Hey friends! This blog is dedicated to all of those who are suffering from yet living a full and normal life with Type 1 diabetes. With a life long disease, isn't it wonderful to live in a time where we will find a cure one day for this disease? The technology is amazing and continues to help all of those who who have diabetes live a normal life. I would like to explain what it is like living with an autoimmune disease such as Type 1 diabetes.
A normal day for a diabetic:
Wake up, shower, get ready
Test blood sugar, good number
Prepare breakfast
Count carbs
Bolus
Prepare lunch
Count carbs
Go to work
Drink water
Lunch time
Test blood sugar, good number
Bolus
Back to work
Drink water
Clock out, go home
Test blood sugar
Go to the gym
Test blood sugar, good number
Eat snack
Count Carbs
Bolus
Prepare dinner
Test blood sugar, good number
Eat dinner
Count carbs
Bolus
Get ready for bed
Test blood sugar, good number, no snack
Go to bed
Repeat.
Wait... that is a normal day? Well let me tell you about the some of the things that could happen.Your day is crazy and your schedule is all messed up. Being a diabetic it can be challenging at times to keep such an amazing schedule and wonderful blood sugars all day long (depending on the age of diabetic, athletic abilities, or if you are pregnant you should aim for anywhere between 80-140mgl). Above I listed a normal day. There are times when life happens and everything is all askew. Let me explain. (Only my fellow diabetics can find humor in this because we all know this happens!)
You wake up with a high blood sugar because last nights ice cream was more carbs than you thought. Because of this you need to take more than the normal amount of insulin and continue with your day. With an unexpected amount of moving around and hopping up from your desk. You have a sudden insulin reaction, test your blood sugar and find out you dropped to a low number. You have to stop what you are doing, eat a snack, and wait 15 minutes and test again to see if your blood sugar is rising to a healthy number. Your day continues like normal. You get home and need to run errands, prepare dinner, clean up and decide you want to go to a late gym session and work out harder than normal. Blood sugar is doing great, but you are exhausted because the roller coaster of what you experienced earlier is catching up. You come home and check your blood sugar once more and find it is 75 mgl which is fine, but before bed is a bit low. After eating a light snack, climbing into bed is the best feeling. Suddenly a few short hours later you are tossing and turning, shaking, and sweating. You climb out of bed, walk to the kitchen and check you blood sugar and it has dropped to 50 mgl. What??? Of course then you need to quickly drink juice and sit at the table waiting for yet another 15 minutes to make sure you are good to go back to bed. 15 minutes later as you check, you still are lower than you should be. Another round of juice and another 15 minutes go by. Finally you are good to go back bed. Finally this day is over. Trust me this is the truth and it really does happen.
Now... there are times when being a diabetic we have high blood sugars. This can be caused for many reasons, just like a low blood sugar. Treating a high blood sugar is different. You must drink lots of water and make sure you take the right amount of insulin so that you don't go low, and check your blood sugar as well as ketones. It is important to treat both high and low blood sugars with the same amount of concern, however it is a constant strive to avoid them. Let's explore some other things diabetics can run into while living with it.
Puberty... for any normal person it's not fun but dealing with diabetes and puberty makes your blood sugars go crazy which can cause your A1c (the measurement of the amount of sugar in your bloodstream) to go high and huge adjustments take place. Hormones are never fun when it comes to diabetes. I believe that this was the hardest time for me, because I did all that I could to keep my range small, but a lot of the time my hormones won.
I have not had the opportunity to have a baby, and I am not pregnant. However being pregnant is another hard time for diabetics. I am preparing my body now because when I do become pregnant I want our baby to be healthy. You have to have an A1c with a 7 or lower (lower being the best!) for at least a year before getting pregnant, throughout your pregnancy, and while breastfeeding and of course for your own health, after. If you don't have healthy blood sugars the chances of having an 8 pound or heavier baby increases, also their brain development decreases. The amount of insulin you need increases, you should test your blood sugar more, and you need to eat healthy. As a high risk pregnancy, my goal is when I become pregnant is to be as low risk in a high risk category as I can.
