A WOMAN who was guzzling 30 litres of water a day and dropped four dress sizes in a month is ‘thankful to be alive’ after being diagnosed with type-one diabetes.
Tilly Bather was diagnosed with the illness around a year ago, but did not go to see her GP until symptoms including dehydration, extreme weight loss and exhaustion became too severe.
The 26-year-old from Leamington was rushed to hospital after it was discovered her blood sugar levels and ketones – an acid in the body – were ‘literally off the chart’.
She could also no longer fit into size four clothes instead of her usual size 12.
Tilly told the Observer: “I’m just thankful to be alive because I was so seriously ill when I was diagnosed that I wasn’t expected to survive the night.
“I spent the night in resus and my mum was told that my odds of surviving were stacked against me.”
But luckily Tilly did make it, and now – back to a healthy size 12 – she relies on insulin to control her blood sugar levels.
She says although her health is better than it was before she was diagnosed, her life has changed dramatically.
Tilly said: “It can sometimes be quite overwhelming to realise how precariously I actually live – I’ve lost consciousness from both high and low blood sugars, which is sadly just the reality of living with type one diabetes.
“The hardest part is the mental strain and lack of NHS help. It’s a physically and mentally demanding condition to live with. Every piece of food or drink containing carbohydrates that I eat or drink has to be weighed, which can lead to an unhealthy attitude towards food.”
Tilly is now hoping to raise awareness about the illness through her blog and an instagram page.
She said: “I want to raise awareness about diabetes because it’s a big part of who I am. In the past year, I have become aware of how much still needs to be done to help type one diabetics in the UK.
“We are in the wonderfully privileged position of having an NHS that provides the very thing we need to survive – insulin – for free, when most type ones in the world have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for insulin.
“However, so much more needs to be done. From raising awareness that type one can be diagnosed at any age to awareness about the four warning signs of type one – excessive thirst, excessive urination, tiredness, and weight loss.”
Visit sweettilly.com to read Tilly’s blog or search sweettilly on Instagram to follow her page.
Tilly Bather was diagnosed with the illness around a year ago, but did not go to see her GP until symptoms including dehydration, extreme weight loss and exhaustion became too severe.
The 26-year-old from Leamington was rushed to hospital after it was discovered her blood sugar levels and ketones – an acid in the body – were ‘literally off the chart’.
She could also no longer fit into size four clothes instead of her usual size 12.
Tilly told the Observer: “I’m just thankful to be alive because I was so seriously ill when I was diagnosed that I wasn’t expected to survive the night.
“I spent the night in resus and my mum was told that my odds of surviving were stacked against me.”
But luckily Tilly did make it, and now – back to a healthy size 12 – she relies on insulin to control her blood sugar levels.
She says although her health is better than it was before she was diagnosed, her life has changed dramatically.
Tilly said: “It can sometimes be quite overwhelming to realise how precariously I actually live – I’ve lost consciousness from both high and low blood sugars, which is sadly just the reality of living with type one diabetes.
“The hardest part is the mental strain and lack of NHS help. It’s a physically and mentally demanding condition to live with. Every piece of food or drink containing carbohydrates that I eat or drink has to be weighed, which can lead to an unhealthy attitude towards food.”
Tilly is now hoping to raise awareness about the illness through her blog and an instagram page.
She said: “I want to raise awareness about diabetes because it’s a big part of who I am. In the past year, I have become aware of how much still needs to be done to help type one diabetics in the UK.
“We are in the wonderfully privileged position of having an NHS that provides the very thing we need to survive – insulin – for free, when most type ones in the world have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for insulin.
“However, so much more needs to be done. From raising awareness that type one can be diagnosed at any age to awareness about the four warning signs of type one – excessive thirst, excessive urination, tiredness, and weight loss.”
Visit sweettilly.com to read Tilly’s blog or search sweettilly on Instagram to follow her page.
