Too many antibiotics??

Typically after being ill for a while And me starting to feel happy again, I was waiting for something else to go wrong which it did in the form of a horrible toothache running up to the weekend! Went to the dentist after the weekend to be told that my wisdom tooth was pushing through onto the tooth next to it which had an infection so I was thinking they will just give me some antibiotics right? 

Wrong!! Apparently because I have had so many antibiotics recently they didn't want to give me any more!!! So now I am just supposed to suffer with the pain until they can give me some......

*bangs head on iPad* 

Think positive.... Think positive..... Think positive.... Gahhhhhh! 😭

And the HBA1C is........

Drumroll.......

8.9% a lot of you may think that's a little high, and quite rightly so but I'm actually really happy with it! Considering all the shit I have been through the last couple years I think that's pretty good going :) it's lower than my last one and that's all that matters, progress means everything even if it's slow and steady! 

For all you non diabetics who are thinking "what the heck is a hba1c!?" It's a routine blood tests that diabetics have that measures the amount of glycated haemoglobin (hb) in the blood and gives an average based on the past 6 months or so.... Simplified even more it's basically testing how much sugar is in our blood over a short period so we keep it in check and make sure we are less prone to all those nasty complications! It then gives a result that is converted into a percentage. 

Apart from that everything else was fine thank god! Perfect blood pressure, feet check went alright and no other infections or anything :) 

Now I just have to make sure I go to all the other appointments, oh and I need to book my eye scan! 

"Your blood test results came back...."

Interesting phone call from the doctor this morning... " your blood test results came back positive for glandular fever" Oh! so it wasn't tonsillitis then!?

So turns out that it was a lot more than tonsillitis and signs of poor liver function showed up in my routine diabetic bloods! No wonder I was feeling so ill, altho maybe I was a lucky one as Iv heard of people being ill for months with glandular fever and for me it was only a couple of weeks...

So anyway now they want to do a liver function test to make sure that everything is back to normal as the glandular fever affected how it was working, they have also told me I cannot drink..... Not ideal considering it's my birthday weekend this week but I'm going to speak to the doctor about that! 

March is turning out to be a rather unhealthy month! Let's hope for better next month please :) 

It's ok, having tonsillitis means you can eat a ton of icecream......

Another upside to life as a diabetic.... Lol

So 2nd day off work, temperature has appeared to have gone down which is good so literally just dragged my self out the flat and over the road to get some more nurofen, soups and soft foods etc.... Felt like and most probably looked like death and glad it's just across the road! 

Not sleeping very well, I tend to wake up at random times I suspect when the painkillers I took before bed have run out and so I wake up wth horrible headaches and really difficult swallowing and breathing, some abdominal pain aswell :( and earache for some reason

As soon as the nurofen kicks in I am fine, just a bit of a sore throat and heavy head feeling but that's it, and I can deal with that it's just when they run out that is really painful! I also noticed last night the White bits at the back of my throat which weren't there when the doctor examined me and are really gross! However Iv been told that when they appear it's nearing the end of the infection so that's good I suppose! Skin appears to be healing too but not gonna give up my hopes just yet! 

Looking out the window and seeing how nice it is and all the people in the pub gardens doesn't make me feel better (even tho I would be at work anyway) but that's not the point lol 

Oh well another sunny day and there's me with my weetabix, soups and copious amounts of drugs yippee! 

Can't catch a break!

Safe to say this past month has been full of ups and downs, mostly downs unfortunatly! And not even talking about the diabetes, that's actually been for once the least of my worries! 

It al started with a nasty cold I have about three weeks ago, throat was very painful but thought nothing of it and it gradually subsided! However a week and a half later I wake up, look in the mirror and honestly I'm in shock! My skin had overnight broken out everywhere (I suffer from mild psoriasis) and so for the following couple weeks I tried everything to research why and even got myself on the list for light therapy! (Even though pretty pointless as they couldn't even see my till June!) so I had no confidence, self esteem and my doctor was no help whatsoever! So I was very down, hiding away and didn't want to see anyone! The only person who was helpful was my briliant dad who was giving me all sorts of tips and stuff and trying to cheer me up, so I thankyou so much for that :). 

