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After being misdiagnosed as a type two diabetic and recently being diagnosed type one diabetic I am very passionate about people being aware of the signs and symptoms and destigmatising the negative connotations that come with a diagnosis. In this photo I have just been hospitalised and I am trying to be positive to what I know is coming but I am completely exhausted both mentally and physically.
Almost 2 years ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes. This was about six months after my daughter was born and during my pregnancy I had gestational diabetes. When they diagnosed me with type two my doctor told me that because I was so obese it was likely type to so without any further testing she started me on Metformin and sent me on my way.
For almost two years I struggled with my blood sugars, constant highs and being extremely unwell. I lost 35kg very quickly which everyone (including myself) thought was fantastic because I was overweight.
I would wake 6-10 time a night to pee. I was drinking 4-6L a day and could never ever be satisfied. I started becoming so unwell I was mentally drained, I would hope to get sick enough that I could take time off and just rest. I was finally hospitalised and saw my new endocrinologist and I was relieved to be in hospital so I could just stop. Stop work, stop pressures of wearing my “everything is okay mask” and to stop trying to push past how sick I was.
My colleague would tell me that she always saw me smiling so it was hard to understand that I was so sick. This is the side of things not everyone sees from chronic illnesses.
The breakdowns, the internal mental struggles, the complete and utter exhaustion.
I am so lucky to have such a fantastic partner, family and friends who support me through my struggles, diagnosis and life changes that come. In the last 4 years I have been diagnosed with four new chronic illnesses each with their own struggles.
Every day something is going on but with the help of my support system I am able to keep plopping along.
A burn out as severe as my recent one doesn’t happen often but when it does, I am grateful that I can lean on my support system.
Behind the Burnout Truth Campaign
With National Diabetes Awareness Month happening, we believe it's important to continue our commitment with sharing the support as at the end of the day, we understand and acknowledge that diabetes management is a 24/7 experience.
With that in mind, we've created a #BurnoutTruth initiative to use this chance to shine a public light on an area that's often experienced in the dark by yourself.
Burnout truth is all about showing the realness of having chronic illness burnout and normalising this experience so that others out there know that it is real. By sharing different community stories, we hope that we're able to communicate that the main message is to know that these things happen because you’re a human, whether it’s with diabetes or outside of having diabetes. 😊
I certainly empathize and appreciate your honesty and willingness to share. I share an aspect of your experience. I, too, was diagnosed with Type 2, my doctor put me on Metformin, and when it didn’t help lower my BG my endocrinologist had me double up. I, too, felt so sick as a result, I still recall that feeling decades later. It took a few years until another endocrinologist, suspicious that I was relatively young when diagnosed, just after the birth of my third child, requisitioned a simple blood test that showed that I had Type 1. I am ever-grateful to her, and to my endocrinologist who also has Type 1, and empathize in a way that even the brightest cannot.
I can so relate. Thank you for sharing.