11 Years of Living
Today is the 11th anniversary of my initial diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure. My goodness, what a rollercoaster ride it has been. Many things have changed since that day in late December 2008. My diabetes diagnosis chief among them. I actually live with LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or Type 1.5. Wow, eleven years. Eleven years of knowing, caring, surviving, and sharing. Eleven years of knowing that I have two invisible chronic illnesses for which there are no cures. Eleven years of knowing that I’m not alone in my fight. That there are millions of others fighting the same things. Eleven years of getting to know some of the most amazing people around. Lots of…
World Diabetes Day 2019
Today is World Diabetes Day. Today we honor Dr. Frederick G. Banting, who was born November 14, 1891, and who is best known for having co-discovered insulin. Happy 128th Birthday, Dr. B. I’m also wearing my blue in recognition and support of people living with all types of diabetes. We’re all in this together.
This Thing Called Diabetes Life
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” ~ Prince This thing called diabetes life. That’s why I’m here. That’s why My Diabetic Heart is here. It’s here because I was diagnosed with what was long thought to be type 2 diabetes, and also with congestive heart failure, at age 24. I started writing here as a way to document what I was going through with the scary, life-changing diagnoses that had been dropped in my lap. Writing helped me then and still does when I’m able to find the time and get the words I want to say out of my head. As I continued sharing my story through the blog and other…
Playing catch-up
So, it’s been a while since I last updated the blog and some things have happened in that time that I feel a need to write about. This will be a bit long, so bear with me. Esophageal ManometryOn January 29th, my new gastroenterologist had me undergo a test called Esophageal Manometry. The test is used to measure the functionality of the muscles and lower sphincter of the esophagus and determine if there are issues. The procedure wasn’t the most pleasant of ways to spend a morning. To begin, I was given a cup of lidocaine gel to swallow and then a syringe full of the same gel was emptied into my left nostril. A thin probe was then passed…
Then and Now: Reflecting on 10 Years
I’m really not a fan of the “how hard did aging hit you” challenge that’s floating around social media right now. The idea that aging is something to be ashamed of is totally bogus. Still, I see this as a good time for reflection and gratitude for the time I didn’t expect to live. The photo on the left was taken in October 2008, two months before I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and what was then believed to be type 2 diabetes. I was near death and didn’t yet know it. When I was diagnosed on December 29, 2008, the doctors didn’t think I’d live another 3 months. A lot has happened since then. There have been some…
