Asking For Help

I've finally reached a breaking point...

It's been a bit of a whirlwind these past few months since moving overseas for school and I'm starting to feel the affects now more than ever. I'm at that point in the semester when all I can think about are deadlines, assignments and finding enough hours in the day to finish everything I need to. My health has been unintentionally placed on the back burner. I've not maintained a balanced sleep schedule and I often find myself studying into the wee hours of the morning. I get stressed out when my blood sugars are out of range and although I know I can't control everything, I still feel disappointed in myself. Call it a control complex. 

In hindsight, I should have made an appointment to see a GP weeks ago. As a student with type 1, I should really be keeping tabs on their health more than ever, but I often let it take a back seat to my studies. It's taken up until now, when I'm just emotionally and physically exhausted, to actually do something about it. Although it's still nerve wracking, I feel a sense of relief about the fact that I'm seeing a doctor as well as an academic counsellor next week. I don't know what they are going to say, but I'm hoping that I will be able to figure out where my problems areas are and make some much needed changes. 

Diabetes is already a delicate balance, and the added stress of university definitely doesn't help. I know I don't have the same control over my health the way I used to, but I feel better knowing that I'm being pro-active about changing that. My advice to anyone who may be experiencing something similar, would just be to reach out. Be it a doctor/ counsellor/ friend/ family member/ etc., it may help you to gain a new perspective and find direction.

Positive vibes my friends! xx

-Hanna

OH THE HORROR!!! Malfunctions galore.

Old post from February......


The old saying "Anything that can go wrong, will." rang very true today. TWICE!!! I woke up for class this morning and as always, went to promptly check my blood sugar.

Strip in the meter. Blank screen.

Held the power button. Nothing.

Changed the batteries. Nada. Zilch. Ditto.

Luckily for me, I am an incredibly intelligent human being with just a dash of OCD, so I always carry a backup. OneTouch UltraMini to the rescue!!! I mean it's probably the most boring, featureless meter out there but in the end, it does what it's supposed to. 

Here's where it gets fun. 

After class I got back to my room and went to call Animas Tech Support. As I was taking the skin off my pump to read the toll free number listed on back, the bottom corner of the keypad pulled away from the pump. Well damn.

My conversation with the Animas rep went a little like this…

Rep: "Hello Animas tech support, how can I help you."

Me: "I swear I'm not abusing my pump but everything is broken!!"

Rep: "……….could you elaborate?"

Long story short, both my meter and my pump are getting replaced within about a week. In the meantime the pump is still functioning and I shall be using my backup meter. 

My Life as a Robot/ I gots me a Dexcom

Now that I am the proud owner of a Dexcom G4 (THANK YOU HEALTH CANADA!!!), ahem, I have started to feel like a little bit of an automaton (cue steampunk music). This snapshot pretty much sums up my life as a diabetic, although I do not live in a sepia world unfortunately.

I jumped right on the ball as soon as I found out that the Dex was going to be available in Canada. I called my Animas rep immediately and ordered. I am very fortunate to have awesome insurance and it was able to cover the entire startup cost of the CGM as well as the monthly costs. I was like a little kid at Christmastime and I opened the box the second I got my hands on it. After inserting the sensor I waited anxiously through the 2 hours of startup time. I got my very first reading and for the rest of the day, watched the receiver like a hawk.

In conjunction with the pump, I feel like I am able to get the best control possible. I guess it is true when they say that "good things come to those who wait." (and those who petition....and who send multiple letters to Health Canada)

Sleep Testing?

Last night may or may not have been one of the strangest nights of my life. This morning I was told that I had been sleep walking around my entire floor in residence. I do have a couple past incidences of sleep walking, it is not a regular occurrence. I wound up going to bed in a friend of mines room because I had managed to lock myself out of my own and conveniently my room mate wasn't home.

This morning I went to add my blood sugars from yesterday into my log book and I noticed that I had tested my blood sugar at 3:37am. Definitely while I was still in zombie mode. Fortunately it happened to be a lovely 6.2 mmol/L. Not quite sure how I managed to do something so fiddly while still asleep though. I get frustrated with all the little bits trying to test during the day.

