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English
Series:
Part 1 of Ponyboy Whump
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Published:
2024-06-19
Updated:
2024-12-08
Words:
1,791
Chapters:
3/?
Comments:
28
Kudos:
123
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3,032

Unexpected Struggles

Summary:

Ponyboy Curtis has always struggled with life, juggling the pressures of school, family, and loss. But when he begins to experience sudden, unexplained health issues, his challenges only grow. As these problems escalate, he discovers he has Type One Diabetes and must learn to manage the symptoms both before and after his diagnosis, navigating a new reality while continuing to face the struggles life throws his way.

Notes:

Writing about something I'm so well educated on is so fun to me (≧∇≦)b

In this fic Ponyboy struggles with before diagnosis symptoms and symptoms after being diagnosed.

I would like to say that yes, I know what I am talking about (Many of my close family members have diabetes) and yes, even though I am well educated I have done lots and lots of research (A STEAM Fair project and added research based purely on this fanfic).

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: An Issue?

Summary:

Ponyboy is suddenly getting issues that involve is everyday life.

Chapter Text

Track had seemed harder than usual today. Usually, Ponyboy could breeze through the exercises without so much as breaking a sweat. He was the fastest and strongest runner on the track team, despite being a few years younger than most of his teammates. Today, however, was a completely different story.

Within the first ten minutes of warmups—just a mix of jumping jacks, sit-ups, and stretches—Ponyboy had already drained his water bottle. Normally, he barely touched his water during practice, but today he was uncharacteristically thirsty. It didn’t make sense. He’d already drunk multiple bottles of water throughout the school day, yet it still felt like he couldn’t quench his thirst. His throat remained dry, his body felt sluggish, and every movement seemed more effortful than usual.

After warmups, the coach divided the team into relay groups. Ponyboy ended up with a junior and two sophomores, all of whom clearly expected him to carry the team to victory. Normally, he would have. He loved the thrill of pushing his limits and leaving everyone else in the dust. But today, something was off. His stomach sloshed uncomfortably with all the water he’d consumed, and the sensation made him squirm.

To add on to this already unusual day, Pony had drunken an increasingly odd amount of water in just the last few hours. Even after drinking a whole water bottle he was still thirsty. And that wasn't even the end of it. The water seemed to straight through his body, meaning he was in the bathroom nearly half the day.

“Hey, you okay?” a voice broke through his thoughts. Ponyboy glanced up to see the junior from his group watching him with concern. “You don’t look so great.”

Ponyboy tried to brush it off, forcing a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” But even as the words left his mouth, he knew neither of them believed it. He could feel the discomfort etched into his face and body language.

The relay was a struggle from start to finish. Ponyboy ran slower than usual, his bladder screaming at him the entire time. By the end, his group came in second—a rare loss for him—and Ponyboy couldn’t decide whether his frustration or discomfort was worse.

When Two-Bit offered him a ride home after practice, Ponyboy reluctantly accepted, hoping he could mask his discomfort. But the entire ride, he couldn’t sit still, squirming in the passenger seat as his bladder begged for relief.

“You good, man?” Two-Bit asked, shooting him a rare, concerned glance.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ponyboy mumbled, flashing a half-hearted smile. Admitting the real problem was way too embarrassing. As soon as they pulled into the Curtis driveway, Ponyboy practically leaped out of the car, sprinting into the house and slamming the bathroom door shut behind him.

“What’re you doing rushing in here like that?” Darry’s voice called from the kitchen. “And don’t think that means you’re off the hook for your homework!”

By the time dinner rolled around, Ponyboy was starving. His stomach had been growling loudly as he worked on his assignments, distracting him every few minutes. The second Sodapop called him to the table, Ponyboy shot up from the desk and bolted to his seat, nearly tripping in his haste.

Dinner was a quiet affair, just the Curtis brothers at the table tonight. The rest of the gang was off doing their own thing. Ponyboy didn’t care. All he could focus on was the food in front of him. He shoveled it down as fast as he could, barely pausing to breathe.

“Slow down there, buddy,” Soda laughed, glancing at Darry with a amused expression on his face as they both watched their youngest brother devour his plate.

But, like usual, Ponyboy didn’t follow his brothers advice, not slowing. By the time dinner was over, he’d eaten two full plates of food and downed three cups of water. Still, the gnawing hunger in his stomach refused to subside. He leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach in frustration. What was wrong with him today?

Something was definitely off, but Ponyboy couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Chapter 2: Orange Juice

Summary:

A few days pass and Ponyboy is having the same problems. Along with these problems, he is starting to get reoccurring stomach aches.

Notes:

The end of chapter notes will go through my research of this subject if you're curious!!

