D Day: My Diagnosis Story
Introduction
At the age of 41, I was blindsided by a diagnosis that would change everything. Type 1 Diabetes wasn’t a condition I had ever expected to confront, especially considering my generally healthy lifestyle. Yet, on an otherwise perfectly ordinary October day, I found myself grappling with the shock of a diagnosis and embarking on a journey I never anticipated.
In this personal narrative, I invite you to join me as I recount the story of my diagnosis. From the subtle signs that initially raised concern to the pivotal moment of diagnosis, I’ll share the highs and lows of embarking on a new life with chronic illness.
Whether you’re facing a similar diagnosis or simply seeking insight into the journey of others, I hope my narrative serves as a source of encouragement, understanding, and solidarity.
Recognising the Warning Signs
My diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes came completely out of the blue. I have a healthy diet, I exercise regularly, and am generally pretty fit and healthy. Whilst it was a shock, I was fortunate in that my diagnosis wasn’t quite as traumatic it could have been – and often is for others.
To provide some background, I’ve worn glasses since the age of eight. Sometimes when I’m tired I struggle a little with my sight. Not to any great extent, but enough that I notice my sight being a little worse than normal.
I work as a teacher. Back in October 2020, coming towards the end of a long and busy half term at school, I noticed that my sight had deteriorated a little. I initially put this down to tiredness, but after a couple of days I found myself struggling to identify the children who were sitting at the back of my classroom. This struck me as out of the ordinary. We were due to visit my parents, who live a couple of hours away, that weekend. I mentioned to Claire, my wife, that I wasn’t sure I should be driving, since I was concerned about my sight. I asked if she mind driving. Claire told me that if I thought my sight was that bad I should go and see the optician.
From Routine Check-Up to Life-Altering News
I managed to book an appointment with my usual optician on Monday morning, so I called into work sick, and popped along to Vision Express, thinking that this would just be a run-of-the mill appointment, potentially with a slightly stronger prescription dispensed.
I go to get my eyes checked every couple of years so I know the routine, and also how my eyes respond to the usual tests. This time, however, I could tell that something was wrong. I struggled to identify any of the letters on the chart – even those towards the top. Usually I can get down almost to the bottom row. I felt a mix of concern, worry and upset building within me. This was exacerbated by the obvious concern of my optician, as he worked through the various lenses.
At the end of the test, my optician said that he was very concerned because my sight had deteriorated significantly since my previous appointment less than a year ago. He recommended that I visit my GP as soon as possible to get checked for potential diabetes.
After detonating that significant bomb, I was left completely shell shocked and just about managed to pay for my test before struggling out into the street. I immediately called Claire, who is a doctor in A&E. She said that it was highly unlikely that I had diabetes, but that she would take me to A&E to get checked out.
A couple of hours later I found myself with a verified diagnosis of diabetes, probably Type 1 (which later tests proved accurate), and struggling with the reality that I was now going to have to inject myself with insulin if I was going to survive-not just now, for this first time, but repeatedly, multiple times a day, for the rest of my life.
Facing the Reality of Type 1 Diabetes
I remember vividly sitting on the sofa that evening, just before dinner, holding an insulin pen in my hand, contemplating injecting myself for the first time. I broke down into tears as I tried to stick the needle into my stomach. I couldn’t do it. Claire kindly offered to do it for me, but I knew that I had to take that first step. This was going to be a regular occurrence, and I had to do it. I had to get over my anxiety and inject myself. I eventually managed to do it, and there began my regular routine of pre-meal injections.
After contacting work to let them know what had happened, my boss kindly gave me a week and a half off work (up to the half term break). This gave me time to try and adapt to my new situation.
One of my memories of the following day was reading through the book on living with Type 1 Diabetes that the nurses had given me. The first few pages were fine, covering basics of what diabetes is, and how to go about injecting myself. The last pages, however, were utterly terrifying, covering the consequences that would ensue if I didn’t manage my diabetes properly. Reading these pages left me deeply upset, worried and concerned about the potential consequences of mismanaging my diabetes.
On those days off work I decided to go walking lots in order to think and reflect, and to try to get some rational understanding to my new situation. I quickly discovered that exercise can be problematic with Type 1 Diabetes; as I walked around the town, I kept feeling weak and disorientated. When I tested my blood sugar with a finger prick check I discovered that I was having a hypo. Again, this left me worried and concerned, but I got into the habit of carrying Dextro Energy tablets with me in order to boost my blood sugar – and also realised that I didn’t always need to inject myself with quite as much insulin.
The following days and weeks were not easy, but as I adjusted to life with T1D I quickly learnt a great deal about how to cope with this chronic disease.
Looking Ahead: Embracing Life with T1D
Reflecting on my journey three years later, I acknowledge the ongoing challenges of living with T1D, yet remain hopeful and resilient in my approach. I also feel inspired to share some of my experiences here with you, hence my decision to start this website.
I don’t claim to have all of the answers. Indeed, I probably don’t have many! At the same time, whilst my diabetes is generally very well managed, I still get thrown the occasional (sometimes not that occasional!) curve ball which knocks me off kilter. Usually I remain happy and cheery, but there are still moments when living with T1D causes me great upset. Generally, though, I’m doing well!
If you would like to share your story or have any questions, please feel free to post comments below, to contact me via the Contact page, or to look me up on my socials (see the menu bar to the right).
