A DOCTOR'S ERROR ALMOST KILLED ME

a) Type 1 diabetes affects millions of people all over the world; most being children. Type 1 diabetes is when our blood sugar levels are too high from low levels of insulin. In short, insulin helps the cells in your body absorb the glucose (sugar). Without it, your blood will be overrun with high blood sugar levels leading to heart, eyes, kidneys, nerve, and gum damage because your blood is too acidic. This is known as Diabetic Ketoacidosis or DKA and if left untreated, it could be life-threatening. Your body begins destroying itself from the inside out. This is what happened to this person due to a misdiagnosis at the hospital. 

b) At 10 years old, you don't really think much about your body. In fact, we all think our bodies are invincible at that age jumping off the playground, scraping our knees and brushing it off as if it was a small paper cut. But for her, she knew instantly that she was not well. Dehydration, thirst, frequent urination (peeing), and headaches are just some of the symptoms she felt all at once. When visiting the hospital, the doctors took her symptoms as a virus and told her to rest at home. But the reality was, her blood was growing more acidic by the minute because her body was no longer producing insulin. As she got worse her quick thinking mother grabbed a glucose meter and knew instantly her daughter was in danger of dying within hours. 

c) Rushing to the hospital doctors hooked her up on machines and rushing to control her acidic blood levels. Luckily, they were able to control it and she survived, but not with a catch. For the rest of her life, life all type 1 diabetics, she would have to monitor and inject herself every few hours a day. On top of this weight fluctuations, headaches, and tiredness will be with her for the rest of life and at random times.

d) For most Type 1 diabetics, your life revolves around the needle and glucose meter, but it doesn't have to. You don't have to hide behind the needle and screen anymore. You can proudly say you have this disease and that's fine because you will rise above it. Don't let a disease (or any) take advantage of who you are, what you're capable of, and what you want to accomplish in life. You may have to walk an extra 10 steps than the person next to you, but those extra steps will only make you stronger and make you appreciate every step more. Don't think of it as the end to your life but the beginning of a new challenge that you will overcome.