Going to school. You need to go to the office to check your blood sugar. The office should call if any problems (when to call is set up by the parent) Educating everyone you come in contact with so that they know how to effectively help you when something goes wrong. School can be challenging for some of the younger ones because it can cause some inconveniences throughout the day. When I went to school, I had a box of "Emergency things" that was kept in the back of my classroom, although I never had to use it, I got asked a million questions on why I always left the classroom early for lunch, or why I was eating snacks when no one else was.
Going to bed or doing things in bed. I know this might be an awkward topic but I am sure you are wondering about it. Sleeping with a pump has been interesting, I have had it for quite sometime and still get tangled up in my tube that connects from my body to my insulin pump. Sometimes it is even ripped out in my sleep. Which is such an awful discovery in the morning. I generally clip it on my pants or my bra during the day, but when sleeping, I have no control over how often I flip or change positions, making it hard to control where my pump ends up in the morning. Well... "doing the deed" is quite the adventure with an insulin pump. Just like when I am sleeping I have to be careful. And yes sometimes I have to stop and say where is my pump? Ha ha sorry for the inappropriate talk but the struggle is real!
Flying on an airplane. Because of all of the medical supplies we need to survive, I feel like half of my luggage is just that. You have to have your doctor sign a medical release form, print off a paper so that TSA can see you have medical supplies, and generally go through the full body scanner. The last few times I have gone through TSA, I have had to take my pump off, let them check for explosives, and then pat the spot where my site (where it hooks up to my body) is. It is quite the hassle. But I am willing to comply because frankly I have no other choice.
Snacks. I always have an extra snack or two or couple of dollars just in case I have low blood sugars. Although I am not a mom yet, I get to experience what is like always having a purse that can carry snacks, my tester, and form of identification just in case anything happens. So of course I have to have a big purse ;)
Eating out. I love going out to dinner, however it is always hard to decide what the exact amount of carbs I am eating. I swear they hide carbs in their food. Everyone is different on how their body reacts to different restaurants. As much as I love french fries, I always know that I have to take more insulin.
Taking a shower or swimming. I personally take my pump off when I am in the shower or go swimming and adjust after. I put a plug in so that my pump site does not fill up with water and cause air bubbles. While swimming you need to check more often because you use your body more than you think you do, which can cause an insulin reaction and low blood sugars. With an insulin pump, it is important to always bring back up supplies, the water may cause the site to lose the adhesive and fall off. (Yes I learned that the hard way)
Dealing with the myths of diabetes in public. I always laugh when people find out I have type 1 they say "wow you have it? You're so little, or you're so skinny." I love when people say "Oh I eat so much sugar I am going to end up with type 1 diabetes." Another one I hear a lot is, "Oh you have diabetes? I am sorry, you must really eat healthy and miss eating sugar." Another one is, "Well can't you just take some pills and in a few short years it will be gone?" Ha ha well let me set some things straight. Just because I have type 1 does not mean I have to be overweight. Just because you eat lots of sugar DOES NOT mean you will develop Type 1 diabetes. Maybe Type 2, which is onset and you can get rid of it by monitoring your food control and weight. I still eat whatever I want, including sugar. Sometimes I eat a spoonful of frosting just because I can and guess what I am still living. With the advancements in medical technology, we are able to adjust what we eat, take more or less insulin when we need, and still live a normal life.
M point being, I am a Type 1 diabetic and yes I deal with all and sometimes more struggles than anyone without diabetes will never be able to comprehend, not even my doctor who treats diabetes. I follow a page on Facebook for fellow Utah Type 1 diabetics and I saw someone post this picture of a sweatshirt that I love. It said something along the lines of, "I may not be super woman, but I am fighting diabetes, so I come pretty close." I am grateful for my life with diabetes. Everyday is different, and I am constantly learning about it even though I have had it for 11 almost 12 years. I am grateful for all of my friends and family who continue to support me and make my life better. I hope that the awareness for diabetes becomes stronger and that more people are in support of finding a cure. I would never wish upon anyone to have diabetes. Ever. With that being said I know that one day we will not have to suffer from fighting this disease. There will be a cure.
