Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog
  • About Me
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Speaking and Writing

Insulin4All

My Desk Says a Lot About My Diabetes

November 7, 2016 by Frank 2 Comments

My blood sugars have decided to go rogue in this past week, and I’ve had a tough time trying to predict what they’re going to do to me next.

You can see it by the mere sight of my desk.


There’s a FreeStyle Libre reader in the white organiser that I have kept within close reach lately. It’s been my saving grace this weekend, while my blood sugar levels have been completely messed up. It provides me with trend arrows the minute my blood sugar levels began skyrocketing, and again as soon as they start plummeting low.

There are test strips strewn across my desk. There have been a few scary moments this weekend where my blood sugar levels were moving quite rapidly. Despite wearing a Libre sensor, during confronting moments like these I need reassurance. There were times where I felt compelled to prick my finger every couple of minutes, just to be sure that my blood sugars were heading in the right direction.

There are blood stains on the beech coloured surface of my desktop that, frankly, don’t look pretty. I’m tempted to clean it, but I know that diabetes won’t allow it to stay clean for very long.

On the left hand side, I’m staring at a notepad that is strewn with numbers. Basal rates, insulin to carb ratios, blood sugar levels, units of insulin taken, carb counts and corresponding times of the day. Notes that I sit and stare at for prolonged moments of time, as I try to make sense of blood sugar levels that aren’t making any sense.

I open my desk drawer and I see a huge party bucket of skittles, that I certainly have no intention of cracking open at any party. Skittles that I carefully divide into portions of 9, and store in empty test strip containers. 9 skittles that add up to 10g of carbs, a perfectly convenient serving that I can easily shove down my throat the moment a hypo strikes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMd52LqjFVE/?taken-by=franksita

I scoop up all of the used test strips into the palm of my hand, and walk over to the rubbish bin. I place my foot on the pedal, and the lid lifts to reveal a vial, half filled with insulin. The vial I threw away last night when my blood sugars were skyrocketing, just to be sure that it hadn’t spoiled.

It’s here in this moment, staring inside a rubbish bin, that I see the bigger picture. Suddenly, I don’t feel like the going is so tough anymore. I don’t feel as crappy as I have been for the past few days. I don’t feel the guilt of awful blood sugar levels so much.

When the going gets tough, I still have the best tools available for me to manage. A script for 25 cartridges of insulin costs me a mere $35. A box of 100 test strips costs me $16. Although my wage is less than glamorous, I can make room for FreeStyle Libre sensors when I need them. I have devices that can be uploaded to a PC, where I can analyse the data. I can call my diabetes educator for assistance, completely free of charge thanks to the public health system in Australia.

I have nothing to complain about. For DOC friends in the US, skyrocketing insulin prices are of real concern. A loss of health insurance coverage is of real concern, because it’s tied to diabetes supplies. Meanwhile people with diabetes in developing countries of the world cannot even afford insulin, supplies, education, treatment – and the ability to merely survive.

T1International are a fantastic organisation based in the UK that advocate for equitable access for people with type 1 diabetes worldwide. You might be familiar with their #Insulin4All movement. This year, T1International are urging us to sign the Type 1 Diabetes Access Charter. The Charter will be used to bolster advocacy efforts worldwide, showing that there are many voices united in support of these rights.

Insulin is a right. Managing your blood sugar is a right. Diabetes education is a right. Healthcare is a right. A life free from diabetes discrimination is a right.

It makes me sad that in this day and age, not everyone in the world is able to access the same standard of diabetes care that I do. Signing the Charter only takes a moment of your time, and you can do so by clicking here. 

Make it the one thing that you do this Diabetes Awareness Month.

Like This Post? Share It!

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Musings Tagged: Diabetes, DiabetesAccessMatters, Insulin4All

I Know What My Supplies Mean to Me. #Insulin4All!

November 3, 2015 by Frank 4 Comments

DSC01383

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while now, you’ll know how strongly I feel about blood glucose monitoring and test strips. I could not possibly survive without my test strips. Sometimes I use as many as 10 a day. Test strips, among other diabetes supplies, help me to feel grounded and in control of my diabetes. I could not possibly live without them. So much so that I’ve been driven to write some pieces, both here and for Insulin Nation, advocating for greater access for people with diabetes in Australia.

So when Elizabeth Rowley from an organisation called T1International reached out to me about a campaign called #Insulin4All, it seemed like a natural cause for me to support.

