Editor’s note: This is the first post in the series, “ALL OF US,” by Chelsea Lugone and family, who will share their T1D journey onstage at the 2024 Breakthrough T1D Central PA Gala on May 18th. Whether or not you are able to join them at the event, you can still support their efforts with a 100% tax-deductible Fund A Cure gift today to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs in T1D research.
Chelsea’s Diagnosis
My type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis was missed for some time. At 23 years old I kept getting urinary tract infections. One after another, after another. It was a urologist who told me there was nothing wrong with my bladder—my issue was that I had diabetes! In shock, I returned to my primary care provider who told me, “I have never had a patient like you before.” Instead of starting me on insulin, I was started on a pill for type 2 diabetes. Luckily, that provider also referred me to a wonderful endocrinologist who in turn referred me to a diabetes educator!
T1D can often be missed or mistaken for other health issues. Even when I received a T1D diagnosis, my primary care provider did not know how to treat me and assumed I had type 2 diabetes. Luckily, my endocrinologist knew right away, and he started me on insulin. How I avoided diabetic ketoacidosis is a miracle! After missing my diagnosis and feeling like I was a medical mystery, it was my endocrinologist and diabetes educator, Mary, who helped me to realize I would be able to live a healthy life with diabetes. Mary touched my life in such a way that I will never, ever forget! She is the reason I set out to become a diabetes educator!
- Were you or someone you know diagnosed with T1D as an adult?
- Was your T1D diagnosis mistaken for something else or missed for some time?
- What symptoms were you experiencing?
- Was there someone who made a positive impact on you following your diagnosis? Who were they and how did they make a difference?
We would love for you to share your story. Our hope is to share all of our stories at the 2024 Breakthrough T1D Central PA Gala because this is about #ALLOFUS. For the chance for your story to be included on signage at the Gala, e-mail abreining@BreakthroughT1D.org and/or tag your story on social media with: #ALLOFUS #JDRFCentralPAGala #JDRFWestCentralPA
