My Diabetic Diagnosis Part 1

I was diagnosed with Diabetes in 1984 at the age of 10. I usually have a very good memory but part of the 80's is a bit of a blur. Maybe that happens to everyone who lived through the 80's, I am sure we all want to forget the shoulder pads, big hair days and leg warmers. You are probably thinking that I blanked it out because it was a bad time, but this I don't remember. Did I have the feeling of Why me? or this is the end, I really can't remember those emotions.

We moved to South Africa from Zimbabwe in 1983, My Mum, Dad and 2 sisters Karen and Tracey. Thank goodness we did as I don't think that my Diabetic story would have been so good if I had been diagnosed in Zimbabwe what with the rapidly declining health care and no medical advances, also the Diet Coke tasted disgusting there.

In 1984 I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes , nothing  dramatic, I went to the doctor with thrush (The Lady type!) The GP was on the ball and sent me straight away for a Glucose tolerance test. My Mum I think was most effected by this, it hit her hard. As a Mother myself now, I can understand her reaction but at the time I was thinking - Who has this, me or you get over it. A bit harsh but I was only 10 (Sorry Mum). I don't think I had any other symptoms , thirsty or going to the toilet often,being the most common ones. I was however extremely thin. I saw a picture a few years ago taken of me on a family holiday back then. Wearing what looked like knickerbockers and I looked like I had anorexia.

The glucose tolerance test was terrible, having to down a glass of thick glucose drink. (I can think of better  things to down.) Then having your blood taken ,what felt like a million times. I think I cried often that day. The tests obviously came back positive and I was told to go see the best Diabetic Specialist around, Dr D, I do not see him now, I am sure he must of retired after he made a small fortune. He was working then out of the Rand Clinic (My GPS accidentally took me that route home some months ago and if you had to go there nowadays you would need danger insurance never mind a medical aid.) Dr D had (how would you put it?) a bedside manner of a mortician but I must emphasize that he was by far the best Endo.

He told me to come back in a months time. (I thought he had gone off his rocker.) He did explain the reason so maybe he was not so crazy, he told me my Diabetes is going to go on Honeymoon. (Do I or Do I not have Diabetes?) He told me that I still had Diabetes but it will go away for awhile and then come back to stay FOREVER! ( I still thought he was crazy, he had a crazy look in his eye but I can testify that he had that same crazy eye look every time I saw him for next 13 or so years.) This was especially true one time when I went to see him , I past his car in the parking lot and I noticed that the Merc Badge had been snapped right off, I asked him about it when I saw him and he frowned and said " Some guy stole it and is wearing it as a necklace." I was too scared then to laugh but I did after the appointment, in fact I am actually laughing right now while I type this.

I have broken this journey in to more than one post so you don't get tired of reading and then click on next.I appreciate that ADD can be a real problem. Part 2 of My Diabetic Diagnosis and more to follow.

I have to add these most important last few words. (Sorry if this sounds like a thank you speech at the Oscars.)
I have the best family ever, when it comes to my Diabetes and everything else as well:

Mum: Even though you fretted way too much about this I understand that you where only ever having my best interests at heart. Thanks for that.

Dad: You are my hero. You certainly coined the phrase " Manage It" in reference to my Diabetes.
Here is my new catch phrase but we need to add "as long as you MANAGE IT."

Karen: My sister , who still looks away when I inject myself. Love Ya.

Tracey: Do you remember a time when I was as sick as a dog with Nausea and I was very silly and did not inject because I was not eating anything (Duh), You took me to the hospital when my Blood sugar was way too high and I had Ketones. PS I still can't eat a Mike's Kitchen Stir fry. Love you.

Lets wrap it up with a dilemma Dracula would have encountered if he had been Diabetic:
Happy Halloween all and please don't eat the children's candy.


Another Halloween add on , please take a look at this Gauteng Photographer's Facebook page and the wonderful Halloween pictures she has taken, she has the most amazing talent.

https://www.facebook.com/livstirlingphotography?fref=photo

Bye for now

Kim