It’s best explained using pictures. Take the following, for instance:
Beautiful, perfect Instagram
Cold, hard reality
The first image is basically the ideal Dexcom graph. It depicts steady, on-target blood sugars for hours.
It makes the image next to it look that much uglier. The second picture shows blood sugar that rose rapidly over a short amount of time and flattened out at a level so high that it exceeds the Dexcom maximum number.
Instagram: The social networking site that promotes flawlessness. You scroll through a feed and see images that convey society’s notions around perfection. And it’s annoying. The rational part of you knows that, surely, the stunning blonde swimsuit model on your feed probably has cellulite, only you never see it because it’s airbrushed and filtered away. That’s why it’s equally unrealistic to share nothing but the “perfect” blood sugars with the diabetes community. Diabetes is FAR from being sunshine-y and unicorn-y all the time.
The reality: Diabetes is up-and-down, mentally and physically. It’s not always going to behave the way you want it to, even if you’re doing all the right things and trying your best. That’s why I like sharing the good and the bad – it makes the victories that much sweeter, and the less-than-triumphant moments more educational.
One Friday per month, I’ll write about my favorite diabetes products. These items make the cut because they’re functional, fashionable, or fun – but usually, all three at once!
Traditionally, I’ve toted glucose tablets around in a tube. My tube of tabs travels with me everywhere, because lows can be unpredictable and it’s always wise to be prepared. Though the contents of the tube have quite literally saved my life countless times, said tube is bulky. It takes up room in my diabetes kit. The tube is awkward to carry around when I go jogging, and more often than not winds up getting tucked away in my sports bra – not the most comfortable feeling.
But then a little, square, plastic container came into my world and changed how I carry around glucose tablets.
See that bright blue object attached to my purse? That’s a Tabs2Go case! It holds four glucose tablets at a time, the perfect amount to bring me back up from a low blood sugar. What I love most about it is that it’s dual purpose: It’s a case for tabs as well as a keychain. This means I can attach and detach it from my various key fobs, lanyards, and bags with ease, and as I please. I can tuck the case into my pocket without it creating an unsightly lump, and it stows away discreetly just about anywhere.
I have to give a shout out to Scott Bissinger, who created Tabs2Go and kindly supplied me with two of my own when I met him at the TypeOneNation Summit in Boston last month. Innovative products like this help to make the lives of people with diabetes a little easier, which makes me grateful.
Plus, I have to point out the fact that these cases are customizable. See the metallic embellishments I added to mine? Diabetes products that are functional and can be personalized are the real winners in my book!
Unless you’re familiar with the Catholic faith, that title probably doesn’t make much sense to you. “Lent” is a period of time – the 40 days before Easter Sunday – in which Catholics traditionally practice penance, prayer, and almsgiving. In addition to avoiding the consumption of meat on Fridays during Lent, it’s also common for observers to give up something in order to focus more energy on acts of kindness and charity.
This year, I decided to give up alcohol.
All of this, and more, was off limits throughout Lent.
I was inspired by my mom, who has eschewed alcohol during Lent for the last few years. I was a bit hesitant to take on the challenge; after all, I’m a young adult who enjoys going out and drinking every now and then. I wondered how it might affect my social life, and whether I’d experience any heckling or peer pressure from friends. But I was also open to the idea that forgoing alcohol during Lent could benefit me in some ways, so I felt ready to go forward with my plan.
Here’s what I learned from abstaining from alcohol for 40 days:
My blood sugars were a little more predictable/easier to manage. One of my biggest issues with alcohol is that it’s hard to know just how many carbs are in one drink. Beer tends to be higher carb, whereas wine typically contains less. Hard liquor boasts even fewer carbs, but things get tricky when sugary mixers get added to the equation. So when I drink alcohol, I try to prepare myself for any possible scenario that could result from miscalculated carb intakes. But by giving up alcohol during Lent, I didn’t have this problem when I was dining out. I simply had to bolus for the food on my plate and enjoyed worrying less about what my blood sugar would be like later in the evening.
