Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Sky.
Ariana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am 22 years old, and I am Type 1 Diabetic. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on June 14th, 2016 at the age of 19. Although that is when I was diagnosed, that’s not where my story begins.
At the age of 14, I started showing signs of hyperglycemia, also known as “high blood sugar”. Due to my family history of type 2 diabetes and the lack of education about type 1 diabetes, we all believed that I was pre-diabetic for type 2 diabetes. Clearly, that was not the case.
It wasn’t until I got to my freshman year of college where my signs and symptoms started to progress. At that point I was 18 & my doctor diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. I was placed on an oral medication called Metformin. After a short while, my body started to reject this medication. I would have episodes in class, ones where the paramedics would have to be called, causing this whole scene. Not knowing what my blood sugar was, again lack of education about type 1 diabetes, and not knowing what to do, I ended up switching doctors to get a second opinion.
The year 2016 is when my life changed forever. From the beginning of the year, I had received nothing but unfortunate news. With the passing of my grandfather all the way to my diagnosis date.
In March of that year, I believed I had the flu. My symptoms were all pointing to the flu, but again lack of education and believing I was type 2 diabetic, really hurt me and put me into dangerous situations. I was vomiting, suffering from abdominal pains, had severe shortness of breath, loss of hair, eating and drinking EVERYTHING in site, using the restroom every 2 seconds, overall I felt very fatigued. I went from being 125 pounds to 90 pounds in a short 3-4 month time frame. That was very unusual to say the least.
One day my dad looked at me and said “Ariana, you need to eat. I’m worried about you, you look like a skeleton.” It’s true, I was skin and bones at this point with heavy symptoms all pointing to type 1 diabetes. I was straight up and said “Dad I am eating but I’m continuing to lose weight.” Again, not knowing that this was NOT healthy. I was just happy that I was losing weight.
There was nobody to tell me that I shouldn’t be happy because my body is telling me it’s in trouble. My body was destroying itself from the inside out. I kept getting compliments on my weight loss and I enjoyed every second of it.
June 14th, 2016 is a day that will haunt me forever but at the same time I’m grateful for it. Strange,huh? Normally people expect me to be upset when I’m telling my story & shocked when I tell them that I’m grateful for my diagnosis. You know why? Because it gave me an opportunity to be grateful for the life that I have, my health, and to learn to live a healthier lifestyle.
The morning of June 14th, 2016 I was getting ready to go to my doctors office to see why I was losing so much weight so quickly, when I passed out in the shower. I had zero energy left in me. I screamed for help, screamed for my mom to just hold me and tell me things were going to be alright. But they weren’t. Our lives were going to forever change that day.
When I arrived at the doctor’s office the nurse weighed me in at 90 pounds. At this point, I was wearing sizes extra small and small, something super foreign to me. As soon as the doctor saw my pale face & bones, she sent me to the ER ASAP. Meanwhile, my mom is freaking out and trying to get a hold of my dad, who was in a business meeting at the time. Finally, when we all reached the hospital, the nurses rushed me into the ER. My blood sugar was 400 mg/dl, as to which my mom looked like she had seen a ghost when she saw the number on the screen. The acidity in my blood was double what it should be, and I was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis, DKA for short. Diabetic Ketoacidosis, DKA, is poison. Meaning, why I was losing so much weight was because my body was burning its fat & using it as energy. When I was using the restroom, the poison called Ketones, was in my urine. VERY dangerous and life-threatening. I stayed in the ER for three days before I was released, adjusting to my new life.
While everyone else was getting prepared for their sophomore year of college, I was learning to adjust. I was learning to read nutrition labels all over again, counting every single carb that I was putting into my body, checking my blood sugars, and injecting insulin for every single meal I ate. To say it was an adjustment would be an understatement.
What I want people to understand about type 1 diabetes isn’t the needles and blood, because we get used to that. It’s the ignorant comments we receive, the blame we receive, the lack of education there is about type 1 diabetes vs. type 2 diabetes. There is a difference. There was no way to prevent this, we didn’t cause this, it’s not contagious, there is no cure and I’m still human with real feelings.
I went 19 years without checking my blood sugar and injecting insulin, to all of sudden having to count my carbohydrates and inject insulin to cover my food. This is an everyday battle. Sometimes I get frustrated and let it all out because I’m allowed to. I have that right. Not everyday is rainbows and unicorns. Everyday is a fight, a fight within my own body. It’s exhausting, mentally and physically, but I have no choice.
Type 1 diabetes has changed my world. As much as I hate it and have a list of the negatives, I also am beyond grateful for it. It’s changed me as a person, changed my mental thought process, changed my lifestyle, and helped me become more educated and grateful for my life.
You never know what someone is battling up against. You don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. You can look at me and think “nothings wrong with her” but inside I’m fighting a war within myself, one that has no cure, no breaks, and challenges you every single second of every single day.
With everything that went on from June 14th, 2016 onward, I graduated with my Bachelors last May and am now back in school working toward becoming a Paralegal. Although type 1 diabetes challenges me every single second of the day, I am pushing through and making my dreams a reality. This year will mark 4 years living with t1d and there is still a lifetime to go, but I choose to celebrate my journey. It’s proven not only my strength but my family’s strength as well. Those who have been with me since day 1 and never gave up on me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No. There have been A LOT of struggles.
Many people don’t know what type 1 diabetes is. As soon as they hear diabetes they blame me. I get told it was from “eating too much sugar” or not working out. When in reality, what we type 1’s go through day in and day out is a lot more than you can imagine. And no it’s not caused from the consumption of “too much sugar” or lack of exercise.
I was also diagnosed at the age of 19, so I went the majority of my life without caring what I ate or the amount, waking up whenever I wanted, and not having to do all that I do, to all of sudden being told what to do and how to adjust.
Mentally it’s very difficult, more than I can put into words.
Ar1badass – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Although I don’t own my own business, I do have my Instagram page that is dedicated to type 1 diabetes. It’s called ar1badass. By connecting with other type 1 diabetics, it helped me a lot when I was diagnosed. I went from feeling super alone, to having close to 3,000 diabuddies. The type 1 diabetic community is amazing in many ways. They’re understanding & nonjudgmental. We all are fighting the same battle.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is about happiness. Are you happy doing what you do? If so, that to me is success. A lot of people believe it has to do with finances, but what good is your “success” if you’re not happy with yourself, your life, and what you’re doing with it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ar1badass
- Facebook: Ariana Sky T1D
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
