediately began intensive insulin therapy, and after 5 days my blood sugar levels were back down to under 200. I completed additional blood work and tests. The tests revealed that I had a significant amount of kidney dysfunction, but not enough to require dialysis. Also that neuropathy had caused a 50% loss of feeling in both of my feet and a painful tingling in my hands. I attended a legitimate diabetic education class where a dietitian created a food plan for me. I learned more about diabetes in that eight-hour class than I had in the previous four years.

Today I am feeling much better and my blood glucose levels are better. I have a new respect for diabetes and what it can do to a body in such a short time. I am very thankful to be alive and thank God everyday for my wonderful wife and kids. They have truly been great and have helped me survive this tough time. I just don’t know what I’d ever do without them. I’ve recently learned that I’m 8 points from requiring dialysis using the BUNN/Creatin ratio as the rule of measure. My NEW doctor believes that if we control the blood glucose levels I shouldn’t have to worry about any more complications. I take four insulin injections a day (Novolog fast acting with meals) and Lantus at bedtime for a total of 60-units a day. My blood glucose control is not perfect, even inspite of eating healthy and exercising. It looks like I may have to increase the daily amount of insulin or number of injections to gain better control. If I have to increase either of them I’ll seriously consider going on an insulin pump. I’m just getting tired of everything that goes along with insulin injections.

Diabetes is hereditary on both sides of my family. My 13-year old son is showing early signs of insulin resistance. He is very much into sports and looks athletic. Looking at him you’d never guess that diabetes could be in his future. We have explained the situation to him and helped him to make dietary changes to control his insulin resistance. So far it’s working well, but who really knows what the future holds?

I hope a cure for diabetes is in the near future. The thought of my son having to live with daily injections or oral medications deeply saddens me. However, the reality is that so many children and adults are dealing with diabetes each day and the numbers appear to be growing. I believe educating the public about diabetes and how to live a healthy lifestyle is the key to slowing it down until a cure is found.

Take care and God bless!
Dave Foust
Dave's Diabetic Web