Hope you enjoy! I might post twice today but you never know 🤷‍♀️

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A groan emitted from the previously quiet room. Ponyboy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around in a confused and tired daze. The dim glow of the streetlamp outside told him it was still the middle of the night. Beside him, Sodapop was snoring softly, his face calm and undisturbed.

It wasn’t unusual for Ponyboy to wake up in the middle of the night. More often than not, he’d wake from a nightmare drenched in sweat, heart pounding from a dream he could never quite remember. Tonight, however, was different. There had been no panic, no nightmare. Just an overwhelming dryness in his throat.

Pony sighed quietly as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Careful not to wake Soda, he padded out of the room and into the kitchen. He grabbed a cup from the cupboard, filled it with tap water, and gulped it down in seconds. Still thirsty, he filled the cup again and drank it just as quickly. Then, with one final refill, he decided to take the cup back to his room in case the dryness returned.

As he made his way down the hall, a sharp pain suddenly stabbed at his stomach, forcing him to stop in his tracks. He hunched over, clutching his abdomen with one hand while the other gripped the cup tightly. The pain was intense but brief, fading after a few moments. Pony straightened up, exhaling shakily before continuing back to his room.

He placed the cup on the floor beside his bed and lay back down, trying to ignore the uneasiness growing in the pit of his stomach. Just as sleep began to creep back in, another wave of pain hit him, even stronger than the first. Ponyboy let out a quiet string of curses, his body curling in on itself instinctively. The pain passed again, but this time he couldn’t ignore the urgency building in his lower abdomen.

Grumbling to himself, he got out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. As he relieved himself, he couldn’t help but wonder why his body seemed to be processing water so quickly. He didn’t remember drinking that much.

By the time morning rolled around, Pony was the last of the Curtis brothers to wake up. His head felt heavy, his limbs sluggish, and his mouth was as dry as sandpaper. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he reached down for his cup of water, only to find it empty. He groaned softly, mumbling under his breath a list of incoherent words as he dragged himself out of bed.

In the kitchen, Darry was at the stove, frying eggs while Sodapop lounged on the couch watching television. Pony ignored them both and went straight for the sink to refill his cup. He gulped the water down in one go and immediately refilled it.

“Well, good morning to you too,” Soda called from the living room, amused.

“Good morning, Soda,” Ponyboy mumbled, his voice hoarse.

Soda chuckled, getting up from the couch to join his brothers in the kitchen. He ruffled Pony’s hair on his way to grab a plate from Darry. “What’s got you all grumpy this morning?”

Pony didn’t answer. His stomach was acting up again, the same dull ache from the night before beginning to grow. He tried to ignore it, but a quiet whimper escaped his lips, drawing the attention of his brothers.

“You alright there?” Darry asked, eyebrows raised in concern. The concern probably originated from the thought of having to pay to see a doctor.

At that thought Pony replied quickly, forcing a smile, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a stomach ache.”

Darry didn’t look entirely convinced but didn’t press the issue. “Eat your breakfast. If it still hurts after, take some of that medicine in the bathroom.”

Ponyboy nodded and grabbed a plate of eggs and toast, sitting down at the table next to Soda. Despite the pain, his hunger was insatiable, and he shoveled the food into his mouth with alarming speed. Yet no matter how much he ate, the ache in his stomach refused to subside.

Once he finished, he washed his plate and hurried to the bathroom. Digging through the cluttered medicine cabinet, he found a bottle labeled Hyoscine Butylbromide. The back of the bottle claimed it was for stomach cramps. Good enough, he thought, shrugging. Without reading the rest of the instructions, Pony shook out a few pills and swallowed them dry.

The pain disappeared within minutes, and Pony felt a wave of relief wash over him. But as he made his way to school, he realized something was wrong. His vision was blurry, and it was hard to focus on his surroundings. His mouth felt even drier than before, and his eyelids drooped heavily. He stumbled down the hallways toward his first class, barely able to keep his balance.

I must just be tired from last night, he told himself, but deep down, he wasn’t so sure.

By the time lunch rolled around, Ponyboy was exhausted. He’d struggled to concentrate in class, his vision coming and going in strange, unfocused bursts. He felt lightheaded every time he stood up and had already drunk half a dozen cups of water, yet his thirst refused to be quenched.

“Pony, you okay?” Johnny asked as they sat together in the courtyard, rather staying outside of the school than eating lunch in the lunch room full of Soc's.

“Yeah,” Pony lied, taking another sip from his water bottle, a reused Pepsi glass filled with tap water.

“You don’t look so good,” Johnny pressed, his brow furrowed.

Pony waved him off. “I’m fine, Johnny. Just tired.”