A few days later after bathing myself in every lotion and potion I could get my hands on, I start to feel ill, my throat was sore, I could feel my glands were swollen and I was finding it hard to swallow, so I did some research and found out that outbreaks of psoriasis are common after having a throat infection! I didn't know this!? Probably as I haven't ever had a throat infection! This may explain it, This may have been why it happened as I could still be harbouring some infection from last time and actually I was now starting to feel very ill! 

Next day I made an appointment with the doctor but I was feeling very ill, checked my temperature and it was high! My head felt very heavy like I was in a bubble and my throat was killing me! There was no cough tho, I made a point of seeing a different doctor who after a few tests and that said that I had tonsillitis! I wasn't expecting that! So off I went with my ten days worth of antibiotics (80 tabs!) feeling like absolute death... Which is where I am now, in bed, off work in a lot of pain and with now what appears to be a chest infection as well! 

Seriously can I not catch a break!?  

Time flies!

5 years ago on this day I was diagnosed... It's gone so quick! 

It's definitely been a rollarcoaster of emotions, that's for sure! So for my 5 year anniversary I thought I would share my diagnosis story.... It's a bit of an emotional one and still is to this date the scariest time in my life but here goes....

D day - my story 

I was so confused laying on a hospital bed....all i was hearing was this word 'Diabetes' I had heard of this word but did not know what it meant and was not aware of how this one little word was going to affect me for the rest of my life...

I had been feeling horrid all week! Drinking water, milk and anything I had to hand by the gallon and going to the toilet too many times to count, mouth was dry and sore throat, i was sick and had no appetite and had lost nearly a stone in weight...feeling very tired all the time and not wanting to move....what a way to end the great half term i was having. I put it down to a virus or a bug and went to bed that friday night feeling like death warmed up.

Woke up feeling worse than the previous day, made myself get up and dressed and felt so weak and tired, i knew something was wrong so i asked my friend to take me to A and E just to get myself checked out. Got seen pretty quickly and had a discussion with the doctor led to him diagnosing me with 'gastroenteritis' or something along those lines.... I protested alot as i knew it was more than that but i gave up and figured he was the doctor and he knew what was best, so took my gaviscon he gave me and went back home.

Woke up sunday midday...seriously not feeling good! Tried to get some food down me and also guzzled some lucozade for much needed energy boost. By about 4pm i was feeling so weak i could not even stand up without holding onto something, my breathing was really shallow too, my flatmate and our friend were in at the time and this led to another trip to the hospital exept i had to be almost carried to the car this time as i could not even hold myself up..i remember falling asleep in the waiting room and then hearing my name being called to be seen...but not alot after that..

I remember collapsing in the corridoor and the next thing i remember was laying on a bed several nurses and doctors putting IVs and different tubes into me (including the doctor who misdiagnosed me) and hearing that word diabetes....

Woke up in intensive care with some family members by my side and in pain, attached to several drips including one that was pumping insulin into me like no tomoro! It was only later i understood what a bad state i was in. Apparently i got to the hospital at the right time as all my organs were starting to fail, my body was shutting down and i was very close to a coma

I hated hospital, I couldn't sleep due to them waking me every hour for a blood test, i had a IV in each arm, one massive one in my neck with numerous leads stapled onto it and dangling things coming off it attaching me to various liquids, because my body was deficient in well.. Everything as it goes, I had to drink liquid potassium which was foul and i won't even mention the catheter! I remember crying a lot and just thinking what have I done to deserve this??

I couldnt belive this was happening, there had been no record of any diabetes in either side of the family and i just felt so angry and confused. I spent 3 nights in intensive care and a further 2 in a general ward learning about my life long condition and how to inject myself and about eating right and nutrition etc...got given a big box of stuff which included a blood glucose meter, a novapen and other bits and pieces essential to a diabetic. The only thing that kept me sane was the support i got from many friends and family during my stay and i would like to thank everyone for coming to visit me, i would not have got through it without you guys.

