This past week, Alex O'Meara over at A Sweet Life wrote a piece on disclosing your diabetes (You can read it here if you're interested). Alex talks about the different reactions we can get from people when we disclose our diabetes, as well as the struggles we face when deciding whether or not to disclose to certain people.
Seeing as diabetes is fairly new to me, this is something that I still struggle with. And it's something that I'm not sure I will ever entirely be comfortable doing. By nature, I am someone that does not enjoy the spotlight. I'm an observer, and although I am outgoing, I tend to prefer to sit back and watch when I'm in a new or unfamiliar situation. So, with diabetes being new, this is basically what I did for the first bit anyway. In the very beginning, other than my family and boyfriend, I only told 3 of my closest friends. I knew that I would need a lot of support from these people and I was also comfortable telling them because I knew they would be supportive and non-judgmental. Other than that, I didn't really tell anyone. It didn't even truly concern me for the first couple weeks that my close co-workers didn't know. At this point, I was still struggling with the diagnosis, so I would sneak away to test my blood and to take my insulin. It wasn't really until a stern talking to by my boyfriend that I considered the fact that for safety reasons, all of the people I work with closely needed to know in case of an emergency.
Although I knew that he was 100% right, I was still having a very tough time with the idea of letting people that I didn't entirely trust in on something that I considered very personal. I had a lot of fears and my biggest was of being judged. Sadly, there are so many people that think that I did something to get diabetes. They think I got it from not exercising enough or from eating too much sugar. My second biggest fear was that someone would downplay the risk of diabetes and then I would feel stupid for telling them about it. My boyfriend and family's biggest concern was that people were aware of how to help me when I couldn't help myself. Which I totally agreed with, but I still kept going back to feeling like people would think that I was being a drama queen. That when I said, "I need to eat something" or "I need sugar", that it wouldn't be taken seriously and that it would look as though I have a weakness. I work in a fairly male dominate field where we are expected to have tough skin and be able to emotionally and physically handle alot of different situations. In my head, I felt that my diabetes would be viewed as a weakness and some people may think I couldn't do my job safely anymore.
Although the risk is there for me, I have learned new ways to ensure that I remain safe at work. The biggest thing was telling my close co-workers and I'm happy to say they were very understanding. I also carry glucose on me as I go about my day because there can be times where I can be tied up with a situation and can't leave to grab something to eat. I have also started taking my insulin half way through my meals in case I get called away for something.
In Alex's article, he talks about the 80-10-10 rule. Basically, the rule is that 80% of people you meet don't feel one way or another about you; 10% of them will like you no matter what and 10% will dislike you no matter what. I think this is a pretty neat rule. And although it's not scientific, I think it's probably pretty close to accurate. So, in the end, I decided that I'm not going to go out of my way to tell people about my diabetes but I'm no longer hiding it. I test and inject whenever and wherever, and am always happy to answer any one's questions about diabetes. I also now wear a medic-alert bracelet in case I'm around people that don't know that I have diabetes. I found that just wearing the bracelet opens up the communication lines because people in general are curious as to why I wear one.
Last week at work, I was pleasantly surprised by a co-worker who was super supportive when my blood sugar was tanking. I needed to call on them to quickly come and cover my post while I grabbed some orange juice and a quick bite to eat. I felt bad because I knew they were busy too but they told me to never hesitate to treat a low and that the job could always wait.
That made my day, and made me feel that much more understood!
Showing posts with label new diabetic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new diabetic. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Money, Money, Money!!
It's no lie that having diabetes is expensive.
Since I was diagnosed 4 short months ago, I can't even believe how much the supplies can cost! Who would have thought test strips would cost $0.75 per strip? And that I would need to test at least 4 times a day? Most days I am testing up to 8 times....that's $6 a day just on the testing. Add in your insulin, needles, pump supplies, and glucose tabs and the bills very quickly start to add up. And if you're like me: you have a good job (Government job, no less) but your insurance coverage is horrible, then you really start to notice the hit that diabetes can make to your pay cheque. And diabetes is not something you can cut back on! My life depends on all of these supplies. Every. Single. Day.
These are all things I had no idea about before I was diagnosed. I was blissfully unaware of the lack of funding in most parts of Canada for insulin pumps and diabetes supplies in general. And even though my insurance coverage is horrible, I'm still one of the lucky ones. Many people are living with this disease and have no insurance coverage at all. This whole issue of the financial cost of having diabetes has really weighed on my mind since my diagnosis. It's left me tossing and turning at night trying to come up with solutions and "loop holes" to this problem. I have literally spent days on end researching this issue.
