Everything was going well for me. I was halfway through my Junior year of high school, I was exercising and getting in shape, I had really cool friends, and I was in a good place in my life. I am currently 16 years old (17 on March 21st). I started doing the Insanity workout program at the beginning of January so that I could get in shape for Lacrosse season. I started losing weight, which I thought was great. I also started drinking more and more, and my mouth would get dry very easily. I just thought that my body was going through changes because I was exercising, so I didn't think much of it. At the beginning of February, I started getting sick. I was always nauseous, tired, and still thirsty. I didn't really eat much for about a week because I wasn't hungry. I still drank a lot though. I had stopped Insanity for a bit because I wasn't feeling like myself and I didn't feel good. Even after I stopped, I was still losing weight. I had thought that working out made my metabolism go faster. I had lost about 20 pounds in one month.
February 14, 2014 is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. I woke up and still wasn't feeling too well, but my mom made me go to school because I had already missed a few days that week. At school, I ended up going to see the nurse. She checked my vitals, and we realized that I had really high blood pressure, and my heart rate was going faster than it should. I have always had high blood pressure, but this was higher than normal. I had told her how I had been exercising and was always thirsty and drinking water. She gave me a ginger ale for my stomach, and I went back to class with the intention of going home when lunch time came around. While I was in the lunch line, the nurse pulled me aside because she wanted to check my blood sugar. When she checked it, it turned out that my blood sugar level was 531. I was scared to death. I did not want to be diabetic. I immediately thought that something was wrong with her meter. My Dad had checked my sugar last year to make sure his meter was working, and it was normal. I thought something was wrong with the meter and that was why it was so high. We checked it again, and it was 524. Clearly my sugar was high, and the meter was working fine. My heart dropped. I was terrified. I didn't drive to school that day because the roads were icy, so my mom came and picked me up with plans to go to my family's doctor. In the car ride home, I started to tear up. I really did not want to be diabetic. My mom kept trying to tell me that I was too healthy and young for this to happen, and I tried to believe that. My mom had called my dad, and he came home from work. My parents and I went to see my doctor. When we checked my sugar at the doctors, it went down to 488. I thought it was good that it was going down, and I hoped it was just a virus or something that caused it to spike so high. My doctor determined that my body was producing ketones. The body starts producing ketones when insulin isn't being produced. So something was definitely wrong. My doctor ended up sending me down to Johns Hopkins Hospital.
I went to the emergency room at Hopkins, still scared that I might be diabetic. I told the doctor everything that was going on with me, and he said it sounded like Type 1. I was speechless.
From the Emergency Room, I went to the PICU (since I'm not 18, yet). Like my ER nurses, my nurses in the PICU were really cool. I had to get my sugar checked every two hours, even in the middle of the night. I was hooked up to all these machines. There was this one that would beep if my breaths weren't deep enough - that one was the most annoying. The doctors didn't let me eat ANYTHING until about 12:30am my first night there. I was still really upset in the PICU. When no one was looking, I would cry. I was really upset, and I just wanted to go home. I only stayed in the PICU for one night. When I woke up, I was there till about 2:00 pm. While there, I had my first meeting with my Endocrinologist. From the PICU, I went to the regular patient room on the 10th floor. My nurses would rotated every 12 hours, so I met a lot of people that weekend. They were all really nice. I was in that room for most of my time at Johns Hopkins. There, my parents and I were taught a lot about Type 1 Diabetes. We learned how to control my blood sugar, and how to check my sugar, and give insulin shots. There were so many needles while I was in the hospital, including 2 IV's, finger pricks, shots, blood tests, and more - good thing I'm not scared of needles. During night 1 in my new room, I had a really big breakdown to my mom. I did not understand why this happened to me. What did I do that was so bad to deserve this? How am I going to live with this? Am I going to be okay? I would not stop crying. When one of my nurses came in, she noticed I was upset, so she brought somebody else in to talk to me. I didn't want another doctor to talk to me. They didn't completely understand what it was like. I eventually calmed down and relaxed. It was mostly a front so that they would leave me alone. I was just so upset, but who wouldn't be? One of the things that actually really helped me, was Nick Jonas. I used to be a Jonas Brothers fan like every other teen out there, so I always knew that he had Type 1 Diabetes. I read all of his stories and interviews about his Diabetes, and I listened to his song "A little Bit Longer" - a lot. I also researched a lot of celebrities with Type 1 Diabetes, and I didn't expect to find so many people with it.
After a few days, I finally was discharged on Monday. I was so happy to go home. The doctors and nurses gave me the supplies necessary for my Diabetes, and I was on my way. My life was going to be different when I got home.
Now, I have had Type 1 Diabetes for almost a month. Life has definitely been different. I went to school for a few days when I got back, but I went on Spring Break the last week of February, and I don't go back until the 18th of this month. I have gotten used to counting carbs, giving myself shots, and checking my blood sugar. My family and friends have been really supportive of me. It's definitely been an adjustment. I still have some hard days, but I have pretty much gotten used to living with Type 1. When I first got home, I had to check my blood sugar every night at 2:00am. Those late night checks are finally over. I also had to call my Endocrinologist every night, but not anymore. A phone call from my Aunt a few weeks ago changed my perspective on this situation. She was talking to my mom, and she asked, "Why not Nik?" She believes that I am one of those people with Type 1 who will be able to manage it, and grow from it. I find myself asking that same question now. Why not me? I know that I am going to do something good with this. God has a plan for everyone, and this is just a bump in the road for me. He never gives us more than we can handle. I lived almost 17 years of my life as an average person. I got good grades, played sports, had a good family, and overall did well in life. With this new way of life, everyday is going to be a challenge, but bring it on. I know that one day, there will be a cure - hopefully in my life time, but until then, I just need to take it one day at a time and have some hope and faith. I know that I have Loved Ones, Guardian Angels, Guides, and most importantly, God, watching over me. I have always been a fighter, and I'm not going to let this bring me down. I will fight this disease, with everything I have, and I will win. My goal is to reach out to others, spread awareness of Diabetes, and let other Diabetics know that they aren't alone in this fight. My name is Nik Smith, and I am a Type 1 Diabetic who refuses to let this disease get the best of me. I am in control.
