Tag: diabetes

Favorite Things Friday: FRIO Insulin Cooling Case

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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!

*Insert bad pun about how COOL this product is, like, literally AND figuratively!*

Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system…let me tell you about my FRIO cooling case.

I heard about cooling cases from the DOC a few years back, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect when I did. I was about to go on a weeklong vacation to Disney World. In Orlando, Florida. In August. A.K.A., one of the hottest and most humid times of year to be going there. And I was sweatin’ over what I was going to do about carrying my insulin around in the parks.

Before you even think it, no, my option wasn’t just to throw it in my backpack and call it a day. PWD know well that insulin needs to be kept a certain temperature – i.e., cool – in order for it to be viable. It CAN and WILL expire if it’s left out in extreme temperatures for too long. So clearly, I had to figure out how to keep my insulin cool in the Florida heat.

Fortunately, I’d read about the cooling cases on Twitter at some point and decided to order one a few weeks before the trip. When it arrived, I put it to the test right away to see how it fared.

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My magical FRIO cooling case

I followed the instructions that came with the pouch: Immerse the black inner casing in cold water for 10-15 minutes, allowing the beads stuffed within it to turn to gel. After the time elapsed, I removed the case from the water and pat it dry. Then I put two of my Humalog pens (because I was still on injections at this time) into the black case, put that inside the purple pouch, and forgot about the contraption for a few hours so I could see if it would stay cool for that span of time.

And it did! The case worked beautifully. It was just as cool as it was when I had first removed it from the water, meaning my insulin was kept properly refrigerated. The only downside was that my pens felt slightly damp when I removed them from the bag, but they weren’t damaged whatsoever. I knew right then and there that it was just the thing I needed for my vacation.

Fast-forward to present day and the FRIO case continues to serve its purpose as I need it. I couldn’t recommend it more to PWD who travel – even if it’s to a mild-temperatured place. It helps keep insulins cool no matter what, and to me, that makes the case more than worth it. Check out friocoolingcase.com to learn more about their products!

Diabetes Data Overload

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I’ve always been a words girl – never a big fan of numbers. So isn’t my T1D ironic, being that it’s an illness ruled by numbers?

Think about it. PWD have a ridiculous number of…numbers to be concerned about on a daily basis. Between blood sugar checks, insulin dosage calculations, carbohydrate counting, basal rate testing, and more, there’s a lot to take into account.

And as time has gone on and technology has evolved, it seems like these numbers are constantly accessible on an endless volume of devices. I can determine trends using my Dexcom CGM – using either my mobile app or my sparkly pink receiver. I can scroll through my record log of blood sugars on my meter. I can find out how much insulin I took in one day using my OmniPod. I can even download several weeks’ worth of blood sugar graphs from my Dexcom by simply hooking it up to a computer.

So many numbers…
…and so many graphs.

It’s information overload.

As much as I love having the ability to access all of this data, it’s also too much to swallow at times. I could drive myself nuts looking through days’ worth of graphs and logs to figure out why I was inexplicably high at 3 o’clock in the morning one day, but I can also just chalk it up to a fluke and better spend my energy worrying about my blood sugar in the present (as opposed to the past).

The point is, it’s exhausting to have my life dictated by all this data. I wish I could take a break from it sometimes, but then again, it’s helped me become more accountable for my own health. And I can still express my hatred for numbers by using my love of words, so it’s not all that bad.

Does Cold Weather Affect Diabetes?

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Shout-out to Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (DSMA) for prompting me to write a post about this!

Often, I tell people that anything can affect diabetes. Factors like exercise and stress may seem obvious, but more subtle variables include the weather.

The winter season began less than a month ago, but it’s already been a brutal one for much of the country. In New England, we’ve had more than a foot of snow, subzero temperatures, bitter wind chill, and a surplus of ice glazing over all outdoor surfaces.

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Winter weather looks pretty, but it sure can be a pain in the ass.

Besides being unpleasant to experience, harsh cold weather like this also has a bit of a negative impact on my diabetes. How? There’s a few different ways.

Cold weather limits (or increases) the types of physical activity I can do. Snowstorms make it difficult to travel, so more often than not, I’m stuck at home during wintry weather events. This means I get less movement in, which has an adverse affect on my blood sugars. I rely on getting a certain level of exercise daily, so I have to be creative when it’s snowing in order to meet these requirements. On the flip side, depending on how much snow falls, I need to shovel the driveway. This is a highly strenuous activity that can make my blood sugar drop in 15 minutes or less. As a result, I’ve got to be careful and plan accordingly when a blizzard is in the forecast.

