CW: HEALTH ISSUES, NEAR DEATH, CAUTIONARY TALE
Small PSA because I'm not sure how well it will land
I saw a post regarding excitement over type 2 diabetes, and as a diabetic, I wouldn't really wish it on anyone. Here's a little bit of my experience:
From years of uncontrolled blood sugars, I've ended up with permanent nerve damage in my fingers and toes. Too hot and too cold water is extremely painful and if it progresses, you cross into the territory of losing limbs or succumbing to infection.
I have retinopathy, meaning I'm at risk of losing my sight. At this point, I can't reverse the damage I've done to my body; only slow its progression.
January of 2022 I was hospitalized for a condition called Diabetic Keto Acidosis (DKA) which is a condition where high blood sugars lead to your body absorbing and breaking down your fat as a way to fuel the body. Your fat has something called ketones, which in high amounts will turn your blood acidic, causing dehydration, multiple organs failure, and cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) which can (and will if untreated) result in a VERY painful death.
Once again, this is from uncontrolled blood sugars. (brought on by a depressive episode where I stopped taking all medication for over a week). It started with chest pain and tightness. I was out with friends and called my gf at the time while driving an hour home, as I was beginning to feel Very Wrong™️ (spacey, hard to breathe, nauseous and tired).
I asked her if I should go to a hospital before following it up with how I wasn't sure if it was truly something wrong. I hadn't checked my blood sugars or taken insulin in over a week on top of having had cake and cookies in excessive amounts. She pushed me to go and I put the hospital I normally go to in my GPS. I was pretty out of it, and picked the wrong hospital, one without an ER. I decided to go home. As soon as I got home and sat on my couch, I passed out a few times while sitting up. At this point, my cat was crying at me in a way he hadn't before. I went to bed, hoping I'd be better when I woke up.
I woke up at about 3am with severe nausea. I vomited for hours. Scared, I called my best friend to take me to the ER. By the time she had me in her car, I was delirious. I was wheeled into the emergency room, and at this point, the details become foggy. I was out of it for 2 days, alternating between sleep and going from very small amounts of water, to being on a liquid diet. I stayed in the ICU for about 5 days, where I was told a bunch of things I still can't remember. But what I do remember is that I was TERRIFIED. I was dying, and if I hadn't gotten emergency care, I would've died a painful, and terrifying death.
In case you took the time to read, I wrote all this as a caution. This disease could either kill you, or cause lifelong damage to your body. Either way you can guarantee a miserable existence without the proper care. It didn't feel very hot, sexy, or cool to experience what I did. And I hope no one in this community will have to experience it too.