Nobody gave me a tough time over my decision. This was a pleasant surprise, albeit one that I should’ve seen coming. After all, I’m not in college anymore. Peer pressure is practically non-existent in my life these days, and I’m thankful for its absence. If anything, my alcohol avoidance triggered discussions among my friends and colleagues, who generally seemed interested in the concept of giving something up for a length of time.
It reminded me there are other (healthier!) ways to unwind that don’t involve drinking. Obviously, I knew that on a sub-conscious level. But I was automatically encouraged to explore alternative ways to relax after a long day at work. I definitely amped up the amount I exercised, and I probably ate a smidge more dark chocolate(okay, more than that) to reward myself throughout the week. And I didn’t become a shut-in on Friday and Saturday nights like I feared; rather, I participated in all my usual weekend activities, just sans alcohol. A huge plus to this was not having to worry about whacky blood sugars or who would be a designated driver – the safety element made the whole alcohol-avoidance thing much more appealing.
Does this mean that I’m going to avoid drinking alcohol forever now? No, because I still enjoy having a pint of beer, glass of wine, or specialty cocktail at my fancy. But I do feel more empowered to say “no” when I just don’t feel like drinking socially. I also feel good about cutting back on my alcohol intake overall and making a commitment to consciously deciding whether or not I want to drink. I think that my mind, body, and blood sugars will be better off.
A funny thing about life with diabetes is that new experiences occur all the time. For example, this was a first for me the other day: ordering a regular soda at a restaurant instead of a diet.
Why was this necessary? I chalk it up to a few different factors that affected my blood sugar: 1) I did strength training earlier in the day, which can make me go low several hours after the fact. 2) I ignored the diagonal down arrow that had appeared on my CGM, because I really didn’t think I’d end up below 100 mg/dL before dinner. 3) It took a long time for our dinner to come out, and I’d made the rookie mistake of bolusing soon after ordering the food. 4) I also think I miscalculated the carbs in my dinner – I’m used to ordering this particular dish, a cajun chicken salad, with a beer or two. But since I gave up alcohol for Lent (more on this in an upcoming blog post), I wasn’t getting the extra carbs from the beer, which I forgot to take into account.
So yeah, in hindsight, I could’ve seen the low blood sugar coming. But I just didn’t anticipate some of these occurrences, such as our food coming out late. This particular restaurant is usually timely, but since it was a Saturday evening and the bar was rapidly filling up, I should’ve connected the dots.
Diet Coke has a special place in my part, but in a hypoglycemic emergency, it just won’t cut it.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda. There was nothing I could do about my rapidly dropping blood sugar, unless I bit the bullet and ordered a regular soda. Shoving my diet root beer to the side, I flagged down my semi-bemused bartender and asked for a regular Pepsi, trying to ignore the fact that he was joking about how “diet just wouldn’t do it for me any longer, eh”.
If only he knew that the circumstances required sugar, stat.
It only took him about 60 seconds to deliver the Pepsi, but it felt like a long time. My CGM alerted me to an urgent low and things around me were a little fuzzy. I was trying to engage in conversation with my companions, who knew that I was going low, but maybe weren’t aware of how quickly I was going down due to my determination to appear normal.
Once my Pepsi arrived, I gulped down several sips and sighed with relief as my dinner appeared soon after. I wolfed down every last bit of it within 15 minutes, taking breaks only to drink a little more soda. I knew I needed to control how much I drank, because I didn’t want to end up sky high later on in the night.
Fortunately, my blood sugar was coming back up to normal within no time, and I actually didn’t even go higher than 172 mg/dL for the remainder of the night. A huge win, all things considered. Even though it was a somewhat scary experience, I’m glad I did what I needed to in order to take proper care of myself…even if that meant drinking regular soda, which was actually pretty gross. How do people actually enjoy that saccharine sludge?!