Cold weather impacts the foods I consume. Let’s be real, when it’s freezing outside and you can’t go anywhere, healthy eating isn’t really a priority. Nothing is as comforting as a home cooked meal, whether it’s chili or chicken pot pie. And a hot chocolate is a wonderful pick-me-up post-shoveling. But the problem is these foods are heavy, rich, and laden with carbs. I have to work harder in the cold weather to attain balance with my eating and resist the temptation to fill up on starchy, satisfying food.

Cold weather affects my insulin intake. This ties into the aforementioned points, because if I’m moving less and eating more, then I naturally need to compensate for this with higher insulin dosages. I get frustrated, because it seems like I have to deal with more high blood sugars this time of year. But I know if I keep these factors in mind, it’ll help keep the highs at bay and prevent me from under-dosing.

Cold weather can sway my mood. The winter blues is a real feeling this time of year. It’s much harder to feel motivated to keep up with exercise routines or other healthy habits when the weather’s got me stranded at home. I combat it by staying busy and keeping a routine as much as I can. And when I fall off the wagon, I acknowledge that it’s okay, dust myself off, and get right back on it.

Even though cold weather brings additional challenges with it, the season is fleeting. Before I know it, spring will be here along with better blood sugar.

Traveling with T1D: Upon Arrival

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Bags packed? Check. Made it to the airport? Check. Boarded the plane? Check. Touchdown? Check. I’ve made it through the actual travel part of my trip. Yay! But after all that, I’ve still got a routine to follow, even though I’ve reached my destination.

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This little cooler comes in handy when en route to a destination, but I always feel much better when I can get my insulin vials into an actual refrigerator.

It’s pretty straightforward, really. I simply need to determine where to keep my diabetes supplies for the duration of my stay. If I’m in a hotel room, I locate the mini fridge and stash my insulin vials  in there. I tend to keep everything else (pods, swabs, etc.) out of plain sight in order to avoid attracting attention from housekeeping. I mean, if I was going in and out of hotel rooms all day long and noticed that one contained a bag filled with needles, I’d probably get a little suspicious. So this means my other supplies live in my suitcase for the week, in an easily accessible pocket.

It’s easier if I’m going to be visiting with friends or family. I still find a fridge to home my insulin, but I worry less about “hiding” my supplies. I’m able to keep them in a spot that’s convenient for me, which helps make site changes throughout my trip a smoother process.

Speaking of site changes, I find them particularly annoying when I’m on vacation. It feels like I have to plan a day – or several days in a row – around the fact that I’ve got an upcoming site change. But planning is a part of T1D management, so I’ve come to accept that I need to be diligent with scheduling activities and meals around it.

Sometimes site changes are no big deal on a trip, other times they’re a whole event (like when my mom and I went to Disney and had to change our pods in the parks – going into a family bathroom to do it was not overly fun). And other, more seldom times, site changes are reminders of why it’s so important to pack extra supplies on a trip.

Case in point: My family and I went on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. It was an amazing vacation, but also one that presented a few challenges regarding diabetes. I was spending a lot of time in the sun and on beaches, and that took a toll on my pods a couple of times. I had to rip off pods prematurely twice on this trip and replace them with my backups. Thank goodness I had thought to bring a pod for every single day of the vacation (seven days, seven pods) – because I wound up using five of them. So I never feel badly about obsessively packing tons of extra supplies that I might not necessarily use, because I never know when they’ll come in handy.

Travelbetes. It can be kinda complicated; hence, it requires its own word. But it’s worth it in the end, because my choice to travel independently with diabetes shows that it won’t stop me from seeing new places.

Diabetes in the Wild

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Diabetes in the wild refers to a random encounter with another T1D when out and about. My favorite recent occurrence of this happened when I was in Disney World with my mom (also a T1D). We had just entered Animal Kingdom. I was sporting my pod on the back of my upper arm.

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I don’t think Timon noticed my pod, but another T1D in the park sure did!

“Hey, Podder!” I heard someone yell. For a split second, I thought someone was saying, “hey, Potter,” you know, like the Harry Potter kind of Potter.

I looked around and saw a girl a few years younger than me waving her arms in my direction. When we made eye contact, she smiled and pointed at her pod. I gave her a thumbs up and the moment was over as quickly as it happened.

But it puts a smile on my face when I think about it, because it goes to show how awesome these chance meetings are – they serve as little reminders that even when I may feel like the odd duck in a crowd due to my pod, I’m not as alone as I think I am when it comes to diabetes.

Traveling with T1D: During the Trip

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A few days ago, I wrote about what it’s like to prepare for travel with diabetes. It may have surprised you to learn how many steps are involved! But the work doesn’t end when en route to the destination…

It doesn’t matter if I’m going to be stuck in a car for several hours, flying on a plane, or – my worst nightmare – waiting in the airport for a delayed flight: There are additional steps I like to take when traveling to help ensure my blood sugar is steady and I’m adequately prepared with my supplies.

