In May of 1998 I was let go from a job where I had benefits, 401K, and good career potential. I was always a good employee at my previous employer and didn't burn any bridges when I left so when I went back to see if I could go back they did hire me back. The job I went back to was McDonald's, and I went back as a manager. It was a salary position and I was making $23,000 a year, good money as a 19-20 year old. Eventually I got tired of the long hours and split my time between McDonald's and Perkins, I worked part time at both and got good tips at Perkins so I started to like it more there. At Perkins I remember a guy named Chris, he went to the same high school as I did but graduated a few years ahead of me. Chris was a type 1 diabetic.
While working between McDonald's and Perkins I recall loosing weight. I knew something was wrong with me I just wasn't certain what it was. I ended up looking for new employment again, I missed banking and wanted to find something in banking again. TCF took me on, I say they took me on because I was nervous I wouldn't get hired again because I got fired from my previous bank position. Luckily for me they took the chance and brought me on. I remember I was hired at $8.26 and hour, and that was 20 hours a week.
I did good work at TCF and eventually I was promoted to more hours and a new position, this meant I got benefits! Benefits was really important to me but looking back why didn't I just go to the doctor? I started working for the bank in February and was promoted to getting benefits by mid May. May 24th is the day my life changed forever.
I had a feeling I was a type 1 diabetic, I remember talking with Chris at Perkins about the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes. He remained confident that I wasn't a type 1 but I had a feeling I was. Living in St. Paul with my buddy Mike Peterson I remember going down to the Super America near our home and buying one gallon of water, 12 pack of soda, jug of OJ, I was thirsty ALL THE TIME! Worse than being thirsty I had to go to the bathroom all the time. I remember early in my career at TCF I would be going to the bathroom at least every half hour if not more, it was annoying to say the least.
Finally I have medical insurance and I think I'm a type 1 diabetic so I go to the doctor to get the results, I'm looking at those results tonight and honestly don't know what half of it says still. I can see the test were completed at 7:26 a.m., I must have had a 7:00 a.m. doctor appointment. The result of what ever tests were done was printed at 7:38 a.m. The doctor comes back into the office and says "Well Doug, I have good news and bad news" looks at me and says "The good news is you were right, the bad news is you were right." I went into the doctor telling him I thought I was a Type 1 Diabetic.
May 24, 1999 at around 8:00 a.m. it was confirmed, I am diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
