Diabetes

The Other Side of the Fence

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It’s funny the things that spring to mind all these years later. Like my very first conversation about diabetes, that happened before I even knew what diabetes was.

Me, Dave and Matt were walking back to school after swimming class on a hot Summer afternoon. Swimming during Phys Ed periods were such a waste of time. We’d have to walk down to the pool, change into our bathers, jump into the pool for five seconds, get dressed and walk back to school in the space of 50 minutes. Not to mention how much I hated Phys Ed…

I must have been in Year 9 at the time. Possibly Year 10. I was half dazed, and half listening to Dave and Matt’s conversation as we slowly approached the school gates that day. Dave was a good friend, but I didn’t know Matt too well at the time. Then all of a sudden, Dave began talking to Matt about his diabetes. I quickly perked up out of my daze, shocked. I cut Dave off.

“Really? You have diabetes?” I asked Matt.

“For most of my life,” he replied.

I never would have guessed it. Not in a million years. Matt was so tall. And so athletic.

I don’t ever remember asking him about much about it throughout high school. I saw the miniature tubes that were attached to his stomach, and I just assumed that he had a little device that managed it for him. The device I today know to be an insulin pump. I heard him try to excuse himself from Maths class to get some sugar, although I’m certain sometimes it was just an excuse to get out of class. I never thought too much about the why.

Never in a million years did I imagine what he had to go through in order to manage his condition.

Never in a million years did I imagine that this is what I would be going through only a few years later, in order to manage my condition.

Those 17 years before I was diagnosed have given me a unique gift. They allow me to see diabetes from both sides of the fence.

There’s the side of the fence where I sit today. The side that I climbed into at age 17, where diabetes lives and breathes each and every day.

Then there’s the side of the fence where I played as a child, innocent and happy and free. The side where I didn’t know anything about diabetes. The side of the fence that was so high that I could never see anything that went in hand with managing diabetes.

It’s the side of the fence that I try to remember well when others who care about me ask about my life on this side of the fence.

It’s the side of the fence I hope I will be able to jump back into when diabetes is cured someday.

Removed From My Diabetes

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I’m heading back to reality today after a relaxing, yet eventful Easter break, a few too many Lindt bunnies and hot cross buns.

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I haven’t easily forgotten the exhaustion I felt towards the end of last year. I’d pushed myself too hard at the time. My mind was in overdrive thinking about all of the things I wanted to get done at once, even though I knew it wasn’t realistic. It also wasn’t realistic to be able to keep going to work day in, day out for months and months on end with no break in sight.

I’m trying to map out my breaks throughout 2016, so that I’ll have something to look forward to. I’m also trying to give myself a bit more time to breathe at the end of the day, reminding myself that all of the things on my list will still be there to do tomorrow.

Hence, a break over Easter, and a break from my blog.

I will also confess to feeling a little ‘removed’ from my diabetes for a few days over the Easter weekend. Diabetes took a bit of a backseat while I was worried about a family member who wasn’t well.

The routine things like testing my blood sugar level after lunch, or getting up to test during the night seemed pointless in comparison to what was going on. There were occasions where I would fail to give my insulin dose straight away. Seeing morning numbers like 10, 12, or even 14 on the meter are usually enough to make me either angry or emotional (or both). Yet they didn’t even upset me in the slightest at the time. In comparison to what was going on, a few high numbers felt like the least of my worries.

For almost six years, I’ve managed diabetes through uni assignments, through working, through celebrations, through burnouts, through birthdays, Christmases and Easters. Yet there’s only ever been one thing that has actually made me abandon my post as the operator of my broken pancreas.

Distress.

I felt removed from my diabetes that weekend. I felt as though my diabetes was miles and miles away from my body. I didn’t want anything to do with it. Rather, I didn’t feel compelled to do the things that I should have been doing. Those things didn’t even seem remotely important at the time.

It was bitter to see someone I loved unwell. But it was sweet to have a break, to get used to the whole not-going-to-work thing, watch movies at lunchtime and watch Autumn set in.

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Bitter-Sweet. Just like diabetes, right?

Exactly The Same

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Back in April 2010, I was a freshman uni student adjusting to newfound adult life outside of school. I can remember spending much of my two week Easter break feeling overwhelmed by a couple of 2,000 word university papers that were conveniently due the first week back after break.

It’s safe to say that I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about Easter that year. I had no idea that it would be the last time that I would be able to consume a whole Easter egg with no consequences. Or stuff my face full at Easter get togethers without having to keep a close eye on my blood sugar levels hours into the night.

Looking back on that last Easter without diabetes, I don’t really have any major regrets. Because six years later, I can’t really say that too much has changed.

I’m still making an early start on Easter eggs, and trying to hide them from everyone else at home.

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I’ve still got a stash of Cadbury chocolate chip hot cross buns in the freezer that have become a convenient source of breakfast or lunch when I’m in a hurry.

  I still haven’t decided what I’m going to cook for Easter lunch, in my usual last minute fashion.

I’ll still have Fish and Chips for lunch on Good Friday, and go to Church at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

I’ll probably still eat more than I need to, because hey, it’s Easter. Raffaello cupcakes, anyone?

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I’ll probably still receive a good haul of Easter eggs to spread out over my desk, despite how old I am.

And I’ll probably still scab up some bargain Creme Eggs and Malteaster bunnies at the shops on Tuesday, even though I don’t need anymore chocolate.

