Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
My biggest supporter(s)
... and I'm not talking about my bra here. It's day three (plus a month or so) of Diabetes Blog Week and this is about my biggest supporter when it comes to diabetes care. And I have several.
When I was diagnosed until even now at times, my biggest supporter was most definitely my wonderful mother. She was the one who made sure I had medicine and food and she was the one to drive me to the hospital the few times I've had to go. This woman was the one who took of work when I was in high school to drive to my school when I wouldn't (couldn't) leave for lunch, due to low blood sugar. That was the time I was so out of it that I hit her, scratched her, spit juice/soda all over her, etc. She ignored that nastiness because she knew I needed her and I needed the sugar she was trying to give me. My mother has given me life more times than I can count.
My current biggest supporter would be my adorable husband. Timmy knows what I am feeling before I can even tell him. He will jump up and grab whatever I need to help raise low blood sugars. He stays awake with me when my blood sugar drops at night to make sure I am safe, even when he has to wake up at 4 or 5 am. He's the one who loves me when I'm crabby and when I'm weak. He loves me when I'm high and low and all that's in between. I am certainly lucky that I have him.
My biggest four legged supporter is Izzie, my CGMS (Chorkie Glucose Monitoring System). She barks to wake me up in the middle of the night to alert me to low blood sugars, then continues to bark until the Timmy wakes up. If I'm low, she follows me until she knows I am safe. If I'm high, she'll sit and stare at me until help arrives. She is my best friend and I am hers.
Doesn't she look good in a sombrero? :)
When I was diagnosed until even now at times, my biggest supporter was most definitely my wonderful mother. She was the one who made sure I had medicine and food and she was the one to drive me to the hospital the few times I've had to go. This woman was the one who took of work when I was in high school to drive to my school when I wouldn't (couldn't) leave for lunch, due to low blood sugar. That was the time I was so out of it that I hit her, scratched her, spit juice/soda all over her, etc. She ignored that nastiness because she knew I needed her and I needed the sugar she was trying to give me. My mother has given me life more times than I can count.
My current biggest supporter would be my adorable husband. Timmy knows what I am feeling before I can even tell him. He will jump up and grab whatever I need to help raise low blood sugars. He stays awake with me when my blood sugar drops at night to make sure I am safe, even when he has to wake up at 4 or 5 am. He's the one who loves me when I'm crabby and when I'm weak. He loves me when I'm high and low and all that's in between. I am certainly lucky that I have him.
My biggest four legged supporter is Izzie, my CGMS (Chorkie Glucose Monitoring System). She barks to wake me up in the middle of the night to alert me to low blood sugars, then continues to bark until the Timmy wakes up. If I'm low, she follows me until she knows I am safe. If I'm high, she'll sit and stare at me until help arrives. She is my best friend and I am hers.
Doesn't she look good in a sombrero? :)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Going low
Day two of last month's Diabetes Blog Week: Making the low go
I hate low blood sugar. Hate hate hate it. And, unfortunately, I have been experiencing it on a semi-regular basis recently. When it hits me, it can hit hard. Seeing numbers in the 40's or 50's isn't so unusual for me and one day recently, I hit 29. Yikes! :(
I keep snacks in my purse at all times and I always have trusty glucose tablets. They may have a nasty chalky taste (If you ever meet me, ask and I'll let you try one), but they get the job done quickly. I also try to keep juice boxes made for toddlers around. They have the perfect amount of carbs to raise that low.
Of course, this doesn't mean I'll refuse a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup or a Crunchie. I love those things. :)
I hate low blood sugar. Hate hate hate it. And, unfortunately, I have been experiencing it on a semi-regular basis recently. When it hits me, it can hit hard. Seeing numbers in the 40's or 50's isn't so unusual for me and one day recently, I hit 29. Yikes! :(
I keep snacks in my purse at all times and I always have trusty glucose tablets. They may have a nasty chalky taste (If you ever meet me, ask and I'll let you try one), but they get the job done quickly. I also try to keep juice boxes made for toddlers around. They have the perfect amount of carbs to raise that low.
Of course, this doesn't mean I'll refuse a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup or a Crunchie. I love those things. :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
A day in the life of this diabetic
In fact, this is a mixed and mashed together bits of several actual days to start my month late participation in Diabetes blog week.
I woke up with blood sugar a little high. Extra insulin needed! Oh boy! This is not what I need today. I'm running late and will be sitting in a class for several hours. High blood sugar and the accompanying extreme thirst and frequent urination will NOT do. I'll just skip ahead to the insulin pump site change.
Dressed, fed and site change done, we walk out of the door. As I get in the car, my purse gets snagged on the seat and hits my stomach and a sharp pain rips my skin. Shoot. The new site got ripped out by my purse hitting my stomach for a split second. I run inside to change the site again. As I lift my shirt, I see blood running down from where my site just got ripped from my stomach. Great. I apply pressure to the bleeding spot as I change the new site to a newer site. Luckily, I add in cushion time when I have to be somewhere. We arrived right on time and my blood sugar stabilized.
Later, I start to feel funny in the class. I feel weak. I feel tingly. My brain starts to feel foggy. I can't focus on what the pastor is saying. I motion to the Timmy that I feel off and I need to test.
I test right there in my seat in the middle of the class's circle of chairs. 45. Not good. I show Timmy and he gets up and grabs me something to eat from the snack table and I pop a couple of glucose tablets into my mouth. Within a few minutes, I feel better. No one else seemed to notice our mini emergency as we took care of it. I don't know if I should be proud of my stealth mode of handling things or if I should be worried that I don't let people know I am in need of help. Thank goodness for my Timmy.
I woke up with blood sugar a little high. Extra insulin needed! Oh boy! This is not what I need today. I'm running late and will be sitting in a class for several hours. High blood sugar and the accompanying extreme thirst and frequent urination will NOT do. I'll just skip ahead to the insulin pump site change.
Dressed, fed and site change done, we walk out of the door. As I get in the car, my purse gets snagged on the seat and hits my stomach and a sharp pain rips my skin. Shoot. The new site got ripped out by my purse hitting my stomach for a split second. I run inside to change the site again. As I lift my shirt, I see blood running down from where my site just got ripped from my stomach. Great. I apply pressure to the bleeding spot as I change the new site to a newer site. Luckily, I add in cushion time when I have to be somewhere. We arrived right on time and my blood sugar stabilized.
Later, I start to feel funny in the class. I feel weak. I feel tingly. My brain starts to feel foggy. I can't focus on what the pastor is saying. I motion to the Timmy that I feel off and I need to test.
I test right there in my seat in the middle of the class's circle of chairs. 45. Not good. I show Timmy and he gets up and grabs me something to eat from the snack table and I pop a couple of glucose tablets into my mouth. Within a few minutes, I feel better. No one else seemed to notice our mini emergency as we took care of it. I don't know if I should be proud of my stealth mode of handling things or if I should be worried that I don't let people know I am in need of help. Thank goodness for my Timmy.
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