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.

SO DISAPPOINTED!!!

     Okay so this really upsets me. Joining the Canadian military was something that I had been considering for the past couple years and just today, I found out that I will never be allowed to do so because of my diabetes. I'm not sure I agree with this because I could not have better control of my condition right now and I am very aware of what is going on in my body.

     These "health standards" have been around for ages now and they exclude anyone who is on insulin or oral medications for diabetes from joining the military. And these standards aren't just for soldiers. They are for practically everyone! This includes nurses, mechanics, etc. I was reading another blog post on this subject and this one fellow said that he believes that we should be allowed to join the military because the technology to manage diabetes is so much more advanced than it was back when these standards were created. I couldn't agree more! If you can prove that you have really tight control over your condition then I don't see why you shouldn't be able to join.
   
      This being said I can somewhat understand their justification behind this. It would be a risk is you had a hypoglycemic episode while using a firearm and you cannot always eat on a regular basis. But say you were using CGM and were on an insulin pump. You would be aware of what your blood sugar was and you wouldn't have to eat until you were ready. There are definitely ways of fixing these problems and I think that it is discriminatory to exclude people simply because of a condition that they have. Especially one that can be controlled so well.

     I do believe that there are ways that a diabetic can successfully serve in the military and I also think that it is extremely outdated to prohibit pwd (people with diabetes) from joining.

p.s I'd like to point out that there are many police officers who are diabetic that also carry guns. Jussayin.

Why Are There Never Any Diabetic Support Groups?

     I'm sure they're out there, but somehow I have yet to come accross a diabetes support group in my area. It would be so neat if there was a group that could meet up every so often and talk about things going on in their lives. Even better if there were groups for teenagers and young adults. I'm 17 and no word of a lie, I am the only type 1 diabetic I know.  

     In my town of 24 000 people there are two highschools (both of which I have attended). One has a student body of 1000 and the school I'm at now has 800. I know for a fact that in my current school I am the only student with type 1. According to the guidance counselor, there was only one other fellow who had been in that school an he graduated three years ago.

     We live pretty close to a city of about a million people so I'm sure there are others around. I just think that it would be the coolest thing to be able to share stories and tips with other people your own age who are in the same position as you. Who knows....maybe I'll just start one. :D

Getting Stuck In

One of my dad's favorite sayings is "just get stuck into it". He usually says that when he wants us to work really hard at something. I took this thought and applied it to my life with diabetes. Right away after I got diagnosed that I decided that I was going to have a completely positive mindset about the whole thing. My friends always joke that I should just become the poster child for Type 1 because I am always willing to share my story and talk about diabetes openly. I always say to anyone who asks about my diabetes that I'm "taking this sucker by the horns". It's not that I love the fact that I have diabetes, I love that fact that it's given me something to fight for and to be passionate about. I always liked being unique and this is just another thing that makes me stand out from everyone else. If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes (or any condition/disease for that matter) my advice is that you don't let it get to you. Milk it for all it's worth and don't get down. You are able to do this. I promise. 

3 AM Blood Glucose Checks :/

Tonight is one of those nights. Yup you know the kind. The kind where you're not only going to have to wake up dead in the middle of the night but also have to get blinded by your overhead light while you proceed to stab your finger with a lancet. It's TEST NIGHT! Blahhhh...

So I do "Test Night" probably about 1-2 times a week. I try to pick nights where I have done a lot of activity in the daytime and when I'm not going to need to be up super early the next day. Although I hate them, I can understand why they're necessary. About 40% out of all the nighttime checks I've done, I've been low. I have since adjusted my insulin dosage and somewhat fixed this (keep in mind that I am still in the honeymoon phase so my pancreas hasn't fully crapped out on me yet). But alas..........I'm going to bed now.......SWEET DREAMS!!!!

I WANT AN INSULIN PUMP SO BAD!!!

Two days after I was diagnosed, one my support workers at the hospital mentioned the possibility of going on a pump at some point. I was completely opposed. There was "absolutely no way" I told her that I was "ever, ever, EVER!" going to get a pump. I was perfectly fine with my multiple daily injections and I hated the idea of having something attached to me 24/7. Of course at this point, I didn't know the first thing about insulin pumps. After I got home I started doing a ton of research and discovered what all the benefits of pumping were. Furthermore, it baffled me the amount of features that some of these pumps offered.

After some nosy-ing around I've decided that when it does come time to get a pump that I am going to get the Animas OneTouch Ping. I'm choosing this one for a couple important reasons. 

1.) It's 100% waterproof for an extended period of time. I'm a lifeguard, swimming instructor, and I work at a beach. This was an absolute "must".

2.) It connects wirelessly with your meter and allows you to control your settings without having to even touch your pump. This is great because then I don't have to go reaching into my bra or other places when I need to bolus or change something. It will just look like I'm texting or something along those lines.

3.) Built in food database on the meter-remote. I love this feature because it has hundreds of brand foods that you can select and it will count up the carbs for you. It also allows you to add some of your own foods.

4.) Sleek design. Of all the pumps I have seen this one has the most attractive design and interface in my opinion. I love the high contrast color screen and the fact that you can pick from a selection of different colored pumps. (Also if you get yours in Canada like I will be doing, the meter-remote has a color screen also!)

