Diagnosis, determination and dose of ‘mum’s advice’

In 2018, at the age of 36, Peyton was an energetic mum of three, always on the move, always doing.

Just two years earlier, she’d embarked on a personal health journey, shedding 20 kilos through an online program. That was only supposed to be a month-long trial through her work, but with incredible results, she continued for four.

In 2017, she had emergency surgery to have her gallbladder removed. The procedure came with reassurances from nurses that rapid weight loss may have played a part. By then, she had stopped trying to lose weight, content, her energy never better!

But by mid-2018, something had shifted.

The once tireless woman found herself heading straight to the couch after work, barely able to keep her eyes open.

“It felt strangely similar to the fatigue of early pregnancy, but I knew that wasn’t the case,” she said.

Peyton was exhausted in a way that didn’t make sense.

Then came the weight loss, again, but this time unintentionally. Friends and family brushed it off with comments like, ‘I wish I had that problem,’ or ‘Lucky you!’ But deep down, she knew something wasn’t right.

By August, worry had taken hold. She finally went to the doctor, fearing the worst, perhaps even a terminal illness. When the results came back, she was told she had type 2 diabetes. Oddly, she felt relief.

“At least I’m not dying,” she thought, not yet understanding the full picture.

Peyton’s doctor’s advice was to buy a glucose monitor and check her levels at regular intervals. She was to record them for when she could see a Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE). She was also prescribed Metformin to take nightly until further advice from the educator.

But the symptoms didn’t stop. If anything, they intensified.

Her thirst became unquenchable; her hunger became insatiable. She couldn’t make it through the night without multiple trips to the bathroom.

“I craved fruit, especially oranges. I would sit with a bag of them, drinking in the juice, not understanding the sugar storm it was fueling inside my body,” Peyton recalls.

She waited weeks for an appointment with a diabetes nurse educator, calling clinic after clinic with no luck. Finally, a cancellation was opened. Her husband drove her to the appointment, where the nurse took one look at her and said, “I can’t do much for you here. You’ll have to take her to the hospital. She most certainly doesn’t have type 2 diabetes; I believe this to be type 1. But I can’t diagnose that here.”

“I will never forget that woman. I just hugged her. Every symptom I was researching, everything that was happening to me pointed to type 1 diabetes. But the doctors just weren’t listening, and I knew I was getting more and more sick.”

They turned around. On the way to the hospital, she drifted in and out of consciousness. By the time they arrived, she was rushed through, barely able to walk. That afternoon, Peyton was officially diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The next day, she was discharged with a needle kit, a stack of pamphlets, and a head full of questions. She was overwhelmed and confused but determined. From that moment on, she made it her mission to learn everything she could about the condition.

Suddenly, mother had to come first.

The mum of three struggling to put herself first was thrust into a world where regular appointments were prioritised and she had to learn about her 'annual cycle of care'. Her eyesight, which had already given her a few scares, became a top priority, and she never missed an optometrist visit.

She learned to monitor her blood glucose levels and to understand the signals her body sent her, and to speak up when something didn’t feel right.

Her advice?

We asked Peyton for her top pieces of advice when it comes to diagnosis and living with diabetes.

• Listen to yourself.
  If something feels off, don’t stop until you get answers. Even if the first diagnosis doesn’t sit right, keep pushing. Your body knows when something is wrong.
  
  
• Get regular check-ups.
  Not because it’s part of the routine, but because people living with diabetes are at a higher risk of complications. The annual cycle of care is important but so is breaking that cycle when your instincts tell you to. You don’t have to wait for your next scheduled eye test, for example, if something changes, get it seen to.
  
  
• Stay on top of your numbers.
  There are so many things that can affect your levels. If something changes and your levels are consistently out, don’t hesitate to ask for help. No one is born knowing how to be a pancreas. It’s a learning process. It requires support, education, and self-compassion.

Need Support? You're Not Alone.

If you found any part of this story confronting and need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out:

• For immediate assistance, call triple zero: 000
• For mental health support, contact:
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or visit beyondblue.org.au
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

For diabetes-related health advice or to speak with a Diabetes Nurse Educator, please contact the Diabetes Victoria Clinic. They offer one-on-one appointments (in-person or via telehealth) with diabetes educators, dietitians, and psychologists.

• Visit: diabetesvic.org.au/clinic
• Or call: 1300 437 386

Your health matters. Trust your instincts, seek support, and never hesitate to ask for help.