Christmas

[Automatic Reply]: Low Blood Sugar

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24 December 2019 at 9.21am

Good morning and thank you for your e-mail.

Unfortunately I am out of the office on a Christmas break. I can probably be found looking at Christmas lights, playing board games with my family, helping out with Christmas lunch, eating, drinking, getting my festive binge watching on or browsing ebay for some bargains on my own Christmas wish list.

I’m trying not to think about work at all. I will not be tending to any hypos, high blood sugars, bolus calculations, blood sugar checks, infusion set changes, cartridge refills, sensor replacements, meal preparation or physical activity during this time. But I wouldn’t say no to a nice unicorn.

If your matter is urgent, please don’t contact me. Unfortunately my entire team of one will be unavailable over the festive season, as I’ve decided to give them a well earned break for all of their hard work this year. You may appreciate that this team of one works right around the clock, 24/7, 365 days of the year for free to provide you with the very best level of care.

Please bear with me. Your patience is greatly appreciated during this time.

I will get back to you upon my return to the office at a time of my choosing after Christmas.

Last but not least, I would like wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for following my adventures this year. You, the diabetes community, mean the world to me and I couldn’t have done this year without you.

Kind regards,

Frank

CEO at Frank’s Diabetes Ltd

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Type 1 Writes Diabetes Christmas Gift Guide III

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It’s hard to believe we are a mere two weeks out from Christmas! Where on Earth has this year gone? While I have absolutely no idea what I would like to request for Christmas in my typical indecisive fashion, here are a few of the things that have crossed my radar this year.

Think Like a Pancreas

Think Like a Pancreas is by far the best diabetes book that I’ve ever read. Written by Certified Diabetes Educator and longtime type 1 Gary Scheiner, the book is for anyone with diabetes who uses insulin. Starting with the very basics of what insulin does, the book goes on to provide the reader with a practical approach to getting the most out of insulin therapy. Great for both the person with diabetes and their loved one. Full review here!

Pump Peelz

It might sound shallow, but boredom of looking at the same device over and over each day is real. More so in the case of a device that’s attached to you 24/7. Pump Peelz are custom stickers designed to brighten your insulin pump, CGM receiver and selected blood glucose meters. I must admit to having never personally used these, but I sure do appreciate the value of a good sticker!

AccuChek Guide Blood Glucose Meter

The AccuChek Guide is hands down the best blood glucose meter I’ve ever used. It’s a bluetooth enabled meter, meaning that blood glucose readings are instantly transferred to the Connect app on your smartphone for instant review. Strips come in spill-proof containers, you have a backlight for testing in the dark, and there’s an eject button to send your used test strip in the direction of the bin. While the accompanying FastClix lancing device isn’t exactly ‘painless,’ it’s far superior to any others. Definitely worth asking your diabetes educator for one next time you’re in clinic. Blog to come in the New Year…

Rockadex Adhesive Patches

Looking for some sticky stuff to keep your diabetes devices stuck? I can’t speak highly enough of Rockadex adhesive patches, which are designed to keep Dexcom, Medtronic and FreeStyle Libre sensors stuck. Rockadex was started by the mother of a type 1 child here in Perth, with the primary goal of funding her daughter’s CGM costs. Today, her business has distributors all over the world!

Shop Casualty Girl Bags

Ever get sick of having to overfill your pockets and deliberate over what you need to bring with you every time you leave the house? Having a travel case handy with all of your essentials ready to go makes life so much easier each time I leave the house. These bags by Shop Casualty Girl are proving to be quite a hit among many of my diabetes friends.

Nike Air Max Shoes

Finally, my Nike Air Max Shoes are extremely comfy and look good with just about anything. Well worth the investment if you find yourself trekking around this Festive Season.

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals. And a Happy New Year.

The What-ifs of the Festive Season

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It’s that time of the year. Food, festivities, end of year exhaustion, and the promise of a fresh start come January 1. Add to that a nasty throat infection that I’m only just getting over, and the unpredictable glucose levels that have come with it.

This is a time of year where I have traditionally cruised along with my diabetes management, pushing all of my “priorities” back to January 1. It’s during this time, as I’m cruising along, that the diabetes what-ifs begin to cross my mind.

What if I had eaten less junk this year?

What if I had been motivated to count my carbs, and weigh my food more often?

What if I had been able to keep my blood sugar levels stable through the night more often?

What if I was able to log my readings and doses and look for trends more often?

What if I’m never able to get this right?

These feelings of guilt cross my mind moreso during the festive season, when I’m likely to be found ho-ing into plates of leftover desert in the days after Christmas and reflecting on the year gone.