I very quickly found out that until Manitoba has better funding for insulin pumps or until my employer increases their insurance coverage, there would be no "loop holes". Many people before me had already tried.
The one solution I did however come up with is: A Budget.
Novel idea, isn't it??
I have been living without a structured budget for most of my twenties. Ok, all of my twenties. Up until recently, I had always been healthy and felt that I never truly had to worry about something happening to me. I was, after all, invincible...right?
I have now learned very quickly that things can and will happen to me. These unforeseeable events will most often cost money. I never fully understood how to make a budget work out right. The numbers just never seemed to add up right for me. I have however gotten back into watching the show "Till Debt Do Us Part", hosted by the financial guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade.
The show follows a different couple in financial trouble during each episode, but the basis of the show is always the same. Gail shows people how to come up with "a budget that works for you". Her system is based on the "Magic Jars". Once you have come up with your budget, you stick strictly to cash only and you place cash in separate jars for each of your variable expenses. The part I loved the most is that Gail's website and blog is packed full of interactive worksheets to come up with a great budget. There are also lots of resources and advice available when it comes to your finances and she provides alot of insider information in terms of your credit and making smart financial choices for your future.
I started this budget only a short week ago, and I love it. Ok, maybe my love is a bit pre-mature, but I can't believe the satisfaction I have already received from sticking to my budget! I already feel like I have more money and I finally have a plan that is realistic. This budget has helped me to feel more confident in terms of meeting my financial goals and it has already helped reduce my stress of paying for my diabetes supplies. And we all know that stress only makes our diabetes more difficult to manage. With my insurance coverage running out in about another two months, I am confident I will be able to make all ends meet as well as be able to put money away for that next "rainy day".
Which there will be many more. Of that I am certain.
Click here to go directly to Gail's home page.
Since I was diagnosed 4 short months ago, I can't even believe how much the supplies can cost! Who would have thought test strips would cost $0.75 per strip? And that I would need to test at least 4 times a day? Most days I am testing up to 8 times....that's $6 a day just on the testing. Add in your insulin, needles, pump supplies, and glucose tabs and the bills very quickly start to add up. And if you're like me: you have a good job (Government job, no less) but your insurance coverage is horrible, then you really start to notice the hit that diabetes can make to your pay cheque. And diabetes is not something you can cut back on! My life depends on all of these supplies. Every. Single. Day.
These are all things I had no idea about before I was diagnosed. I was blissfully unaware of the lack of funding in most parts of Canada for insulin pumps and diabetes supplies in general. And even though my insurance coverage is horrible, I'm still one of the lucky ones. Many people are living with this disease and have no insurance coverage at all. This whole issue of the financial cost of having diabetes has really weighed on my mind since my diagnosis. It's left me tossing and turning at night trying to come up with solutions and "loop holes" to this problem. I have literally spent days on end researching this issue.
I very quickly found out that until Manitoba has better funding for insulin pumps or until my employer increases their insurance coverage, there would be no "loop holes". Many people before me had already tried.
The one solution I did however come up with is: A Budget.
Novel idea, isn't it??
I have been living without a structured budget for most of my twenties. Ok, all of my twenties. Up until recently, I had always been healthy and felt that I never truly had to worry about something happening to me. I was, after all, invincible...right?
I have now learned very quickly that things can and will happen to me. These unforeseeable events will most often cost money. I never fully understood how to make a budget work out right. The numbers just never seemed to add up right for me. I have however gotten back into watching the show "Till Debt Do Us Part", hosted by the financial guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade.
 |
| Gail Vaz-Oxlade |
The show follows a different couple in financial trouble during each episode, but the basis of the show is always the same. Gail shows people how to come up with "a budget that works for you". Her system is based on the "Magic Jars". Once you have come up with your budget, you stick strictly to cash only and you place cash in separate jars for each of your variable expenses. The part I loved the most is that Gail's website and blog is packed full of interactive worksheets to come up with a great budget. There are also lots of resources and advice available when it comes to your finances and she provides alot of insider information in terms of your credit and making smart financial choices for your future.
I started this budget only a short week ago, and I love it. Ok, maybe my love is a bit pre-mature, but I can't believe the satisfaction I have already received from sticking to my budget! I already feel like I have more money and I finally have a plan that is realistic. This budget has helped me to feel more confident in terms of meeting my financial goals and it has already helped reduce my stress of paying for my diabetes supplies. And we all know that stress only makes our diabetes more difficult to manage. With my insurance coverage running out in about another two months, I am confident I will be able to make all ends meet as well as be able to put money away for that next "rainy day".