Finally i got to leave when they were happy that i could manage by myself, and so my dad picked me up with various bruises, looking like something been bitten by dracula in a horror movie, i left scared, confused and angry that i now had a condition that would stay with me for my entire life...I had diabetes.

So far, so good :)

So it's the new year and already there has been some positive changes! 

A couple of weeks ago a senior position was going at my work so I applied and was shortlisted for an interview! So a couple weeks later I am waiting to go in, having done the written test and a shit load of preparation, and am literally shaking! (I'm not great in interview panels) but I came out really positive having done my best and headed home to finally relax.

A couple hours later my managers number flashes up on my phone, I was thinking maybe I had left something at work as I wasn't expecting to hear back until a few days, nope! She called to inform me that all the interviews had been done and she would like to offer me the position.....  I GOT THE JOB!

Pretty sure I squealed down the phone haha, she then went on to say that I was heads and shoulders above the rest and I should be really pleased :) so I'm officially a senior from the start of February and so happy! A lot more responsibility though, I will be working with management a lot more and mentoring new staff as well as existing support workers! I'm sure I will find my place soon as u guess it's hard to do that when stepping up to a new position, and I know I will have the support of everyone at work! Needless to say I went out straight away to celebrate! A few bottles of wine later ( with good company :) My friends all came out to celebrate with me and a few hours later went to bed with the room spinning haha! Well it was a celebration after all :D 

Two of my close friends recently got engaged as well, who I could not be happier for! so we have been celebrating the occasion as well as some birthdays! Some other things are maybe too soon to mention also but appear to be positive too and I'm pretty happy :) 

Holiday planning is well underway as well, which is great as I get to spend time with my girls :) only downside is that yet again my driving has taken a back seat.... As I am now saving for the holiday as well as paying back my loan.... I really could do with a money tree!! :) 

As for the diabetes... I don't think iv actually moaned about it in a while! Iv had a couple of hypos but that's it really, not been bothering me too much and iv had my mind on other happy things....

I can honestly say this could be the happiest I have been in ages :) 

The emotional side......

So I have been stuck in some sort of sad state for a few days that I couldn't snap myself out of until now! Due to my diabetes uv had a lot of problems with my teeth that I thought I had all sorted last Christmas! At my recent dental appointment it has come to light that all the work I had done had failed and I either need to have all the work done again or have the teeth taken out.....  As well as that I was told I had three infections and have to take more antibiotics.....This triggered something inside of me and to to be honest I totally broke down there and then in the dentist chair! 

This is the part of diabetes that people don't see.... Yes we look healthy on the outside but it's a totally different story on the inside let me tell you! Yes we do the finger pricks and the injections and to be honest that doesn't not bother me, yes they aren't nice but you get used to them, I don't hate the physical side to diabetes, however It's hard to see the emotional side of having diabetes and even harder for people to understand... Especially if your like me and bottle up everything which makes it even worse. 

So here goes I'm opening up and telling it how it is for once! 

I don't hate the physical side of diabetes, I hate diabetes for the way it makes me feel, the way it makes me scared that I won't live through the night, the constant worry of what's going to happen in the future and when I sometimes cry myself to sleep when I think about whats going to happen in 10 years time? Will I still have my feet? My kidneys? Who wants to be with a person who's body is falling apart!? I hate diabetes for taking away my confidence and my ability to form healthy relationships... And distancing myself from people I love. I hate it for never giving me a break, never having a day off and throwing everything back in my face despite trying every effort to control it! I hate that it can make me feel so strong but at the same time make me break down into a pool of tears... It's this side that people don't see and it makes you feel so alone sometimes and no non diabetic will ever understand the pain, I'm lucky that I have amazing friends who really try to understand and pick me up when I'm feeling down and sorry for myself and I know they can never understand fully what I experience but the fact they are always there to support me means the world. 💛💙💜💚❤️

November challenge - day 6: exercise

Day 6: Exercise

Exercise usually ends up with my feeling like this.. Exercising when having type one is difficult! As your using more energy than usual and so it makes your blood sugars go low.. So then you have to eat to get them back to normal levels thus rendering the exercise pointless! Exercise could be anything, Iv gone low just walking to the shops! We can't just spontaneously go to the gym, it has to be planned! You have to take into consideration what you have eaten and when, how much fat was in your meal, the time between eating and exercising, how much insulin you have in your system already etc.. Sounds complicated? Yes it is!

