Texas’ newest senator, James Talarico, revealed how campaigning led to his being diagnosed with an incurable disease.

“I was lucky to be alive. The nurses and the doctors in Williamson County saved my life,” Talarico, 37, said in a recent CNN & Jubilee town hall. “I was perfectly healthy, and I decided to do something a little unusual.”

Talarico was discussing when he first ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. “I decided to walk the entire length of my legislative district … It was 25 miles, I did the whole thing on foot all in one day, all in the Texas heat, and I helped three town halls along that walk.”

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The politician said he wasn’t worried about his ability to pull off the task since he’s hiked in Big Bend National Park every year. This walk was also comparatively flat.

“But halfway through the walk, I started to feel fatigued and nauseous. [I] actually threw up a couple times along the walk,” said Talarico. “Somehow I finished it. I went home. I figured I was dehydrated and I just needed a good night’s sleep.”

However, he didn’t wake up for a full 36 hours. His family took him to the emergency room, where his blood sugar was tested. After fasting, a normal blood sugar is under 100 mg/dL, but Talarico’s was 900 mg/dL.

“I was in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, which leads to coma and death without insulin,” he said. “I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on the spot. I was lucky to be alive. The nurses and the doctors in Williamson County saved my life.”

Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body can’t make enough insulin or can’t use it properly. This causes sugar to build up in the bloodstream rather than enter cells to be used for energy.

Over time, this high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, vision loss, and nerve damage. Type 2 diabetes is more common in later adulthood and is linked to lifestyle factors; however, Type 1 typically starts in childhood.

Until the last decade, Type 1 was referred to as juvenile-onset diabetes. The exact causes of Type 1 diabetes are unknown.

Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, can be life-threatening and is often the first sign that someone has diabetes. The body isn’t getting the glucose it needs, so it burns fat instead.

This floods the system with acidic chemicals called ketones, but if there are too many ketones, the blood can turn acidic, causing vomiting and abdominal pain. If acidity levels continue to rise, DKA can cause falling blood pressure, coma, and death.

It can happen in just a few hours. A person may have to use the bathroom more frequently, be extremely thirsty, have dry mouth, cool skin, and be nauseous or vomit, as Talarico described.

At the hospital, people with DKA will get IV fluids to treat dehydration and insulin therapy to lower blood sugar. People with Type 1 diabetes are more at risk for DKA.

Diabetes has no cure, but it’s considered to be a chronic, manageable condition. Diabetics track their blood sugar and use tools including medication, insulin therapy, diet, and exercise to regulate it.