I Can't Believe It! Adam's Story
Adam's Story
"I can't believe it!" from Dr. Torres at Otsego Memorial Hospital.
These are the words told to me on May 22, 2007.
Hello, my name is Adam and I have just recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but let me tell you how it all begins.
Being a typical 24 year old male, this is the prime age for going out drinking and doing what most people consider fun! I work at Ski Club and Resort that has over 4 bars, so you have to imagine, this is a major drinking establishment. In early February, I had dealt with the death of my grandfather who was more like a father to me due to my biological father never being there, I had went in to a downward spiral of depression and drinking. On May 18, I had to work a banquet for my employer which was from 6pm to 2am. This day I had felt worse then others, although I had been losing a significant amount of weight since February I thought I was blessed, and maybe the diet pills I where taking had done the trick! My brother was a little envious of me, saying that I was lucky. I used to rub it in his face, blinded by my own ignorance. I had started urinating more though, I mean a lot. About every 15 minutes!Didn't phase me though, although I would eat about 10 to 15 lbs. of food a day! I would lose at least 7lbs. a day! On May 18, I felt more fatigued then usual and felt as is I was pushing myself to go throughout the day, my co-workers thought I had a drug problem from the significant weight loss, and always tired, I just laughed it off and said you don't know nothing. After the banquet and clean up was over, on the way home I started seeing double, and was completely exhausted. I decided to pull over the side of the road to get my bearings, but apparently I feel asleep for a couple of hours. When I awoke, I just drove home and went to bed. I never had gotten much sleep anyway, I always had to get up to go to the bathroom.
The next day, I felt ten times worse then I did before. I decided since I had the day off, I was going to go for a swim to maybe clear my head and maybe feel better. It wasn't helping, and when I got home from the beach and pulled in the driveway, that was all I can remember. Apparently, I had passed out in the driveway and my neighbor had seen me lying there wondering what was going on. He called my mother at her work and she had come home early to see what was happening, they put me in her car and took me to the hospital.
I awoke a couple of days later completely plugged into the wall, slightly sedated and the major thing I can remember is my girlfriend crying. I had a oxygen tube down my throat and tubes running throughout each and every arm. While crying she told me that the doctor said I had back to back diabetic comas, I had passed out from the first one at the driveway of my house, and had a second one when my body starting rejecting the insulin and IV they where putting in me. The second was far severe which resulted me to have massive seizures and convulsions before I passed out, it even resulted in me clinically dieing for 6 seconds for my heart had stopped. It had resulted in nerve damage in the back of my brain.After being told this information, I had a tear running down my cheek, not really having the ability to understand all this at once. I had tried to readjusting myself in the bed, and I noticed that I could move my legs. The doctor had come in telling me that I would have to go back to physical therapy to learn how to walk. As I sat there in the hospital not believing what has happened, I could just remember my family crying.
After a couple of weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, I was released. I had also discovered that a individual average blood sugar is 100 to 123. When I was diagnosed with the disease, it was at 1560, you can have a coma after 600. He could not believe that I was even walking around the day that I almost died. As being released and helped into the car, I remember sitting at the house in the wheel chair starring outside. I had thought that this was it, it would be absolutely impossible for me to ever survive like this. I had considered suicide, my sister would not leave the house because she had a feeling what was on my mind. I woke up in the middle of the night and had gotten ready to kill myself, although my wheelchair was not in my room. I called out her name asking her where the hell was my chair? She started talking to me, and I broke down again and had told her my plan. She got mad at me, and told me to wait it out and see what happens.I decided to take her advice and the next couple of days, I went to physical therapy. I had been completely depressed, down and out. I used to be a very athletic person, very fit, now I had gained over 65lbs. and felt obese. (I'm 6'6' and when I was at my most fit level, I weighed 210 all muscle, when diagnosed at the hospital, I weighed 168lbs. at this point I was 245lbs.) So athletic but couldn't even take baby steps! I coped with it though and eventually, relearned how to walk! And had started working out again, pushing against all the odds, dropped down 215, lost all the excessive weight, and for the first time in my life, I am happy. I am even inspired to go back to college to become a Endocrinologist, (study of blood and metabolism,) so I can help people who suffer from the same disease I do, although I have daily seizures and a slight speech impediment.
The doctors first words he said when he saw me was, "I can't believe it!" He could not be
lieve that I found a edge, a reason for pushing on, and how much progress I have made. This is my story, almost resulted in tragedy, I will never quit, I will never let this disease slow me down. Being this aware of what I have overcome makes me always wonder what obstacles I can over come. Those of you with diabetes and are just diagnosed don't ever fret, things will ALWAYS go up! This is a guarantee. I truly hope this story inspires you to keep living and pushing through, always remember, you are not alone!
Comments
Wow Adam, this is an incredible story! You are very brave, and you can definitely live a full, productive, and fun life with diabetes, as you're already learning! Congratulations on coming so far in such a short period of time.
Posted by: Kelsey | August 6, 2007 06:19 PM
amazing story Adam. Glad you shared. Batman.
Posted by: Batman | August 8, 2007 10:26 PM
This is the first story I have a hard time believing. It's just so out there....
Posted by: Laura | August 9, 2007 06:56 AM