It is hard for me to believe that we are nearing the end of 2012! As I reflect on this year, I cannot help but be reminded of the many doctors visits, a hospital overnight, many blood tests and several days of not feeling well in general. Thankfully, despite the lack of feeling my best I was still able to intentionally pursue an answer that would put the final puzzle piece together: why all of these symptoms and no diagnosis? Intuitively, I knew there had to be something going on that would explain my ongoing months of fatigue, minimal appetite, foggy/unclear thinking, lack of concentration, increased sleep, depression, etc. After my initial blood tests my doctor at Scripps sent me home with a prescription for Metformin and a letter declaring Type 2 Diabetes. I wasn't convinced so I proceeded to get a second opinion from an Endocrinologist I had heard about in Encinitas who specializes in disorders of the thyroid, pituitary, lipids & adrenals. A few more blood panels and voila, we had an accurate diagnosis: Type 1 Diabetes. The type of diabetes I have is sometimes called Type 1.5 or LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes of adults). LADA is often misdiagnosed as Type 2 because the typical syptoms of Type 1 are not present. The reason being that the pancreas is still producing insulin so the body does not dramatically respond to an insulin deficiency as do those with Type 1. The main difference between LADA and Type 2 is that there is an autoimmune response present with LADA that is similar to Type 1. This means that the body's immune system sees the beta cell production from the pancreas as a "threat" and launches an attack on these insulin-producing cells, eventually destroying most of them. This attack is a slow, progressive one with LADA, compared to the swift and aggressive assault that is waged on the beta cell in Type 1 Diabetes. It is quite common that someone with LADA might not know for quite some time that they have it, thus most likely the case for me. As I proceeded forward with filling my initial prescription for insulin injections, needles and other supplies necessary for a Diabetic, I began to scour the internet for resources and felt quite lonely and isolated doing so. I wished there was someone I could call to help me or to walk me through the process. Now, these things seem like 'no big deal' of course, but at the time a resource like this would've offered me some peace of mind. Consequently, I began to think about the blogging community and if it would be something I might do to share my experience and the resources I have discovered along the way. I am incredibly grateful because San Diego happens to be a fantastic place to live as we have many organizations, non-profits and companies that supply Diabetes related products right here in our very own backyard. My inspiration continued to come together as each day it seemed my path would lead me to another person who had walked this type of journey before me or who knew something significant about it, giving me courage and wisdom to add to my toolbag of resources. I don't really believe anything that happens is by accident, but I couldn't help but think about this series of divine occurences as Serendipitous.....Ahhhhh.....My Serendipitous Diabetes life.....One by one each piece of the bigger picture all coming together. Each time I post, my goal is to offer something that might be beneficial in the life of someone who deals with Diabetes or anyone who is interested for that matter. Please feel free to share this with a family member, friend or co-worker who might benefit.
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