I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the start of my second year of college, just two months ago.
I am about to turn 20 soon. I’m studying Respiratory Therapy, and unlike your average college students, medical students tend to have a healthier lifestyle. I never consumed alcohol, never smoked and rarely drink sugary drinks.
Despite my healthy intentions, I started to developing acne in the middle of my first year of college, and I was falling asleep regularly in class. My friends and I were making fun of it at the time, not knowing those are the early signs of diabetes. As the time passed, I struggled more and more to stay awake during the day, and struggled to focus on studying. I thought this must be the result of stress or boredom–I was wrong.
When I came home for the summer, after my first year of college, my mom almost cried when she first looked on me at the airport. She said I look exhausted and there were just so many pimples on my face. I told her it’s just because of stress from exam-week and the long flight. It will get better once I get some rest.
Thanks to my mom, she convinced me to see doctor, asking if there are some hormone issues related to my acne outbreak and lethargy. Shortly after we told doctor about my symptoms, he sent me to the nurse for blood glucose check and told me to come back next day morning for fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance check, and HbA1C. That’s how I started to know there will be a shadow tailgating me life-long: diabetes.
At the beginning, I didn’t seem to worry so much, according to what I learned from studying diabetes and health in general. I know as long as I can manage my blood glucose level, I won’t get all those terrible complications you always hear about. My mom is the one who really freaked out. I know she cried at midnight and started to blame herself for not protecting me from this disease. I had to keep telling her it’s not her fault. That a young and skinny adult like me can have type 1 diabetes and that is definitely not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. It is an autoimmune disease, coded in my genes since the first day of my birth, and likely triggered by the stress of college. There is nothing she could have done to prevent it.
When I started testing my blood glucose after my meals, the numbers did start to freak me out. The food I loved most is rice. However, it brings my blood glucose level roof-high. My so-called “healthy lifestyle” before is clearly not the right fit to control my blood glucose level now as a type 1 diabetic.
I’ve learned since that I am still in my “honeymoon phase” with my diabetes, so I still have quite a bit insulin secretion. I’m actually still not even taking insulin yet, but instead “Acarbose” is the one medication I am taking. However, this medication makes me feel so gassy and bloated. With this medication, I have to hold tight not to fart in front of my classmates. It sounds funny but…it really isn’t.
I am still struggling, yet I won’t stop fighting. I’ve learned many things since my first diagnoses and my life has changed a lot. As many people do, I cried, cursed and doubted why this has happened to me at the time my life just started, as a new student at college. However, on the other side, I should appreciate diabetes, because it changed me and has already taught me many things. I understood the importance of family, eating healthy and managing stress. Those healthy lifestyles might be the key to protecting me from cancer or other progressive diseases. So thanks to diabetes and my immune-system giving me this early warning sign and for reminding me to live positively and healthily.
Also, this experience has further enforced my interests and passion in health care industry. It encourages me to study hard and work hard to become a qualified respiratory therapist to help other people who are suffering from illnesses mentally and physically every day.
Further reading on type 1 diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Do I Have Type 1 Diabetes?
Causes of Type 1 Diabetes
Photo Credit: Arek Socha (Pixabay) and Adobe Stock Photos
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