I was 25 years old when I was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes. I was working as a consultant in an interior area of Uttarakhand in a Govt Industrial Training Institute. I was managing to visit doctors every weekend and was travelling from my workplace to Dehradun frequently.
My diagnosis was a mystery for every doctor I visited, during this period. I suffered for almost 6 months being undiagnosed.
I was having constant weight loss despite eating so much, I used to gulp litres of water throughout the day and night. I had Sleepless nights because of excessive thirst with frequent urination.
I consulted every doctor in the city and they would advise me a number of blood tests (except for diabetes) and prescribed medications to me which I still don’t have an idea about what medicines I was put on. During this course of mistreatment, I had typhoid and all the blame game shifted to typhoid, and repeatedly I was asked to do typhoid reports as my condition was not improving. I was, at this time, consulting with a famous paediatrician in Dehradun but unfortunately, he misdiagnosed me with celiac disease and asked me to stop having wheat and wheat products and told me to eat only rice. My health was worsening day by day, I lost almost 10kgs of weight rapidly and at last, the doctor asked me to meet a Pandit (priest) with my Kundali.
This phase was a horrible and traumatic experience because I couldn’t comprehend my exact situation. Say it a nightmare or fear for life that every night before bed I used to pray to God, “Oh Lord! please wake me up the next morning.”
When nothing was working my mom took me to a pandit and he said there’s no negative energy around me and I simply need a good doctor.
Lastly, my mom suggested me for a blood sugar test and there were my sugar levels of fasting-350 mg/dL and Post prandial-600 mg/dL. . Since 2012, every time I used to get up in the morning I would straight go to the kitchen to eat something sweet and this continued till the time I was diagnosed. My mother observed this sudden increase in my hungry and would constantly tell me to check my blood sugars as she knew that in diabetes one does feel very hungry, but unfortunately I didn’t take her advice seriously. In 2016 as part of my prerequisites of the job I joined we had to undergo a battery of blood test in which my blood sugars came normal. ( Diabetes diagnosis Year 2017)
The very next day i.e 29oct, 2017 I went to a Diabetologist and he immediately got my ketones to test done where the value was K+++. I was admitted to the hospital and my family members were made aware of my situation, keeping me in dark.
Everyone was in a deep shock. Nobody told me anything about my condition so I read everything on the internet.
For me administering insulin and food restrictions was not a problem. I simply took it as an opportunity because my horrible undiagnosed phase prepared me for everything.
For me, 30th October 2017 was a new birth, I felt like I’m in seventh heaven. I did lots of online shopping from the hospital bed and enjoyed it as a new life. 
I started reading a lot about type-1 diabetes and after 3 months of diagnosis, I got to know about support groups on social media where I found a JDF member Meeti who helped me a lot, supported me in connecting with the community. With time I got introduced to more people with type-1 diabetes in Uttarakhand and I formed a support group for them in July 2018. Rekha
In December 2019, I decided to attend the JDF winter camp and came back with so much motivation, knowledge. Realizing the importance of a community that now I have formed a support group “Uttarakhand Diabetes Awareness Initiative- UDAI”.
I started this initiative alone with two hands but I’m overwhelmed to see people joining in my hands for the cause.
My Diabetes doesn’t stop me from achieving my goals, rather it makes me stronger and disciplined.
With a good lifestyle and management, I’ve maintained my HbA1C below 6 since I got diagnosed.
I am an entrepreneur, running a resort, marketing manager and brand ambassador of Phyonli & Pines LLP. Currently, I am doing a certified diabetes educator’s course from NDEP, under trainer Dr Deepak Dalal, Mumbai.
3 years ago on this day, I felt I’m the happiest, blessed and loved girl on this planet and that was absolutely true! Yes, I am. I didn’t rant over the life I’m going to live for the rest of my life, I accepted whatever God has planned for me. I embraced everything that came my way because at that point I realized something is unresolved and that was “the purpose of my life”. I am happy and grateful that I am solving my purpose by working for the type-1 diabetes community in Uttarakhand. This community has taught me the real meaning of love.
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