This year, I do feel massively lighter. I still feel exhausted, but it’s more of a normal person exhaustion than diabetes exhaustion. It’s weirdly refreshing. It’s been a good year for my diabetes. I have made some impressive strides in my management. I’m in a place that I thought was impossible this time last year.

No, things are not perfect. There are still highs. There are still lows. And I’d be lying if I said that there aren’t still some what-ifs crossing my mind this year. I think we all feel that there is always more that we could do for our diabetes.

So, I’m challenging myself not to think about the what-ifs over the next couple of weeks. I’m really just looking forward to putting my feet up this festive season, and appreciating all of the things I have been able to accomplish in 2016. Diabetes, and otherwise.

I’ll likely be dialling up big doses of insulin, and using temporary basal rates on my insulin pump to help me cruise through the Christmas eating a little easier. I’ll be monitoring my blood sugar a little more often, but the focus will be more on enjoying myself than the numbers themselves.

If you’d like to spare a thought for those who don’t have the luxury of insulin this Christmas, consider making a donation to T1International or Spare a Rose. Both organisations advocate for, and provide insulin to people with diabetes in need all over the world.

While many Offices and workplaces have the luxury of a break over Christmas and New Years, spare a thought for those in industries such as hospitality, retail and health care who sacrifice time with their loved ones to serve us during the festive season.

Finally, dear readers. Merry Christmas. Thanks for reading Type 1 Writes this year. Wishing you a very happy, and safe festive season. See you in 2017!

– Frank

My Festive Season In 7 Adjectives

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I don’t particularly believe in “rules” or “secret plans” when it comes to diabetes and the festive season. I don’t “prepare” my diabetes management for big events. For me it’s simply about good food, lots of insulin and regular blood glucose testing. After all, it’s only a few days of the year, and I feel better that I’m not missing out on anything because of diabetes. Well, except for the finger pricks, insulin injections and the part where I have to think about those things…

In 7 adjectives, my festive season looked something like this.

No Breakfast. I have breakfast almost every day, and yet I don’t remember having it once inbetween Christmas and New Year. I was eating way too much at lunch and dinner (and desert afterwards, of course!), that I simply wasn’t hungry when morning came around. Correction: breakfast consisted of iced coffee, biscuits, and even leftover desert on one or two occasions.

Lazy. According to the Health App on my iPhone (which isn’t accurate because I don’t always have my phone in my pocket), my average daily step count over the 4 day Christmas long weekend was 1,290 steps. On a normal working day, I would average between 15,000 to 20,000 steps. Lazy.

Night Owl. I can’t remember a single night during the break where I didn’t go to bed after midnight, and wake up after 9am. Which is a stark contrast to my very regimented 10pm bedtime and 5.50am morning alarm (thanks, work!).

Single Digits. According to my meter, my average blood glucose level over the 108 finger pricks in the past fortnight is 9.7. Single digits during Christmas – I’ll take that as a win!

Non-Existent Hypos. I can’t be bothered scrolling through my meter for concrete evidence, but hypos were almost non-existent during the break. This was, of course, because my blood sugar levels were running higher than normal thanks to festive activity! Correction: there was one nasty night of hypos at the movies, story coming soon.

More Insulin. That’s a given, considering what I’ve just described. I’m also a firm believer in upping my Lantus dose when I’m eating more than normal. My Lantus dose hovered between 14-18 units during the break. When I’m active and eating well, it normally sits at around 11 units. Considering I’ve had to use more than 20 units during previous festive seasons, I’ll take this as another win!

Food. And lots of it. From Christmas Day, New Years Day, and various family gatherings. There was prawn skewers, stuffed chicken thighs wrapped in prosciutto, cannelloni, mediterranean baked snapper, pasta bake, roasted veggies, cannoli, biscotti, cheesecake, trifle, panettone, glazed pudding and Baileys Irish Cream. And chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

There was also time spent at the beach, trips to the shops, walks with our adopted dog who was staying with us, a night at the movies and multiple episodes of Downton Abbey and Mr Bean.

 

In a nutshell, it was a break.

I hope you had a great festive season.

Merry Christmas!

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The Christmas shopping is over.

The (somewhat exhausting) extended family get togethers are done and dusted.

I officially finish work for the year as of 3pm today.

And it’s Christmas tomorrow!

I’m looking forward to a relaxing day at home and a nice lunch with my family. For once the air conditioner won’t be on, which is somewhat of a Christmas miracle here – it’s going to be 27C and sunny.

In the coming days I’m very much looking forward to sleeping in, watching TV at lunch time, buying some Christmas presents for myself and being sensible with the leftovers! And still managing my diabetes, of course…

From the bottom of my heart, I just want to say a huge thanks for reading, and for your support in 2015.

Merry Christmas. Wishing you a safe, and happy festive season. I’ll see you back here in January.

– Frank

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