Canberra

Australian War Memorial, Canberra

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I woke up after a much better night’s sleep with the morning sun blazing in through the windows. I got the shock of my life when my phone told me it was minus 4.7 degrees out there – it was pretty hard to believe from my cozy bedroom upstairs. I was beyond relieved that there were no hypos to deal with overnight, only having to get up once to pour some water down my sore throat.

Thanks to Canberra’s unbearably freezing mornings, we’ve been going out for late breakfasts, doing touristy things during the afternoon and then dinner. Eating two (larger) meals instead of my usual three has helped to compensate for all of my holiday eating. I have more time to digest and burn off my large brekky before dinner without squeezing in an unnecessary lunch for the sake of it.

I woke up to an 11.0 this morning. Not great, but understandable given the big plate of Pasta I had for dinner last night (which tends to cause a delayed rise). And by my holiday standards, excellent! But the better news came later this afternoon – a gold medal-worthy 4.5. I’ll definitely be keeping this up for the rest of the trip!

Today’s highlight was visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. There was an outside memorial area, honouring all of our fallen soldiers.

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There was another beautiful view of Parliament House opposite it in the distance.

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The museum inside was full of artefacts from the wars that Australia has fought in. I don’t have the longest attention span, but you could definitely spend hours there pouring over all the exhibits. Some of the aircraft and machinery there did grab my interest and gave me some good photo challenges too.

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Not really diabetes related, but the War Memorial is a rich piece of our Australian history. Those soldiers gave their lives to make Australia the great place that it is today. One of the best places in the world to be living with diabetes (then again, I might be a little biased on that one…) And a place where diabetes doesn’t restrict me from travelling and fulfilling my dreams.

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I think the least I can do to repay the favour is take the time to go and honour them.

Parliament House

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It hasn’t been the best start to the trip for me. After being in travel mode for most of yesterday, I probably ate less than I normally would. Which meant that come night time, my usual Lantus (long acting insulin) dose was too much and my Blood Sugar Levels plummeted overnight. Twice.

I also had the WORST night’s sleep. I went to bed at 1.30am, woke up at 3.30am and again at 5.30am to deal with hypos. Add to that a dry, scratchy travel throat and Canberra’s below freezing temperatures, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for being sick. And considering that I haven’t actually been flu-sick in over a year and a half, it really does seem like bad luck!

Anyway – that’s all the diabetes talk done for the day. And I did manage to have a fantastic first day here in Canberra after all.

I finally figured out why the Politicians decided to set up base in Canberra of all places. Its so cold here that most of us will leave them all alone here to fight amongst themselves (kidding!). But yes, the weather was absolutely freezing. Like, so cold that my fingers will go numb if they were out in that wind for too long.

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The day started out with a thick blanket of fog over the city.

Which quickly cleared away to a cold but sunny afternoon spent at Parliament House.

Getting in is like getting past airport security. And if you’re lucky, you might even be pulled aside for explosives testing! I must have beeped twice going through, forgetting to take off my belt and my insulin pen.

I’ve only been there once before on a day trip from Sydney, so it was great to be able to take my time there this time around.

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Like standing where the reporters stand.

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Having a photo in that marbled foyer.

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Checking out the sitting rooms where those politicians argue with each other all day.

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And walking those corridors that some of the highest paid public servants have walked.

More importantly, this is the place where decisions are made and debated upon relating to me and thousands of other people living with diabetes here in Australia. Like access to subsidised diabetes supplies and equipment, and healthcare schemes like the NDSS, which help to deliver these resources. Not all of the outcomes decided here are a complete win for people like me, but overall I’d say I’m pretty lucky to have diabetes here in Australia.

This afternoon did a lot to lift my spirits. I’ve gone pretty cautiously on the food and insulin so as not to go hypo again tonight. Now all I need is a good night’s sleep and a clear throat by morning and I’ll be a happy man.