Thank you for reading! If you feel so inclined, please share! If you have any questions for me or about diabetes, I would love to talk about it! Last but not least... Go Forth and Fight for a Cure!!!
For more information about how to help find a cure please visit, THIS website.
A normal day for a diabetic:
Wake up, shower, get ready
Test blood sugar, good number
Prepare breakfast
Count carbs
Bolus
Prepare lunch
Count carbs
Go to work
Drink water
Lunch time
Test blood sugar, good number
Bolus
Back to work
Drink water
Clock out, go home
Test blood sugar
Go to the gym
Test blood sugar, good number
Eat snack
Count Carbs
Bolus
Prepare dinner
Test blood sugar, good number
Eat dinner
Count carbs
Bolus
Get ready for bed
Test blood sugar, good number, no snack
Go to bed
Repeat.
Wait... that is a normal day? Well let me tell you about the some of the things that could happen.Your day is crazy and your schedule is all messed up. Being a diabetic it can be challenging at times to keep such an amazing schedule and wonderful blood sugars all day long (depending on the age of diabetic, athletic abilities, or if you are pregnant you should aim for anywhere between 80-140mgl). Above I listed a normal day. There are times when life happens and everything is all askew. Let me explain. (Only my fellow diabetics can find humor in this because we all know this happens!)
You wake up with a high blood sugar because last nights ice cream was more carbs than you thought. Because of this you need to take more than the normal amount of insulin and continue with your day. With an unexpected amount of moving around and hopping up from your desk. You have a sudden insulin reaction, test your blood sugar and find out you dropped to a low number. You have to stop what you are doing, eat a snack, and wait 15 minutes and test again to see if your blood sugar is rising to a healthy number. Your day continues like normal. You get home and need to run errands, prepare dinner, clean up and decide you want to go to a late gym session and work out harder than normal. Blood sugar is doing great, but you are exhausted because the roller coaster of what you experienced earlier is catching up. You come home and check your blood sugar once more and find it is 75 mgl which is fine, but before bed is a bit low. After eating a light snack, climbing into bed is the best feeling. Suddenly a few short hours later you are tossing and turning, shaking, and sweating. You climb out of bed, walk to the kitchen and check you blood sugar and it has dropped to 50 mgl. What??? Of course then you need to quickly drink juice and sit at the table waiting for yet another 15 minutes to make sure you are good to go back to bed. 15 minutes later as you check, you still are lower than you should be. Another round of juice and another 15 minutes go by. Finally you are good to go back bed. Finally this day is over. Trust me this is the truth and it really does happen.
Now... there are times when being a diabetic we have high blood sugars. This can be caused for many reasons, just like a low blood sugar. Treating a high blood sugar is different. You must drink lots of water and make sure you take the right amount of insulin so that you don't go low, and check your blood sugar as well as ketones. It is important to treat both high and low blood sugars with the same amount of concern, however it is a constant strive to avoid them. Let's explore some other things diabetics can run into while living with it.
Puberty... for any normal person it's not fun but dealing with diabetes and puberty makes your blood sugars go crazy which can cause your A1c (the measurement of the amount of sugar in your bloodstream) to go high and huge adjustments take place. Hormones are never fun when it comes to diabetes. I believe that this was the hardest time for me, because I did all that I could to keep my range small, but a lot of the time my hormones won.
I have not had the opportunity to have a baby, and I am not pregnant. However being pregnant is another hard time for diabetics. I am preparing my body now because when I do become pregnant I want our baby to be healthy. You have to have an A1c with a 7 or lower (lower being the best!) for at least a year before getting pregnant, throughout your pregnancy, and while breastfeeding and of course for your own health, after. If you don't have healthy blood sugars the chances of having an 8 pound or heavier baby increases, also their brain development decreases. The amount of insulin you need increases, you should test your blood sugar more, and you need to eat healthy. As a high risk pregnancy, my goal is when I become pregnant is to be as low risk in a high risk category as I can.
