There have been several positives for me. I was diagnosed after being admitted with DKA and feeling dreadful. Prior to this I had been an increasingly heavy drinker - probably due to slow onset of Type 1, but I thought I was becoming an alcoholic, drinking up to 150 units a week. There is a history in my family.
So, when I was diagnosed I was pretty much astounded, and extremely relieved, that my liver was basically OK. I had an abnormal ecg so they gave me an angiogram which showed that my heart and arteries were in pretty good condition for my age (49). Plus, I'm now being regularly monitored for all kinds of things, like cholesterol, and have a much healthier diet, I'm an ideal weight with a bmi of 18.5, and am encouraged to continue with my sport of distance running.
If this hadn't happened to me I would have probably got progressively less healthy, and continued drinking myself into an early grave. Surprisingly, I have virtually no desire to drink alcohol since diagnosis, so I can only put that down to its being a symptom of diabetes (the need to drink).I've got a condition that is well-documented, shared by millions, with great support and high-level research into potential cures or making the condition easier to manage.
I think I'm lucky to have got this at my age as I've 'escaped' potentially 40-odd years of having to live with it, and although it probably took a while to show itself, is better than being a 'hidden' Type 2 who's unknowingly been building up problems for many years. I've also got the condition at a time when it's fairly easy to manage, with BG meters, insulin pens, MDI etc.The main downside is the fact that there is now a restriction on my freedom that didn't exist before, as I have to be aware of my BG levels and administer insulin. Plus, not being able to eat a whole bag of Lindt Lindor chocolates in one sitting!