It’s easy to take diabetes supplies for granted when I live in a country where I have always had excellent and affordable access. It’s easy to take my diabetes healthcare professionals for granted when they are so easily available, and at no cost to me under public healthcare. It’s easy to forget that these supplies, and professional support, are what keep me alive and healthy. Today, and each and every day for the rest of my life. And I couldn’t imagine my life without them.

When I think about disadvantaged people in other parts of the world who cannot access insulin, among other diabetes supplies, I really have nothing to be complaining about. There are people out there with type 1 diabetes who struggle to survive because they cannot access life saving insulin, blood glucose test strips and basic healthcare. Some take insulin without knowing if their blood sugar level is high or low. Some suffer diabetes complications, or die a premature death from a lack of supplies, education and healthcare. There are plenty of really touching stories on T1International’s blog.

I support #Insulin4All this November, because I know what my diabetes supplies mean to me!

I hope that you will join me, and have a bit of fun with it too.

So, you need your sign, with the words “we are the world in World Diabetes Day,” and the hashtag #Insulin4All. I felt like a kid again, with my ruler, lead pencil, eraser and textas, carefully outlining my letters and words on a straight line and then marking over them!

Then you need a photo, with yourself or a group holding the sign. Get creative. The best I could come up with was holding a handful of my Lantus pens. And, trying to find the best lit spot in the house free of noticeable junk in the photo!

Then, head on over to insulin4all.tumblr.com and upload your photo to the campaign wall.

And spread the word! #Insulin4All!

tumblr_inline_nv3hww5uis1t307pf_500

Like This Post? Share It!

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Musings Tagged: Access, Advocacy, Diabetes, Insulin, Insulin4All, Supplies, Type 1

ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Frank. Welcome to my blog about life with type 1 diabetes.

RECEIVE NEW POSTS BY E-MAIL

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

Type 1 Writes

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Tweets by FrankSita

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Jan C on Fifteenth lap around the sun.
  • Tony Sangster on Fifteenth lap around the sun.
  • Review: The First Year on Control IQ – Type 1 Writes - Wellness Wealth Craft on A Review of Dexcom G6
  • infofeb9155d4f6 on Holi-daze
  • infofeb9155d4f6 on Holi-daze

THE ARCHIVES

  • May 2025 (1)
  • January 2024 (1)
  • January 2023 (1)
  • April 2021 (2)
  • February 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (6)
  • December 2020 (4)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (3)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (4)
  • July 2020 (9)
  • June 2020 (6)
  • May 2020 (7)
  • April 2020 (6)
  • March 2020 (3)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (6)
  • November 2019 (7)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (6)
  • August 2019 (10)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (7)
  • May 2019 (7)
  • April 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (7)
  • November 2018 (9)
  • October 2018 (10)
  • September 2018 (10)
  • August 2018 (12)
  • July 2018 (12)
  • June 2018 (10)
  • May 2018 (10)
  • April 2018 (11)
  • March 2018 (6)
  • February 2018 (10)
  • January 2018 (10)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (10)
  • October 2017 (5)
  • September 2017 (10)
  • August 2017 (13)
  • July 2017 (13)
  • June 2017 (6)
  • May 2017 (13)
  • April 2017 (8)
  • March 2017 (11)
  • February 2017 (8)
  • January 2017 (10)
  • December 2016 (6)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (8)
  • September 2016 (9)
  • August 2016 (14)
  • July 2016 (14)
  • June 2016 (14)
  • May 2016 (21)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (14)
  • February 2016 (16)
  • January 2016 (16)
  • December 2015 (13)
  • November 2015 (17)
  • October 2015 (19)
  • September 2015 (19)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (20)
  • June 2015 (18)
  • May 2015 (14)
  • April 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (1)

CATEGORIES

  • Continuous Glucose Monitors (17)
  • Dealing with Diabetes (112)
  • Diabetes Advocacy (88)
  • Diabetes and Emotions (38)
  • Diabetes and Food (58)
  • Diabetes and Foot Care (1)
  • Diabetes and Healthcare Professionals (51)
  • Diabetes and the Festive Season (17)
  • Diabetes and the Online Community (64)
  • Diabetes and Travel (41)
  • Diabetes at Work (11)
  • Diabetes Blog Week (15)
  • Diabetes Burnout (25)
  • Diabetes Gear (8)
  • Diabetes Musings (316)
  • Diabetes Tech (55)
  • Diagnosis (25)
  • Glucose Monitoring (21)
  • Hypos (22)
  • Insulin Pumps (81)
  • Multiple Daily Injections (35)
  • Peer Support (24)
  • Physical Activity (5)
  • Studying With Diabetes (1)
  • T1 Talk (3)
  • Talking About Diabetes (2)

Copyright © 2025 Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: