Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 26 was shocking

Written by Sharon Atim

Before diagnosis

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on February 27, 2013 at the tender age of 26. My immediate response was shock because until that day, there was no one with diabetes in my family. I'm still the only person living with it. Secondly, I did not know type 2 diabetes happened to people in their 20s when I was diagnosed. I thought it was something you got when you were a senior citizen over 60, so I felt alone for a while. I am sharing my story in the hope that someone out there will know that they are not the only ones going through this. I remember crying myself to sleep on many occasions asking myself how this monster disease could befall me; but I hope that I can give someone else the comfort and courage they need, that I needed too, to keep fighting, for there is still so much they can do with their lives.

My blood sugar was 27 mmol/L when I gained admission. I had blurred vision, frequent thirst and urination, I had lost up to 20 kgs in a span of two weeks from previous 95kgs, which was on the obese side at the time, and I had the worst yeast infection ever, and scaly skin. By the time my parents drove me to the hospital, I was going into diabetic coma. As it is the system in Uganda in most hospitals, I was prescribed Metformin 500 mg and Glibenclamide 5 mg, though they weren't effective in managing my blood sugar. I was later switched to Premixed 70/30 Mixtard insulin.

On my weight loss journey

My journey to regaining my health was a difficult one. I did not receive any education concerning how to effectively manage diabetes. I was left to “gamble” it out myself. I also quickly realised that many people in my various communities didn't understand it, but were quick to share lots of misinformation and judgements. This made me a research addict on diabetes management , especially concerning my diet, exercise and mental health. Diet was my biggest hurdle especially determining what foods activate high blood sugar number and the reverse, deciding on what includes a balanced diet of a diabetic and is it any different from the “normal” diet (details on my next article). Lucky for me, I had the wonderful support of family, especially my mother, who continually encourages me. I also learned quickly that I needed to lose weight in a healthy way and pursued that and improving my diet persistently.

My challenge today is dealing with doctors who do not know the names of some medications I use, including not understanding how they work or their possible side effects. The saddest part is some doctors have zero interest in remaining up-to-date on the latest standards of diabetes care, yet they continue to work with patients who live with it. It is times like these, where I have learned to do what’s best for me and be my own patient advocate.

My medication

Over the years, I have managed diabetes with Mixtard 70/30 premixed insulin. Managing diabetes without medication works for some people, it works for others for a certain period of time, and there are some people who won’t manage without medication. No matter the management style, I have always checked my blood sugar often because knowing the level of my blood sugar before eating helps me make smart lifestyle choices. I know how different foods affect my blood sugar now and I would suggest to anyone reading this, that with diabetes management, knowledge is truly power. Not your doctor's knowledge alone, since your doctor will not be with you 75% of the time. I am talking about arming yourself with knowledge in whatever ways you can. There are several screening camps hosted by many organisations that screen for diabetes free and charge and share critical knowledge,. Africa Diabetes Alliance has held several diabetes education events, of which I have attended one especially informative one held in November, 2018, on the topic managing diabetes and sexual reproductive health for women. There are also several resources on the internet and all social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. These platforms are readily available but we have to be careful to avoid quack sites with plenty of misinformation. Even here, one has to be careful and follow authentic sites and content creators with the right credentials. I know many of us can get our hands on valuable information on the internet but before using any of this information on yourself, I would suggest that consulting with your primary healthcare provider be made a priority so that we can keep ourselves safe.

I see you, you're not alone

In addition, I would like to add that with diabetes of any kind, you are either managing diabetes or it's hurting you. Find your motivation and run with it. Whether it’s being there for your family, the things you still want to accomplish in life, the places you want to go – focus on all those things and let them drive you to stay on top of your game with your diabetes management. Disarming diabetes is a daily commitment that we have to make, but it gets easier with information, support, persistence and consistency. We can be happy, achieve our dreams and enjoy life even with diabetes. I am immensely proud of everyone working hard to disarm diabetes daily, in their lives, their families' and communities' lives as well. It's parte after parte when we are all disarming diabetes together. 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃😊