Happy 15th Birthday, Diabetes!

There it is - Date of diagnosis: 13th November 1996.  Happy Birthday 'D'!

Wow, 15 years old.  You're looking good for your age, Diabetes.  I only have a vague recollection of your birth, but since then I think we have created enough memories to last a life time.

We've spent some interesting time together over the years, you and I.  From hospital admissions, to lows on the tops of cliffs with no hypo treatment, to DKA, to emergency prescriptions.  It's safe to say that, with you around Diabetes, there's never a dull moment.

I won't be cracking out the champagne, blowing up any balloons or lighting any candles on a birthday cake, but I celebrate this day nevertheless.  15 years on from diagnosis and we're living pretty harmoniously.  You're part of me and you're here for the long-haul.  Here's to the next however many years...x

Dealing with Diabetes.

This is my first post in a while - DOC, I have missed you!  I'd like to thank everyone who has been checking my blog 'just in case'.  I'm back and I'm back for good.


I'm not going to lie, recently has been one of the strangest, most surreal and probably most difficult times of my life.  Along with the stresses and strains of leaving home and becoming independent, the unexpected passing of a loved one has impacted my ability to cope with my diabetes to a shocking degree.


Even as someone who is usually very dedicated to and knows all too well the importance of trying to keep on top of my diabetes care, once I had begun to neglect it, it wasn't long until things had spiraled completely out of control.


Currently, my life seems to consist of bouncing around between horrifically high and worryingly low blood sugar levels.  It gets to a point where you dread testing because you know the number on the screen is going to make you feel physically sick to read.  So, one day you don't test because you're wallowing and then before you know it you're stuck in a vicious circle.


Diabetes is unforgiving and impatient.  It doesn't stop, even when you want to.  It doesn't care how sad you are, or how much you've got on your mind.  If anything, it tries its very hardest to make things more difficult.  If I want to run away, I can guarantee that the D is coming with me.  There's no shaking that devil off my back.


Sometimes you need a wake-up call, a bombshell to hit before you realise that ignoring the D isn't going to help you at all.  Mine came in the form of this:

An off-the-scale high reading?!  Confirmation that I need to get back on top of looking after myself.  No matter how bad things are, allowing my diabetes to go by the wayside is not the solution and never will be.


So here I am, taking each day as it comes, battling with the bad times, dealing with diabetes.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

My new room and home at University...

At my bedside.

My testing monitor and injections are in the black wrap.  GlucoTabs for in-the-night lows.  Monitoring diary to keep track.  Diet Coke because I love it!

 My mini-fridge in my room to keep my insulin supplies and Glucagen kit...

:)

Success!

I think I've probably felt every emotion there is to feel this week.  It's quite fair to say that it has been one heck of a roller coaster ride.  However, all of the nerves, all of the worries, all of the sleepless nights spent tossing and turning in bed and all of the preparation finally paid off.

On Thursday, I went to 6th Form with knots in my stomach to collect my A Level exam results.  I got an 'A' in Philosophy and Ethics, a 'B' in English Language and a 'B' in Psychology.  I exceeded the grades required for my firm University choice.

It was one of the best days of my life and a reminder that diabetes doesn't have to compromise you.  You can still achieve everything you want to.  I am going to university and, one day, I will be a Speech Therapist!  Success!

Being Blunt And To The Point.

How often do you change your needles or lancets?

'Nowhere near enough' is the answer from many diabetics, including me.  At least, that was until I was shown this image.

I am now changing my needles after every use.  Can't say that I like the look of the hooks on those beasts!

A Loving Incentive.

Warning:  This post might be a bit 'soppy'. 

Sorry guys!

This won't be a long post.  Mainly, it is just a reminder of how our loved ones want us to be safe and well.

My boyfriend, Adam, has always been extremely supportive in all aspects of my life.  Most importantly, in many ways, he has helped me to think positively about my diabetes.  He takes an interest in it - he's read about it, listens to me go on and on about it, does my bg tests and injections if need be and has been to pretty much all of my doctors appointments with me since we got together nearly 3 years ago.  He's brilliant.

If I wasn't already aware of how much he cared for my well-being, I was reminded when I spotted this:

I've always been terrible at filling in my monitoring diaries, so this is a really great incentive, as well as being a sweet gesture.  Thank you, Adam.  I love you.

And it's working...

 

There are worse things than Diabetes.

There's no denying it, diabetes is a horrible disease.  It is unpredictable and unexpected.  It attacks your body and affects your life and the lives of your loved ones more than anyone would ever have imagined.  At its worse, diabetes is a murderer.

I think that, for most people, a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is soul-destroying.  D-Parents worry intensely and the person with it cannot envision how they will ever be able to live a 'normal' life again.  However the truth of the matter is that if we look after our diabetes properly, we can do anything we put our minds to!  Although it is frustrating and potentially dangerous, there are much worse diseases to have than diabetes.

This realisation struck me one day when I was watching a TV programme called Born to be Different.  It was a documentary about 6, ten year old children, each born with different disabilities.  All of the children were inspiring, but it was a girl named Shelbie who caught my attention.

Shelbie has a rare chromosome disorder called Partial Trisomy 9P.  This can cause heart defects, physical abnormalities and severe learning difficulties.  She requires several different drugs a day and has a limited life-span.  Not only that, but at the age of 10 Shelbie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

When interviewed, Shelbie's mum said that she was worried by the fact that "when their blood sugar levels are low, people with diabetes can say they feel funny.  Shelbie can't do that."  What surprised me most of all was that, 3 weeks later, Shelbie's mum went on to say that "diabetes has actually been the easiest part of her care."

It was this that made me realise that there are far worse things to have than diabetes.  For Shelbie's mum, diabetes was just yet another problem to add to the long list of her daughter's disorders.  Of course diabetes, like any other disease, is evil.  We all wish that we or our loved ones didn't have it.  But, with access to the right care and effort, diabetes doesn't have to stop anyone from living a fully functioning life.  It's such a shame that I couldn't say the same about disorders such as Partial Trisomy 9P.

Sending Shelbie and her family hope of better health and happiness in the future. x