What is your T1 diagnosis story?

[helli]

@rebrascora mentioned DKA on another thread and it got me thinking - how many people were diagnosed after being hospitalised with DKA?

Thankfully, I missed out on DKA although my constant weeing was misdiagnosed as a UTI by a newly qualified GP which postponed my T1 diagnosis by a couple of weeks during which time I think I visited every bush in Snowdonia during a walking weekend.
Once the diagnosis was corrected, I was able to explain the weight loss, blurred vision, exhaustion and thrush as well as the weeing.

What was your story?
I am curious to know how many are diagnosed with DKA and whether age of diagnosis makes a difference.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I am curious to know how many are diagnosed with DKA and whether age of diagnosis makes a difference.

I was diagnosed that way, very much the traditional route of being an otherwise healthy child (I was 15), becoming more and more tired, drinking more, losing weight, and ended up in hospital with DKA (which they apparently took a while to diagnose).

 

[rebrascora]

As you know @helli my story is similar to yours. Sudden onset unquenchable thirst and constant weeing, thrush, weight loss, blurred vision etc. I spent 2 weeks cutting back on all sugar and sweet stuff (which was a massive reduction in carbs in itself for me) and drinking masses of water as I guessed the problem, before going to the docs. Then a further 6 weeks of reducing all other carbs down to an absolute bare minimum plus Metformin and Gliclazide before I was started on insulin.

 

[nonethewiser]

Thirst was unbelievable, consequently peeing for England as result. Severe fatigue & weight loss, fatigue due to getting up for loo every hour, felt exhausted with it all.

No DKA, never had it yet so been lucky that way. Told by Dr to go hospital & was admitted for week, once insulin was in felt so much better & energy levels gradually came back.

Insulin was mixed together in syringe given 2x day, so one for food other long acting, tested urine for glucose as no bg meter then, wasn't until few years after that got hands on one.

 

[JohnWhi]

I was diagnosed in 1981 aged 29, when I was living and working in France. Full range of symptoms, eventually including constipation, unable to get out of bed, unable to eat. My wife called a doctor who, without suggesting what it might be, told me I needed a blood test. I felt unable to reach the place where they did such things and did not know that you could simply telephone and a nurse would come out to do it. After a few more days getting worse, my wife called another doctor, who had his practice in a room in the local shopping centre. An excellent man, originating from Laos, he took one look at me, said "Ah! le pauvre homme" = "Oh! poor man", and summoned the fire brigade (who do emergency ambulances). It was just before Christmas, and I was glad we showed had contributed to their fund by having their 1982 calendar near the door. They arrived in big boots and shiny helmets, scooped me up and took me to the hospital. It was a bad case of DKA and, apart from being connected to drips, part of the treatment involved endless bottles of Vichy water. Fortunately, that has been the only time I ever suffered from DKA.

 

[Kaylz]

I was drinking a lot but didn't see anything wrong in that as was working on a shop floor etc from 9-5 so constantly on the go, I had lost weight but then I wasn't really eating, I had lots of tests (even heart scans etc), checking if I had an overactive thyroid (granny had it) but when bloods came back hba1c was raised (don't know what as they never told me) was asked to go in for a fasting finger prick test, nurse said it was high (again wasn't told what it actually was) and went to speak to a doctor, told off you pop to work and come back to see a doctor in the afternoon, she tested my urine for ketones and off I went to hospital that night xx

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Final year at art college, thought it might be stress. Symptoms had come on over perhaps a month or two. Lots of thirst, drinking and weeking. Waking to wee in the night which was and is unusual for me. Someone on my course saw me walking down a corridor and asked if I’d lost weight, and it was that that made me thunk may e something really wasn’t right.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test at the student GP, came back a week later for the results and was sent straight to hospital. BG in the 40s and ++++ ketones, but not (quite?) DKA.

Spent 4-5 days in the hospital learning about ‘exchanges’ and was sent home with Mixtard, some British Diabetic Association leaflets, and some syringes.

 

[Paulbreen]

I was diagnosed in 1981 aged 29, when I was living and working in France. Full range of symptoms, eventually including constipation, unable to get out of bed, unable to eat. My wife called a doctor who, without suggesting what it might be, told me I needed a blood test. I felt unable to reach the place where they did such things and did not know that you could simply telephone and a nurse would come out to do it. After a few more days getting worse, my wife called another doctor, who had his practice in a room in the local shopping centre. An excellent man, originating from Laos, he took one look at me, said "Ah! le pauvre homme" = "Oh! poor man", and summoned the fire brigade (who do emergency ambulances). It was just before Christmas, and I was glad we showed had contributed to their fund by having their 1982 calendar near the door. They arrived in big boots and shiny helmets, scooped me up and took me to the hospital. It was a bad case of DKA and, apart from being connected to drips, part of the treatment involved endless bottles of Vichy water. Fortunately, that has been the only time I ever suffered from DKA.

Vichy Catalan..?? Best hangover cure in the world