Meet Gibran: How DKA (Ketoacidosis) Pushed Him to Take Control of His Type 1 Diabetes and Listen to His Body

My name is Gibran, and I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes for 27 years. I was in the fourth grade when I was diagnosed at 9 years old. My diabetes journey in the beginning was a rollercoaster with an A1C of 11.1, and managing it felt overwhelming. I would have my endocrinologist, nutritionist, and mom educate me about the long-term complications if I didn’t do better at managing my diabetes. At the end of the day, I was just a kid who loved sweet treats, juice, and playing soccer. 

My experience with DKA [diabetic ketoacidosis] was one of the toughest moments of my life. I felt nauseous and extremely fatigued, experienced constant urination and constant thirst, and my tongue had a funky sugar smell. I started losing weight rapidly. 

Coming from a Hispanic family, my parents were more familiar with type 2 diabetes, which is more common in adults. I was the only person from both sides of my family who was diagnosed with diabetes. My parents, without proper awareness of type 1 diabetes symptoms and a language barrier, confused my symptoms with the flu. They were unaware that I was minutes away from going into a diabetic coma. If more awareness and knowledge of what symptoms to look for in a child, my parents would have completely taken a different approach. 

I experienced my second DKA episode when I was 13 and in middle school. Dealing with a new school environment and trying to make friends, I was searching for a place of belonging. The last thing I wanted to be labeled at school as would be “the kid who is contagious.” The teasing and bullying that happened to me in elementary school was something I did not want to relive in middle school. 

I never went to the school nurse to inform her that I was a type 1 diabetic on campus, because of fear. For a year and a half, no one knew I was living with type 1 diabetes. I remember always leaving the classroom five minutes early before lunch to hide in the restroom stall, behind those red doors, to test my glucose and take my insulin injections. I was on my own. I was experiencing high glucose levels every day. 

The nausea, fatigue, constant urination, and constant thirst were there again.
Eventually, I went into DKA. I was rushed to the emergency room and placed on bed rest, hooked up to insulin and IV fluids, fighting to get back to a stable place. It was a moment that reminded me just how serious this condition can be.

Everything changed when I went to Camp Sweeney. I was blown away seeing kids living with type 1 diabetes that looked like me and understood me. It was where I went on a banana boat ride for the first time, went roller skating, enjoyed barbeque nights, played soccer, tried rock climbing, performed on a talent show, and did paintball for the very first time. We also had concerts, dances, the Sweeney Olympics, and meaningful diabetes education throughout the session. Most importantly, I met incredible people who helped me rediscover my confidence, and more than anything, taught me how to love myself again.

As a PE teacher, I gave myself a simple visual way to understand ketones in my system. I think of ketones like this: When there’s too much sugar in my body and not enough insulin, my body tries to flush it out through urine. It’s a signal that something isn’t right, which is why I would get dehydrated and crave water.

I know I may have an occasional high glucose reading here and there, but when those highs are constant over hours or days, that’s my cue to check for ketones. Based on the plan I’ve created with my endocrinologist, I would do my ketone test, drink plenty of water throughout the day, and give myself insulin.

Speaking with your doctor is key to having a plan when ketones do arise in your body. Knowing exactly what steps to take when ketones appear has helped me manage my diabetes more effectively and avoid ending up in the emergency room with DKA. 

My practical advice to help prevent DKA whether you're using a CGM or fingersticks is to take a step back and listen to your body. Are you constantly going to the restroom? Feeling drowsy or tired, feeling nauseous or dehydrated? Understanding your body and understanding your patterns and staying aware makes a huge difference. With a proper plan with your doctor, you can keep living your life with confidence and peace of mind. Today I’ve reached a place where I can balance my health, my role as a teacher, and my love for soccer—and that’s been a game changer for me.