At the airport…
…with my bag o’ tricks (diabetes supplies)

These steps include:

  • Checking my blood sugar often. I don’t like to rely completely on my CGM; after all, it can be inaccurate from time to time. So I tend to perform more blood sugar checks than usual while I’m waiting at the airport or sitting shotgun in a car. But if I’m the one driving, I (obviously) wait to check at rest stops as time allows.
  • Seeking healthy snacks. It’s definitely easier for me to find healthy options when I’m on a road trip – I can simply pack meals and snacks ahead of time. The airport is a little trickier for me, though. Sometimes, I’m tempted by candy or chips – comfort foods – because I’m not a huge fan of flying and like to do anything to take my mind off it. Luckily, though, even if I don’t make the healthiest choice, everything I’m consuming does have a carbohydrate count that’s easily accessible. This helps me take the correct insulin dosage and removes some extra thought from the process.
  • Getting as much movement in as possible. If this means taking laps in an airport terminal, so be it. I know that my diabetes responds well to exercise throughout the day, but it’s next to impossible to get movement in when cooped up in a car or plane. So what if I look kind of weird at a rest stop doing jumping jacks next to my car? At least I know I’m doing my body some good.

One thing I’d like to note is that the airport comes with some added fun: the TSA!!! (Insert sarcasm here.) That means I also have to be prepared for going through security. Some PWD have reported terrible experiences with the TSA, which is why I’ve devised a protocol for myself when traveling so I can (hopefully) avoid a bad interaction.

This plan consists of:

  1. Having my ziplock bag of diabetes supplies at the ready in my carry-on in case I’m asked to remove it,
  2. Telling the TSA agent conducting the body scan that I have T1D, and pointing out the locations I’m wearing my pod and CGM sensor,
  3. Knowing that I’ll probably be asked to touch my sites (over my clothing), and
  4. Allotting for the extra time it takes to get my hands swabbed.

So far, so good with this little strategy of mine. I’ve found that it works best to stay cool, calm, and collected throughout the whole TSA process. It’s a miserable one at best, but I might as well not exacerbate it by getting in a panic about my diabetes supplies.

After all that, what do I possibly have left to do once I actually arrive at my destination? Be on the lookout for my third and final post in this little series of travel procedures – but certainly not my last on traveling with diabetes, in general!

Traveling with T1D

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In a few days, I’ll be jetting off to Washington, D.C. for a week! I’m always filled with a nervous excitement in anticipation of all kinds of trips. Whether they’re to a faraway place or close to home, just a few days long or two weeks, there’s a certain level of preparation I need to do that involves more than picking out a few outfits.

Yep, you guessed it – I’ve got to prepare for apocalypse.

Okay, okay, I’m being dramatic. But not really, because I’ve got to think of every possible diabetes scenario that could happen when I’m away. I could experience multiple pod failures, the batteries might go on my PDM, I could lose the charge on my Dexcom or Verio IQ meter, I might run out of insulin – the list of possibilities goes on and on. How the heck do I go about making sure I have everything I could need on a trip, and backups, to boot?

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A peek inside my (barely packed) suitcase. Note: The pods/backup supplies will go into my carryon…whenever I get around to packing it…!

Here’s a walkthrough of the steps I take to prepare myself for a trip of any length:

  • 7 Days Before I Leave – I come up with a good, old-fashioned and handwritten list of supplies that I’ll need. This includes (but is not limited to): spare pods, alcohol swabs, skin-tac wipes, Humalog vials, backup Lantus vial, backup Humalog pen, Glucagon kit, backup syringes/pen needles, extra lancets, chargers for my meter and Dexcom, extra batteries for my PDM, a bottle of Glucose tablets, extra low snacks.
  • 3-4 Days Before I Leave – I begin to take items out that don’t need refrigeration or special attention. I’ll add them to my carry-on – NOT my suitcase, because that’s not a good idea (what if I got separated from it somehow?) – in a clear gallon-sized ziplock bag. That way, if for any reason I need to take these items out of my carry-on, I don’t have to rifle through it in order to quickly locate them.
  • 1 Day Before I Leave – I charge all of my devices completely. I also double check my PDM to ensure that the battery in it is relatively full. I also run through my handy dandy list from a few days ago to see if I’m missing anything.
  • 4-6 Hours Before I Leave – This is when I’m about to leave the house to head to the airport, and I’m trying to finish up with the last-minute packing. I add my insulin to the clear baggie in my carry-on and check to see that I’ve got extra snacks in both the carry-on and my purse.
  • Just Before I Leave – One of the last things I do before heading over to the airport is check my blood sugar. I have a Dexcom, but it’s not always accurate, so I like to take that extra step of obtaining a fresh reading from my meter.

