A Little Update…

Hi blog friends!  You haven’t heard from me for a long time, and you may be wondering why!  The last year has been very difficult for me physically.  In December we finally figured out that I do not have Type 2 Diabetes, I actually have Type 1!  Actually, the kind I have is sometimes called Type 1.5.  In Type 2 your body is insulin resistant.  You can battle this disease through diet and lifestyle changes, because your body is still making insulin.  I should say, though, that in advanced stages of Type 2 your pancreas stops working, because it has had to work overtime for so long.  It shuts down eventually.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where your immune system attacks your pancreas.  Usually the pancreas shuts down quickly and suddenly, and the disease is usually diagnosed in children.  When I was first diagnosed with diabetes my pancreas was still making some insulin, so the doctors figured it was Type 2.

Having received the Type 2 diagnosis, I proceeded to make myself as sensitive to insulin as possible.  I ate low carb, healthy foods, and exercised consistently. This worked well for a few years, but last year I couldn’t get my blood glucose levels down, no matter how hard I tried!  I was down to eating only about 20g of carbs a day for a while, and felt totally horrible all the time!  After much struggle my chiropractor suggested that maybe I have Type 1.  When he suggested that I remembered reading something about a slow onset Type 1 in adults way back when I was first diagnosed.  I did some research and found LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults).

In order to diagnose LADA the doctor needs to order a test for certain antibodies that attack the pancreas.  Mine were off the charts high!  So it turns out I have Type 1.5 Diabetes.  I’m basically allergic to myself!  My brother is allergic to me, too, so he totally understands this phenomenon.  Most people with this disease are initially diagnosed with Type 2, and the Type 2 treatments work for a while, because they are still making some insulin.  At some point, though, the pancreas gives up and the patient will have to take insulin.

So, all that is to say that I haven’t been able to devote time to the blog recently.  I’m hoping to get back to it soon…maybe after tax season.  I hope you all are doing well, and I’m always here to answer questions or give you support!  Much love to you all!