I’m a big believer in the idea that the universe is always working in my favor, that there is such a thing as divine timing, and that every person who we encounter does so for a reason, even if we don’t understand the reason at the very moment. I try to find the good in all situations, including those that seem hurtful or unjust; there is always a lesson or gift for me if I choose to keep my eyes, heart, and soul open. That was definitely the case for me back in 2017 when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
It was early 2017, and I had been very busy trying to get my company off the ground. I was putting in a lot of hours, so I wasn’t sleeping much. Whenever I had free time, I was working out – a lot. I was running three to five miles several times a week and doing a lot of other things. I was also working on a speech for an upcoming conference.
Between the lack of sleep and the weight loss, there were other things that started to happen, but I never realized how they were all tied together, that is until everything in my life changed.
Immediately after the conference, I went to a doctor to be treated for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. As a result, he put me on prednisone. Within about two days of being on prednisone, I noticed that I started to lose my vision. After calling his office, he recommended that I stop the pred and go see either my GP or an optometrist.
The idea of losing more of my vision really freaked me out, so I immediately began calling around. Unfortunately, nobody could see me. The stress started building until the universe handed me my angel, Dr. Jennifer Carter at https://www.westgaeyecare.com/. Once I explained how stressed I was about what was happening, her office scheduled an appointment with me immediately. My prayers had been answered, but I didn’t even realize it yet.
The exam was fairly uneventful, with the exception of one thing she mentioned. She said that what she suspected was happening was that the prednisone was causing my glucose to rise, which then caused a buildup of fluid in my lens. She wanted to wait until the prednisone was out of my system and then recheck my eyes. I don’t believe either one of us knew how significant that statement would be. Even as I type this out, it’s giving me chills.
Once I arrived home, I called my uncle and had a rather sarcastic conversation with him. He just had cataract surgery, so I was joking about how we both were having issues with our vision. That conversation and relationship is another way that divine timing worked out for me and will have to write about in another post.
I don’t quite recall how the conversation was steered in this direction, but he began telling me about the history of Type 2 Diabetes in our family. He told me about all of the family members who had it and about all of the symptoms. As soon as some of those words came out of his mouth, I started playing back scenes in my head from the past few months. Everything he mentioned had been happening to me, but I had been able to attribute it to something else.
My Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Weight loss – I’d been working out A LOT and counting every calorie, amount of protein, amount of carbs, amount of fat – all of it. I had never been so serious about my health. The odd thing was that I suddenly lost about 10lbs in two weeks. I was already thin, so it seemed somewhat odd, but I just assumed that I what I was doing was working in my favor.
Night sweats – I’d wake up in the middle of the night feeling like someone had dumped a bucket of water on me. I thought this was just because of my four chihuahuas who stayed glued to me in bed. Their temperature runs higher than ours, so it made sense to me.
Extreme thirst – Heck, I was working out like crazy, so of course I was thirsty. The extreme dry mouth I experienced at the conference where I was speaking? Stage fright and adrenaline.
Having to pee A LOT – This goes back to me working out and drinking so much. Easy explanation.
As the conversation progressed, I thought maybe my uncle might be on to something. At the same time, I was in such good health that there was no possible way I could have diabetes. Thankfully, my husband at the time had a glucometer, so I decided to test. I think the first reading was in the high 400’s. I figured that was a fluke, so I tested about 15 minutes later. Next reading – “high”. Ok, this can’t be right; there must be something wrong with the glucometer. Third reading – high 500’s. At this point, I knew there was more to it than just a malfunctioning glucometer. I decided that I’d keep testing over the next few days.
By day two, things were seriously wrong. I was getting ready for work and was completely exhausted. I was also struggling to catch my breath. The air felt heavy and thick. Somehow I managed to make my way to work, but by the time I arrived, I decided to call my insurance company to speak with a nurse. After telling her about my current health issues, she advised me to get to the ER immediately. She seemed way more alarmed than I was, so I followed her advice.
I had done a little bit of reading on the different types of diabetes, so when I arrived at the ER, I told the doctor that I thought I had diabetes. I remember that he looked at me and told me I didn’t look like a diabetic. He administered fluids, called the local endocrinologist, and told me I needed to make an appointment with him on Monday; this was on a Friday. After a few hours, I was sent home for the weekend.
On either Tuesday or Wednesday of that following week, I was sitting in the endocrinologist’s office, waiting on my lab results. The nurse was telling me that she thought I had Type 2 diabetes and gave me a bunch of handouts. I knew Type 2 could be controlled somewhat with diet and exercise. This should be a piece of cake (no pun intended)! I love to workout, and I’ve been doing an amazing job with my diet. I’ve got this!
Only that wasn’t the case. The doctor came in and within about 30 seconds, proceeded to tell me I have Type 1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile diabetes. My world suddenly came to a crashing halt. What in the hell? How did this happen? I’d always been relatively healthy and very active. There was no way this was possible, only it was.
It’s been two years now since I received my diagnosis, and my life has changed drastically, but for the better. I’m not going to go into all of the details about managing diabetes right now. Instead, I want to wrap this post up with expressing gratitude for my angel on earth, Dr. Jennifer Carter. If it wasn’t for her office being able to see me and for what she said during my appointment, I know I wouldn’t be here today. She literally saved my life, and I’ll never have the appropriate words for how I feel about her and what she did.
As you go through your day today, think about who you’re grateful for. Take the time to recognize them and thank them. Remember, every person who we encounter is a gift in one way or another. Some are here to teach us lessons. Some are even here to be our angels and to save us.
Until next time, I hope you all find a way to begin Living Differently and Better.
#gratitude#angels#JenniferCarter#WestGeorgiaEyeCare#Type1Diabetes