Clarence the puppy came home last week! I’m loving getting to know him. It’s beyond adorable to watch him explore his new environment, but it’s also a lot of work.
I knew that he might affect my diabetes, but I figured it would mainly be in positive ways: He’d help keep me active and console me when I was feeling down about it. But there’s also a couple of drawbacks. I confess that instead of my blood sugars being my number one priority, it’s Clarence that takes precedence.
This little dude is my whole world right now.
It’s not like I’m completely forgetting to take care of my diabetes, or that it’s far from my thoughts. It’s more that I let things go a little longer, that I push the limits a smidgen. For instance, my first full day with him, I woke up and tested my blood sugar but did not test again until the evening. I was trusting my Dexcom readings as I got better acquainted with the puppy. And I tended to graze on food all day long instead of sitting down for real meals. In fact, dinner that first night was almost comical. My T1D mom and I ate a lukewarm meal over the course of about 40 minutes while we took turns taking Clarence outside. We were so concerned with getting him to do his business that we didn’t really care about feeding ourselves in a timely manner.
I know that it’s just a transitional phase, though. Clarence will get adjusted to his new home in due time and we’ll get used to a new routine tailored to suit both our needs and his needs.
And in case you’re wondering, I think Clarence is forming a general awareness of my diabetes. When we were playing on the floor, he walked around me and sniffed at the pod I was wearing on my lower back. He’s a bit mouthy (part of being a puppy), so I was worried he might try to nip at it. Instead, he backed away and picked up one of his toys.
…Even though I’m an adult, I still get Easter baskets. I know, I’m a bit spoiled.
The contents of said Easter baskets have varied over the years. But the ever-thoughtful Easter bunny has always been conscientious of the goodies he places within it, given my diabetes. After all, diabetes doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy Easter treats, both of the sugary and sugar-free variety.
One of my favorite Easter baskets received as an adult contained a stuffed animal, two bottles of wine, a book of crossword puzzles, and Easter chocolates.
Whether a kid or an adult, here’s some ideas for an Easter basket that any T1D in your life will appreciate:
For kids: Coloring books, markers/crayons/colored pencils, stickers, comic books, movies, frisbees, outdoor/warm weather toys, nail polish, puzzles, mini games, stuffed animals…
For adults: Lottery tickets, gift cards, coffee, wine/beer (one of the best finds in an Easter basket, TBH), gum, other small snacks, books…
Truly, depending on who the basket is for, there’s a ton of possibilities as to what can fill it.
My thoughts on candy: I’m the only person I know who doesn’t completely loathe sugar-free chocolates. Obviously, I prefer actual chocolate – because, you know, that’s what tastes good. But I don’t exactly love all the carbs in it. I find that snacking on sugar-free chocolates (as long as the quantity is small) satisfies a sweets craving well enough. But I also think that real treats, like Reese’s peanut butter eggs (my weakness) or Cadbury eggs (pure confectionary delight) are okay. After all, Easter is only once a year. And with carb counts widely available these days, it’s easy to know exactly how many you’re consuming.
Plus…who doesn’t love a good candy sale the day after a holiday? Talk about a great low blood sugar stash!
On another note…Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring to you!!!
Nothing screams “comfort food” quite like a hot, cheesy, and utterly delicious slice of lasagna. Unfortunately, though, said lasagna has a tendency to make my CGM scream, because consumption of the carb-laden food usually skyrockets my blood sugar.
On the bright side, a very low carb version of this dish exists, and it is just as wonderful as its starchy counterpart. The ground beef, pasta sauce, and mozzarella-parmesan blend are all there – the only bit that’s different is what’s used in lieu of pasta.
Instead of pasta, use cabbage leaves. No, I’m not kidding.
Cabbage lasagna looks and tastes just like its carb-ier alternative.
The cabbage soaks up the flavors of the sauce, meat, and cheese. As the concoction is baked, the cabbage also takes on the same consistency as pasta. It slices just as easily, and no, you really can’t taste the cabbage flavor (unless you pick out several chunks of it to eat on their own, but honestly, who does that?). It’s such a satisfying meal that I promise you won’t miss the carbs from the pasta.