Which there will be many more. Of that I am certain.
Click here to go directly to Gail's home page.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Backpacking with my new friend.
A little while ago, I talked about being diagnosed with Type 1 in early February of 2012. I touched on some of the challenges I faced at the time of my diagnosis. Well not only was I trying to learn all about Type 1, but I was 5 weeks away from a 30 day back packing trip to South East Asia. This definitely threw a wrench in my trip and my trip threw a wrench in my diabetes!
Since I was about 21, I had always wanted to see parts of Asia but for some reason it never panned out. This past year, I had the opportunity to go with a friend who was also looking at going. We settled on Thailand (Bangkok and Chaing Mai), Singapore, Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phnom Penh) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). My departure date was March 11th and I had a ton to prepare for in terms of my diabetes.
First, I had to break the news to my Endo and DNE. They were both totally confident that I would be able to go but knew that it left little time to ensure that I had all my ducks in a row. Diabetes was SO new to me at the time and there were so many things that needed to be considered. I had only been on insulin for a couple weeks so my Endo was still waiting to see if I would "Honeymoon". So far I was responding really well to my new regime but diabetes is so unpredictable so back up plans needed to be put in place in case this happened while I was away. I was provided with me Endo's email, pager and home number to use in case I was running in to trouble with my diabetes while I was away. My Endo also felt that I should use a different long acting insuling to help with the changes in my routine. I changed my long acting insulin from the Novo Nordisk NPH to the Lantus. The Lantus is said to be a much more stable basal insulin and I also work shift work as a part of my career so it would also be more stable while working my night shifts.
My next issue was how I was going to keep my insulin at room temperature while I was in countries that were experiencing temperatures of 34-45 degrees celcius. We pre-booked almost all of our accomodations so I was able to verify that they all had fridges in our rooms. They did, so that would take care of the extra supplies that I would be bringing. But the issue still remained that during the day when we were out sight-seeing, I would need to try and regulate the temperature of my insulin. I received many different suggestions but I was able to locate the most amazing product EVER! There is a company in the UK that makes insulin wallets called Frio's. They can be purchased in a large variety of sizes and contain an inner gel pouch that is placed in water and will then keep your insulin at safe temperatures for up to 45 hours. All they needed was a sink and some water! They are totally reasonably priced and can be reused. I bought one small (for my insulin pen) and a larger one (for my extra insulin when I wasn't near a fridge). These little guys were litterally a life saver and I will use them again and again!
Other than getting a letter from my Endo allowing me to bring sharp stuff on an airplane, I was pretty much ready to go as far as my diabetes went. So, on March 11 I took off overseas for just under a month. My trip went very smoothly health wise. It could definitely be a challenge at times managing my diabetes. There were so many things on this trip that effected it. The heat and activity in the heat definitely made my body require less insulin so it took a bit to get that adjusted at first. I have to admit, that I definitely did not test as much as I should have been. It was a very busy trip and there was lots to see and do so I was not eager to be held back by my new friend. We were up early almost every morning and kept active throughout the day.
I saw and did everything that I set out to do on this trip. It truly was a trip almost a decade in the making and I'm so glad I did it. When I got home though, I started to have a tough time accepting that diabetes was going to be a part of my life every single day. Forever. Although I had the most amazing experience, every day on my trip was a constant reminder that life was forever going to be different. I was angry about my diagnosis and felt like it took away from my experience. I felt like I was constantly pre-occupied with managing my blood sugars and I had anxiety about having lows while I was so far from home. It took me a good 2 weeks to settle back in and work on accepting and embracing what life had thrown my way. Yes, diabetes has forever changed me and my life. But it doesn't have to hold me back. Now that I've been home for almost 2 months, I now realise that I can do ANYTHING with diabetes. There's always a way to make it work. I mean, I went half way around the world with it only one month in! Take that D!
Here are a couple pictures from my trip...
If any of you are planning any trips, feel free to contact me for advice, diabetes related or not! :)
Since I was about 21, I had always wanted to see parts of Asia but for some reason it never panned out. This past year, I had the opportunity to go with a friend who was also looking at going. We settled on Thailand (Bangkok and Chaing Mai), Singapore, Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phnom Penh) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). My departure date was March 11th and I had a ton to prepare for in terms of my diabetes.
