22/09/2022
Hey everyone, thought I'd share my story.
When I was 6 years old, I was diagnosed as a Brittle Type 1 Diabetic, this lead to me giving myself sometimes 7 injections a day fairly quickly just to try and maintain some sort of control. I was then the youngest in my state to go on an insulin pump at age 8. It changed my life, it meant more freedom, in terms of foods and activities but also a sacrifice where I was attached to a machine 24/7. Over the years I've taken pump holidays and gone back to injections as to not be connected and have a break but before long realise the physical toll the poor readings have on me and end up back on my insulin pump. Anyway, fast forward to 2016, I am diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue due to my body being in constant fight or flight mode because of my diabetes, so it bo longer knew how to turn off and relax, so was in a constant state of exhaustion. This also detrimentally affected my immune system, which obviously is already compromised because of the diabetes, is now more under pressure, so any sickness going around, I get, and I get worse than your average person. Through a combination of my insulin and then the anti depressants I inevitably ended up on, I put on weight. Then come 2018 I have the 1st of what will be 4 ankle surgeries, 2 on my achilles, one FHL transfer, one on my peroneal tendon. My last surgery was 2020, I've had two bouts of cellulitis after surgery. I spent the better part of these 2 years either in a wheelchair, moonboot or some kind of strapping, or compression. Because they took the major tendon from my big toe to strengthen my achilles, I started walking on the outside of my foot to compensate for the weakness and I haven't walked the same since. I'm having to retrain my ankle to sit a different way and retrain myself to walk a different way. I've lived in work boots with innersoles, with one foot having an innersoles about 1.5cm thick on the outside to force my foot pressure onto my big toe.
Anyway as you can imagine, that has affected my hip and back which are constantly locked up. I had back surgery in 2010 and 2011 for a lipoma that grew after a fall, which now is a permanent lesion that needs draining every few years.
I started on a medication that helped with insulin resistance but people have realised it helps with weight loss so I haven't been able to fill the prescription for 6 months, and now even the crappy sister drug that was tiding me over has also disappeared due to huge demand. It's made things so much harder.
Because my pain is getting worse I've had to make the hard decision to taper off my anti depressants to start a different type that also helps with pain. So im tapering down 50mg every fortnight before I can start the new one so the anxiety and depression is creeping back in.
I feel like 31 is too young to be having to take a handful of tablets every night and take meds just to stay awake and function almost normally for the day, but then I pay for it later, like it gives me fake energy then at the end of the day my body is like oh crap what did you do and I'm in a world of pain and exhaustion.
I've given up on ever having a partner or kids which breaks my heart because kids are my world.
Sorry about the random all over the place rant, my brain fog gets the better of me most times. This isn't half of it, this isn't my story. I used to run camps for kids with type 1 diabetes, worked at a local hardware store and studied visual arts. I've been reduced to existing, not living.
People don't get why I have piercings when I have pain all the time, they don't get that it's something I can control, tattoos, pain I can control. And I have blue, sometimes purple hair, I'm a cat lady with 2 meow meows, and went axe throwing for my last birthday. Do I meet the alt criteria? 🤔 😝
I'm Aunty chookey to 2 beautiful nieces, and 1 nephew. I'm godmumma to a beautiful boy godbubba. I'm a diabetes aunty to a diabetes niece, an amazing young girl. I'm an unofficial aunty to 4 beautiful boys and 2 girls. Kids are my life and I love every single one of them.
Thanks to anyone who made it to the end.