But Johnny wasn’t convinced, and neither was Ponyboy. His body felt like it was betraying him, and no matter how much he tried to brush it off, the nagging feeling in the back of his mind wouldn’t go away. Something wasn’t right.

Notes:

The medicine mentioned in this chapter was a common medicine used for stomach cramps in the 60s.

More information:

Antispasmodics are a class of drugs that are used to relieve muscle spasms in the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, and other smooth muscles. They work by relaxing the smooth muscles, thereby alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with spasms. Here's a more detailed look at antispasmodics:

Mechanism of Action

Antispasmodics work through several mechanisms:

1. Anticholinergic Action: Many antispasmodics inhibit the action of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in muscle contractions. By blocking acetylcholine receptors, these drugs reduce involuntary muscle contractions. Examples include dicyclomine and hyoscine butylbromide.

2. Direct Smooth Muscle Relaxants: Some antispasmodics act directly on the smooth muscle to relax it. This can reduce pain and discomfort caused by spasms. An example is mebeverine.

Common Antispasmodic Medications

1. Dicyclomine (Bentyl): Used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dicyclomine helps to alleviate cramping, pain, and spasms in the gastrointestinal tract.

2. Hyoscine Butylbromide (Buscopan): Often used for stomach cramps, IBS, and other gastrointestinal disorders. It helps relieve pain by relaxing the muscles of the gut.

3. Mebeverine (Colofac): Used for relieving cramps and spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in conditions like IBS.

4. Peppermint Oil: Although not a prescription medication, peppermint oil has antispasmodic properties and is sometimes used to relieve IBS symptoms.

Uses of Antispasmodics

Antispasmodics are used to treat a variety of conditions, including:

- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): To alleviate symptoms like cramping, pain, bloating, and discomfort.
- Biliary Colic: Pain caused by gallstones obstructing the bile ducts.
- Renal Colic: Pain due to kidney stones.
- Dysmenorrhea: Menstrual cramps.
- Gastroenteritis: To reduce gastrointestinal cramps and discomfort.

Side Effects (mentioned in the chapter)

Common side effects of antispasmodics can include:

- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Constipation
- Urinary retention
- Drowsiness or dizziness
- Increased heart rate

Antispasmodics can be effective in managing pain and discomfort associated with muscle spasms in the gastrointestinal tract and other smooth muscles.

Also in this chapter Ponyboy has a few symptoms commonly developed before being diagnosed with Type One Diabetes.

These symptoms include increased thirst, increased urination, and stomach pain/cramps.

・Increased Thirst and Urination: Due to high blood glucose levels leading to osmotic diuresis and subsequent dehydration.
・Stomach Pains: Often related to diabetic ketoacidosis and electrolyte imbalances, which are common in undiagnosed or untreated type 1 diabetes.

These symptoms collectively signal the body’s struggle to manage blood glucose levels.

Chapter 3: UPDATE

Chapter Text

I'm back!! I updated all chapters because they were lowkey so bad. I still think they are a little short but I'll try to add more length to them the more I add.

I'm so sorry I left for so long. I totally thought I wasn't going to finish this fic but here am!!

Next chapter coming soon! I'll try to post once or twice a week. Just expect for me to leave randomly again.

I am posting this chapter because I wasn't sure if the updates would send notifications to readers. I will delete this before posting the next chapter!

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE KIND COMMENTS AND FOR LIKING MY WORK <33

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this fanfic!!

I'm going to explain what the main trigger for Ponyboy's diabetes is and what his main symptoms are. As well as some added things he will deal with.

・His stress and trauma triggered his diabetic case.
Research supporting this:
The researchers found that a serious traumatic event during the first 14 years of life increased the risk of type 1 diabetes, even after taking into account the family history for any form of diabetes as well as other factors such as the child's age and the parents' education level and marital status.

Among possible trigger factors of T1D, (Type one diabetes) psychological stress has also been proposed, due to an increase of serum glucocorticoid concentrations and catecholamines, which increase the insulin need and the insulin resistance. In this way, the stress has been proposed as a trigger of T1D.

・Type one diabetes symptoms consist of loss of weight, stomach aches, frequent urination and drinking, nausea and vomiting (caused by high blood sugar levels), fatigue, blurred vision, extreme hunger.

Ponyboy's main symptoms will be loss of weight, frequent urination and drinking, blurred vision, nausea, fatigue.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Causes:
- When the body cannot produce insulin, it starts to break down fat for energy, leading to the production of ketones. High levels of ketones cause the blood to become acidic.

Symptoms:
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Fruity-scented breath
- Rapid breathing

Severe DKA:
- If not treated, severe DKA can lead to dehydration, a drop in blood pressure, shock, and eventually unconsciousness (passing out).

COMMENTS AND KUDOS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)!!

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