What does that mean?????
I didn’t have too much experience with diabetes before my diagnosis. I remember a kid in my classroom growing up was allowed to carry Starburst in his backpack and eat them throughout the day, whenever he wanted. All the kids in class would turn at the slight sound of a candy wrapper peeling open, “Can I have one?”. I now appreciate his frustration when he had to turn his friends away.. he needed these, they weren’t just an afternoon snack. I also remember my grandfathers doctor telling him to cut back on his morning donuts and afternoon sweets .. “You are eating too much sugar and really need to be careful. You are prediabetic!”. This was the extent of my exposure to diabetes.
Fast forward to July 2021..
I sat in the patient room staring at the doctor as she spoke at what seemed to be 100mph… explaining my bloodwork, walking me through my new needle routine, passing me a long list of prescriptions to start immediately, handing me a “Diabetes Handbook” to read and memorize, etc.. etc… I couldn’t help but stare at her with a confused and worried look. “Wait, can we start from the beginning.. what is LADA ? What does that even stand for? When will I be cured? & how long is this going to last?”.
LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) is also known as Type 1.5 diabetes. Most people are familiar with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but LADA sits somewhere in between.
In people without diabetes, specific cells in the Pancreas create a hormone called Insulin. Insulin is used by the cells in your body to absorb Glucose. Glucose comes from the foods we eat, primarily Carbohydrates, and is the main source of fuel for our bodies. Pretty important! In people with LADA, for some unknown reason, your body has an autoimmune response where your immune system begins attacking these Insulin-creating cells in the Pancreas. No cells creating insulin means that glucose just sits in the blood and causes your blood sugar levels to rise.
I want this blog to be about my individual experiences as I learn and grow, but I think it is important to have a general baseline knowledge of why I have to give myself insulin, and monitor my blood sugar constantly, and everything else that comes with this diagnosis. I’m not perfect but I’m learning and growing every day and am confident that I will have a full and successful life with LADA.
If you are interested in learning more about LADA, I have found the below websites to be very helpful:
-mn
Please remember, I am not a medical professional. I am simply sharing my own experiences and information I have learned.
my diabetes diary 