Many times, certain conditions may be tied to other conditions/diseases or are a signal for something more going on with your body. Zaria experienced symptoms that looked like one thing at first glance, but turned out to be a sign of something else. In her own words below from the blog she recently started to help others, she explains exactly what happened:
I am 17 and I recently had a diabetes scare. I couldn’t apprehend the fact that I could possibly be diagnosed with diabetes. So many things were running through my mind and even though I gave out the impression that I wasn’t scared, I really was. Diabetes isn’t new to me; I’ve watched my dad battle diabetes for the past two, three years and my grandmother has been dealing with diabetes before I was even born, and it was likely I could have it too. I had been feeling fatigue and had a constant headache and because of the history in the family I took my blood sugar. Initially it was lower than it should have been in the middle of the day (3.5mmol/L). So I took the measures needed to get it to the normal level and two hours after taking a cup of tea it was at 15.3mmol/L. This was a number I had never seen on my machine before. I was scared and decided to repeat the procedure and got the same result, so a couple of days later I consulted a specialist who deals with diabetes and the results came back normal. Glucose and insulin levels were all fine. This was a sigh of relief for me but at the same time when my doctor decided she wanted to get deeper into why there was this drastic rise. I pulled back because as I thought about it and already had the confirmation that I didn’t have diabetes, I was almost certain of what the next cause could have been. I knew where the conversation was going and it was a topic I was uncomfortable talking about, but that’s not the case anymore.
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About a year ago I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, for me when I got this news I brushed it off because it wasn’t something that I had experienced first hand, there weren’t very many people that were vocal about going through it for me to look up to. I tried to work on it on my own, without talking to any counsellor or taking any medication but after a while I gave in and consulted a professional counsellor (which I highly recommend). At the end of the day opening up and talking about what you’re going through is the best therapy you could ask for.
My mum has been my biggest supporter, I’d like to say she is my backbone because without her and the support she’s given me I don’t know where I would be. She is the only person who understands me and my struggles. She’s been pushing me to get through it without medication and so far so good, but there are days I just need something to help me relax and sleep. We are in this journey together. To be honest some days are better than others. It’s something that you battle on a daily basis.
I have decided to start this blog to reach out to teenagers as well as people who feel they can relate with my struggles. Mental health and diabetes isn’t…
…something to be taken lightly. Even though I don’t suffer from diabetes now, I’m close to people who do. With a good support system I guarantee you’ll get through it. I learnt to block out the people in my life that clearly didn’t have my best interest at heart and I keep my circle small. I’m in a better place right now and I’m not embarrassed/scared to talk about what I’m going through.
With this blog, I’d like people who may be going through anxiety or depression to read this and know that there is a way to get help. There’s nothing wrong with us, we just cope with things differently and that sometimes turns against us. I would like to be an example of someone with this disorder, for people to look up to me, and have hope that things will and do get better. Even on those ‘bad’ days.
Yes, I’m 17. Yes, I suffer from this disorder but that is not the end of my life. I am young with a bright future ahead. I’m optimistic that with counselling and support from family and friends everything will fall into place. For those who may be going through the same battle, there is hope! You just have to “LET GO, LET GOD” and believe change will come.
“KEEP YOUR HEAD UP. GOD GIVES HIS HARDEST BATTLES TO HIS STRONGEST SOLDIERS”
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