When I was twenty-two years old, I got a stomach virus over Thanksgiving break. Unsurprisingly, I lost a few pounds. As soon as Thanksgiving break was over, I jumped right back into my grad school and teaching routine.
Little did I know, this virus had initiated a downward spiral that would continue for almost eighteen months. I developed chronic sinus infections, lost (and kept losing) weight, and couldn’t eat or drink enough. I became emaciated, going from a size four to a size double-zero, and still needing a belt to hold up my pants.
I went to my general practitioner multiple times. He eventually sent me to a dietitian. I also saw an ear nose and throat (ENT) physician because of my sinus issues. I visited my gynecologist for spotty periods and my optometrist for vision changes. Each person sent me to someone else or gave me simplistic advice that did nothing for my health.
On a Friday, after I guzzled an orange milkshake from a local fast food restaurant, I took a nap. I awoke to my cell phone ringing and a notification that I had multiple missed calls from my husband. I finally picked up my phone. He knew something was wrong. He said he was coming home, and I fell back asleep, not caring one bit.
The emergency room physician had the nurses run multiple labs. I implored them for more to drink. I also needed every warm blanket they had on hand. I couldn’t stop shaking. After an hour, the doctor came into my curtained room, his eyes wide at the paperwork cradled in his arm. He said, “We know why you’ve been so sick. You have type 1 diabetes. We’re admitting you to the ICU.” I was in a state called diabetic ketoacidosis. According to Mayo Clinic, that means my body was shutting down, going toxic from a lack of insulin.
To this day, it blows my mind that I went to 15-plus medical appointments, and not one of the doctors I spoke to thought to test my blood sugar. Instead, I was misdiagnosed as anorexic and a hypochondriac.
According to the CDC, 23 percent of diabetes cases in the US go undiagnosed, which means my situation is more common than it should be. Here are some of the fairly common and obvious signs of type 1 diabetes that doctors can miss
Repeated infections
When any type of diabetes goes is untreated, the body’s balance is off. I had more than five sinus infections before I was diagnosed, none of which responded to antibiotics. According to Type2Diabetes.com, “uncontrolled high blood glucose can weaken the body’s immune system and make it hard for it to fight many different types of infections.” Additionally, “high sugar levels in the blood and organs make it easier for bacteria to grow and infections to develop more quickly.”
Significant and rapid weight loss
By the time I went to the emergency room, I was down to a mere ninety-seven pounds on my five-foot, eight inch frame. I tried to explain to multiple medical professionals that I didn’t have an eating disorder. In fact, I ate constantly. However, as a young 20-something woman, the assumption was that my weight loss was self-inflicted.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, “weight loss of just a pound or two isn’t a reason for concern, [but] unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more may mean something is wrong and that your body is trying to tell you something.” This “something” could be undiagnosed type 1 diabetes. Without glucose going where it’s supposed to (into cells and unlocked by insulin), the body rapidly burns fat, leading to weight loss.
Mental health issues
When I was an undiagnosed type 1 diabetic, I became simultaneously anxious and depressed. My body chemistry was a hot mess. Plus, nobody believed that I was ill. Most people who encountered my thin frame made comments or asked questions that indicated that I was at fault. The combination of not being heard and believed, plus my body being deprived of the insulin I needed, led me to have mental health issues. The connection between diabetes and mental health isn’t a coincidence, either. According to the CDC, “untreated mental health issues can make diabetes worse, and problems with diabetes can make mental health issues worse.”
Drastic vision changes
My vision got worse and worse during the eighteen months I went undiagnosed. I returned to my optometrist multiple times, complaining that my contact prescription still wasn’t correct. He grew exasperated with me — again, as if it was my fault I could hardly see half the time. Johns Hopkins Medicine says that “having too much glucose in the bloodstream,” which happens in undiagnosed type 1 diabetics, “can lead to damage of the blood vessels and nerves that run throughout your body, including your eyes.” Blurry vision or vision changes is a common symptom of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Debilitating fatigue
My body and mind were constantly exhausted before I was diagnosed. Upon diagnosis, my blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, was 700, which is seven times the norm. My A1c, a number that shows my average blood glucose over ninety days, showed my blood sugar was averaging 438, which is over four times the norm. It was no wonder I was so tired all the time, despite going to bed early and taking daily naps. The NIH reports that “fatigue is a common symptom of diabetes,” and not just because diabetes isn’t diagnosed. The “psychological, medical, metabolic or endocrine, and acute or chronic complications” of the disease can be hard on patients.”
Any person of any age can develop type 1 diabetes, so it’s important to know the signs, no matter how unconnected they may seem. Other symptoms to watch out for include slow-healing sores or injuries, vomiting, lethargy, dry skin and eyes, unquenchable thirst, and insatiable hunger. When blood sugar rapidly increases, as it can in an undiagnosed and untreated type 1 diabetic, time of diagnosis is of the essence. Seeking prompt medical attention may just save your life.
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