First, I had to break the news to my Endo and DNE. They were both totally confident that I would be able to go but knew that it left little time to ensure that I had all my ducks in a row. Diabetes was SO new to me at the time and there were so many things that needed to be considered. I had only been on insulin for a couple weeks so my Endo was still waiting to see if I would "Honeymoon". So far I was responding really well to my new regime but diabetes is so unpredictable so back up plans needed to be put in place in case this happened while I was away. I was provided with me Endo's email, pager and home number to use in case I was running in to trouble with my diabetes while I was away. My Endo also felt that I should use a different long acting insuling to help with the changes in my routine. I changed my long acting insulin from the Novo Nordisk NPH to the Lantus. The Lantus is said to be a much more stable basal insulin and I also work shift work as a part of my career so it would also be more stable while working my night shifts.
My next issue was how I was going to keep my insulin at room temperature while I was in countries that were experiencing temperatures of 34-45 degrees celcius. We pre-booked almost all of our accomodations so I was able to verify that they all had fridges in our rooms. They did, so that would take care of the extra supplies that I would be bringing. But the issue still remained that during the day when we were out sight-seeing, I would need to try and regulate the temperature of my insulin. I received many different suggestions but I was able to locate the most amazing product EVER! There is a company in the UK that makes insulin wallets called Frio's. They can be purchased in a large variety of sizes and contain an inner gel pouch that is placed in water and will then keep your insulin at safe temperatures for up to 45 hours. All they needed was a sink and some water! They are totally reasonably priced and can be reused. I bought one small (for my insulin pen) and a larger one (for my extra insulin when I wasn't near a fridge). These little guys were litterally a life saver and I will use them again and again!
Other than getting a letter from my Endo allowing me to bring sharp stuff on an airplane, I was pretty much ready to go as far as my diabetes went. So, on March 11 I took off overseas for just under a month. My trip went very smoothly health wise. It could definitely be a challenge at times managing my diabetes. There were so many things on this trip that effected it. The heat and activity in the heat definitely made my body require less insulin so it took a bit to get that adjusted at first. I have to admit, that I definitely did not test as much as I should have been. It was a very busy trip and there was lots to see and do so I was not eager to be held back by my new friend. We were up early almost every morning and kept active throughout the day.
I saw and did everything that I set out to do on this trip. It truly was a trip almost a decade in the making and I'm so glad I did it. When I got home though, I started to have a tough time accepting that diabetes was going to be a part of my life every single day. Forever. Although I had the most amazing experience, every day on my trip was a constant reminder that life was forever going to be different. I was angry about my diagnosis and felt like it took away from my experience. I felt like I was constantly pre-occupied with managing my blood sugars and I had anxiety about having lows while I was so far from home. It took me a good 2 weeks to settle back in and work on accepting and embracing what life had thrown my way. Yes, diabetes has forever changed me and my life. But it doesn't have to hold me back. Now that I've been home for almost 2 months, I now realise that I can do ANYTHING with diabetes. There's always a way to make it work. I mean, I went half way around the world with it only one month in! Take that D!
Here are a couple pictures from my trip...
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| Tiger Kingdom - Chain Mai, Thailand |
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| The Grand Palace - Bangkok, Thailand |
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| Reclining Buddha - Bangkok, Thailand |
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| Ayutthaya, Thailand |
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| Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia |
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| Angkor Thom area - Siem Reap, Cambodia |
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Is it too much?
(A quick side note...I just added a "Glossary" tab at the top of my blog. It contains easy to understand definitions to terms that I will be using in my posts)
Something that continued to cross my mind as I considered starting a blog was whether or not it would be too much diabetes in my life. Let me explain...
With only being very newly diagnosed (just about 4 months) a big portion of my days and life has been focused on diabetes. Obviously I've had to learn the basics of the disease, which is time consuming on it's own. But I'm also a Type A perfectionist so I have completely consumed myself in learning everything and anything I can about diabetes...right NOW! My boyfriend made a comment at my appointment with my DNE this week that he has noticed that I'm always "busy with it". And he is absolutely right. I'm either testing, injecting, carb counting, trying to do the math involved in carb counting, reading about it, ordering more supplies, or just generally browsing online blogs and websites related to diabetes. It's also visible all around our home. There is my insulin pen and meter in the kitchen (and follows me around everywhere I go), glucose tablets in the bedroom, kitchen, and car, insulin in the fridge, and many resources posted on the front of the fridge. I also think alot about it and can talk alot about it at times too. And now I've decided to take on the blogging universe.
