It was a normal morning of June 18, 2019. I was preparing for a minor surgical procedure in a nearby hospital. As protocol, before any surgical procedure my blood pressure and blood glucose levels were checked and to my surprise, my blood glucose levels were 404 mg/dl. My family doctor and all his staff were in a complete shock and I was in a state of denial. The glucometer was changed and blood glucose levels were checked again, but there was no change in result. Therefore I was declared a diabetic and since I was of the age of 19 at that time, I was primarily diagnosed as Type 1 diabetic. Although I never accepted myself to be a Type 1.

I wasn’t a DKA patient but my levels were not getting stable so I was admitted to the hospital for a few days and was treated with insulin. Finally after 2 days my sugar levels started to get better and I was discharged with a restrictive diabetes food chart and prescribed insulin dose.

I had some classic symptoms of diabetes for a year like extensive thirst, weight loss, lower limbs pain, headaches, GIT troubles and excessive sleeping but I never considered them to be a big issue. They usually got masked under the words “general weakness” and “low immunity”. Little did I know what was going on inside.

The days and nights I spent in the hospital are hard to explain. They were darker than the darkest shade of black that I had ever seen. Lying on the bed, eating nothing and a nurse administering insulin every few hours. There was a loud incomprehensible noise of questions, doubts and criticism at the back of my mind that was shutting my brain off. I lost hope of a happy life. I believed I had to live with all these fears and stigmas for the rest of my life and I will die soon because now I am not normal, I am sort of defected and this sugar, as everyone calls it, is a termite and it will eat me away.

When I came back home, my friends came to visit me and what a blessing true friends are. They counselled me, gave me hope that life doesn’t end here. They gave me motivating examples of people who are living fit and active despite of having diabetes. I felt little better after their visit and started to search and explore the world of diabetes.

I found Meethi Zindagi on Facebook, the only organization in Pakistan working for the betterment of people living with diabetes. I started learning carb count, types of insulin and active lifestyle. I learned portion control and managed my food intake according to it. My levels improved and I almost got a good control on myself. Through Meethi Zindagi I got to know about types of diabetes and difference in their clinical manifestations. I found my symptoms to be more like MODY rather than Type 1. Also I have an extensive history of MODY in my maternal family. Now I was restless and impatient to visit another doctor for a second opinion.

I visited an Endocrinologist in August 2019, after some clinical examination and lab tests I was diagnosed as MODY (young Type 2). Insulin was stopped and tablets were prescribed. I made some more lifestyle modifications and adapted some de-stressing therapies to control stress and anxiety. My HbA1c after 3 months of treatment with tablets was 6.0%. Hence, it was sure now that I am a young Type 2.

I am grateful to my Allah who helped me and showed me the way towards good life and who made me a part of Meethi Zindagi, the organization who held my hands when I was totally hopeless. I am blessed to have my friends and family members, their support is a power bank for every moment in my life.

At the end I would like to say,

“Diabetes is not fatal, diabetes demands management and if you manage your levels efficiently then it is harmless.”