OT: I am back

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:35 pm

I have been away for awhile, a lot has been going on (this is putting it mildly)

As far as my CPAP, I am doing good, I use it every time I sleep, whether it is at night or during the day.

A few months ago I found myself to be very thirsty and dog tired all the time, so I thought it would help if I were to switch to a new mask..Didn't help, I was still thirsty and tired.

So, I went to my primary care doc, and told her what was going on..Oh, I also started to loose weight without trying to..

The doc ordered lots of tests, a CT Scan, blood work, and after she did not find anything she sent me to an Endocrinologist.

The Endo wanted certain tests to be done so I had an A1c, C-Peptide, and to check for GAD65 antibodies.

My A1c was 5.5 (which is good) my C-Peptide was the lower side of normal, which shows trouble, and the GAD65 antibodies came back positive..

I finally had an answer, I have Delayed Onset Type 1 diabetes. It may take up to a couple of years to develop into full insulin dependent type 1, but I have the same diabetes my 15 year old son has..Just mine is taking it's time to progress..

At this moment I am on a very low carb diet so that my blood sugar levels stay below 150, not an easy task to do...I have my moments when I am in the upper 200's

But, I am feeling better and have more energy and thought it would be nice if I were to come back to this forum to read and post.

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:00 pm

Glad your back -- not glad your sick.

Take care of yourself.

goose · Post by **goose** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:53 pm

Wow SisterShotgun...
Glad to hear you're back -- sorry to hear of your new affliction.

I'm a diabetic as well so I feel for you!!! (though I'm type 2)

Hope you stick around and keep us up on how you're doing -- on all counts!!!!

Take care!!!
cheers
goose

Bookbear · Post by **Bookbear** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:40 pm

Sorry to hear about the diabetes (my nephew is Type I, and uses an insulin pump), but the good thing is knowing what the problem is and now you can take steps to manage it.

Welcome back!

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:53 pm

With my son having type 1 for the last 5 years I should have recognized the symptoms..But no..I didn't..I never thought in a million years that someone my age could get type 1, but the Endo told me it was not all that uncommon..

So far I am managing it pretty well as long as I stay far away from heavy carbs..

I will deal with it one day at a time..

I did switch over to the Ultra Mirage full face mask and I like it better than the F&P 431 I was using..

I am sleeping better and I love my CPAP, my husband told me he can't get to sleep until I turn it on LOL..

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:45 am

Its good to see you back SisterShotgun.

O.

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:00 am

Glad your back and very glad you found the reason behind your problems. I know lots of people that have developed diabetes in mid life. We're you overweight before and did you eat lots of carbs before this? I was wondering because I assume with your son having diabetes you must have had a better diet than most of us.

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:25 am

dieselgal wrote:Glad your back and very glad you found the reason behind your problems. I know lots of people that have developed diabetes in mid life. We're you overweight before and did you eat lots of carbs before this? I was wondering because I assume with your son having diabetes you must have had a better diet than most of us.

I was not considered to be overweight, well at the max weight for my height..The only carbs I ate before this came along were low on the GI Index and our diets improved when Kelton was diagnosed in 2003.

Kelton's Endocrinologist told me not to restrict his carb intake because he is a growing child, but we never ate junk food.

With me being tired all the time and thirsty all the time and then loosing weight for no reason at all, I did not think diabetes..Then when they told me I had diabetes I thought type 2, not type 1..

They both present the same symptoms, however, type 1 is an autoimmune disease and type 2 is not..
I will get to the point where my pancreas will not be producing insulin at all, because the autoimmune part of it will destroy the cells in my pancreas that produce insulin..

My first thought was thyroid problems..

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:59 pm

It is kind of odd that you ended up with type 1 at this late date. When your son was diagnosed did they think it was hereditary and did you know other family members with the disease?
I have always fought with the weight issues and believe me if I started losing weight for no reason I would KNOW something was wrong. LOL

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:22 pm

You all are going to love this as much as I did

I had a conversation with my mom a few weeks ago and she finally came clean with me about the families medical history.

When Kelton was diagnosed with diabetes she told me that no one in the family ever had it, well I came to find out she was not telling me the truth. She finally broke down and told me that her brother and her father died from complications due to type 1 diabetes..

My father admitted that when he was in the Navy, the reason he had to retire from it so early was because he was having blood sugar issues. Then he told me when he was 40 (2 years before I was born) that he was diagnosed with some sort of diabetes. He has always been on a low carb to no carb diet for as long as I can remember and he had a LOT of hospital stays. He has had two major heart attacks and I asked him if it was type 2 diabetes and he told me it was type 1 and that he does what he can to keep his insulin intake to a minimum.

For the life of me I do not understand why my parents chose to keep this a secret, I wish they had told me before Kelton was diagnosed instead of blaming me for it.

I always wondered why they insisted it was my fault that Kelton had diabetes, but I always thought it was because they were uneducated about diabetes in general.

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