So, like I said, this makes me wonder...is it too much?
I would have to imagine that the people close to me must get tired of hearing about diabetes, whether they want to admit it or not. I've heard about PWD having experiences where their close friends or family have felt as though they should "just get over it" (meaning the diagnosis). I have to admit, I can kind of understand where people might get frustrated about the situation. Diabetes to me is an in your face disease. It is something that I always have to be thinking about; when I eat, when I exercise, when I'm travelling, when I'm at work, when I'm sick...and the list goes on. I have to somehow incorporate it and manage it in everything I do, everyday. That takes a lot of work and the people close to me are also now affected by my new life.
I suppose this post is, in a way, a tribute to my friends and family. I recognize that this can't be easy for any of them either. I know my parents worry even more now and they hope that I never have to face some of the devastating side effects that are linked to the disease. My friends now get to listen to yet another topic that I will undoubtedly at some point over stress about. And to my amazing boyfriend who stands beside me everyday and supports me through this new challenge that life has thrown our way. Thank you to all of you for everything you do for me!!
Even in the short 4 months that I've had diabetes, things already seem to be getting easier. I've had some pretty rough days with it as I learn to accept this as my life now, but overall it truly is getting better. It is my hope that blogging about my experiences will lessen the load on me as well as my friends and family. I also hope that it gives me a chance to help other PWD out there!
Something that continued to cross my mind as I considered starting a blog was whether or not it would be too much diabetes in my life. Let me explain...
With only being very newly diagnosed (just about 4 months) a big portion of my days and life has been focused on diabetes. Obviously I've had to learn the basics of the disease, which is time consuming on it's own. But I'm also a Type A perfectionist so I have completely consumed myself in learning everything and anything I can about diabetes...right NOW! My boyfriend made a comment at my appointment with my DNE this week that he has noticed that I'm always "busy with it". And he is absolutely right. I'm either testing, injecting, carb counting, trying to do the math involved in carb counting, reading about it, ordering more supplies, or just generally browsing online blogs and websites related to diabetes. It's also visible all around our home. There is my insulin pen and meter in the kitchen (and follows me around everywhere I go), glucose tablets in the bedroom, kitchen, and car, insulin in the fridge, and many resources posted on the front of the fridge. I also think alot about it and can talk alot about it at times too. And now I've decided to take on the blogging universe.
So, like I said, this makes me wonder...is it too much?
I would have to imagine that the people close to me must get tired of hearing about diabetes, whether they want to admit it or not. I've heard about PWD having experiences where their close friends or family have felt as though they should "just get over it" (meaning the diagnosis). I have to admit, I can kind of understand where people might get frustrated about the situation. Diabetes to me is an in your face disease. It is something that I always have to be thinking about; when I eat, when I exercise, when I'm travelling, when I'm at work, when I'm sick...and the list goes on. I have to somehow incorporate it and manage it in everything I do, everyday. That takes a lot of work and the people close to me are also now affected by my new life.
I suppose this post is, in a way, a tribute to my friends and family. I recognize that this can't be easy for any of them either. I know my parents worry even more now and they hope that I never have to face some of the devastating side effects that are linked to the disease. My friends now get to listen to yet another topic that I will undoubtedly at some point over stress about. And to my amazing boyfriend who stands beside me everyday and supports me through this new challenge that life has thrown our way. Thank you to all of you for everything you do for me!!
Even in the short 4 months that I've had diabetes, things already seem to be getting easier. I've had some pretty rough days with it as I learn to accept this as my life now, but overall it truly is getting better. It is my hope that blogging about my experiences will lessen the load on me as well as my friends and family. I also hope that it gives me a chance to help other PWD out there!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Hot off the press!
As I sit here staring at the blank page in front of me, I begin to think about all the reasons I want to write this blog. I've always wanted to have my own blog and to be able to fill it with interesting anecdotes and stories, and have people eventually follow it. I never seemed to be able to find a topic that people would find interesting though. I always felt like just an average girl...what could I say that people would find interesting? And want to read about every few days?
