So I haven't added anything new in way too long. I'd like to pause the story for now and talk about the types of things I felt leading up to diagnosis (Nov. 1, 2010). I'm not exactly sure if these are all symptoms (I know some are), or if they can be attributed to something else.. but here it goes:
Muscle Cramps - I started getting upper leg cramps after a road game against Lake Forest on Nov. 13, 2009. On the bus back to Appleton, I almost fell over walking to another seat because my legs got so tight right above my knee. I played a lot that game, so it wasn't super surprising that I was cramping a little. I was told to hydrate a lot and stretch, which sort of helped.
The next thing I knew, I would get terrible cramps in my calves at least once a night. I started to supplement with calcium/magnesium because they are supposed to help muscles relax. These nightly cramps continued to wake me up for the remainder of the season.
Extreme Thirst - Not much to say here, I drink tons of water when I'm at home in Texas and when I'm playing hockey, so it seemed natural to NEED water all the time (I even craved water when I woke up with the leg cramps)
Joint trouble - I first noticed that I was having a lot of trouble with the left side of my groin during winter term of 2010. I realized that something wasn't right because when I was sitting in the computer chairs in one of the economics class rooms, I could tweak my leg so that my left pelvic joint (?) popped. My whole leg usually felt better after it popped, but I had never experienced this before in my life, so I was pretty sure there was something unusual going on.
Increased Appetite - In the winter of 2010, I would consistently eat full meals then go back to my room and immediately start snacking. My appetite was literally insatiable. My roommate and I used to joke that I would 'eat myself into diabetes' like Jay Cutler did. Of course, Jay Cutler didn't eat himself into D and neither did I, but it was pretty funny at the time.
Urinating frequently - I don't think I slept for an entire night without going to the bathroom for the first ten and a half months of 2010.
Weight loss - I've mentioned this in previous posts - I lost 15-20 lbs during the first couple months of 2010 and was hovering around 170 until November.
Foot problems - At the beginning of the hockey season in September, I developed plantar fasciitis. I got new skates around then, so I thought it might have been those, but I'm not entirely sure... by the way, I don't have it anymore
Wow...on all the s/s. Joe was three and I just started to notice the peeing and the increased appetite.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you play college hockey? You don't have to answer...but I am curious. I tell many of my IRL friends and Dave about how I am psyched about meeting a type 1 college hockey player blogging and they all ask where you play and I answer..."don't know" b/c I didn't want to ask you if you weren't comfortable answering on your blog...but with the towns mentioned above...I thought you might be comfortable answering.
OK, I am an Idiot...just looked at your bio on the side - Wisconsin! LOL.
ReplyDeleteHaha yes, I play for Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. It is division 3 and most of the teams we play against are from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. There has been talk, however, about making a trip out east (to Norwich in VT - your neck of the woods!) next year.
ReplyDeleteYAY! Let me know if that trip materializes Ben.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the new "header" - haha.
Hey there! I found your blog yesterday and I have to say that it struck a chord with me. I also was diagnosed while in college (I was 21 and a junior), and I had that same a1c after I went to my doctor and told them I thought I had diabetes. I remember feeling extremely thirsty and I could not get enough water! I was also getting up constantly in the middle of the night to pee, which I had never done before. I knew those were the 2 big signs, so I told my friends what I thought, and they thought I was being a little paranoid...boy did they feel bad later! :) Anyway, it sounds like you haven't had diabetes for very long, and it also sounds like you are getting a good and fast handle on it, which is what I did too. Just know that what works for you now might not work for you every day! But it's important to know and be aware of what works for you, and want to learn everything you can about it. Sounds like you're doing a great job...and no, you don't have to miss out on any of the college experiences just because you are type 1! I didn't drink for 8 months after my diagnosis, but slowly after that I started figuring out what worked for me and how I could manage it. It's been 5 years now, but diabetes always seems to be a work in progress. :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHey Valerie! Thanks for the tips. After reading a few of your posts, it seems like our lives are pretty similar - going out, being active, testing our bgs absurd numbers of times every day, etc! Thanks for connecting, and good luck with the cgm!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogging
Ben