Hi, my name is Nicole Rollins. I am 22 years old. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on March 22, 2014, almost a year ago now. About a month prior to my diagnosis I suffered from severe thirst, hungry, loss of weight, and I used the restroom a lot.  10 days before getting diagnosed, I noticed I had an orange tongue. I kept scrubbing it for a couple of days and it kept coming back. I decided to do some research at this point and the internet mentioned diabetes a couple times, I didn’t even think that could be a possibility.  I was in complete denial and never thought such a thing could happen to me. I then read something that said it was bacteria and to eat yogurt for a week and it should go away. So I did, it still

did not go away. I made a doctors appointment for the orange tongue. On the morning of March 22, 2014 I went to the doctors and during the visit I said “my dad wants me to get checked for diabetes”. My doctor tested my sugar and it read error. She asked me if I had noticed anything different. I told her about my 14 pound rapid weight loss, constant thirst, hunger, and that I used the restroom a lot. She tested my sugar again and it read 574. She looked at me very worried and said “you have Type 1 diabetes and need to go admit yourself into the hospital”. My orange tongue was from being dehydrated. I sat in the chair at the doctors office while the doctor wrote up the paper work for me to admit myself and I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I spent three days in the hospital learning to give myself shots, count carbohydrates, and test my sugar.

Once I got out of the hospital and my sugar finally started coming down from being high so long, I had blurry vision for about two weeks, I couldn’t go to school or work. The first six months of being diagnosed I was in denial and depressed. Now, I am trying to reach out to other Type 1’s and spread the word about this disease. I hope one day we can make Type 1 into Type NONE!