Sick, Skinny, & Nearly Diabetic

I'm angry.  I'm angry, because for years my doctors were fooled by skinny.  Here's my true story about being angry and skinny.

Diabetes is an epidemic in the U.S. right now.  Over 8% of the population has diabetes.  And the form we hear the most about is Type 2.  You know what we're told . . . obesity puts one at a serious risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.  That's true, but what we don't hear much about is Type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 is autoimmune diabetes, where the body attacks the beta cells of the pancreas.  Guess what?  It is also on the rise.  In 2006 the World Health Organization found that it is rising in the U.S. by about 5% a year.  Type 1 diabetes is strongly linked with Celiac Disease (which is also on the rise).  In fact, some researchers think that the rise in Type 1 is due to gluten ingestion, which we consume much more frequently in modern diets than we ever did before.

About three years ago I started mentioning to my husband that I thought something might be funky with my blood sugar.  Then in the summer of 2011 I saw one of my long time doctors & asked him if some of what I was experiencing (increasingly severe, but undiagnosed Celiac symptoms) might be related to blood sugar problems.  "Absolutely not, you're a thin, healthy young woman."  At the time I did not understand the full scope of diabetes, so I didn't press the issue.

Less than a year later, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease & soon after learned about the Type 1 diabetes/Celiac connection.  I began asking my doctors in earnest if we shouldn't carefully evaluate my blood sugar regulation.

Former primary care doctor, "No.  Don't worry more.  You worry too much."

Former GI/Celiac specialist, "I only see antibody levels as high as yours in patients who also have diabetes."

Me, "Shouldn't we look at that then?"

Former GI/Celiac specialist, "No.  Not at this time."

Then in the last few months I developed some distressing new problems with my weight.  The fat layer under my skin is changing in spots.  My weight is plateaued, but it is far under ideal & I seem to be totally unable to budge it up even a pound.  Weight loss & malabsorption can be symptoms of Type 1.  I believe my former doctors were fooled by skinny.  While all the public awareness campaigns about Type 2 are so necessary, it has lead all of us, doctors included, into believing that only overweight people develop diabetes.  I think they didn't follow-up with me properly, because they saw a skinny girl.

The reality is that all the inflammation and overactive immune response from Celiac attacked my pancreas too.  Right now my primary care doctor thinks that I may have pancreatic insufficiency, which means I am not producing enough pancreatic enzymes to properly digest my food (particularly fat & protein), but that old pancreas does more than produce digestive enzymes.  (BTW, I am taking enzymes, as well as, apple cider vinegar in an effort to aid my pancreas/digestion.)  It also needs to produce insulin and there are signs that mine may also be struggling in that department.

A good measure of blood sugar regulation is Hemoglobin A1c.  Ideal A1c is 5.3 or less.  My doctor wants it to be 5.5 or less.  Mainstream medicine says it should be 6.0 or less (super not ideal).  Mine is 5.2.  My doctor said to me on Tuesday, "You aren't there yet and you are doing everything you can already."  She's right.  I'm doing everything I can, but my plan is to do it better.

The mainstream medical literature says there is no known way to prevent Type 1 from developing.  I, of course, do not believe that for a second.  I think if you can catch it before you are fully diabetic, just like with Type 2, you have a good chance, with the right diet/lifestyle changes, of beating it.  I'm going to battle autoimmunity like crazy.  I might be sick (but alot less sick than before) and skinny (but not for lack of being well-fed), but I'll be damned if I'm gonna' be diabetic too.

If you are managing multiple autoimmune disorders and working to prevent development of others, DON'T throw in the towel.  Be an autoimmune warrior.  If you are a Type 1 Diabetic, INSIST your doctor test you for Celiac Disease.  If you are a Celiac, INSIST your doctor test you for Type 1 Diabetes.  If you want to know more about ideal blood sugar regulation, check out this series of articles by Chris Kresser.