us and them

by Ty
(Phoenix)

I was an us. you know, the people who didn't know much about diabetes other than the jokes of limbs falling off, sugar, type I and type II, testing strips and meters, journal entries, etc. etc.

than there is the "thems." That is those who are diabetic and go through a ritual every day of their lives of balancing and controlling their sugar levels.

up until a few days ago of this writing, I was a them for awhile believing I was us. In actuality, it is in reality that us and thems are we. A large percentage, like me, had diabetes and never knew it. Going on our lives, eating whatever the heck we wanted, feeling like crap, but going on our day to day schedules as if we didn't have a clue.

as for clues, I didn't. I should have gotten the hint. I have always eaten a lot of carbs, pastas, noodles, sugary sodas and juices, sweets, etc. Albeit I am a protein lover more, carbs fit in just as well. Blast back several years before my diagnosis, I was at the state fair with my wife. We always wanted to go and every year we never had time for it because of our work schedules or never getting around to it. We had McDonald's for lunch that afternoon; had a giant drink - than funnel cakes, all the bad stuff, saw a health fair tent and went inside where my finger was pricked for a free testing. My number was quite high, don't remember but it wasn't astronomically high, but elevated. The health fair nurse told me I should let my GP or doctor know about these numbers, have blood work done etc. I did that, the numbers were not of a concern as they may have gone down for some reason and my high blood pressure (which I've always had) was their main concern.

Fast forward - the whole month leading to my diagnosis and my "wake-up date/call" I had a voracious thirst for sugary fluids, I drank Gatorade or other sports drinks like mad, and I urinated frequently. So frequently, I would pay a visit to every rest room for wherever I was going. Grocery stores, gas stations, work place (a million times), whatever I was doing in my day to day life activities, urinating was part of it....I counted the worst was over 40+ in one day - that day would be my last. I felt like crap.....fatigued, lost some weight, blurred vision.....it got worse the days leading to my ER.


come my 30th birthday, ate two large heavy bowls of noodles at my mother's house (this will surely be missed) had about 2X 52 oz Gatorade, while peeing what seemed like every 10 minutes. I was taking frequent naps throughout the day - I felt like total crap. My wife took me out to an Italian restaurant where I had spaghetti and meatballs and again and canoli for desert. Throughout that day, I was snacking on chips and other carbs, I even ate sliced pineapple out of a can...wth?!?
That night, I couldn't sleep...my left arm was tingly and numb, I felt very slow, fatigued, urinating all night - and it hit me, like a mini-stroke....I had to go to the ER -

My number was 439 - (thank god I didn't have the urge to eat those Asian noodles that night - I usually make two of them) omg, that probably would have put me in a coma.)

A few days in the hospital - needle pricks of constant, special diet, medications, IV - I've never been hospitalized in my life. Let alone, enter through this scary situation of changing my entire life style.

Wake up call. To eat better, exercise more and live healthier.
In case people were wondering, I am 5'11 - 185 lbs. If you saw me, you would say i wouldn't look obese, fat, overweight, etc. That was my weight a few days ago on Aug.01, 2010 -
I've dropped a few since than, following my diet, counting carbs, taking my medication, etc.

I look back and wonder, after eating the types of food I was doing, staying late at night at work slurping on slurpees/icees, eating chips and bad snacks, and randomly eating noodles at night and 24 hour Mexican joints with burritos/enchiladas and re fried beans and rice - why am I not dead? Holy crap.

Wake up call indeed.