Diabetes - Not for the Weak

 I am in a mood.

Not a bad one, not a happy one, more of a contemplative one.

Just a heads up, I guess. Like a friend warning another before they vent.

DIABETES is many things:

It's SCARY

It's CHALLENGING

It's UNPREDICTABLE

It's CHARACTER BUILDING

It's HEART WRENCHING

And so on and so forth.....

DIABETES is certainly not for the WEAK

What do I mean by "WEAK"  I mean, the minute I feel weak, tired, vulnerable, down trodden, diabetes becomes harder to deal with; it is harder to mentally manage, and if you don't get back up, shake your head, brush yourself off quickly, control slips, and it becomes perpetually more difficult to stay in control.

That being said, we must NEVER GIVE UP.  We need to PERSEVERE. We need to be STRONG.

Emotions are a lot like diabetes really, they are never static but always fluctuating like our blood sugar, I guess the goal is to keep not only our glucose in range but our Emotions as well.

Easier said then done some days.

Here is to staying STRONG with Diabetes!

Trev

Timing is Everything

In life, timing is often the factor that determines ones path.

Think about this for a moment.  Those serendipidous moments in life where a neigbour or friend pops over and talks you into an opportunity.  What if the timing was off and you weren't home. Running into the right person at the right time happens to us all.

Even in negative situations you've heard the saying; when one door closes another opens.  That is timing!  I personally have left a job, thinking crap, what will I do now, only to stumble upon a better job, timing was right and the opportunity crossed my Path. 

I don't believe in luck, but I do believe in timing, and that; opportunity favours the prepared.

Once again what in the hell does this have to do with Mr Diabetes?  Well not to repeat myself but timing is everything in diabetes management and of course the more prepared you are(knowledge, tools, strategy, support) the better your opportunity will be in managing your diabetes.

Above I mention some keys to diabetes preparedness.  If you have diabetes or care for someone with the big D, then here is your diabetic emergency preparedness plan in a nut sell. The list below is not prioritized as they are all important. So here goes:

1.  Learn as much as you can about diabetes. How you do that is up to you, but read multiple sources. If it's research; look at the number of people who participated in the study, if it was your friend's aunt and your brother and they claim that nutmeg causes poor glucose control that's an opinion and not research.  The more people(sample size) the more accurate(valid)the research result will be.  I could get into more detail about critiquing research but this is a blog and not a book.

2.  Keep learning, yes I am repeating myself, but never stop, I have met folks who have had diabetes for many years, and tell me, "I did the training" and I ask "when?" and they say"1985"  I kindly suggest they go for more training and read more current information. Never ever stop learning, go ahead and get sick of it, but don't stop.

3.  Tools. Not the garden variety, but tools like; meters, CGMs, Pumps, uploads, downloads, new insulin, pens, finer needles, glucagon, medication, and I am sure I am missing an item or two. Point is, use whatever device needed to improve your control and quality of life.

4.  Support.  Includes:  Family, Friends, Co-Workers, Class-Mates, Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Dietitians, Endos, and most importantly others with Diabetes, as they are the only folks that unequivocally understand your predicament. Don't dismiss your feelings, they need to be dealt with and this is where support is crucial.

5.  Strategy.  You have to have a game plan.  If you don't make one now, then sit down with some of the folks listed in paragraph 4 and get it done.  If you have a plan you not only know what direction your going but you increase your odds of getting there. With Diabetes you increase your odds of getting there in one piece, or complication free.    It is now Proven (DCCT Study) that good control reduces complications, that's motivation in itself! Know your body. Trial and error. Testing, recording, analyzing, tweaking, and choosing a treatment regime that works for you and controls your glucose. This also includes diet, carb counting, understanding what certain foods do to your glucose. Plans involve setting goals, specific goals like; I am going to test 4 times a day or I will test 2 hrs after I eat to ensure I am taking enough insulin to cover my meal.  Write stuff down, food, readings, mood, exercise, illness. Trust me, it makes it easier to adjust if it's staring you in the face. 

6.  Remember the 80/20 rule. We are human, and it is impossible, actually, totally unachievable to always have your glucose in range, it is impossible to eat perfect every day, it is impossible to keep positive everyday, but it's totally possible to say to yourself, "I did well 80 % of the time this week" That is what counts! Celebrate the good readings, and choices, don't hold onto the highs and lows, let em go and try again the next day.

When the "time comes" you will succeed in managing Mr Diabetes; if you are prepared and have the knowledge, use the right tools, have a good game plan and lots of support!

Trev

Have your Cake & Eat it Too

Meet Dareian;  my older Type 1 in our  house of  Diabetics.  She is one amazing teen!


Dareian the baker!

This is her story, and how she has learned to manage her diabetes through carbohydrate counting, glucose monitoring, and MDI so she can live life how she wants, not how Mr Diabetes dictates. 
Sure she still occationally gets abducted by aliens (See post) but she usually returns the same day.

We partook in a study here in Edmonton called the Trial Net  to determine if any of our non-D kids had autoantibodies for diabetes. If  these autoantibodies are present  the risk of developing Type 1 D in the future is increased. So we took the remaining 4 children and had the blood drawn.  To our surprise, becasue you never really expect it, our oldest child(Dareian) had the autoantibodies.  Crap!

Anyhow, we proceeded with our day to day life, managing Rowan our youngest D and myself of course. Waiting, worrting, and uncertain if or when Mr Diabetes would attack. 

A little over a year later, after many random and fasting home glucose checks, he attacked! We went to the ER and had the blood work done to confirm what we knew.  "Your daughter has type 1 diabetes" There was that dreaded statement again. Once in a lifetime is enough but three times, come on already!

The next day we went through the same training we had with Rowan a few years earlier.  We felt like employees at the diabetes center since we'd spent so much time there.

Dareian was amazing, like her younger sister. She immediately caught onto to Carbohydrate counting, self injecting, I thought, man this kid is smart.  She took Mr Diabetes buy the horns.  We on the other hand felt overwhelmed, and once again went through a whole range of emotions, she was still our baby, even though she was 11 at diagnosis.

Upon arriving home, Dareian has her days, like all PWD where she is angry, sad, and in denial.  But she also has that essential quality or characteristic that I equate with success in diabetes management.  That is; she truly believes she can control it from the inside out.  She has learned and continues to learn about managing diabetes; what works for her and what doesn't. She is active and is a track star! I know I am bragging, but that's my job. She has learned, and managed well enough and knows that she can have her cake, and eat it too!  Great job Dareian!

The Cake she baked for her Moms B-day