Bear in mind, these are all of the steps I take before I leave for a trip – there are many more in the during and after phases! Stay tuned for my follow-ups on what it’s like for a PWD during the actual travel part, and what it’s like upon arriving to the destination.

Sun Salutations and Stable BG: Yoga Does the Trick for my Diabetes

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Whoa, who’s that dork doing a high-speed yoga routine up there?

Hi, it’s me!!

It’s kind of weird to watch a video of yourself doing yoga – especially when you see how awkward you look because the time-lapse feature on your iPhone sped it up so much.

So why did I film myself doing a yoga routine? Once I get past my self-consciousness, I look at the video to see what needs adjusting; for instance, I could sink a little deeper when I’m in my chair pose. I could also stand to slide my foot a bit higher up my leg, perhaps balance it on my thigh, when I’m in the tree pose.

Aside from looking for what needs to be improved, filming the routine also helps me understand why I do yoga. It shows me how my flexibility has increased, as well as my balance. I also realize that it shouldn’t be a surprise to me that I worked up a sweat during this practice – I’m constantly shifting from the ground to standing to various other poses. My muscles are stretching out and getting warm from the movements, so of course I’m giving my body a workout in the process.

And in turn, I’m also keeping my blood sugar stable. The yoga poses combined with controlled breathing and mind wandering does wonders for both my diabetes and my mental health. More often than not, I ride a straight line on my CGM throughout a yoga practice. It’s a great way to get in the right frame of mind at the start of a day, or unwind at the end of a long one.

Plus, there’s nothing like sinking into child’s pose (lying face down on the mat with your arms extended, your knees apart, and your rear in contact with your heels) or taking a nice long savasana (or corpse pose, in which you lie face up with your eyes closed, arms at your side, with fingers and toes spread open – without letting your muscles tense up) at the end of a practice to reset the mind.

Can’t beat the benefits of yoga.

Happy New Year!

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Dear reader,

Happy 2018! I wanted to take a moment to wish you well. I hope the new year brings you health and happiness!

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Fireworks!!!

Like many others, I’ve come up with a few New Years resolutions that I’d like to fulfill in 2018. One revolves around this blog – I want to increase the variety of content featured here and, overall, improve it so it has a bigger impact on the diabetes community and beyond.

That’s where YOU enter the picture. Have a suggestion for me? Let me know! This blog isn’t just about me – it’s about you, too. That’s why I want to make sure I’m making good use of this site and offering content and insight that you care about. Thank you in advance for your ideas. I sincerely appreciate them!

Curious about my other goals for 2018? Look for a follow-up post about ’em sometime in the next couple of weeks. Sharing them will help keep me accountable, right?

Be well,

Molly

What it Feels Like to Have Low Blood Sugar

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Diabetes evokes curiosity for those who are not familiar with it. I’ve been asked many questions over the years – can you eat sweets, does it hurt when you give yourself shots, do you have to protect your pump from water, just to name a few – all relatively easy-to-answer, yes-or-no questions. But every now and then, someone will ask harder questions. And one that I’ve struggled to answer in a succinct manner is: What does it feel like to have low blood sugar?

There isn’t really a simple answer. I guess my textbook response is to rattle off a list of common hypoglycemic symptoms: shakiness, dizziness, sweating, slurred speech, weakness. But I know that other PWD experience slightly different symptoms, such as feeling cold instead of sweaty, or drastic changes in personality. And there are even some PWD who don’t experience any symptoms due to hypoglycemia unawareness.

So how exactly do I response to a question like that, one that’s more loaded than it appears?

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A graphical representation of a sudden low – I guarantee I was not feeling great when this one hit.

I could tell the asker to imagine feeling simultaneously ravenous and disoriented. I could tell them to picture walking into the kitchen and feeling like inhaling the entire contents of the pantry – that’s how intensely your body craves sugar.

I could tell them to think about what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. It might seem like a reaction to a nightmare, but it’s the body trying to convey a message that is, by some miracle, supposed to be grasped by someone who was just trying to get a solid night’s sleep.

I could tell them to envision feeling like energy is sapped out of every pore in the body abruptly, with little warning.

I could tell them that sometimes, it results in pure panic, particularly when no fast-acting carbohydrates are on hand or when no one is around to help you.

I could tell them that low blood sugar is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for many PWD, that it causes a deeply rooted fear. That it can sometimes lead to a PWD making unhealthy choices just to avoid a low from happening in the first place.

I could say all of this to anyone who asked me this question – and I still don’t think it would completely convey what it’s like to have low blood sugar.

How would you describe it to someone asking you about it? Would you use the terse medical explanation, or would you try to talk about how it really feels?

Leave your responses in the comments – I’d like to know how you handle this. And if you thought this was an interesting post, let me know. I’m thinking of doing a series about how I answer the more complicated diabetes-related questions I’m asked.