Texas Democrat James Talarico has opened up about a medical emergency that sent him to the hospital and left him facing a lifelong diagnosis: Type 1 diabetes.
Speaking at an Oct. 14 CNN and Jubilee town hall, Talarico recalled the frightening episode during his first campaign for the Texas House in 2018. What he initially dismissed as dehydration turned out to be a potentially deadly crisis.
Talarico said he had walked 25 miles across his legislative district in a single day, holding three town halls along the route in the Texas heat.
Partway through, he became nauseous and exhausted, vomiting several times. He finished the walk, headed home and figured sleep would help him recover.
Instead, he said, he slept for 36 hours before concerned family members took him to an emergency room. His blood sugar registered at 900.
Doctors diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes. He said he was experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous complication that can become fatal without treatment.
“I was lucky to be alive. The nurses and the doctors in Williamson County saved my life,” Talarico said.
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The diagnosis dates to 2018. His recent town hall remarks brought renewed attention to the ordeal.
Type 1 diabetes has no cure, but it can be managed with insulin and regular blood sugar monitoring. The condition develops when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leaving the body unable to make enough of the hormone. It can occur at any age, according to federal health officials.
Diabetic ketoacidosis develops when the body lacks enough insulin to use blood sugar for energy and begins breaking down fat instead. That process produces acids called ketones, which can accumulate to dangerous levels.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the complication can be the first noticeable sign of diabetes in someone who has not yet been diagnosed. Symptoms include severe fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Hospital treatment typically includes fluids, electrolytes and insulin.
