My Story

Hello! I figured that if anyone is reading this that they might want to know some things about me.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on June 28, 2010. It was the summer before my freshman year in high school. Two weeks before that I started with the classic symptoms, drink a TON, going to the bathroom a TON, and having a gross taste in my mouth. I also lost about 10-15 pounds because of it. When I started having the symptoms I was actually at Girl Scout Camp. I was complaining to my mom about it, but she just told me to drink more water because I was probably dehydrated. What she was thinking makes some sense because it was super hot out and I was doing lots of activities outside. It was really bad though and very annoying.. So after Girl Scout Camp was over my family took a little "staycation" to Brookville Lake. We took our camper and boat and stayed there for like 5 days. By that time it had gotten a lot worse and my parents finally realized something wasn't right at all. After camping my brother had a baseball game and then my grandparents came over. My grandma, type 2 diabetic, brought her meter over so she could check my BG and it was over 400.  I went to my aunt's that night. My parents talked with my neighbor who's son had gotten it a few years earlier and she basically wanted me to use one of his ketone strips to check if I had any, but like I said, I was at my aunt's. My mom called the doc the next day and I went in right away. They made me pee in a cup and they checked for ketones, mine were large. :/ My doc told me that there was basically a 99% chance that I had type 1 diabetes and sent me to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. She didn't even want us to go home first but since we only lived a minute away from her office she said we could. I got to the ER and got taken back right away. They checked all my vital signs and stuff and then put me on fluids right away because I was so dehydrated. Thankfully I didn't go into ketoacidosis so I didn't have to be on an insulin drip too. The doctors and nurses there were so surprised by how quick we caught it. They said if I would have waited a few more days I would have been really sick and would have been in the hospital longer than the 3 days I was. Everyone at Children's was super amazing. I don't know what I would have done without them. They are always helpful and are always there if you need to call about something.
So I was in the hospital for 3 days. I was using pens pretty much right away which was so much better than the syringes. Once school started I found out that I was one of 3 girls just in my grade who have it. There were a bunch others too. In just my lunch there were 4 of us...and we have 3 lunches. The nurses office was VERY crowded. I got my pump in the end of December. We had met our deductible because it was the same year I was diagnosed so insurance payed for EVERYTHING. Thank God. I had to wait until February to use it, but it was completely worth it. I love it so much! I have the Animas One Touch "Ping." 


Last year was my sophomore year of high school and 2 more people from my school got diagnosed and then there were 5 people in the nurse before lunch. With this many people with it, it makes us think there's like something environmental about it. There is now a total of about 10 people in just the high school that are type 1 diabetic. I think it's insane that there is that many people. I'm really thinking about starting some type of support group/club, but I doubt many people would come to it. I would really like to try and create some type of group in my town, more for younger people, but it could be for anyone.

Now I am in my junior year of high school and things seem to have gotten somewhat harder. My blood sugars are starting to become kind of uncontrolled, but they still aren't that bad. My nurse practitioner said that I was probably in the "honeymoon phase" a lot longer than most t1 diabetics because I was 14 when I was diagnosed. With the help of my awesome diabetes team at CCHMC and with my pump, my numbers are back down.

This year I have really started to want to do something about diabetes if that makes any sense. I have done 2 walks and am going to start volunteering for my local JDRF chapter. And I am super excited to do so!! I really want to make a difference. I believe that I was diagnosed for a reason, and maybe that reason was to help others, to raise money to find a cure and better treatment, or to just be positive about it and to motivate others. I really do try to be positive about everything. Sometimes it is really hard, but if you think about it, you could have something way worse. When I got diagnosed with this awful disease,  all everyone was saying was how bad it was and how sorry they were. They acted like it was the end of the world, but there are so many people who have it so much worse than us and I think everyone needs to remember that. 

So.. Be POSITIVE and be STRONG!!! Make a difference in someone's life and show them how strong we are! I believe that we got diabetes because the big man upstairs knew we could handle it! Diabetes picks the STRONGEST people!

Love you all!!
    Sami Jean <3