Type 1 - Juvenile Diabetics

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celebrating 18 years

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jw17695
jw17695 Posts: 438 Member
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I recently hit my 18 year anniversity of this disease this past week. I can't believe I'm still alive, have all my body parts (thankfully), and have the best numbers I've ever had. =)

For those of you who have friends who want to know what it's like to be you, tell them to be a T1D for a day. ;)
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=117942

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  • kathyguminski
    kathyguminski Posts: 24
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    WOW, congrats! I will be celebrating next month, (if I make it, LOL) my 23rd year with type 1. I was 20 when I was diagnosed.
    I still have all my parts too. I am losing my eyesight though to Diabetic Retinopathy and I have Charcot's Joint in my right foot really bad. I have some eating issues with Diabetic Gastric Parisis too. I have no feeling whatsoever in my feet either. I had open heart with a triple bypass 4 years ago and 3 stents last year but other than that, I'm golden LOL.

    What kind of problems have you encountered and how old were you when you were diagnosed?
  • jw17695
    jw17695 Posts: 438 Member
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    I was nine when I was diagnosed. Luckily, the only issues I've had so far is Retinopathy. Two years ago I had some damage. I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to fix it and she said just to keep tight control on my numbers. I did and last year the doctor said there were no signs of it. I don't have another eye apt until February so we shall see what happens then.

    What is Charcot's Joint? I am not familiar with it. Is it related to diabetes?
  • kathyguminski
    kathyguminski Posts: 24
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    That is fantastic about your eyes! I have a bleed in my right eye right now and I am on blood thinners too, so it just keeps bleeding and bleeding. I have been blind in that eye since November and it's annoying as hell. The Dr. says I just have to wait it out and keep my numbers good and eventually the blood will reabsorb.

    Charcot's is related to Diabetes. From what I understand, and I'm not an expert, but when you lose the feeling in your feet, the blood circulation is also diminished and that cause all the tendens and ligaments to weaken and come loose from the bones. If you Google Charcot's (promounced sharko's) it shows all kind of really ugly looking feet. Mine isn't as bad as most of them, but I do have a bulge on the bottom where my arch was similar to a roll of quarters, that makes it painful to walk.

    The Dr. says there is no chance of repair by surgery because it wouldn't heal. Her advice is...." No weight-bearing activity". OMG even waling? Yep. See how I gained 40 pounds? I spent 5 months in a cast to try to get the bones to affix to each other
    in somewhat of a foot shape. Otherwise it's like walking on a bag of bones, or loose marbles.

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