Going to school. You need to go to the office to check your blood sugar. The office should call if any problems (when to call is set up by the parent) Educating everyone you come in contact with so that they know how to effectively help you when something goes wrong. School can be challenging for some of the younger ones because it can cause some inconveniences throughout the day. When I went to school, I had a box of "Emergency things" that was kept in the back of my classroom, although I never had to use it, I got asked a million questions on why I always left the classroom early for lunch, or why I was eating snacks when no one else was.
Going to bed or doing things in bed. I know this might be an awkward topic but I am sure you are wondering about it. Sleeping with a pump has been interesting, I have had it for quite sometime and still get tangled up in my tube that connects from my body to my insulin pump. Sometimes it is even ripped out in my sleep. Which is such an awful discovery in the morning. I generally clip it on my pants or my bra during the day, but when sleeping, I have no control over how often I flip or change positions, making it hard to control where my pump ends up in the morning. Well... "doing the deed" is quite the adventure with an insulin pump. Just like when I am sleeping I have to be careful. And yes sometimes I have to stop and say where is my pump? Ha ha sorry for the inappropriate talk but the struggle is real!
Flying on an airplane. Because of all of the medical supplies we need to survive, I feel like half of my luggage is just that. You have to have your doctor sign a medical release form, print off a paper so that TSA can see you have medical supplies, and generally go through the full body scanner. The last few times I have gone through TSA, I have had to take my pump off, let them check for explosives, and then pat the spot where my site (where it hooks up to my body) is. It is quite the hassle. But I am willing to comply because frankly I have no other choice.
Snacks. I always have an extra snack or two or couple of dollars just in case I have low blood sugars. Although I am not a mom yet, I get to experience what is like always having a purse that can carry snacks, my tester, and form of identification just in case anything happens. So of course I have to have a big purse ;)
Eating out. I love going out to dinner, however it is always hard to decide what the exact amount of carbs I am eating. I swear they hide carbs in their food. Everyone is different on how their body reacts to different restaurants. As much as I love french fries, I always know that I have to take more insulin.
Taking a shower or swimming. I personally take my pump off when I am in the shower or go swimming and adjust after. I put a plug in so that my pump site does not fill up with water and cause air bubbles. While swimming you need to check more often because you use your body more than you think you do, which can cause an insulin reaction and low blood sugars. With an insulin pump, it is important to always bring back up supplies, the water may cause the site to lose the adhesive and fall off. (Yes I learned that the hard way)
Dealing with the myths of diabetes in public. I always laugh when people find out I have type 1 they say "wow you have it? You're so little, or you're so skinny." I love when people say "Oh I eat so much sugar I am going to end up with type 1 diabetes." Another one I hear a lot is, "Oh you have diabetes? I am sorry, you must really eat healthy and miss eating sugar." Another one is, "Well can't you just take some pills and in a few short years it will be gone?" Ha ha well let me set some things straight. Just because I have type 1 does not mean I have to be overweight. Just because you eat lots of sugar DOES NOT mean you will develop Type 1 diabetes. Maybe Type 2, which is onset and you can get rid of it by monitoring your food control and weight. I still eat whatever I want, including sugar. Sometimes I eat a spoonful of frosting just because I can and guess what I am still living. With the advancements in medical technology, we are able to adjust what we eat, take more or less insulin when we need, and still live a normal life.
M point being, I am a Type 1 diabetic and yes I deal with all and sometimes more struggles than anyone without diabetes will never be able to comprehend, not even my doctor who treats diabetes. I follow a page on Facebook for fellow Utah Type 1 diabetics and I saw someone post this picture of a sweatshirt that I love. It said something along the lines of, "I may not be super woman, but I am fighting diabetes, so I come pretty close." I am grateful for my life with diabetes. Everyday is different, and I am constantly learning about it even though I have had it for 11 almost 12 years. I am grateful for all of my friends and family who continue to support me and make my life better. I hope that the awareness for diabetes becomes stronger and that more people are in support of finding a cure. I would never wish upon anyone to have diabetes. Ever. With that being said I know that one day we will not have to suffer from fighting this disease. There will be a cure.
Thank you for reading! If you feel so inclined, please share! If you have any questions for me or about diabetes, I would love to talk about it! Last but not least... Go Forth and Fight for a Cure!!!
For more information about how to help find a cure please visit, THIS website.
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