[JE3146]

I've had type 1 Diabetes for about 8-9 years.

I don't want to frighten you, but I'll give you an idea of what it was like for me when I was diagnosed.

I weighed ~145 - 150 lbs at that age in highschool.

At the time of diagnosis I weighed 110lbs. (I had lost over 30 lbs of body fat) I was constantly thirsty. I drank over a couple gallons of water a day. Every time I ate, I'd get stomach cramps. This would especially be the case with breads and pastas. I'd wake up during the night no less than 3 to 4 times. I felt weak, constantly tired, and constantly irritable.

By the time I gave in and admitted there was something wrong and my parents took me to the doctor's office, I had collapsed from exhaustion after having only walked 15 feet with my book bag on the way to the bus.

That took ~ 3 months from the time they thought I 'got it' to the time I was diagnosed.

Granted this is type 1. Type 2 is a much slower developing problem.

If any of the conditions I listed above have increased in the past few months, sadly there's a good chance it's Diabetes. Only peace I can offer you is the fact that you're not alone and funding for Diabetes research is comparable to Cancer and Aids.

Best of luck. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.



A quick way to figure out if you have diabetes or not... is by testing for ketoacidosis, or rather ketones in your urine.

Ketones are a biproduct of when your cells utilize fat energy instead of glucose in your bloodstream. They can't use the glucose due to insulin acting like a bridge from your bloodstream to your cells. Without the bridge, they can't pass. Your body turns to fat tissue and burns it. This creates acids as a biproduct, which are expelled through urine. Your body reacts to this by increasing urine output to dillute the acids and expel them. A biproduct of that is increased drinking. (ie. Water)

You can test for ketones in your urine using ketostrips which can be purchased at a local pharmacy for a few dollars. Piss on the strip and compare the color of it to the chart. If you have ketones (A large amount I mean).. there's a good chance it's Diabetes.