Besides, if you’re like me and enjoy eating a healthy amount of carbs daily…you can always add a slice or two of garlic bread to your meal. I did just that, and in addition to having a well-rounded meal, I experienced great post-dinner blood sugars: a diabetes win!
St. Patrick’s Day is a favorite holiday of mine because I enjoy celebrating my Irish heritage. Almost every year, I eat a traditional boiled dinner, listen to Irish music, and wear an excessive amount of green.
This year, though, was a little different. In addition to all of the above, I attended the TypeOneNation summit in Boston. The event was organized by JDRF and just about 900 people with diabetes attended, along with their families and caregivers.
There’s nothing like being in Boston on St. Paddy’s day, even if it is for an event that has nothing to do with the holiday’s shenanigans. The spirit of the day made it slightly less painful to wake up at the crack of dawn in order to catch an early morning commuter rail into the city. As I sipped an Irish cream iced coffee from Honey Dew (absolutely delicious) on the ride, I got myself pumped up for what would surely be a fun day.
Once we arrived at the Back Bay station, I was one frigid (and mercifully short) walk away from the event space: the Boston Marriott Copley hotel. I went straight to the registration table so I could receive a name tag and itinerary, then made a beeline for the vendor hall. You can never have too much free diabetes swag, am I right?
Within the hall, I recognized many familiar faces and happily made the rounds to chat with some of my T1D friends in attendance. I couldn’t help but feel like I was at a family reunion of sorts as I reconnected with people who I don’t get to see often enough.
I was pumped to see some friends I’ve made through the CDN at the summit!
Before long, the events of the day got into full swing as the keynote speaker, Nicole Johnson, addressed the crowd. Nicole won the Miss America pageant in 1999 soon after she received her diabetes diagnosis. She’s done many incredible things since earning that accolade, and she delivered an inspiring speech about living life with diabetes to the fullest. As she spoke, I looked around the room and noticed all the little kids who were there. It warmed my heart to see how they received Nicole’s words. Many of them looked at her in absolute awe. It was obvious that they thought she was pretty great, and I bet that having diabetes in common with her helped them to feel just as cool. Nicole is definitely a wonderful role model!
The rest of the day went by much too quickly as I went to two different talks offered at the summit. One was about going to college with diabetes, and the other was about sex and drugs – the “taboo” diabetes topics. Even though I’ve already experienced what it’s like to go off to college with diabetes, I wanted to go to this talk because it was given by my friends from the CDN. I also wanted to meet the parents and children at the session because I was curious to learn about their concerns. As someone who went to a very similar talk seven (?!) years ago, I felt that I could potentially offer reassurance to these families, especially since the whole college experience was so recent for me. And it turned out that the woman seated next to me was an anxious mom who seemed receptive to the words of encouragement I spoke to her at the end of the panel. While I believe that the session could’ve lasted many more hours (everyone was so engaged in the conversation), I think that the session acted as a good launching point into future discussions for many families who are going to make this transition soon.
I wolfed down a quick lunch – I loved seeing the food labeled with carb counts – before heading to the next session. I chose it because, c’mon, a title like “Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll” can get anyone’s attention. Plus, I feel very strongly that the touchier diabetes topics SHOULD be talked about more often. They can be scary to approach, but it’s important to know what to expect in certain situations in which diabetes can play a major role. I had to duck out of this one a bit early to catch the commuter rail back home, but they were delving into some pretty juicy stuff when I got up to leave. I give major credit to all of the panelists in that one – it can’t be easy to talk about highly personal intimate matters in a room filled with strangers!
Although my time at the summit was truncated, I’m so glad that I took the time to go to it. It’s no secret that I enjoy talking with other people with diabetes. Hearing their stories and sharing experiences makes diabetes feel less isolating. And I’m thrilled that I finally got to meet a few people I knew from the DOC but had yet to see in person!