I know people can do some pretty strange things while sleep walking. It makes me wonder if this has happened to anyone else? I guess it's good to know that my subconscious is still concerned about my health even at all hours of the day.

And They Say You Won't See Changes Immediately...

"It takes 4 weeks for you to start noticing your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends and family, and 12 weeks for everybody else. So keep pushing."

     The above quote is something I see posted all over the fitness board in Pinterest and on all the health blogs I read. While I admit it's a great motivational quote where weight loss is concerned, for me I started seeing results right away.

     I had a little bit of a break in my exams this week so I decided it would be the perfect time to start making use of the free gym membership I have at my university. I have been on a real health kick for the past couple months and I decided that I needed to get back into a regular exercise routine. 

     This week my blood sugars have been almost perfect. I would like to think that if I had a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) that I could be part of the "Flatliners Club".

      I feel absolutely amazing every time I leave the gym. It's an "I feel accomplished"/ "I'm so sore that I want to fall on my face"/ "Tired and refreshed" sort of feeling. And its great!!!!! Exercise is a fantastic stress reliever so I've been a lot less anxious about my midterms. 

So yes. You can see changes immediately.

Shaming Myself + Update

You know how you hate those bloggers who go for ages without writing a post? Yeah.....haha......Me too.....

WHOOPS!!!
I realized the other day that, at one point, this blog was a huge part of my life and just how much I miss it now. Writing posts was an outlet in which I could share my feelings, opinions, doubts, and life moments where it concerned diabetes.

Now, a year and a half into my diagnosis, things are a little different. I am not yet a seasoned pro but no longer a newbie either. I have come to terms that life can never go back to the way it was before but I have also learned that changes are natural and inevitable. Is it possible that this roadblock is actually helping me to better deal with other changes that I will have to face later on? I am still learning everyday about what is going on inside my body and how to best deal with this strange condition. Thank the heavens that diabetes fascinates me because I do enjoy being a diabetes nerd. 

UPDATE TIME

1.) As you may have been able to guess from my last post, YES, I finally started on an insulin pump. I chose the pink OneTouch Ping and I couldn't be happier. His name is Otis and he is my soul mate. ❤️ Being on a pump is making life so much easier and carefree. It has allowed me so many freedoms that I wouldn't have using the alternative. I also just caught drift that Dexcom is going to be available in Canada (actually this time) around November or Deceomber. Christmas present maybe??? Mum? Dad?

2.) I started university at the beginning of September and am pursuing a double major in linguistics and drama. I got way too excited after finding out that there is another type 1 who lives on my floor and I'm doing my best not to scare her away hahaha.

3.) I switched to Apidra and am LOVING IT.

4.) I own a fish named Cisco and he is the coolest.

I LOVE YOU ALL! And I promise that you will hear from me soon. xoxox

Oh My Lantus! A Goodbye Letter

Dear Lantus,

We both knew this was coming for awhile now. You'd seen me spend hours on end browsing the Internet and looking at insulin pumps. It was inevitable. Lets skip the tears, I don't want this to be harder than it already is.

Don't get me wrong Lantus, you are a great insulin. You were my rebound after my falling out with NPH, you gave me the freedoms that he never could. You made me feel steady. You never had mood swings where you would suddenly have a peak at an inopportune time, and you made my a1c so much better. Despite the fact that you always burned just a little bit, you are the best long acting insulin I have ever known.

Now hear me when I say that I am not leaving you for Levemir. You don't deserve that. I just feel that  I don't need a long acting insulin in my life right now. It's not you, it's me.

I know we've been in a bit of a love triangle with Humalog in the mix. And you guys always worked so well together. I'm going to miss the three of us. Although don't tell Humalog, but I'm considering leaving him for Apidra. I just need to start fresh I think.

I'm sure we'll meet again Lantus. Ping and I are bound to have fights and not see eye to reservoir. I am going to need a shoulder to cry on or a jab in the stomach, and it will be you I come to. This is not the end Lantus.

