lilyteasdalex
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi all,
On the 23rd October 2017, I was told I was type 1 diabetic, the worst news of my life. I’m 17 years old (nearly 18) and was looking forward to starting a new journey in life as I was joining the Royal Navy as a Student Nurse. I was training almost every day for months in the run up to my fitness tests that I had to pass to proceed into the navy, I was eating healthily and losing weight (2 stone) very quickly and was ecstatic thinking I was doing great!
However, I started getting agonising pain in my legs and waking up at night as if someone was stabbing them, I started drinking around 6 litres of water a day and urinating constantly. Unfortunately, I put this all down to the fact I was exercising regularly and haven’t pushed myself physically this much before. I was attending full time courses at college and started becoming weak when I climbed the stairs each morning, but thought this was because I didn’t have time to eat breakfast on a morning.
On the previous Thursday I was diagnosed, my parents were going to fulfil their dream of going to Las Vegas and I was staying at home with my elder brothers. My other family was also on holiday in the Isle of Wight for the half term, for Halloween. The following weekend I came down with flu-like symptoms (feeling drowsy, sore throat and sickness) so I stayed in bed all weekend and stayed off work. My throat became much worse and got to the point I couldn’t swallow so I went to my local urgent care centre where they sent me home with tablets and drops saying I had oral thrush.
Within around 5 hours later I couldn’t breathe and my heart was pounding out of my chest and I was hallucinating and acting delirious. My brother and family friend rushed me to A&E where I was resuscitated and told I had type 1 diabetes. I was then taken to ICU and remained there for a week as I was in severe diabetic ketoneacidosis (my sugar level was 137). My parents were still in Las Vegas when all this was happening and was doing everything in their power to try and come home early to me, however they couldn’t get home until 2 days after I was admitted to hospital, which was the absolute worst. I just wanted hugs and kisses from my mam and dad and to be told everything was going to be okay.
Today, I am a new person, fully recovered, stronger and resilient. I’m still learning everyday about my condition and my family are all so supportive and my uncle (also type 1 diabetic) reassured me that a life with diabetes is still a long lived, fun life. I’m starting to go back to work and attending college everyday. I’m now looking into getting an insulin pump and even though I can no longer pursue a career in the navy, I have applied to various universities to become an adult nurse so I can make a difference in people’s lives when they really need it. My A-levels are in may and I’ve got interviews scheduled for uni.
I’m looking forward to the rest of my life and I know I will never let my condition hold me back.
On the 23rd October 2017, I was told I was type 1 diabetic, the worst news of my life. I’m 17 years old (nearly 18) and was looking forward to starting a new journey in life as I was joining the Royal Navy as a Student Nurse. I was training almost every day for months in the run up to my fitness tests that I had to pass to proceed into the navy, I was eating healthily and losing weight (2 stone) very quickly and was ecstatic thinking I was doing great!
However, I started getting agonising pain in my legs and waking up at night as if someone was stabbing them, I started drinking around 6 litres of water a day and urinating constantly. Unfortunately, I put this all down to the fact I was exercising regularly and haven’t pushed myself physically this much before. I was attending full time courses at college and started becoming weak when I climbed the stairs each morning, but thought this was because I didn’t have time to eat breakfast on a morning.
On the previous Thursday I was diagnosed, my parents were going to fulfil their dream of going to Las Vegas and I was staying at home with my elder brothers. My other family was also on holiday in the Isle of Wight for the half term, for Halloween. The following weekend I came down with flu-like symptoms (feeling drowsy, sore throat and sickness) so I stayed in bed all weekend and stayed off work. My throat became much worse and got to the point I couldn’t swallow so I went to my local urgent care centre where they sent me home with tablets and drops saying I had oral thrush.
Within around 5 hours later I couldn’t breathe and my heart was pounding out of my chest and I was hallucinating and acting delirious. My brother and family friend rushed me to A&E where I was resuscitated and told I had type 1 diabetes. I was then taken to ICU and remained there for a week as I was in severe diabetic ketoneacidosis (my sugar level was 137). My parents were still in Las Vegas when all this was happening and was doing everything in their power to try and come home early to me, however they couldn’t get home until 2 days after I was admitted to hospital, which was the absolute worst. I just wanted hugs and kisses from my mam and dad and to be told everything was going to be okay.
Today, I am a new person, fully recovered, stronger and resilient. I’m still learning everyday about my condition and my family are all so supportive and my uncle (also type 1 diabetic) reassured me that a life with diabetes is still a long lived, fun life. I’m starting to go back to work and attending college everyday. I’m now looking into getting an insulin pump and even though I can no longer pursue a career in the navy, I have applied to various universities to become an adult nurse so I can make a difference in people’s lives when they really need it. My A-levels are in may and I’ve got interviews scheduled for uni.
I’m looking forward to the rest of my life and I know I will never let my condition hold me back.
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Four months later I ran the Great South Run and haven't looked back since 
