CHRONIC TONIC posts on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST. It is a place to share stories, advice, and information and to connect with others with chronic health conditions and those who care for them. Our diarists will report on research, alternative treatments, clinical trials, and health insurance issues through personal stories. You are invited to share in comments (and note if you'd like to be a future diarist).
That’s what the doctor told me when I asked if I could continue playing softball since I was newly diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic at 12 ½. I don’t know if this is when I began to test the “you can’t tell me what to do” stage, but I continued to play softball, because that’s what kept me active. I also added on basketball, track and field and flag football. Until 6 years ago, when I had a traumatic sports injury in a coed softball tournament. (A dive into first base>I was safe, we eventually won the game)
These days, I can only seem to walk and use a pedal exerciser, and even that is painful. I haven’t even been able to jog, but being able to find a pool helps tremendously. Apologies on not writing sooner, but I finally found a way to start telling my story. I am a type 1 diabetic who has played sports most of her life, and have racked up a strong dose of sports injuries, repetitive injuries from work and an inefficient healthcare system that still has me wondering WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY.
First off, I rely on medicinal marijuana, because I’ve been having a time of it trying to find out what is exactly going on with my body.(Chronic for the chronic, so to speak) I’ve tried pharma meds from doctors who based their diagnosis on, well, I don’t know. I’ve done the whole massage, chiropractor, physical therapist approach and found that acupuncture, better yet, acu-tens, seems to be the only type of therapy that provides the best relief of pain, even if it’s just for a little while. Swimming helps my legs, but since I have a torn rotator cuff, no curve in my neck (military neck) and arthritis circulating around, it’s hard for me to use my upper body in the water. However, the water is the best place to practice tai chi and keep my body calm.
I do have to use pharma meds for my insulin, muscle relaxers, nose spray and loratadine for my ‘allergies’. I’m not too sure if I need the allergy meds, because I just uncovered some MRI results that were overlooked by physicians in two separate health care systems>I have “prominent adenoidal tissue” as well as a “focal area of nodularity on my left thyroid gland”. I’ll be paying a visit to my primary physician, who will hopefully schedule me to see the right physician to take a look at these issues along with my continued sinusitis issues. Oh yeah, I have osteoarthritis, which pretty much keeps my whole body inflamed. As far as the pharma meds go, I would love to be able to get off of them and utilize natural supplements and vitamins, but I‘ll have no luck in the insulin department until stem cells can be used to cure diabetes. Before I forget, I was prescribed Metformin, which is a pill for type 2 diabetics, along with my NPH and Regular insulin because a county doc thought pills would help bring my A1c levels lower than 8.7. All I can figure is that the Metformin zapped the B12 in my body, so now I take B12 supplements every day. I did try some other supplements, like Acetyl L-Carnitine, Chlorophyll, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Chromium Picolinate which all helped lower my blood sugars, but are rather expensive for someone who can’t work and lives off minescule disability benefit dinero. Suffice it to say, I can list all of the pharma meds I’ve taken over the years, but it would be better for me to find ways to come up with a natural supplement formula that can lessen the pain, control my blood sugars and keep my body from deteriorating faster than it is now, so any tips are appreciated.
I would love to continue on, but for now, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the different issues I continue to deal with while trying to find out WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY. I haven’t even stepped into my dream of trying to finish law school so that I can become an attorney for the people>which has now turned into being a disability law attorney with some health care advocacy rights. I was led on the attorney path by my younger brother, who was an attorney, but is now a disabled vet and wishes to only play golf instead.
Incidentally, I just returned from a long day at the California state fair (before writing this diary) and learned that I can no longer do the things I used to be able to do, like walk, stand or sit for more than 15 minutes. The bright spot of the fair was finding these instant and reusable heat packs that can also be used as ice packs, Alz Thera-Heat.
(Ok, so I did eat some fair food, no fried Oreos or anything like that, just the best ceviche I’ve had in a long time!)
I know I can’t play softball ever again and my doctor may have been only trying to scare me at 12 1/2. However, being a type 1 diabetic has taught me that exercise is mandatory, but learning how to take care of your body is first and foremost. Better late then never I suppose, and now, all I hope is that I can find a physician who can actually read my medical records and test results before prescribing any more meds or treatments so that I can find out WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY. It’s been 6 years of angst so far, so here’s hoping I can at least get my story out so no woman has to go through what I’ve been through as a type 1 diabetic who only tried to play sports to keep my diabetes under control…
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