28 years ago about now - to the day and date, I was seeing my GP, who officially told me I had Diabetes. Id had what I can honestly call the worst two weeks of my life prior to that moment. Itd started with blurred vision and lethargy. I thought it was a relapse of the Glandular Fever Id suffered 14 months earlier. I was (ironically) eating chocolate and drinking Lucozade for all I was worth, hoping it would give me the strength to get through college for another day. A few days earlier, wed been on a college trip to a hotel in Birmingham. Im very serious when I tell you, at 16 years old, I was fairly certain that I would die before I got home that day. I cant describe how sick I felt. How every step was like walking through thick treacle. How my limbs didnt want to work and my head just wanted to lay down. I was utterly convinced I wouldnt make it home. I did, thank God. My sisters friend was there when I got home. She commented how weight Id lost. We subsequently estimated it to be approx a stone in 2 weeks. It mightve been more - Ive never been the type to weigh herself weekly, or even monthly. Thursday 13th November 1986 was a sunny morning. I didnt have breakfast and felt faint after the blood test. Mr Zalin, my Diabetes Consultant, did innumerable checks on me. By some miracle, my blood sugar that morning was only 10. However, a nurse - Mrs Rowney - showed me how to inject myself by calmly sticking a syringe into her leg. Well, if she could do it... Thursday 13th November 1986 was the day the news broke that a man who was to do a stunt for Noel Edmonds Late Late Breakfast Show had been killed whilst rehearsing the stunt. My Dad and I commented that wed never forget that headline. The mans name was Michael. I have been so blessed. Ive received impeccable care from the NHS and learnt an awful lot about myself and what my limits are. If youre new to Diabetes, dont despair. Its not the end of the world - just the start of a whole new world and a whole new adventure. Adventures are never easy - Id be lying if I said mine had been easy. But Im still here, fitter and healthier than I was at 16 years old, 28 years ago.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:09:34 +0000
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