The Low Down

It seems like going low happens at the weirdest times - sometimes those times are convenient like during a trip to the grocery store while other times completely throw you off and make you curse diabetes.   For me my prime low times occur in the waking hours of the morning like 4 a.m (by waking hours, I don't mean I am awake and I feel bad for anyone who does wake up at this time on a regular basis)   But, sometimes my lows come at strange times and make you wonder, "How did I go low! I just had dinner!"

As diabetics we are given ratios, according to how much carbs we have and how much insulin we need to take. For example, I take 1 unit for every 10 grams of carbs I have.   So that's pretty simple and anyone can do the math, but luckily for me my pump does that math anyways!   But, sometimes the carb/ratio idea is completely off.  Sometimes you eat something and 30 minutes later you experience a low and have no idea why.

I am not a doctor, but I am a diabetic and can honestly say that just because you took 2 units for one thing another day doesn't mean you are going to need 2 units the next day despite eating the same thing.  There are so many things that effect blood sugar that it can be a huge task to pinpoint what the issue is and how to prevent such things as lows and highs.

For me, I just had dinner about 15 minutes ago, cleaned my room up a little bit and then could feel the signs of a low coming on, and then had to treat a 4.2.    I don't know if the whole intense cleaning made my sugar low, but I know I didn't eat food that takes longer to digest. Other factors can come into play like stress - there really is no exact answer.

There really is now reason sometimes why we go low.  I just know that when I wake up at 4 a.m there probably is another diabetic pulling down her sheets, stumbling to the kitchen and eating everything in sight.  So there is the low down!

Kayla

I know something you don't know . . .

Being a diabetic, it is like you have some hidden information that no one else quite knows.  There are so many things that go along with being diabetic that touch on all aspects of our lives that it is hard not to erupt at someone who tries to say, "Milk doesn't have carbs!"  Clearly milk has carbs and if it didn't I wouldn't be shooting up insulin for that wonderful cold glass of milk I just had after eating almost carb-less peanut butter (by the way you non-diabetics may have assumed peanut butter has carbs.. wrong again.. hardly any...)

Being diabetic, I know a few things about carb counting, the pancreas, what insulin does etc.  so, when you are sitting around the fire, and someone is having a private conversation with the person beside them about, "this girl they know, who is like diabetic, totally was so drunk and her sugar was so high she totally, needed to eat something...." and you know that insulin will lower blood sugars NOT food... sometimes the knowledgeable diabetic in you wants to shout out, YOU'RE WRONG!

But, it goes beyond the diabetic herself...our friends and family who now know so much about diabetes are getting sensitive and knowledgeable too.  I know Michelle has told me that she gets mad when people misunderstand diabetes or make wrong statements about the disease.  We all get offensive and want to sit the ignorant down and give them the 411 about diabetes.

But, before we go preaching about diabetes we have to acknowledge our own ignorance to other things in the world.  We may be know-it-alls about diabetes, but let's be serious there are MANY other things in the world diseases or not that we are totally unaware of.

Kayla

Belly Break

I have been using my stomach as my personal pin cushion for the past 2+ years. My go to spot for any injections I needed to take and the more I thought about it I began to realize that my stomach had become my comfort zone for shots and the longer I began to hold back from using any other areas, the more I feared trying it out.

Now, I am not one to back down when it comes to trying something new; however, the thought of sticking a needle in my leg etc. was haunting me.   So many diabetics told me their favourite injection spots were places like their back or their arms and the whole time I couldn't help but think how terrifying that sounds.

My stomach is now marked with mini scars and bruises from endless abuse, left side, right side, left side, right side. At the hospital, after telling them my concerns they introduced me to a new type of site for my pump that allows me to put the site in anywhere I wish by just pressing a button.   She asked me if I wanted to try it that day, but being super timid I let her put it in me (and it wasn't that bad!)

