How is this possible? Being Diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes at 20

Specialties Endocrine

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Ok so for the yast few months, I was feeling kinda crappy. Light headed, dizzy, But I just thought it was because of lack of sleep, and stress from school. I know I should have known better being a second year BSN. I explained the thirstyness as a dry enviroment, and the urinating from drinking lots because of the dry enviroment. you would think I would know better and see a doctor, or at least told someone.

Well I get up nice and early for clinical (but kinda late) So to be ontime I decide to stip breaky, the day gets kinda hecktic so I decide to stip my break. As the day continued I started to feel crappy, but I didn't have time for a headache, i thought the sweating was because I was working hard, amd week=too tired.

I guess I through myself into hypoglycemia. I was talking to a pt and relised I had to leave, by the time I got to the nurses station I had no idea what was going on. I'm glad The amazing nurses saw me. I proceeded to pass out on the hospital floor (i barely like my shoes on that floor). Not much idea what happened from there to downstairs in the ER where I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

I though that that was the kinda thing you find out when you are a kid...NOT 20.

I'm learning how to manage this, not that I needed another thing to add to teh stress of school and being so far from home. I think I'm well on my way to managing this. And I start back in clinical tomorrow, SO i better be managed, because kissing the hospital floor once is too many.

Thanx for letting me rant

SR

Nowadays you can be diagnosed with type I diabetes up until approx age 30! Please take care of yourself...

Sorry for the major Delay in the message but I had to respond to this. You can get Type 1 diabetes at ANY age. you can be 2 weeks old or you can be 62 years old. :o There are no age cut offs.

Brian

Hi, Don't be too hard on yourself. We've all been diagnosed with various problems & when the doc says what we have we slap ourselves in the forehead & wonder why we didn't think of that! We don't want people to think of us as hypochondriacs & c/o every little thing so sometimes things sneak up on us when we are under stress. Good luck to you & I'm glad that you are getting treatment.

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I work with geriatric patients who are constantly dx with diabetes type one at their late age...guess it was always missed before?

Specializes in ER, Medicine.

Age 30 is generally where the usual cut off for type I is.

Oh and yes you really should think about getting a pump!

They are ggggrrrreat!!!:roll

The other thing I wanted to say is that type I diabetes is not that bad...maybe I feel that way because I've had it for so long...but if I had to pick a disease it would be type I diabetes. Good Management and tight control will keep you well.

You know there's this lady in my class that did a finger stick on herself (the day we were in lab). Her blood sugar was really high. So she went across the street to the hospital after the instructor urged her to and she was diagnosed with Type II. It seems like nursing school is the place for finding out our own problems and issues.:mad:

I work with geriatric patients who are constantly dx with diabetes type one at their late age...guess it was always missed before?

I am a CDE and RN. These geriatric patients may have Type 2 diabetes (not Type 1). Some people think that everyone on insulin has Type 1. That is not true. People with Type 2 diabetes may be on insulin from date of diagnosis if their BG readings are very high. Also, Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. This means that most people with Type 2 diabetes will need insulin eventually to control their BG readings.

Yes, you can be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at any age. That is one reason why it is called Type 1 diabetes now and not juvenile diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the correct term (not Type II or adult onset diabetes) because:

a) it can be diagnosed in teenagers now

b) Some people thought it was Type "eleven" instead of Type "two"

Stephanie RN CDE

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

My father was diagnosed at age 32 with Type 1 diabetes. Rather unusual indeed. But no, I don't believe it is all that unusual to be diagnosed with it in the early 20's. My college roommate was also diagnosed with it at 20; though she also had Friedrich's Ataxia (a form of Muscular Dystrophy), and Type 1 diabetes is somehow believed to be linked to this disease, meaning persons with FA also end up with Type 1 DM.

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Stephanie,

Young children are even being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes nowadays.

a) it can be diagnosed in teenagers now

b) Some people thought it was Type "eleven" instead of Type "two"

Stephanie RN CDE

And even a few Pre-Teens :crying2: as I have seen in our Endo office..

My father was diagnosed at age 32 with Type 1 diabetes. Rather unusual indeed. But no, I don't believe it is all that unusual to be diagnosed with it in the early 20's. My college roommate was also diagnosed with it at 20; though she also had Friedrich's Ataxia (a form of Muscular Dystrophy), and Type 1 diabetes is somehow believed to be linked to this disease, meaning persons with FA also end up with Type 1 DM.

I know several hundred (no not fibbing on the number) of people that have been diagnosed well after the age of 30 with type 1 diabetes. Main reason I know so many is that I am on a support group for those that use the insulin-pump. The largest support on the net for those that use the insulin pump I should say.

Brian

Pancreatically Callenged since 1992

Pumping for the last 11 years

Hey my post resurfaced. It has alomost been a year since my diagnosis of type I. I've been managing ery well, and am starting to look into the beifits of a pump.

I still think life would be easier without diabetes but hey what can you do?

I'm still in nursing school and doing great. I tell my instuctor at the begining of every semester (new instructors) about my diabetes just in case I get into trouble.

One thing i do miss though is candy. I love candy jube jubes and really everything gummy. but i've been discovering the almost as good sugar free candy. but i think there could be advances inthis area. lol

thanx for your concern SR

Hey my post resurfaced. It has alomost been a year since my diagnosis of type I. I've been managing ery well, and am starting to look into the beifits of a pump.

I still think life would be easier without diabetes but hey what can you do?

I'm still in nursing school and doing great. I tell my instuctor at the begining of every semester (new instructors) about my diabetes just in case I get into trouble.

One thing i do miss though is candy. I love candy jube jubes and really everything gummy. but i've been discovering the almost as good sugar free candy. but i think there could be advances inthis area. lol

thanx for your concern SR

Why have you cut out Candy? That is not needed. Everything within moderation...

Do you Carb Count? Fixed Doses? Fixed Diet?

Brian

Pumping for 11 years. Pancreatically Challenged since 92

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.
Why have you cut out Candy? That is not needed. Everything within moderation...

Do you Carb Count? Fixed Doses? Fixed Diet?

Brian

Pumping for 11 years. Pancreatically Challenged since 92

I agree, diabetes (type 1) runs in my family and you don't have to cut out sugar or candy...you just have to watch the carb count in them and maybe have some fat/protein along with the candy so the sugar is released more slowly.

My dad was diagnosed with Type 1 at the ripe old age of 50! He has excellent control of his glucose levels and eats some kind of candy or sweet everyday...just in moderation.

Marilyn

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