Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My Diabetes History

I have heard of people who keep a "food journal" while they are dieting, so I figure maybe I can keep a "diabetes journal" to help me keep better control of my sugar, and to help me cope with it.  It definitely can't hurt, so I am going to give it a try.  But first, some history about my diabetes.

I was diagnosed in 1998, when I was 22 years old.  It is kind of a strange age to be diagnosed.  Too old to have T1 (Type 1, previously known as "juvenile" diabetes) and too young to have T2 (Type 2, previously known as "adult-onset" diabetes.)  I was in a strange type of limbo.  My doctor put me on pills, and I went through Diabetes Education classes, to learn how to count my carbs (carbohydrates.)  I met with a Dietician, who came up with a meal plan for me, setting how many carbs per meal and snacks I could eat.  It worked for about a year, and then it didn't.  Next step, insulin shots, also following
my meal plan.  Giving myself shots was an adjustment, but I did it.  I saw a new doctor, who was also curious as to if I was T1 or T2, so she ordered a C-peptide test to confirm the diagnosis.  It came back that I am definitely a T1, which meant I would be taking insulin for the rest of my life.

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