Well, let's back up a few months....to the day I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
On February 2, 2012 I was told by my family doctor that my blood tests had come back and it was clear that I had diabetes. I was immediately referred to an Endocrinologist as well as to a diabetes health centre where I would soon meet my Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE). At this point I wasn't entirely in shock yet. I had been dealing with many of the symptoms of diabetes during the Fall of 2011 and somehow knew in my gut that it would turn out this way. However, I just assumed I would be Type 2. On February 9, 2012 I met my Endocrinologist for the first time. This is where I found out that it was a very real possibility that I would be Type 1, due to my "profile". No family history, not overweight, etc. When the words came out of her mouth, I have to admit it really blindsided me. How could I, the biggest wimp when it came to needles, have just been diagnosed with a disease where my survival would depend on multiple injections per day?? I left her office that day with numerous instructions and a couple prescriptions for Type 2 medications to try over the weekend in hopes that she may be wrong.
Nope.
My body did not respond at all to the medications. It was official now.
During that following week it felt like a whirlwind of appointments. I was immediately put on rapid acting insulin (bolus) as well as a long acting insulin (basal) at night. I was given numerous brochures, instruction sheets, information packages, and supplies of all kinds. And I was also very quickly forced into over coming my fear of needles when I was required to do a saline injection with the nurse! I tried to get out of it with the promise that it would not be a problem when I got home, but she was smart, and she knew better!
So, now I'm at home with all this information. At the time, I don't think I truly understood how this was going to change my life. I spent a few days in shock and feeling like a fish out of water as I tried to adjust all of my routines to my "new" life. Diabetes is still extremely new to me even as I write this and I find myself continually running into new situations where I have to re-assess how it's going to affect my diabetes routine. I am still using an insulin pen, mainly because I'm still deciding what's going to work best for me, but also because my insurance company doesn't cover the initial costs of an insulin pump.
I think I've adjusted pretty well over the last few months with my new life. I definitely could not have gotten through all this without my live-in boyfriend, my parents, my close friends or the medical team that I work with regularly. I've also found that there is a whole family of support online as well. I've started following several different blogs (see my sidebar) and it has helped me to feel less alone as I try and comprehend everything that has happened. No matter how much support you have at home, it can still be so comforting knowing there are people just like me who are also dealing daily with many of the same troubles and emotions. They have inspired me and reminded me that diabetes does not have to take over my life.
It's now just another part of what makes me, me!
Well, let's back up a few months....to the day I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
On February 2, 2012 I was told by my family doctor that my blood tests had come back and it was clear that I had diabetes. I was immediately referred to an Endocrinologist as well as to a diabetes health centre where I would soon meet my Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE). At this point I wasn't entirely in shock yet. I had been dealing with many of the symptoms of diabetes during the Fall of 2011 and somehow knew in my gut that it would turn out this way. However, I just assumed I would be Type 2. On February 9, 2012 I met my Endocrinologist for the first time. This is where I found out that it was a very real possibility that I would be Type 1, due to my "profile". No family history, not overweight, etc. When the words came out of her mouth, I have to admit it really blindsided me. How could I, the biggest wimp when it came to needles, have just been diagnosed with a disease where my survival would depend on multiple injections per day?? I left her office that day with numerous instructions and a couple prescriptions for Type 2 medications to try over the weekend in hopes that she may be wrong.
Nope.
My body did not respond at all to the medications. It was official now.
During that following week it felt like a whirlwind of appointments. I was immediately put on rapid acting insulin (bolus) as well as a long acting insulin (basal) at night. I was given numerous brochures, instruction sheets, information packages, and supplies of all kinds. And I was also very quickly forced into over coming my fear of needles when I was required to do a saline injection with the nurse! I tried to get out of it with the promise that it would not be a problem when I got home, but she was smart, and she knew better!
So, now I'm at home with all this information. At the time, I don't think I truly understood how this was going to change my life. I spent a few days in shock and feeling like a fish out of water as I tried to adjust all of my routines to my "new" life. Diabetes is still extremely new to me even as I write this and I find myself continually running into new situations where I have to re-assess how it's going to affect my diabetes routine. I am still using an insulin pen, mainly because I'm still deciding what's going to work best for me, but also because my insurance company doesn't cover the initial costs of an insulin pump.
I think I've adjusted pretty well over the last few months with my new life. I definitely could not have gotten through all this without my live-in boyfriend, my parents, my close friends or the medical team that I work with regularly. I've also found that there is a whole family of support online as well. I've started following several different blogs (see my sidebar) and it has helped me to feel less alone as I try and comprehend everything that has happened. No matter how much support you have at home, it can still be so comforting knowing there are people just like me who are also dealing daily with many of the same troubles and emotions. They have inspired me and reminded me that diabetes does not have to take over my life.
It's now just another part of what makes me, me!
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