Diabetes conferences, meet-ups, summits…they’re the types of family reunions you actually get excited about and want to attend.
The last lines of the 1946 classic film It’s a Wonderful Life are as follows:
Zuzu Bailey: Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.
George Bailey: That’s right, that’s right.
George Bailey: [Looks heavenward] Attaboy, Clarence.
Those who know my family well are aware that this movie, and three of those above names, hold special meaning to us. Bailey was the name of our first dog. Zuzu was our second dog. Both were Shetland Sheepdogs and beloved members of our family. They shaped two very different parts of my life. I attribute the two of them for getting me through various challenges encountered by my family and me over the years, and I’m grateful that we got to provide a loving home to them. A home that’s been quiet since they left us.
A home that once again will be occupied by a puppy’s presence.
Everyone, meet Clarence:
We are overjoyed that our sweet boy will be coming home soon! And in case you’re wondering what this possibly has to do with my diabetes, I’ll tell you right now that it doesn’t really, I’m just bursting with excitement over Clarence’s arrival.
But I’m also pretty darn skilled at making diabetes connections where they don’t seem to exist.
I’m positive that Clarence will help with my diabetes. I plan on taking the little guy on plenty of walks, which will be great for my numbers. I’d also like to set up an agility course in our backyard for him, because based on my past experience with shelties, they have incredible amounts of energy to burn – so I’m certain that means I’ll be running the course and burning energy with him.
Plus, I’m starting to research diabetes alert dogs. I have no idea if I’ll train him to detect high or low blood sugars, but I’m very interested in the idea. Especially since there are multiple diabetics in my family.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonders he’ll work for my mental health. The calming presence of a pup will surely ease my anxieties as well as make me smile even more than I already do.
Attaboy, Clarence – I know that’s something I’ll be saying quite often and very soon.
I’ve heard the following phrase for just about my entire life:
“There will be a cure for diabetes in the next five years, just wait!”
Uh, I’m still waiting over here. Where’s the aforementioned cure? *Taps foot impatiently*
It’s fun to fantasize about life with diabetes, especially when you look at the numbers like this.
Oooookay, while I sit here and wait for another 20 years of diabetes to come and go, I’ll daydream. Ooh! I’ll daydream about a day without diabetes. What would it look like for me? I have some ideas…
In the morning: I’d wake up feeling incredibly well-rested. That’s because I’d sleep through the night without my CGM going off. After rolling out of bed with a head of perfectly-mussed hair (this is MY fantasy here, so just go with it), I’d head down into the kitchen to indulge in a ginormous cinnamon bun slathered in cream cheese frosting for my breakfast. I’d savor every bite and relish in not having to poke myself with needles multiple times in order to eat the tasty treat.
In the afternoon: After actually enjoying a workout at the gym (cue my Anna from Frozen singing voice) for the first time in foreverrrrrr, I’d probably treat myself to a massage/spa day. But a shower first because a masseuse should never have to deal with a smelly and stinky person. You know what would be awesome about that experience? I wouldn’t be worried about my blood sugar all throughout it and I could just appreciate the act of self-care. And for lunch? I’m not a TOTAL junk food junkie – I’d eat a healthy, balanced lunch that day. Perhaps a smoothie bowl laden with fabulous fructose-filled fruits that WOULDN’T spike me? Maybe a massive salad topped with carb-y croutons? The possibilities are endless.
In the evening: The day would wind down with a sense of accomplishment, because I would’ve been able to run errands without a single diabetes-related complication slowing me down. I’d glam myself up for a night on the town in which I’d consume one or four cocktails, free from wild swings due to alcohol’s effects on blood sugar. And then I’d run into Kit Harrington (Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, A.K.A. an extraordinary man) and he’d sweep me off my feet and we’d take off into a sunset sans diabetes.
Okay, yeah, I’m definitely stretching my imagination as I picture a couple parts of this day…but it sure is fun to think about life without diabetes.
Hugging the Cactus 