From Frightened to Fit – Nicole’s Type 1 Diabetes Story

It started as a feeling of lingering dehydration not long after her twenty-first birthday. Nicole and her mom were vacationing on the island of Key West, Florida in March of 2009, and enjoying some much-needed fun and relaxation. Being dehydrated wasn’t unexpected as she sipped cocktails and tropical drinks on the island’s beaches; alcohol combined with the hot, humid weather is the perfect recipe for dehydration. What she didn’t expect was that a full week later the feeling of being dehydrated did not go away.

The following Sunday, after participating in a weekend-long charity event, that required her to be on her feet almost the entire time, things took a turn for the worse for Nicole. When she returned home, she noticed that her vision became increasingly blurred, her gums turned white and she had lost the feeling in both of her legs. She went to bed in order to get some rest, still thinking— hoping—that she was simply exhausted from her recent trip to Key West that was parlayed into a demanding weekend-long charity event.

She slept for almost twenty-four hours, missing her classes the following day. She was listless and increasingly lethargic. Her body was unable to retain water despite of the fact that was consuming a great deal of liquids—about an entire bottle of water every hour. She could no longer ignore her deteriorating state, nor dismiss it as simply exhaustion or dehydration. Nicole decided that she had to call her doctor.

Her doctor told her to come in without delay so she could examine Nicole and run some tests. Based on Nicole’s symptoms the doctor immediately decided to check Nicole’s blood sugar level…

“It was 327, which is ridiculously high,” said Nicole about the results of her blood sugar test. “Somewhere between 60 and 120 is normal. She (her doctor) said ‘You have diabetes.’”

By the time she had finally made it to the doctor, Nicole’s state of health was bordering on the brink of tragic.

“I was (pauses) dying…like legitimately dying,” said Nicole. “My doctor said that if I would have waited two more weeks I would have went into a diabetic coma and I could have died.”

She is clearly thankful that she sought medical attention when she did, but the events that led to her diagnosis were also a life lesson that molded Nicole into an astutely self-aware person. She realizes that living with, and controlling, her type 1 diabetes is dependent upon the decisions and choices that she makes for the rest of her life. Never again will she dismiss and ignore the signs and symptoms of her body. In fact, Nicole actively pursues controlling the disease beyond just her insulin injections.

It is Nicole’s philosophy that the better she understands and takes care of her body, the more efficiently it will function. She is meticulous with her diet, and her exercise regimen is…well, it is beyond impressive.

“I plan every single day of my life around exercising, and I also plan my meals ahead and keep a food diary to regulate calories and carbs,” said Nicole. “I wake up early to fit it (training) in first thing at LA Fitness. My trainer is amazing; Kelley has pushed me and motivated me to reach my goals.”

Her spirit and positivity is endearing, her determination to take control of her life and type 1 diabetes is moving, and her story continues…

Come back next time as Nicole shares the details of her fitness and diet program, and the results of her most recent weigh-in and doctor’s visit. FOLLOWING her story is simple; you can receive automatic updates by signing up for Living Healthy via email, or click the ORANGE RSS icon located on the right side-bar of our blog.