Hello Friend, I hope this finds you well and happy.
It's been a challenging time for me over the past weeks so I am glad of this opportunity to touch base with you and let you know whats been happening in my world.
The past 3 months feels like I have been constantly missing in action as I have struggled to discover why I was going downhill and what was causing the pain, loss of energy and function, bowel impaction and rapid weight and muscle loss.
Now I know.
Almost 2 weeks ago after another admission to hospital, I was finally diagnosed with LADA or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults and I am now an insulin dependant, type 1 diabetic and my life has completely changed again.
Out of all of the autoimmune diseases I thought I might end up with, this diagnosis came out of a clear blue sky.
I had no idea that you could develop type 1diabetes as an adult.
There is no diabetes in my family and even with my annual "lets test everything we can with blood and urine" evaluation, there was no signs of diabetes ever being an issue for me.
For the first time in my life, I know how it feels to be physically frail, underweight and having to try to rebuild my body back from a place it has never been before.
I am now in a routine of daily blood sugar checks, insulin injections and learning how to head off a low blood sugar.
I am learning to carry my gluten free jelly beans with me at all times just in case.
I am walking that very fine line between getting the positive information that I need about this new addition to my autoimmune collection and not getting sucked into the fear, negativity and horror stories that are lurking in every article, support group and google search about it.
To be honest Friend, it's a lot to take in and I am dealing with it the same way I did 6 years ago when Hashimoto's hit my life and chronic illness changed everything.
If you know even some of my story, then you know that it is my absolute belief that you need to deal with the emotional issues of chronic illness first so that is exactly what I am doing.
This is what I posted about 10 days ago on my Emotional Autoimmunity Facebook page:
Today is my 5th day at home, learning to manage type 1 LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults).
I’m fascinated by how technology allows me to test my blood sugars and very grateful it exists.
After two hospital admissions for DKA (Diabetic keto acidosis) I see this ability to track my blood sugars and manage food and use insulin myself as quite miraculous.
While I will not always feel this way, I’m grateful now that I can. It’s instant body feedback that I’m now attempting to tune into.
I have had a few experiences of feeling low sugars, weak, shaky, not very pleasant.
Trying to stay calm and use lots of reassuring self talk really helps with that.
Staying in the day, mindfully relaxing, creating a little bubble of peace around me are the key mind shift tools I am actively using right now.
While my family and friends are still trying to talk through the why this happened to me because seeing me so physically frail and knowing how they could so easily have lost me, not once but twice within the space of 8 weeks, the “why” doesn’t need answering for me because once you have one autoimmune disease, you can gather more.
My question now is “how”?
How do I make this work for me?
How can I get the best possible health and happiness for me?
How can I encourage and support and take the best possible care of myself that I can?
How can I support my amazing body to heal as best it can?
I have found that the “why me” question takes me down a dark emotional path.
Grief is part of this of course and all my emotions are valid and deserve to be expressed and honoured.
This is here, it’s real and like my other 3 autoimmune diseases, I am finding ways to coexist as peacefully as I can because that’s what’s going to give me the best chance to live as well as I can right now.
Hugs to all who need them.
Kerry
P.S. Yes, I am still working part time you can book in your FREE Discovery Session with me to get you out of your why and into your how. Trust me, it will help you so much more.
| 
