First, let me talk about what type 1 diabetes is. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease that prevents the pancreas from producing insulin, which is an important hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Our bodies use sugar to create energy, but without insulin our bodies cannot do that. It causes a rise in our blood sugar, resulting in going into Diabetic Ketoacidosis, or DKA. There are many signs or symptoms that can be present when someone has undiagnosed or untreated diabetes. Here are a few of those symptoms:
- Unquenchable thirst
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained bedwetting
- Unwanted or unexplained weight loss
- Less energy
- Fruity smelling breath
- Blurry vision
- Stomach pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Rapid, heavy breathing
If you are experiencing these, I urge that you see a doctor. Diabetes left untreated is not only dangerous but it can be fatal. I have had diabetes for many years (13–19) and I have had experiences where death was almost the result. Let me explain...
I found out I was diabetic right before my eighth grade year. I was 13 years old and not very responsible at all. I always felt sick, thirsty, and was going to the restroom constantly. In school, I had almost passed out a few times. My mother had offered to take me shopping, but instead I said I would rather go to the hospital. We go to the emergency room, they take us back and cannot figure out what's wrong. So finally, they decide they would check my blood sugar. There it was almost 500–600. They send me upstairs to see their endocrinologist who got me started with my new lifestyle. He explains what diabetes was and what I will have to do to stay alive. I had to start checking my blood sugar multiple times a day, and giving myself four shots(minimum) daily! I was overwhelmed, scared, and... maybe even annoyed.
I got home later and for a few days did just fine. After a while, I started to slack off. Even well into the school year I did this. Well, months go by and I feel sick. Maybe it was just a cold, right? Wrong. I get sicker and sicker until finally one day, I am going in and out of consciousness. I tried making my way to the door because my dad said we were going to the hospital. I sit on the couch to catch my breath and can't move. I can’t talk, or see. My sister gets there and she has to carry me out to the car and they rush me to the hospital. The doctors see me and tell my family that I probably won't make it. How scary! That night they get my blood sugar stable. I spent a few days in the ICU (intensive care unit) and they had to reteach me everything. They got onto me for not doing what I was supposed to. Finally, they release me and again, I do well for a while then slack off.
This results in another hospital trip. I do well for a while, then something always happens and I get hospitalized. Since being diagnosed, I've been hospitalized for many different reasons about 7–8 times. Diabetes is scary and brutal but if you do things the way you need to and get help from your doctors, then these things will happen less, if not at all. For all you diabetics out there, don’t worry, a cure will come but until then take care of yourselves!!
More information here.
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from writers in Longevity and other communities.
Day 4 of Quitting
If this is how sobriety feels, maybe it’s better to go through life a little buzzed… this, along with other hits like, I want to kill myself, I wish I was dead, and I’m going to throw myself off a bridge have been the only thoughts on rotation these past few days. I promise myself that if, in a month, I still feel like this (‘this’ meaning despondent, full of rage, and simultaneously numb) I can go back to smoking. Until mid-February though? Nicotine is off the table.
By sleepy drafts12 days ago in Longevity
A First in 100 Years: A Chinook Salmon Returns to Its Native California River
For the first time in more than a century, a Chinook salmon has been documented returning to its native river in California—a moment that conservationists are calling historic, symbolic, and deeply hopeful. This single fish represents far more than a biological curiosity. It is living proof that decades of environmental restoration, policy reform, and community activism can slowly reverse even the most severe ecological damage. A Journey Once Thought Impossible Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon, are famous for their extraordinary life cycle. Born in freshwater rivers, they migrate thousands of miles into the Pacific Ocean before returning—often to the exact stream of their birth—to spawn and die. This instinct, known as natal homing, is one of nature’s most remarkable feats. Yet for many California rivers, that cycle was broken long ago. The construction of large dams in the early 20th century blocked salmon from reaching their historic spawning grounds. Combined with overfishing, pollution, water diversion for agriculture, and urban development, Chinook populations collapsed. Some rivers saw salmon disappear entirely, becoming ecologically silent for generations. That is why the recent sighting of a Chinook salmon in a river where it had been absent for 100 years has stunned scientists. It was not stocked, released, or guided by humans. It found its way back on its own. What Changed After a Century? This return did not happen by accident. Over the past few decades, California has invested heavily—though not without controversy—in river restoration projects. Aging dams have been removed or modified, fish ladders installed, water flows restored, and riparian habitats rehabilitated. Environmental regulations have reduced industrial pollution, while fishing limits have given depleted stocks a chance to recover. Climate science has also improved water management. Agencies now release colder water from reservoirs at strategic times to mimic natural river conditions that salmon need to survive. In some regions, tribes and local communities have played a leading role, drawing on generations of ecological knowledge to guide restoration efforts. The return of a single Chinook suggests that these fragmented efforts are finally beginning to connect. Why One Fish Matters Skeptics may ask: what difference does one salmon make? Ecologists answer clearly—everything starts with one. Salmon are a keystone species. Their bodies transport ocean nutrients far inland, feeding not just fish but birds, mammals, insects, and even forests. When salmon disappear, entire ecosystems weaken. When they return, ecological networks slowly rebuild. More importantly, this salmon demonstrates that the river itself is becoming viable again. Chinook are highly sensitive to water temperature, oxygen levels, and habitat quality. Their presence signals improving river health—conditions good enough not just for salmon, but for countless other species, including humans. Cultural and Historical Significance For Indigenous communities in California, salmon are not just wildlife; they are relatives, teachers, and central figures in cultural identity. Many tribes have fought for decades to restore salmon runs that were lost due to colonial-era infrastructure projects. The return of this Chinook has therefore been met with emotion as well as scientific excitement. Elders describe it as a reminder of what the land once was—and what it could be again. It also strengthens legal and moral arguments for continued dam removal and river protection. Challenges Still Ahead Despite this milestone, conservationists warn against complacency. One fish does not mean the crisis is over. Climate change continues to threaten salmon through warming waters, drought, and altered ocean conditions. Many rivers remain blocked, degraded, or over-allocated. There is also the question of whether this return can become a trend. For a self-sustaining population to reestablish, many salmon must follow this path consistently over years. That will require long-term funding, political will, and cooperation between environmental groups, farmers, energy producers, and governments. A Rare Moment of Environmental Optimism In an era dominated by headlines about extinction, climate disasters, and ecological collapse, the return of a Chinook salmon after 100 years offers something rare: credible hope. It shows that nature has not forgotten its pathways—and that if given even a narrow opening, it will try to heal itself. This single fish is not the end of the story. It is the opening line of a possible recovery—one written slowly, against great odds, but now undeniably underway.
By Fiaz Ahmed 2 days ago in Longevity
Wild Card Weekend Recap: What Happens Now?
I think I figured out why I love Wild Card Weekend so much. It's because it's the first playoff anything of the calendar year. The NFL season starts in the fall, and once upon a time, the champion was crowned either on or slightly before New Year's. The evolution of the NFL schedule has resulted in the playoffs starting just into the New Year, and currently, the final week of the season falls on the first weekend of the New Year, with Wild Card Weekend coming a week after that. So yes, chronologically, the NFL's Wild Card Weekend serves as the first playoff anything of the calendar year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins6 days ago in Unbalanced
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.