So right now I'm recovering from a low, a bad one.
Numb shaky hands, feeling like I'm about to fall over flat on my face, 2.6mmol.
I seem to go on autopilot when I see numbers like this, and it's not a brilliant autopilot. I've just managed to eat 4 little packets of animal biscuits in one go and now feel pretty gross (if you've never heard of them then are half chocolate, half biscuit shaped like animals xp). I have hypogel, glucotabs and glucojuice in my room.. but I never reach for them.
Why? I have no idea!
It's annoying because I know it doesn't get in to my system quick enough but yet autopilot brain grabs for them every time :(
Think I'm going to have to remove them from autopilot cotton wool brain's path for future hypo's so I train it to go for stuff that will actually work within minutes.
Now I'm in for more BG testing and corrections for over-treating my hypo...
AWESOME ._.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Why, Why, Why Delilah?
Sunday, 10 July 2011
DSMA July Blog Carnival - D Technology
It's weird to think that only a few decades ago people were having to use glass syringes and boil them before injecting their insulin. Now thanks to disposable needles it takes a matter of seconds to get a pre-filled insulin pen ready to inject.
I'm not grateful in the slightest to have this condition, however I am extremely grateful that due to medical advances I should have a pretty normal life. There are so many different ways to deliver insulin now with pre-filled pens for MDI patients and varieties of insulin pumps for people to choose from in order to control their BG levels. We can also now download our BG results from our snazzy meters on to our laptops to identify trends/patterns ready for the next appointment with the DSN/Consultant. There is also another little beeping device (aka a Continuing Glucose Monitor) which lets you know if you're about to go too low/too high << I'd love one of these!
D Technology at the moment is great, however it is always evolving and getting better which is how it should be until a cure can be found! It definately needs to be reaching as many people suffering with D as possible, I imagine that there are thousands out there who have never even seen what an insulin pump looks like or a CGM, and because they're so expensive they probably never will.
As this technology is still relatively new, accuracy is still a pretty big issue. For me being on MDI my biggest issue is meter accuracy. One finger can be 2-3mmol different from another and it's incredibly frustrating because I depend heavily on my meter results.
What are you supposed to do if you can't trust your own BG meter?
Fixing this kinda problem would be brilliant and would give PWD so much more confidence in the D products they are using. Without it we are pretty much guestimating 24/7 which isn't fun especially when you get it seriously wrong. Also giving every PWD the opportunity to experience these gadgets would be a big adjustment that needs fixing because they all deserve it and need it!
As I'm on MDI and have been since diagnosis, most D technology both new and shiny, and not so new get me excited! Pumps fascinate me, all the different variations available and how they work (pre-warning to people at the Brighton meet with pumps!) and also CGMs. I've only ever seen them on DOC blogs as I think they're more widely used in the USA (along with pumps). Of course the Artificial Pancreas is a biggy, with trials currently underway in France let's hope it's a step closer to finding a permanent cure :)
This post is my July entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2011/july-dsma-blog-carnival/
Saturday, 2 July 2011
It's My Party And I'll Hypo If I Want To!
Last night was the first Summer work party (normally it's each department doing there own thing) so we all got a chance to dress up and mingle with new people. The weather was great, the food looked good and the drinks vouchers were out in force! We had an awesome photo booth for the night along with props - I did try and persuade Amy to go fo the Bob Marley hat and dreads but she wasn't having any of it!
I took my fake fur coat (aka pimp coat) along and later in the evening started getting a bit hot.. looked down and my hands were clammy and a bit twitchy.
FFS.
Tested my sugars and got a 3.6. I had my Mary Poppins bag with me and downed a few strawberry cheescake jelly beans and got back to mingling.
I wasn't going to let D spoil my night for all the tea in China!! Got home just before 11 and tested again. 5.1mmol. Did my Lantus and scooted off to bed.. lucky me had work from 9-5 to look forward to.. D didn't like me ignoring her at all one bit and soon got her revenge.
D: Emma it's 2am, better get up *evil grin*
Me: Zzzzz what for???
D: Remember that low you had at the party? Well you got another one, and it's even lower. Can't ignore me now can you.
Me: God you are a pain in the arse *tests BG*
Me: 2.8, you're such a bitch D
D: I know :)
Me: *scoffs down more strawberry cheesecake jelly beans and animal biscuits*
Me: FU D, I'm going sleep!
So I've paid the price today with a bit more low blood sugar, headache and mega sleepyness. Most people from the the party will have have woken up with a normal hangover.. me not wanting to feel left out woke up with a hypo one instead!!
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Birthday with the Betes
So Friday was my 22nd birthday! (yikes 22!!)
My second birthday with the D and it was frigging awesome! Even the diabetes fairy gave me a break and my highest BG was 9.0mmol.
*does a celebration jig*
I was treated by the guys & girls at work to some beautiful homemade cupcakes made by Mooroo cakes, which were D-friendly, so I decided to test before and after eating to see how my sugars would react:
Before super amazing mint sparkly cupcake: 7.8mmol
1 and a quarter hours after: 7.5mmol
Two hours after: 8mmol
I was super chuffed with these considering I didn't inject anything, Mary who made the cakes was brilliant and even carb counted them for me. 12g per cupcake which includes the frosting! My parents couldn't tell the difference between the altered ingredients and soon scoffed down on them too :D
If you live in Lincolnshire and would like to order one of these gorgeous cupcakes or a novelty cake please contact Mary/Rosie on mooroocakes@hotmail.co.uk or search 'Mooroo cakes' on Facebook.
