Month: May 2015

My Diabetes Superpowers

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I recently discovered that I have superpowers. Well, I’ve actually had them ever since I became a diabetic. But I’m only just starting to realise them, thanks to Tuesday’s OzDoc Twitter chat. And chances are, that if you’re a diabetic, you probably have them too!

Like being able to force myself out from under those cosy covers in the middle of the night to check my Blood Sugar Levels. Just to be sure that they are not too low. And not too high either. But just right.

Like waiting for the right moment to make a mad dash from the dinner table to the bathroom when I’m eating out. Dialing up a big dose of insulin for all that mouth watering food I probably shouldn’t have eaten and hoping for the best. Trying to dial up my insulin as quietly, as discreetly as I can so that person outside my cubicle won’t notice. Won’t think I’m a weirdo. Won’t think I’m taking drugs.

Like being able to check my blood sugar levels in stealth mode during the day. Concealing my meter under the desk or heading over to the corner of the room. And being able to hastily finish and quickly hide those items the moment I hear footsteps. The moment I hear voices. The moment I can sense that someone is near.

Like being either a super gifted mathematician or a really good guesser when it comes to the carbs in my food. Working out that golden formula that goes something like “if I’ve eaten x grams of carbs, that means I need x units of insulin.” And “if 1 unit of insulin brings my blood sugars down by 3 mmol/L, then I need x units of insulin to bring me back in range.”

And being able to pick myself up again after a low point. After some diabetes related frustration. After some anger. After some shouting. Even after slamming things. Even after comfort eating. All without even letting it show to those around me. And being able to start all over again.

But above all of these ‘superpowers,’ I believe that just being able to live and deal with something as dynamic as diabetes day in, day out sure is worthy of superhero status in itself.

And the superpower I’m still waiting for? A personal diabetes assistant who can carb count, bolus, test me while I’m asleep and correct for me!

I couldn’t be more thrilled that I’ve finally realised my superpowers. I’m afraid I have to leave you now and use those mathematics superpowers to rescue my blood sugar levels from today’s breakfast!

Join the Oz Diabetes Online Community chat every Tuesday night at 8.30pm AEST by following the #OzDoc hashtag on Twitter.

First they Bagged Fat. Then Sugar. Now Carbs.

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I’m going to go on a bit of a rant today. If you don’t agree with this, I completely respect that. We are all different and have different things that work and don’t work with our diabetes. This is only my humble opinion.

Years ago, the experts were bagging fat. So people stopped eating dairy and everyone hopped on the “low fat” bandwagon. Then people started developing osteoporosis and joint pains from a lack of calcium. People began to put on weight and we discovered that the fat in low fat products was replaced with sugar (thanks, That Sugar Film). So although they’ve done a complete backflip on fat, something else has to replace it in the firing line, right?

Carbs. Yes, now it seems to be the carbohydrates coming under attack. The biggest indicator of this was the changes made to the Food Pyramid last week (click here to read more). Foods like breads, cereals and pastas were demoted to the ‘moderate’ section of the pyramid, despite previously being deemed healthy.

And to a lesser degree, Fruit. Now I have to hear things like “don’t eat more than 2 pieces of fruit per day” on the news. And why? Because apparently fruit has too much sugar in it. Natural sugar, no less.

And while I’m at it, all those caveman style diets – tell me, how long did the caveman actually used to live back in those days?

And all these allergies we seem to have today – I reckon half the problem is children not being exposed to enough of a variety in their diet.

And the liquid diets – please tell me, how do you not go hungry?

My point being, the experts can never seem to get it right. And I’m sick of being told what I can and can’t eat. Believe me, in a few years they’ll be telling us to eat junk food!

Yes, I am conscious of the sugar, fat and carbohydrate content when making my food choices. But I’ve never tried to cut any of them out completely. And for me, its not realistic. I know myself. I might be able to do it for a few days, maybe a week. And then I’ll just end up falling off of the wagon and binge eating again.

So, you want to know what’s my secret? Everything in moderation. Good knowledge of the foods I eat and their response on my blood sugar levels. Knowing how to respond with insulin. Having a treat every once in a while. Enjoying that restaurant meal. And trying my very best to eat healthy for the rest of the time.

Because if there’s one thing that diabetes will not stop me from doing, its enjoying my food.

Bolussing For My Birthday

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On Friday I celebrated my birthday. For most of you that would mean birthday cake, a delicious dinner, alcohol and lots of tempting treats. I, however, have type 1 diabetes. And for me, those material things just aren’t important. I like to look at the bigger picture. Having good blood sugar levels. Good control of my diabetes.

I woke up with a blood sugar level of 5.0 and it stayed in that range for much of the day. And I’m very proud of that. For breakfast I enjoyed a slice of toast and an unsweetened coffee. For lunch it was a delicious green salad and a bottle of water. At dinner there wasn’t a drop of alcohol on the table. And to top it all off, a delicious sugar free cake.

Pffft! Like diabetes will ever stop me from enjoying a real birthday.

For morning tea it was Coffees, Peanut Butter Tim Tams and chocolate covered Profiteroles. It was Red Rooster and Boost Juice for lunch. And I had dinner made to order (thanks Mum!) of Pasta Bake and Black Forrest Cake.

Can’t really complain about the presents either (and no, I’m not 21!).

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A jar of Byron Bay Cookies that I’ve been eyeing longingly for months, some unlucky scratchies and a brand new Sony DRX-100 digital camera. I really can’t sing this camera’s praises enough – it took me 5 shots to get the perfect snap instead of the usual 50!