All my love,
Hanna

Gluten Free - Diabetic - Vegetarian.....,.oh joy

As mentioned in one of my posts from the beginning of this month, I have been on a mostly gluten free diet. So far, it has actually been quite easy to find substitutes. For example, today I had a burger bun that I didn't know was gluten free until my mum told me. It looked, smelled, and tasted just like real bread. But alas, on top of eating gluten free, I am also a vegetarian. I decided to stop eating meat in the 7th grade. That's about 5 years ago now. I really enjoy it and don't think I will go back to eating meat anytime soon. That's right folks, I am a 17 year who doesn't eat meat or wheat, and has to significantly limit my sugar intake. Believe it or not, it has not been that difficult to find foods that are yummy and nutritious that still fit my dietary needs. I have had amazing pastas, sandwhich's, burgers, pizzas*, bagels, you name it! Natural health food stores are your friends. They house everything you could possibly ask for. But unlike your local grocery mart, they understand that some people have certain restrictions on their diets, and willingly accommodate. They stock their shelves with the foods that you love and give you more options than you ever had before. So can I eat everything that people with "normal" diets eat? No. But I can ge pretty darn close. Happy shopping everyone. :o)

Gluten Free And Me...

***Before reading this post please note that I strongly discourage anyone from doing or changing anything in their diets without first talking to their medical proffesional(s). I know my body but I do not know yours.***

     Just these past two weeks I decided I was going to try something. I stopped eating gluten. No I'm not a Celiac, nor do I have a gluten allergy or intolerance. And I'm definitely not self-diagnosing myself. My objective was to cut gluten from my diet for a little bit to see if it made a difference. And boy did it ever! I've already lost 8 pounds of the weight that I put on since I started on insulin. I feel much less tired and groggy and my concentration has improved tenfold. 

    I thought it was going to be really hard but I was pleasantly surprised. For those of you who don't know, gluten is a substance found in wheat, barley, rye and many other grains. Meaning it is present in pretty much all pasta, cookies, bread, baked goods etc.  But you would not believe the amount of gluten free options out there. I just found some gluten free perogies and taquitos that are positively scrumptious. Some of my favorite brands so far are Udi's and Glutino, which between them, have a massive variety of cereals, breads, bagels, granola bars, and even desserts. Panago Pizza even offers a gluten free crust now too.

    Both my parent's are in on this too. We have all read the book "Wheat Belly" by William Davis M.D. It talks about the numerous benefits there are to eliminating gluten, especially wheat, from your everyday diet. This can be really good for diabetics too because wheat can really make blood sugars spike.

So before anyone tells me that I should not be making this change unless I actually have to, I have been feeling so much better without this kind of food in my life. I am ensuring that I am not missing out on nutrients and I make sure to closely monitor my blood sugars. I have succeeded very well on a vegetarian diet for five years now and I can can definitely accomodate for this change in my life too.

Have a super Saturday!!!!

NO WAY!!!

So I'm out for a midnight run to McDonald's with a bunch of my friends and I saw this girl there that I was acquaintances with. I went over to say hi and catch up because I hadn't seen her in awhile. We were sitting at one of the tables and she asked me if I was buying anything else. I responded with "No I have to be careful about what I eat because I've got diabetes." She just looked at me dumbstruck and was like "You have diabetes? Me too!" I hadn't known this fact about her before and because I have only been a diabetic for 8 weeks and I hadn't seen her since then and the topic of diabetes had never come up. We went on to have a huge conversation and yes, it came to us excitedly showing off our meters and insulin pens to each other. Some of my other friends walked in and I was literally jumping up and down and pretty much yelled "She has diabetes too!" Everyone in McDonald's must have thought we were insane. But then again it was the middle of the night and it was mostly filled with teenagers. She was just as excited as me because she also thought that she was the only one in our town that was our age who had type 1.

But hang on, here's the craziest part. About an hour later after this girl had left, I was still at McDonald's talking with my other group of friends and one of their friends who I'd never met before. My friend Lara and I were just getting up to go home and I was still talking about how excited I was that I had met another diabetic. Anyway, this girl that my friends brought with them looked up at me and said "Wait, you have diabetes? Same here!" Well to say the least my mind was blown. I looked to Lara who was getting ready to drive me home and just said "Well we can't leave now!" Same story as before. We talked about our diagnosis and experiences. This one girl had had a couple runs of DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) just like I had when I was first diagnosed.