The Diabetes Fairy was even nice to me when I went out for an evening meal with friends & family (yes I know, I was shocked too!). I sampled Indian, Chinese and Italian along with dessert and a couple of drinkies but went to bed on a BG of 9.0mmol.
Maybe I'm getting the hang of this carb counting thingy?!
I think running around after an excited little puppy monster is also helping to get my sugars back under control after my holiday. My meter average before holiday was 7.9mmol, post holiday was 9.8mmol and it's now gone down to 9.1mmol. Not a huge reduction but I'm getting there and determined to get back to where I was a couple of months ago. I really want my HbA1c to be lower than the last one after sticking at 8.4 for months on end. Felt so good going to 6-monthly appointments instead of 4 and I want to keep it at that..
Ooh before I forget, because I got D-friendly cupcakes I decided to make a very D-unfriendly cake for everyone at work... and before you ask yes I WAS sober when I decorated it :)
Saturday, 18 June 2011
The Good, The Bad, And The Puppy!
Apologies for the recent lack of posts, it's been a busy/tiring few weeks both D and non-D wise!
We recently got a puppy called Winnie who's now about 10 weeks old. Very tiny and seriously cute but is still getting used to being away from her family so still whimpering and crying when she's left on her own. A couple of broken nights along with the early shift has meant me feeling like a zombie most of the week!
But how can you stay mad at this little face?
Monday, 6 June 2011
DSMA June Blog Carnival - Diabetes Troubleshooting
Diabetes can often lead you into some pretty dark and lonely places. You think that you're on your own with Diabetes, the only comfort is food and the only shoulder you can lean on is your pillow.
You're not alone.
There are thousands and thousands of people all around the world with Diabetes, most of which are online on various forums, twitter and facebook. These are the people that I go to when I have problems with my D at all hours of the day or night.
Around a year after my diagnosis I started googling about people with Diabetes and found a brilliant little forum which has helped me so much and continues to do so everyday even when I don't feel like posting because I'm having a difficult time. This ever-growing forum is incredibly supportive with both D and non-D related issues. The moderators are online throughout the day ready to answer questions from newbies and share weblinks, support members if they are suffering from burnout and celebrate if someone has a good HbA1c result.
Althought I regularly see my DSN and consultant at the hospital and they do a great job, I've learnt more from the forum than I could hope to imagine and have even shared my own experiences despite being a newbie to D myself! I met up with a number of people in April from the forum which was brilliant and will be doing so again next month in Brighton!
Over the past few months I've also found through Twitter that the DOC is an awesome troubleshooting tool with people from all walks of life offering their support and experiences. It's a brilliant feeling when someone gets what you're going through and just says 'You're not alone'.
Kim from Texting My Pancreas has come up with the 'You Can Do This' project which is 'is a growing community of videos, created by people with diabetes, with the aim of provide validation, hope and encouragement through honest talk for those who struggle with the disease'
It's a brilliant idea and we could end up with a Diabetes Channel on YouTube if we get lots of vlogs! (Still not decided if I'm brave enough for a Vlog...)
A Diabetes Google would be even better!! :D
This post is my June entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2011/june-dsma-blog-carnival/
** Please remember it is important to speak to your doctor about any problems and what can be done to solve them. I am not recommending that you make alterations to your D care without consulting your Doctor first **
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Disney's Newest Ride.... The Glucoaster!
I've been a naughty blogger recently *slaps wrist* Not really wanting to post about my D experience abroad but knowing that it'll help in the long run... so put it off for a few days.
Apologies in advance for a more serious, negative post!
As some of you know, on my last holiday to Florida I was a few weeks away from being diagnosed with D so felt pretty awful for the majority of our trip. This time I was extremely nervous/anxious about travelling with D and how it would behave.
Before going, people said that I'd have to reduce my insulin because of heat absorption, exercise etc. So on my first proper day in the Sunshine State that's what I decided to do (trying to be one step ahead). D didn't like that at all, and despite a good walk around Universal Studios for over half a day my sugars sky rocketed. Admittedly I did have a cooked breakfast from a Ponderosa (which was soooooo good) but not an American portion!
This is how my body continued to deal with the increasing heat for the rest of my trip. I quickly upped my dose and tried to stick to some sort of routine with meal times (which isn't really what you want on holiday). But my parents (Super D-Rents) were great about it and really supportive. Stopping every now and then in the shade so I could test and correct and finding places that didn't just serve burgers and fries.
I'd love to say that I kicked D's arse into utter submission but I didn't. I folded and broke down more and more. I hated it more than ever, knowing this time what was wrong with me but not being able to fix it. Constantly testing and correcting meant my fingers were sore and my stomache was covered in tiny bruises. My patience wore thin and by the end of an evening I got snappy or emotional. At one point I asked my parents to hit me over the head with a shovel and have done with it. Funny now looking back but at the time I really meant it.
Almost a week later and today I've had all readings under 10mmol for the first time since I went away so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm getting back on track..
This isn't to say my holiday was a complete wash-out!
The time in-between testing was great and it was great being back in Orlando and apart from worrying about me, my parents also had a great time :) I went on lots of rides that I haven't before (insane waiting times ruled out Harry Potter rides/shops which was a complete bummer) and even held a little alligator called Oscar!
My Frio bags worked a treat to and from the UK and during my entire holiday the only reason for being stopped was for having suncream in my handbag at Orlando airport! Felt like a non-D person not being stopped for having pens & needles in my manbag which was nice :)
I think it'll be a while before I go anywhere long haul again, but at least I can say I had a go and learnt from it..
Our gangsta style Cadillac hire car!
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