Even though this past year has seemed a little slow moving, I’ve got a lot to be proud of. I’ve finally started a blog, something I wanted to do for years. And in the process I ignited a whole new passion for diabetes that I never knew was there. I work with a great group of people who are like a second family to me. I have my actual family who always believe in me and support me, even through the times that I don’t believe in myself. And I’ve successfully navigated my way through another year with type 1 diabetes. That deserves a gold medal in itself!

Diabetes is a job that employs me 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. There is no annual leave, no sick days and I can’t leave it on the desk at 5 o’clock and go home. So I think I’m damn well entitled to one day where I can just have a “rest” from it all. And I bolussed. And bolussed. And bolussed.

Where’s the Appreciation for Goodwill?

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I was chilling out on a warm Friday afternoon back in January after a long day at work. I think I even had a beer in my hand that day, something I don’t often do. The phone rang, and being home alone meant I had to drag myself off the couch to get up and answer it.

I’m not really one with much patience for charities/market researchers/telemarketers. Then again, who is? But the woman on the other end of this phone call asked me how my day was. It was so unusually nice. So polite. She then asked me if I knew anything about kidney disease. And I couldn’t help but open up to her. I told her I was a diabetic, and that kidney disease was a possible complication from having diabetes.

She then proceeded to tell me a touching story about sick children on dialysis and how this charity was raising money for a bus to make the dialysis more accessible to these children from home. Well, from memory anyway – don’t quote me on it. She told me that they were urgently needing to raise something like $17,000 in order to help these sick kids.  I was really touched. It really resonated with me. That could be me one day. Touch wood, I hope not. But there is a possibility that one day, I might be the one sitting in that chair on dialaysis. I might be the one wishing for the support to make dialaysis easier.

I agreed to buy a raffle ticket. She told me that I had to call her back on a special hotline for the competition. I could have chosen not to call her back. Taken the easy way out. But, being the honest person that I am, I made the call. And she was ever grateful. She thanked me and wished me well, telling me to take care of myself so that she won’t see me come in for dialaysis. And I felt so warm and fuzzy inside. It was one of the best charitable things I could have done.

And then a few days later, my Mum told me about a phone call she received from the Kidney charity. Asking for a donation. Again. I had given them a donation. I was happy to do it. And yet they couldn’t even do the decent thing and cross my name off of the register. I felt as though I had been taken advantage of. That that one good deed went unacknowledged.

Which brings me to a few nights ago. I will emphasise that this was a mere FOUR months later. I was sitting at the dinner table as the phone rang. I got up to answer it, and it was none other than the Kidney charity. Asking for a donation. Again. Telling me that same sad story. Again.

I told the woman on the phone how I felt. I had given a donation, which I was happy to do at the time. And yet I felt as though I were being taken advantage of. They held onto my details (as most charities do) to keep calling me, to keep marketing to me. To keep making me feel guilty and asking for donations.

She told me absolutely not. She said they made absolutely no profit and receive no government support. She told me that they were absolutely grateful for my support last time. But this time around, I didn’t believe it. They’d used a good deed that made me feel good as a way to guilt me again. And again. And again. It just never seems to be enough with charities. So I think that next time, I will politely say no.

Changing The Way I Think About Hypos

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If I’m being completely honest, I’ve been having a few too many hypos lately. Its either happening after a meal, or much to my frustration, at bedtime.

I’ll sneak into the kitchen and try to grab a couple of biscuits from the pantry without Mum or Dad noticing. I don’t want them to think that I’m unhealthy or that I’m not taking care of myself. They’re either thinking that I’m purposely binging on foods that are no good for my blood sugars, or that I’m having another hypo. Either way, I don’t want their pity. I don’t want their concerns. And I don’t want them to think that my diabetes isn’t under control.

But I think the thing that really puts a damper on my hypos at the moment is the prospect of having to shove more jellybeans into my mouth. I’m absolutely sick to death of bloody jellybeans. The way they spoil my freshly brushed teeth and clean mouth. The little pieces that get stuck on my retainer. The dry aftertaste they leave on my tongue. And if I go to sleep, my throat will be so dry by the time I wake up that I’ll be dying of thirst.

That horrible dry aftertaste that lingers on my tongue well into the next morning is a lasting reminder of that hypo. Its a lasting reminder of the frustration and anger I felt when having to deal with that hypo. A lasting reminder of all the frustrations I have in dealing with diabetes each day. And a lasting reminder of my failure to better control my blood sugar levels.

When I go into the chemist and buy that big 1kg bag of jellybeans, I am reminded of all the hypos I’ve been through since I was there last. I feel so small. So guilty. And it leaves me with very little motivation to work harder, to avoid going through it again. I’m trapped in a bit of a vicious cycle.

I need to change the way I think about my hypos if I ever hope to get out of that vicious cycle of history repeating itself each day. And then I remembered something my diabetes educator used to say to me.

“You should treat a hypo with something you enjoy.”

Inspired by that quote, I really hope my three new hypo choices will leave me feeling a little bit satisfied and a little more positive. I am really hoping that next time a hypo rolls around I won’t feel so angry, so frustrated, like wanting to punch the wall. Because right now, more than anything, I need to get out of this vicious cycle.

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Powerade. Sports drinks/energy drinks are loaded with sugar, right? I’ve heard it countless times. This one’s a pretty good choice for work (where I’m on my feet all day) too, because I can bring it out without drawing too much attention/diabetes pity towards myself.

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Arnott’s Nice Biscuits.

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If you’ve been living under a rock and never heard of them, they’re basically biscuits with even more sugar on top (just in case there wasn’t enough sugar inside, right?).

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And my favourite pick, Pascall Marshmallows. Similar to jellybeans, its almost entirely made up of sugar and glucose – the perfect combo for combatting a hypo!

And most importantly, they’re not jellybeans!