German architect Marc Wübbenhorst has to drink at least 20 liters of
water a day or risk dying from dehydration. The 35-year-old suffers from
the rare metabolic disease Diabetes insipidus, which causes intense
thirst and the frequent excretion of large amounts of diluted urine. If
Wübbenhorst stops drinking water, his body starts to dry out, and he can
die of thirst in a matter of hours.
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Constant thirst has been a part of Marc Wübbenhorst’s life for as long
as he can remember. It’s nothing like the thirst a normal person
experiences, because it doesn’t go away after drinking a glass or two of
water. His body can’t hold any water, as his kidneys eliminate the
fluids almost as fast as he ingests them. Marc can never ignore his
thirst for more than an hour, because he starts to experience severe
symptoms of dehydration, like cracked lips, dizziness and confusion.
These are symptoms that most adults experience after two or three days
of fluids deprivation.
Although Diabetes insipidus can develop at any point in life,
Wübbenhorst was born with the condition. As a child, he managed his
condition relatively well, he had lots of friends and tried to live a
normal life, but at one point it got too much, and he fell into a deep
depression.
“I had a kind of exhaustion depression,” Marc told Neue Westfälische. “I
did not want to go to kindergarten, paint anymore, or see the lantern
parade.”
Each day in Marc Wübbenhorst’s life begins with a big bottle of water to
fill him up, but it doesn’t last long, as he soon has to go to the
bathroom. It’s even harder at night, and the 35-year-old admits that he
has never slept for more than two hours at a time in his whole life. He
constantly has to get up, hydrate and than go to the bathroom to excrete
all the fluids. In total, he visits the toilet up to 50 times in 24
hours.
Marc has to always take into consideration his condition when planning
out his work schedule and free time. Situations such as a long-haul
flight could not be adequately planned for his condition, as he wouldn’t
know how to manage it in an emergency.
“Some things, such as long journeys or some sports, are out of the
question,” he says.
In his interview with Neue Westfälische, Marc recalled a dramatic
incident where his Diabetes insipidus almost killed him. He had an
unusually long day at the office, and found himself on a train
travelling home at about 10:3o pm, without a bottle of water. His
commute is not very long, so it’s usually no reason for concern, but
that night, the train broke down, leaving him to fend without water for
longer than anticipated.
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By the time he got off at Jahnplatz station, in Bielefeld, he was
already experiencing severe symptoms of dehydration. He was disoriented
and confused, and in dire need of hydration. Luckily, a close friend
happened to be there that night, and knowing about his condition, gave
him some water and saved his life.
But just because life gave Marc Wübbenhorst lemons, doesn’t mean he
can’t use them to make lemonade. He can’t travel long distances, but
that only makes him appreciate his home city of Bielefeld even more. He
has been involved in community projects for a long time, and this year
he will be organizing the Sennestädter Weihnachtsmarkt fair, with the
help of the Turkish community, the Baptists, Mennonites and the local
refugee aid
According to My Virtual Medical Center, Diabetes insipidus affects 1 out
of 25,000 people worldwide. |