So, she let me take some home for when I got up the courage to put in one myself.  This happened at 10:30 p.m the other day. I know nighttime isn't the best time, but at this point I was like it is now or never.  With Michelle there to witness it, I opened the confusing packaging and let Michelle record our adventure... because let's face it, I knew it was either going to go really well or horribly wrong.

So, we did it! I don't know how, but we worked together and the site was in and we laughed as we replayed the video.   Now, I think I will be hooked to these (literally).  I am excited for my box of silhouette sites to be done so I can buy some new ones and that way I can give my belly a much deserved vacation!  

Where is my site now you ask? Well I decided to put it on my side (almost my back)  Still close to familiar grounds, but also a little risque. 

Kayla 

Diabetic's Dating Ad

All diabetic girls must feel a sense of uncertainty when browsing for a man, it's not like we can just date a guy who hates needles and faints every time he sees blood.  It's not like we can date a sugar-a-holic who refuses to buy anything but sugar.  We need to be a little picky when it comes to trusting someone to test our sugar, put up with our highs and lows and most of all dig diabetic girls... right?

So, I began to think what exactly a diabetic girl's dating ad would look like, right beside the classified section in the local newspaper beside the pictures of a for sale used couches and a dog that is looking for a new home.  Of course we would include a photo with our ad and not just our photo from the last party we attended or the family BBQ last summer, oh no, this picture would be us skydiving or climbing the Rocky Mountains, even better it would be us holding up our pump or our metre with a perfect 5.5 reading.

So if this catches the eye of someone special, they will begin to look more into it. Start reading the quick description, single, female, diabetic... the three most important things.  Then maybe you would include your a1c, 7.1 and a couple quick stats about your diabetes.   After he gets the idea of what he is in for, a good diabetic or a bad one, that is when he will either turn the page or keep on reading.  That's when you will get into what you're looking for someone who doesn't mind needles, someone who doesn't mind mood swings, someone who doesn't mind being ignored, someone who doesn't mind being yelled at, someone who doesn't mind you laughing out of control for a solid hour, someone who doesn't mind you binge eating at 4 a.m, someone who doesn't mind you being indecisive in the grocery store as your blood sugar plummets and you can't decide between a KitKat or a Aero Bar, someone who can help you check your blood sugar when you come home from the bar... and the list continues, someone who wants to meet other diabetics (because let's be serious half your Facebook friends are lacking a working pancreas) someone who doesn't mind sitting through doctor's appointments and most importantly, and this would be in bold; "SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T ASK CAN YOU EAT THIS?!"

Sincerely, the single diabetic: you would sign off and hope that someone out there who is looking for a 'sweet' girl fulfils your request.

Kayla

*newspaper is not real - computer generated by me.

I am not a PANCREAS!

Sure you can empathize with someone who has a pain in the butt brother, "ah, I can only imagine what it would be like to be nagged all the time"  or you can empathize with someone who has a sore throat, "ah, I hate when that happens!"  But really, can you really empathize with someone who has diabetes? cancer? a severe allergy? Probably not.

As much as people try to understand there are no two ways about it living with diabetes is a world of it's own.  I often think about 2 years ago when I didn't have it, I had no idea there were people around the world pricking their fingers and taking insulin, now here I am one of those unknown people sitting on my couch adjusting my pump for the crackers I just had and drinking diet 7up to avoid having to take anymore insulin for the night.  

Today I was completely frustrated with diabetes as the day went on.   Yesterday I was mad because my site wasn't going in and I kept bleeding which lead to me leaving my pump on the kitchen counter for a time out while I laid on my couch - grumpy.  Today I had to get my bum in motion and start booking appointments that I had missed.  One being a Endo. appointment and the the other being a diabetic education appointment.   Turns out these appointments are booked months in advanced and I have a job to do, get A.D.P signed off so that I can continue getting covered.   