November challenge - day 4-5 HBA1C and Insulin

Day 4: HBA1C A hba1c is a routine blood test that diabetics should have every 3/6 months to measure how well their diabetes is being controlled. The test measures how much glucose is being carried by the red blood cells, and therefore the higher the number outcome, the more glucose in the blood, and the poorer the control s you can see by looking at the chart. It is important to keep your diabetes under control and keep your hba1c low as failing to do so could result in nasty complications later on...




Day 5: Insulin

 Insulin is a diabetics life support, it is NOT a cure and without it we would die, simple as! Insulin is a very important hormone that our pancreas produces to keep our blood sugars stable, obviously in a type one diabetic this does not happen and so we have to inject our own...this is tricky as the pancreas releases insulin according to the food we consume and it releases just enough in very small amounts, this is very hard to replicate by injecting as we inject it all in one go, its hard to get the same effect and thats why we have to calculate very carefully the carbohydrates that we consume and the timing of our injections...no easy feat! some people choose to weigh their food, others choose to look at the portion size and make a guess! its important to get the dose right, too little insulin may cause our blood glucose to sky rocket and feel very ill! Too much will cause it to plummet and feel very ill! we have to get the balance right.

November challenge - Day 1-3: Selfie, injections and BG

As i have missed a few i will just catch up and start at the beginning :)

Soooo day 1: shameless selfie! Doesnt matter if your having a good hair day, or your in your favourite outfit, or you are just happy and want to share it, everyone loves a good selfie now and again, and if they dont, they are lying!! :p

Day 2: pump or MDI? I am currently using MDI, for the non diabetic community that is multiple daily injections. As a type one diabetic i cannot produce my own insulin, these pens are loaded with insulin that i have to inject myself with on a daily basis. These are my two insulin pens i use throughout the day. the blue one is whats called long acting insulin (basal) i take this twice a day to ensure my blood glucose is stable during the day and night. the other silver pen is called fast acting insulin (bolus) this one i use whenever i eat/drink something with carbohydrates. Its important when injecting that we change the area we inject into, if we dont we may get build up in that area and may become less resistant to the insulin which of course is not a good thing. 

Day 3: BG tester. As a type one diabetic, as well as stabbing myself multiple times with a needle, i also have to stab my fingers too! I have to check my BG (blood glucose) several times a day and even sometimes during the night. I will test before and sometimes after food, before going to bed, waking up from sleep, before driving, before and after exercise, if i am feeling low/high. This is so i know what my levels are, for example i have to test before i eat to make sure i can calculate the right amount of insulin for what i am about to eat, and this is done several times a day, you can only imagine how many that is in a year! My meter is quite clever as it calculates this for me and also lets me know how much insulin i still have in my system :)

November challenge!

So as it is diabetes awareness month i thought what better way to start the November challenge! I will post a photo a day of each of the topics and talk about it a little and also share my personal experiences, its all about raising awareness :)

Introduction

Ok so i havent blogged for over a couple years now and really wanted to start it going again! I thought it best just to start a new blog entirely as so much has changed since then... and i thought what better month to start a new blog as it is diabetes awareness month (although every month is diabetes awareness month to me lol)

So my introduction.... I am Nikki, im 26 and i was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 2010 just before my 22nd birthday. I was in a pretty bad way when diagnosed and was very lucky to make it but thats a story i will go into more detail on a bit later. I have had ups and downs with my diabetes over the years as we all do but i feel myself lucky in other ways, i have a job as a support worker which i love and i have the most amazing friends that anyone could wish for, and great family support as well as the online community :)


So hopefully this blog will open peoples eyes a little more to diabetes, the ups, downs, struggles, humour, and also just general day to day life of a 26 year old lol. I will update and post as much as i can, feel free to follow and share :) x