MY DIABETIC DELIMA

by: Nicole Le Cornu

The Beginning, Where It All Started:

My first memory was when ten, and I was diagnosed with the disease. I had been really sick for a week, and my mother began to really worry about me. I was sent to the our doctor who had me have blood test done. I remember it was a Tuesday because my mother was out when the doctor phoned and said if my father could take me to the hospital because he thought I had diabetes. No one in my family at that stage knew anything about diabetes because I was the first diabetic in the families history. My father packed some clothes and took me to the hospital. Then the doctor took some more blood tests, and they came back and said my doctor was right. I was admitted to the hospital to learn about diabetes. I stayed for a week because I remember because the Sunday that was coming up was Mother’s Day, and I really didn't want to be in hospital. It took me quite a while to learn to do my own injections because I didn't want to do them. My mother wouldn't because she is so scared of needles, so my father learned first. I finally learned how to do them before leaving the hospital, but my father had to do them at first for a little while after first I returned home. I hated doing injections in front of people and because at that stage I was sharing a room with my older sister. We would have arguments because she would not want to leave the room which in the end lead to my parent extending our house, so we wouldn't have to share a room.

I also remember my first day of high school. I was so scared because of diabetes in high school. I can recall my first year of high school was having a hypoglycemia experience after not been allowed to eat my lunch because our whole class had been put on detention by our PE teacher when some of us hadn't done anything wrong. The other PE teacher and the school nurse had told him about my diabetes and that I was suppose to eat. So every time after that if didn't feel well my PE teacher would be so nice to me, so I could get away with a little bit.

Then I remember when I went back to the hospital when I was thirteen because I was not on enough insulin. I missed out on a family holiday which I was really annoyed about. I had to be placed on more insulin because I was growing at one stage in my life. I was on 180 units of insulin per day.

I remember getting really sick again when I was fifteen and in year 10 at high school. I hadn't had a proper hypo for nearly five years. I had just started year 10 and mostly every day in the first three weeks I was having a hypo and had been taken home from school. It was very difficult for my mother because she had to come from work to get me for my father was in Singapore. Then for about another two weeks my mother was coming into school at lunch time and taking me home just to stop me from having another hypo at school. My diabetic doctor, who was the biggest jerk, decided I should be admitted to hospital, that was in March. They started looking after me, but he then decided even though I was in hospital I should still do things that I normally did. I was sent back and forth from school every day which made me really tired. He thought it was a good idea that I saw a psychologist which didn't last long. I just didn't want to be there. I latter got a new doctor because I didn't like that doctor anymore. I have never been happier.

Depression Hits:

My College years started out OK and things with my diabetes started to get better up until halfway through year 11. I started to get complications which have mainly been with my feet but are still a problem now nearer than normal. The have had another problem since late 1997. I gave up on life and everything and was diagnosed with sever depression which lead me to trying to overdose on insulin a couple of times and just giving up on everything. With the help of my psychologist I have been able to deal with this problem and things are now looking up. They think I could have had depression for up to four years before it was diagnosed. I now am get things back under control and hoping to live a normal and productive life from now on. My main dream at the moment is to finish up year 12 and go to University to study Nursing. BACK to "When Diabetes Depression Hits"