When I think about Easter, I certainly don’t think about the insulin injections, the finger pricks, the carb counting, the correcting, the bolusses, the highs or the hypos that have come into play since 2010.

I fondly think of all the things that have stayed exactly the same.

I hope you have a very happy, safe and relaxing Easter long weekend.

Thanks for continuing to read Type 1 Writes this year and for being ever so kind and supportive. If you enjoy reading this blog as much as I do writing it, please do share it with those around you. 

FreeStyle Libre To Hit The Australian Market

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Updated: You can read about the blogger event I attended in Sydney here, and my initial review of the product here.

Okay, well in case you haven’t heard this news already…

Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System recently received approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia, and is expected to be launched in the Australian market in the coming months.

The Glucose Monitoring System consists of a small round sensor that is worn on the back of the upper arm, and a “reader” that looks very similar to a blood glucose meter. Users need only scan the reader over the attached sensor in order to receive a reading, and 8 hours worth of historical data.

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The Libre has a few key differences that sets itself apart from a traditional Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). The sensor appears to be much more discrete, approximately the size of two stacked 20 cent coins. Sensors also have a life of 14 days, as opposed to traditional CGMs which last up to 7. Abbott also claims that the Libre eliminates the need for finger pricking, making glucose testing more convenient and discrete. Alternative CGMs need calibrating with finger pricks, and only guarantee glucose trends rather than historical data.

Unlike a CGM, however, the Libre is not a “live” glucose monitoring device. It is up to the user to complete the scan in order to obtain a glucose result and historical data. There are no alarms or indicators to alert the user when they are going high or low. I also don’t believe that there is any “sharing” functionality of data through smartphones, which many CGM users in the DOC place a high value on. It appears that data can be downloaded to a computer and generated in report format, similar to the Insulinx meter I have been using recently.

I know that many folks in the Diabetes Online Community do pay for the convenience, live data, sharing and peace of mind that a CGM offers them. I know that many have come to rely on this standard in their diabetes management, and I wouldn’t expect that the Libre would hold much appeal here.

I have previously expressed reasons for not wanting a CGM myself. I’m quite motivated to do my finger pricks as much as I need to. I’ll be switching to an insulin pump in May, and I can’t say I’m keen on wearing two devices. I can’t say that I could handle seeing “live” data all the time. At $75 for a sensor that lasts only 7 days, I can’t say that I can afford it either.

I believe that this is where the Libre would hold the greatest appeal.

I also know that for many who would like one, a CGM is out of reach. At a time where there is a strong push for greater access to glucose monitoring technology in Australia, the arrival of a new competitor in the Libre is an encouraging sign. I have only heard positive things about the Libre from European folks in the DOC who have tried it after traditional finger pricking.

The biggest factor here is likely to be the cost of the Sensors, which need replacing every 14 days. While Abbott is yet to comment, Seven News speculates a shelf price of $100 per sensor. Given that CGM sensors are not currently subsidised by the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) in Australia, I would not expect that Libre sensors would be, either.

You can read more about the FreeStyle Libre, and sign up for e-mail updates at freestylelibre.com.au.

Disclosure: Abbott sent me a Press Release regarding this news. I was not asked or paid to write this, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Disclosing Diabetes In The Workplace

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Do you have a disability or medical condition that will impact on your ability to perform the role?

If you’ve applied for a job before, you’ve probably seen one of these lovely stock standard questions *rolls eyes* on a job application form.

So, how do you go about disclosing that you have diabetes in front of a potential employer?

In my experience of job hunting (and this is my opinion only), employers can receive hundreds and hundreds of applications for an advertised role. There’s a good chance that they’re not going to have the time, or the effort, to go through and carefully read each one. In some cases, employers may have an ideal ‘type’ of candidate in mind for the role. Perhaps someone who will gel easily with the young, savvy communications team. Or someone who has been raised in a similar culture to that of the European family construction business. Employers cannot exactly ask for these traits on the job description, but they certainly may look for them during the selection process.

When I’m applying for any job, I want to make a good impression. I want to present myself in the best light possible, so that an employer will want to hire me right away. Yet sadly, many people don’t know enough about diabetes. There is a lot of stigma out there about us. Sadly, people will make judgements. When my application is sitting in a pile with 100 others, I need to make it a good one. So why would I risk ruining that first impression of myself in front of a stranger by ticking that box asking about a medical condition?

When I interpret that question myself, I personally do not believe that having diabetes will impact on my ability to perform a role. Aside from occasionally ducking out to check my blood sugar or treat a hypo, diabetes doesn’t really affect my job. Many of the people I work with don’t even know that I have diabetes, and I believe that goes to show just how good I am at it. I’ve taken on one of the more physically demanding roles in my workplace, and I’m very proud that diabetes hasn’t held me back. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that I perform my own job a lot better than some of the other people in my workplace who don’t have diabetes!

I have gone for many job interviews in the past, and believe me, diabetes has been the least of my worries. Usually it’s the ridiculous question they asked me that had nothing to do with the job, or that the role sounded completely different to what was advertised online. In fact, one of my interviewers made the news last year when he was sentenced to imprisonment! Let’s just say he wasn’t a very nice man…

I believe that an employer absolutely has the right to know about my diabetes. If I were hiring someone to work for me, I would definitely want to know what to expect. I would want to make sure that my employer is comfortable with my having diabetes. If I were successful in getting through those application “hoops,” I would then proceed to disclose my diabetes before accepting the job. In my opinion however, until I find an employer who likes me and wants to hire me, there’s nothing to tell.