Well, the D.E.C is trying hard and has scheduled me in on Friday for an appointment; however, the Endo. is gone and who knows when I would ever see him again.   However, there is a new endocrinologist  in town and I may be lucky enough to get her as long as my family doctor sends a referral (Fingers Crossed). If that is the case and my A1C is decent I shouldn't have a problem keeping my pump, but if this doesn't work out, my pump may be taking a longer time out than expected.  

Along with this I am trying to prepare for school, finishing off work, organizing my other appointments... all of this at once.   Which brings me back to empathy and diabetes.   I honestly cannot spend all my time and effort on diabetes and I think for doctors and nurses this is either hard to believe or not acceptable.  I know that I don't have perfect blood sugars and I know that my A1C probably will be higher (Duh, it's summertime!)   I realize that the doctors and nurses do not have diabetes and I understand that diabetes is easy to explain in simple terms, yet it is isn't easy to live.   

I just hope that people can understand that although this disease is 24/7 - finding the time and balance can be difficult.   Jeez, I am not a PANCREAS!

Kayla

The Start to Something New

It is almost school time and I am ready to begin.  After spending May travelling, June relaxing and July and August working I am ready to get back to school as well as see all my friends and create some new memories!  I haven't been writing too much on my blog lately, but it is because I have been pretty busy and have just been doing my daily routine with diabetes and paying a lot of attention to other things in my life.

Right now I am working on my to-do list before I head back to school.  I completed my G licence today which was a  huge relief after failing last year. Now I don't have to worry about another driving test until I am what? 80?  Very thankful for that!  Way to stressful.  One thing that does relate to diabetes and this situation is that they had asked if I had any illness or disease: including heart or diabetes...  and the guy sort of skimmed this by me and was about to check, "no" until I interrupted him with, I have diabetes....    I bet he wanted to say, "but you don't look diabetic..."

Anyways, so I am moving back to London on Friday and start school on Thursday (next week).   I am planning on organizing my room since I am going to be bringing up all that little things plus clothes that are still here in Brantford.    I am planning on staying in London for most weekends... that is just the plan for now.

So far, diabetes has been just diabetes.  Nothing too exciting has occurred besides getting frustrated with my pump every now and then.  But, don't we all (all the diabetics).

Kayla

Don't Blink

It seems that life doesn't change over time, it changes in an instant.  With tragic events all over the world that effect large groups of people, we know for sure that life can turn upside down in moments. But, forget  the moments that effect an entire country for a second and focus on the events that happen to your neighbours, coworkers and family members.

It's hard to sympathize with those you don't know or for places you've never been.  Yet, we try hard, those of us that are empathic to put ourselves in the heels, boots or flip flops of another person. For me, I am constantly wondering what it would be like to live another person's life for a day or too. What kind of lessons would I learn?

In the past little bit I have experienced a bunch and all of the things have changed or altered my view or possibly just put a pre-existing view into to better focus.   Anyone in Southern Ontario knows that the past couple weeks have been filled with mother nature scares and most recently closer to my home, an explosion.

I know I am not a reporter of any kind, nor is this the purpose of the blog; however, all of these events have sent out a clear message to me at least, "Don't take a single second for granted - don't blink." We truly don't know when our last breath, tear, laugh or smile is and if we take the time to appreciate it all while we are here it makes it clearer why we are all living, breathing, crying, laughing and smiling.  

After being diagnosed with diabetes I knew that I couldn't take life for granted anymore.  I had perfect health one second and then a disease the next.  I learned a huge lesson that day that I have never forgot and have always lived with. It truly has gotten me through a lot in my life and I wish I had this life lesson when I was a teenager.    

We can't change what has happend, but we can make what is next better.  We need to appreciate everything that does happen as well, we can't ignore history, we need to take little lessons from it and apply them to our future.  

I guess, the past couple days, more recently last night after the huge explosion - I began to realize just how important that simple life lesson I had taught myself two years ago.  Don't blink.

Kayla