 My excitement was through the roof. I mean, what are the chances that I had never met another T1D and I meet TWO my age in the space of about two hours at the same place? It was so neat to talk to people who had to go through the same stuff as me and who completely understood. We must have looked like losers showing and comparing our meters and medical alert bracelets but to be honest it was so awesome to be able to see that someone else other than myself had to live with this condition on a daily basis. Although neither one of these girls goes to my school, I have swapped numbers with them and we have been talking non stop since last night. I guess they're right when they say "you're not alone".

Blanket Term "Diabetes" + Shout-Out To My Mum

So I've noticed lately that along with the misconceptions that people have about type 1 diabetes, I often hear alot of people just using the blanket term diabetes in circumstances where they should really be referring to the specific types. A perfect example of this is a couple weeks ago on CBC radio. There was this naturopath doctor talking all about different steps you can take to "prevent diabetes". Now obviously type 1 diabetes in not preventable and this sort of general term leads people to the conclusion that all diabetes is the same. It doesn't help to correct the misconceptions that people already have about T1D. People automatically assume nowadays that it was because I had too much sugar or that I just sat around lazily all day (this isn't necessarily the case for why people get type 2 either). Another problem is that type 1 only comprises 10% of the diabetic population meaning that people just aren't as knowledgeable about the condition. I've met some people who are completely ignorant about the fact that there is more than one kind of diabetes in the first place. I really feel like there needs to be more education out there about type 1 diabetes so that we don't get lost in the shuffle of type 2. Everyone needs to know more about this condition because it is a serious problem.

Anyway, back to the story. This lady just continued on about how you can prevent and reverse diabetes and finally my mum had just gotten sick of it. She phoned into the CBC when they asked for questions, and no word of a lie, she told this woman off.......on air. I believe she said something along these lines,

"You cannot just use the term diabetes like that. There are two different kinds of diabetes and type 1 is not preventable. I have a newly diagnosed type 1 daughter and there was nothing we could have done to stop her from getting this disease. You have to specify between the two because they are so different. You can't just generalize it like that."

Go mum!

p.s The photo above is also not to stereotype type 2 diabetics either. I know there are type 2's that are of perfectly normal weight range. I just thought the photo was funny.

I thought this pitcture here was a great and simple way to explain type 1 vs. type 2.

Medical I.D Bracelet's and Why You Should Most Definitely Have One!

Gone are the days when medical identification bracelets were plain and boring and all looked the same. You know the one's I'm talking about. The boring chain with the oval shaped medical id symbol? Good news is, nowadays you can get medical identification to suit almost any style. For example the one I'm getting looks like this...

 

Pretty right? But if that's not your style then there are plenty others to choose from. And prices to meet everyone's budget. There are even some companies that will give you one of their lower range pieces for free. Therefore, there's no excuse for an individual with a medical condition not to be wearing one. Reality is, if you're passed out or unable to speak for whatever reason, the identification jewelry is your voice. It can let a passer-by or the EMS know what conditions you have, medications you take, and anything you may be allergic to. Some bracelets even have a phone number for paramedics to call that gives them access to your record which can include doctors information and your emergency contacts. Because it would really suck to wind up in the hospital and for no one to know who you are or who to call.

These are the ones I use for sports. They are silicone so they're waterproof and perfectly fine to get dirty.

Below are some links to places where you can acquire a piece of medical i.d jewelry...

By country:

http://www.medicalert.ca/en/ Canada

http://www.medicalert.org/ U.S.A

http://www.medicalert.org.au/ Australia

http://www.medicalert.co.nz/ New Zealand

http://www.medicalert.org.uk/index.php United Kingdom

Generic:

http://identifyyourself.org/

http://stickyjewelry.com/ <------ This one has a lot of really unique a beautiful styles to choose from

http://www.custommedicalbracelets.com/home

http://www.mylifewear.com/ <-------Great men's styles

http://coolmedid.com/store.php?pg1-cid35.html <-------- Silicone