‼️Always trust your gut‼️

Hello and welcome back to my blog!

I finally feel well enough to share my journey on being diagnosed with diabetes with you all, it seriously feels never ending with health conditions for me but I am a fighter so bring it on!

For those of you who have read my previous blogs you will know I have been super unwell for a while now, way too long. I have been backwards and forwards to the doctors for the past 2 years and more so since I was diagnosed with PCOS.

In December 2021 I was diagnosed with PCOS and was given 0 information about what it was, how it would make me feel and how it would effect my life. My google search bar really was battered after my constant searches for some help and guidance.

I found numerous tips and tricks, all of which I tried with no effect. I was still going backwards and forwards to the doctors and the hospital with numerous symptoms and being fobbed off over the phone most of the time! I think I had 2 face to face appointments over the course of last year, I had to go to A&E twice with constant bleeding. At one point I had a period for 9 weeks straight! This caused me to pass out and have anaemia. I kept going back because I knew something was wrong, it took me 7 months to get an appointment at the specialist hospital.

Over the year I had lots of different symptoms including:

• Extreme tiredness

• Constant need for peeing

• Drinking like a FISH!

• Struggling to wake up each day, feeling like I have been awake forever and haven't slept

• Eye sight getting worse and in a really short space of time

• Really bad acid reflux

• Really bad periods - up to 9 weeks at a time!

I visited the GP so many times, I sat there almost crying at one point because I was so frustrated that they weren’t looking into things, just blaming the fact I am overweight. One doctor called me to say they wouldn’t help me until I had lost 2 stone but 5 mins earlier said I would really struggle to lose weight with the PCOS and could take years!! I finally saw a good GP who listened to my concerns and referred me to a specialist. After a very long wait and a lot of pain later.. The day had finally come, so many things to be tested for and only 8 tubes of blood later!

I was tested for a lot of things, earlier last year I had a liver biopsy as my liver was damaged, this was just one of the problems I have been dealing with since being diagnosed with PCOS.

The results came back to say I have diabetes. I had a phone call from the out of hours GP to say that my levels were concerning and they needed to repeat them. I had them repeated and they came back almost the exact same. The doctor sat down and said “I’m guessing you have diabetes”. He didn’t realise I had not been diagnosed!

I told them I was unaware of it, I knew I had something seriously wrong with me but I had never been given any information or a diagnosis.

The doctor then officially diagnosed me. I felt serious anxiety and fear, mainly for the needles. I HATE them. I do have lots of tattoos but it is very different. The doctor then said I can only do 8 hour shifts, I usually do 15 hour days so this news has messed some things up, but I have been over exhausted for the past few months and this diagnosis explains it! I understand I need to do it for my health so it must be done.

The GP has said they do think I have had diabetes for a while. They can't be sure but have said there's a good chance I have had it since I was diagnosed with PCOS, that was almost a year and 3 months ago!

I have tried hard to be positive. I have recently been doing some research into crystal healing, I am finding it really therapeutic. It is a lot to take in and I feel like sharing it has helped me get it off my chest. I know a lot of people have had similar diagnosis's especially with PCOS as diabetes is linked.

My blood has been sent off to the lab as it isn't certain weather I am type 1 or type 2.

For those who do not know much about diabetes:

Type 1 - Your pancreas doesn't make insulin or makes very little insulin. Insulin helps blood sugar enter the cells in your body for use as energy. Without insulin, blood sugar can't get into cells and builds up in the bloodstream.

Type 2 - Type 2 diabetes is an impairment in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel. This long-term (chronic) condition results in too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems.

Getting used to carrying a glucose metre and some sugar is super strange, it is something I have to get used to. I am happy that I have a diagnosis now so I can work on how to improve it and get my health back on track. I have experienced both Hypos and hypers in the last few days and being prescribed new medication has really knocked me for six.

I have been dieting for a while now, I have lost 1 stone since December 2022. Since my diagnosis a few days ago I have already noticed some of the weight loss. This was the reason I went to the GP. I have struggled with losing weight and then all of a sudden I was losing quite a bit. I was concerned with this and my other symptoms so I listened to my gut and went back to the GP.

I think if one person reading this can listen to their gut and keep pushing if you feel something isn't right and get diagnosed sooner rather than later it will save lots of other problems occurring.

I will try to be as open as I can with my diabetes journey and I am so grateful for my friends and family being so understanding and helping me through this, I wont give up and I will get to the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long it takes.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Chloe x