Changes

Well, as some of you already know, on my birthday this year, my life changed forever. I had one week of summer school down. That Saturday the 12th, I woke up and felt really bad. I spent the rest of the day puking. I would vomit and still feel like I had just eaten a full meal. I was having problems breathing as well. I stayed in bed all day and just thought it was a virus. Until..... the next morning when I was still puking. I called a friend around 6 that morning and asked her to come watch Aidan so Bobby could take me to the ER. I was so dehydrated and weak I could barely walk. When I got to the ER the doctor walked in and was talking to me, asking me what was going on. Then, he told me I was diabetic. I told him no. I told him that I had had gestational diabetes but not now. He told me he could smell it on my breath. I told him it was just because I had been puking and hadn't brushed my teeth. He said no, you are diabetic. The nurse took my blood sugar level and it was 3 times what it should be. He told me I was in DKA or diabetic ketoacidosis. This is what people used to die from. Needless to say, it was very bad. They tried to take x-rays and I couldn't even stand up for that. They started fluids right away and told me they were admitting me to the hospital. I had to ride in an ambulance to North cypress hopsital-which is an awesome hospital. I was put in a regular room, and within 10 minutes they moved me to ICU-a little scary. They told me they needed to monitor me very closely for the next 24 hours. I had two different IV's with stuff running through them and the nurses were in there every hour to check everything. I was out of it. They also told me that my potassium levels were dangerously low as well. Having potassium running through you is not fun-AT ALL. I got to move to a regular room the next day and stayed for another 3 days. Needless to say, I am now a Type 1 diabetic who will have to be on insulin for the rest of my life. I have to check my sugar levels 4-5 times a day and give two different injections at least 4 times a day. My doctor says I am a great candidate for the insulin pump-but I am still unsure of that. The sad thing is-I started experiencing symptoms back in March and told my doctor about it and she just blew me off and told me we could test later-so basically it could have not been as bad if she would have just tested me like I asked. Let's just say I will be looking for another doctor. So....now I am having to eat way differently than I used to-which is not all bad. Just a lot to take in all at once. It will take awhile to get everything under control and my doctor always reminds me that if it were 100 years ago I would not still be here talking to him-little overwhelming. So, things have been crazy this last month and believe me... I will never forget this birthday. I didn't even get a birthday cake.