Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms
My mom and I enjoying each other's company, i love you mom!
Myself taking my mom's insulin.
My mother taking my insulin for me.
My mother checking her blood sugar.
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Moving from Caracas, Venezuela to Ontario, Canada was the biggest change in my life. My family and I had to move due to Venezuela’s political situation in 2006, which is still ongoing... We had to leave everything we knew behind, especially our family and friends. We had to build a brand new life in a country where I was unfamiliar with not only the language, but the culture as well. However, with the support of my parents and siblings, we were able to build a brand new life with freedom, something we were unable to have in Venezuela.
With all of the stresses of moving to Canada, my mom was not feeling well. She had constant exhaustion, headaches, dizziness and had lost approximately 22lbs. As she was familiar with the symptoms of type 1 diabetes due to my diagnosis, my mom was determined to find out why she was feeling so sick, so she decided to ask me for my glucometer to check her blood glucose. She changed the lancet needle and checked her blood sugar. This was the moment of truth. After countless days and months of feeling extremely sick and losing weight dramatically, on October of 2006, my mother found out she had diabetes with a blood glucose level of 23.3 mmol/L. I remember sitting down on my bedroom floor wondering why she was checking. It was brand new for me to experience someone asking me for my glucometer, as nobody ever wants to prick their finger with a needle. However, my mom was different. She was determined to find out. When the result came up, she looked me in the eyes and said “Malala, you will have someone to share experiences with now, I am diabetic”. I will never forget the feeling that rushed through my body. I would never wish that upon someone. I was devastated. I began crying. I did not want her to go through what I had gone through already. However, she kept a positive attitude about it all, something that I will always admire about my mom. She decided to go to the nearest walk-in clinic to request some blood glucose testing. She also got tested for ketones, which were positive. From there, she was immediately sent to the emergency room. The attention at the hospital was absolutely terrible. They did not think it was serious, and due to this, they sent her on her way home without a diagnosis. The walk-in doctor requested a fasting blood glucose test as well as the HbA1C test. Both examinations are crucial when testing for diabetes. A fasting blood glucose test aids when understanding how the blood glucose levels of a person are at the time the test is taken. The test requires the individual to fast by not eating or drinking anything except water beforehand for at least 8 hours. When testing, your blood glucose should be less than 7.0 mmol/L. If any higher, it is an indication of diabetes (As previously mentioned, my mom had a level of 23.3 mmol/L). The next day she headed to the hospital again and discussed her results with the doctors. They were in shock. At first, they told my mom she was a type 2 diabetic, which is the most common type of diabetes in adults. However, after trying out some medications for type 2 diabetes and realizing that type 2 is more common due to obesity, they thought there was no way she was a type 2 diabetic, especially after she had lost so much weight. That being said, she told the doctor about her suspicion of having type 1 diabetes instead. After countless hours of discussions at the hospital, my mom was finally reassured that she had type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is most often misunderstood due to the myths that exist on this disease. However, symptoms are a key component when diagnosing diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2. It is difficult to rely on medical assistance in certain occasions. My mom had to go through a lot to find out about her diabetes, something that should not happen to anyone in such a serious situation. Instead, doctors should be aware and ready for blood glucose testing at any time. That being said, according to diabetes.ca, some of the symptoms that individuals may experience before being diagnosed with diabetes are:
These may vary according to each person. However, they tend to be quite common on most occasions. Overall, it is important to pay attention to your body and understand how it is that you are feeling. It is recommended to check for blood glucose through blood work every so often to keep track of how your body administers and handles the use of carbohydrates for energy. This is essential when understanding your body. Diabetes is a serious disease that is often underestimated by many. My mother’s experience with the diagnosis has taught me how to control stressful situations. She is someone that I admire on an every day basis. Not only is she my mother, but also my best friend, my role model. Her constant positive energy and hard work inspire me to continue controlling my diabetes to the best of my ability. I am so thankful for her support, and now, we can battle diabetes type 1 as a team - together. |
Some links you may want to check out about the symptoms of having diabetes are:
I hope you have learned what some of the symptoms of diabetes are and what to look for if you are uncertain about a diabetes diagnosis.
There is a lot more to come up on Pumping The Cure’s upcoming blog post. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Stay tuned!
There is a lot more to come up on Pumping The Cure’s upcoming blog post. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Stay tuned!
