Happy diaversary to me, happy diaversary to me…32 years and still going strong! It’s been a long road, starting in 1984 at the age of 16. My mom found me passed out in the living room, my brother scooped me up and then off to the hospital. Crying from thirst and barfing up a storm, BG was 1140. About 5 hours later I was sort of coherent and saw a bearded man leaning over me. “Angela, you have diabetes. You’re going to be OK and you’ll feel better in a couple of days.” He looked like an angel…my first endocrinologist. The first few years were rough, always took my shots but barely ever checked my BG. Just wanted to be a kid, and mom was overwhelmed. Insurance was not kind to Type 1’s in those days, no meter until 1988, and I constantly struggled financially with affording good care. A couple of years after college I got a better job with benefits and gradually started getting my act together. A1C’s have been in the 6’s for the last 15 years. I’m a little beat up but not bad all things considered. Got my 25-year medal a while back, which I now know is an achievement. To all of you who are newly diagnosed (or your kids) or are struggling to get on track again or for the first time, most of us have been there and it can be done. It’s never to late to start turning things around, and forums like this help us help you!
Congratulations Angela, you are amazing, awesome!
And it is not just surviving for 32 years cut conquering and moving forward and living life as you feel you want. Your personality glows with the factual and encouraging comments you place here - I just hope that people who are struggling trying to get their arms around their own T1D will look at you as an example of living life.
Like you, I was diagnosed at age 16, on my 16th birthday I didn’t have strength to raise my head or get off the bed. Over the next two weeks in hospital I learned a little of what I’d need to do - and as you know we will learn more and more every day.
Dennis
i always believed that it’s not about being really good at controlling blood sugar, it’s more about not giving up in despair. I know that everyone on this earth has an anchor to drag, but I think that T1 is like having a lead anchor and an extra heavy chain, and leaky chaffing boots, through the mud, in the rain (you get the idea)
keep up the good work
Thanks guys…you are both so helpful on this site. Once I hit 30 years I felt like it was a duty and a privilege to get onto these forums to help people who are struggling. I’ve been there more times than I can count, but it’s good to hear from people who keep getting back on their horses year after year. Dennis, I aspire to be in as good a shape as you at that point. Along the lines of what you say, Joe, I describe Type 1 as living in an old rickety drafty house with no thermostat, and you have to try to keep it at a perfect 65-67 degree range using only a fan, an icebox, and a wood-burning stove. And every time you miss that range, your house gets just another crack in it. That visual seems to make people get it. Here’s to patching up the cracks and keeping our little houses strong!
Congrats! I am 22 and just hit my 15 year milestone. It is good to see that after 32 years of having diabetes, you are still going strong and keeping a healthy life. Inspiring really. It is easy to get caught up in the negativity revolving around the disease that even the smallest ounce of positive news can make such a huge difference. I hope the next 50 years go great for you and that you continue to lead a happy and healthy life.
I’m waiting for my latest diaversary, which will be on April 9. This will be my 60th time “celebrating” my life with Type 1 diabetes.
It’s amazing that I’m still around, since when it started I was totally misdiagnosed, since I didn’t fit the (then) classical model for diabetes… I wasn’t an overweight middle aged man. Mind you this WAS in 1956, and Type 1 was first defined in 1952.
Anyway, I had been suffering the symptoms for a few days, and was taken to a family doctor. He said I was out in the sun too much and needed to be kept in around noon, and gave me salt pills. The morning of my Mom’s birthday I had so much abdominal pain that they finally took me to the emergency room. The first doctor that saw me was a surgeon, who insisted, over Mom’s protests, that I had acute appendicitis. He operated to remove my healthy appendix and I went into diabetic ketoacidosis on the operating table.
While that was going on my parents decided they couldn’t trust the doctors. Mom knew that her grandfather had had diabetes in the early 1900’s and her sister had developed it some time after marrying and moving away, but she didn’t know anything about the symptoms. They found a new pediatrician that had just opened his practice. HE knew about Type 1 diabetes. As soon as I left the operating room in DKA he had me given insulin. They kept giving it to me until the initial dosage reached 1050 units, and I was starting to respond.
It took 2 days for me to regain consciousness, but it was by no means certain that I ever would. My parents, doctor and nurse were all holding a death watch in my room when I opened my eyes.
So now I’ve been diabetic for almost 60 years and am doing fine. Have been online in various diabetes lists and groups for the last 30 years. Glad to finally find a Type 1 dedicated group!
I reached my 26th diaversary this November. I am 40
Much like everyone else I struggled immensely with it and honestly I still feel like I’m pushing a stone uphill.
Those numbers man, those d**n glucose numbers get in your head.
I’m really trying to not give up and eat that package of butterfingers.
But we all know where that goes.
Anyhow, I just signed up for this about 5 minutes ago looking for people who have some years under their belt.
Do you get that mental torment of constant finger pokes and insulin shots?
Yes, understood. I still have challenges at times, but just make corrections as needed, but usually avoid worrying about it. Since worrying is a stress that increases bg it’s best avoided. Mind you I’ve been dealing with it for 60 years, with my dx done on 4/9/1956. The current technology makes it SO much better than way back then, and makes it much easier to survive, even with the occasional wild spot on the bg chart.
I recently reduced my insulin dose by ~30% by changing my diet to healthy unprocessed vegetables, proteins and fats.My A1c went down to 6.0 as a result. That makes it a lot easier to handle: the less carbs and insulin the easier it is to control.
Ted, so true. I’ve given up on eating carbs and trying to figure out the roller coaster swings from it. I was diagnosed just one yr ago at age 52 and I have to admit it’s really hard to stay positive. Stress and anxiety are taking a toll on me. Yoga and meditation help me more than anything else. Thank you all for sharing your stories. The less carbs and insulin, the better. My new mantra.
Congratulations, Angela!
I was diagnosed right before my 18th birthday and my 4th year diaversary is coming up! This condition literally and figuratively gets me down, so it’s always encouraging to see people who have experienced and conquered diabetes for a lot longer than I have!
You originally posted this almost two years ago, so here’s to wishing you’re still happy and healthy!
Oh yes. I just realized that my 63rd Diaversary was yesterday. So is it like birthdays, after a certain number you just as soon not notice how LARGE the number got to be?
Congratulations!!! Your awsome!!! I was diagnosed 5 days before my 16th Birthday.
Does anyone else celebrate there’s or is that just me? I figure I try putting 100% of my best effort to good blood sugar control daily that I almost like to take the day as a special day for me and celebrate how hard/and far I’ve come since I was a scared 11 year old crying in their hospital bed about how they were going to do this. So every year I take a friend or my boyfriend and we literally go out to dinner and typically have dessert to celebrate me. Sounds silly but also something I look forward to yearly and as a way I cope with having T1D.
Certainly Taylor @Tee25, I celebrate the anniversary of my diabetes diagnosis. So happens by celebrating I remember well how awful I felt on my 16th birthday with a BS something over 1,200 mg/dl. I even celebrate with fireworks along with plenty of party food.
Turns out the party commemorates other events such as our Country’s birth, our daughter’s birth and the day I retired after working for 50+ years. We usually make it a three day party.