5.) Ability to customize the tune. Okay this one definitely wasn't a deciding factor but I just thought that it was really neat. Makes it feel a little bit more personalized just to you.

Why did I choose this over other pumps?

I did definitely check out other pumps such as the Medtronic Paradigm, Omnipod, and Accu-Chek but I just didn't feel like they completely suited my needs (for example the Medtronic is not waterproof). When it comes to the CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) on the Medtronic, I just feel like it is something that I don't really need right now. I check my blood sugar more than average anyway and 95% of the time they are always in target range (and I'm not going to lie.......I don't find the idea of a second site very appealing) Plus it doesn't come with the advanced meter-remote (which I <3!) As for the tubeless pump (Omnipod), I don't have an issue at all with tubing. Actually, I really like the fact that with traditional pumps you can unclip for a little while. I also wear a lot of tight clothing and I feel like this pump would probably show through. Don't get me wrong, these are still great pumps and would probably be perfect for other people but I think the Animas Ping just really fits what I need.

My concerns?

I think my only concern was that I may not know where to put it. But I feel like it's one of those things that you could put anywhere you store your cell phone. To be honest I will most likely just hide it in my bra (mother nature blessed me enough so I shouldn't have a problem with this haha).

Think You're Alone!? Diabetic Celebrities.

If you ever feel like you're the only one in the world with diabetes, think again!!! Here's a list of some familiar faces....all of whom have/ had diabetes. Don't ever be discouraged. These guys have gone on to accomplish great things.

1.) Halle Berry

2.) Elvis Presley

3.) Johnny Cash

4.) Nick Jonas

5.) Ella Fitzgerald

6.) Aretha Franklin

7.) Crystal Bowersox

8.) Mick Fleetwood

9.) Syd Barret

10.) Neil Young

11.) Dizzy Gillespie

12.) Elizabeth Taylor

13.) H.G. Wells

14.) Randy Jackson

See? You ain't alone.

Support Type 1 Diabetes In Style!!!

I love it when people are clever!!! Rachel T. from Pennsylvania was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2005 at the age of 12. Since then she has gone on to create some of the most beautiful bracelets I have ever seen. She sells them in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and has donated over $45 000 to the cause. Check her out at http://www.rachelscbd.com/

     

 

Diabetic Alert Dogs. WANT WANT WANT!!!

So I was really skeptical when I first cam across an article on a diabetic alert dog. I didn't actually think that they would be able to aid a diabetic in any way. But upon further research I have discovered that they could potentially save a diabetic's life. These dogs have been trained to sniff out your high and low blood sugars, and alert you to it before it becomes a problem. Perfect for people who are unaware of their bodies or for the nighttime when you're asleep. And of course because they are medical assistance dogs they are allowed by law, to go anywhere you go (an excuse for me to take a dog into residence when I go to university haha). All I can say is that when I move out of the house and away from my parents, a dog like this would give me assurance and peace of mind for when I'm on my own. Unfortunately though, they are worth a small fortune. I guess I better start saving now!

Why Isn't There Just a Meter That Does It All?!

So I'm still currently on the meter that I got given at the hospital. It's the Freestyle Lite from Abbot. I actually really like it. It's a simple little thing that is easy to use and has a couple cool little features. Plus I really like the fact that the port is at the bottom. I don't know why but I just don't like it at the top. The only other meter I have used is the OneTouch UltraMini which I got sent in the mail. I've been shopping around for my next possible meter and I've found that although there are a lot of ones that have great features, there's not one that just "does it all". Below is what I think would be the ultimate meter (also one that I would pay good money for).

1.) Telcare

By far one of the most technologically advanced meters I have found on the market. I haven't found a whole lot of information on it because it's relatively new. But what I did learn was that Telcare actually transmits wirelessly over a cellular network (at no charge to you). When you test the results can be sent to your computer, iDevice, even as a text to your family members. The data is also sent to a private online database that can be accessed by you, your family, and your doctors. No more writing in log books!



+


2.) FreeStyle Lite


This is my current meter as I said above I really like it. It's really small and compact which makes it easy to carry around and for a tiny meter it's got some great features. For example it's one of few meters that I've found that not only has a back light but also a light in the test strip port which makes nighttime testing a breeze (I mean I really enjoy not having to actually get out of bed to turn my overhead light on at 3AM). To be honest I don't understand why all meters don't include this feature. You can also set up to four alarms on it at different volumes. Another really cool thing about the Freestyle is that it requires the smallest amount of blood to complete a test (only 0.3 microlitres) and if you don't put enough on the first go around you have to option to add more for up to 60 seconds. No more wasted test strips! (Because we all know how fricken expensive they are).




                     +



3.) Accu-Chek Mobile
Strip-free testing. Hallelujah! I don't know about anyone else but I get really annoyed when I'm cleaning out my purse and I literally find used test strips by the handful. This glucose meter has a little cassette that you change once every 50 tests! Plus you can just clip your lancing device into the side for an all-in-one meter. Cool!












                                                +


4.) Precision Xtra
This one not only offers blood glucose monitoring but also has a different set of strips to check for ketones. Perfect for the diabetics that want to know exactly whats going on in their bodies. You get two features in one.







+




5.) FreeStyle InsuLinx 
Based on insulin-pump technology, the InsuLinx can recommend the amount of insulin you should take based on your BG reading. It also logs your data and gives you weekly messages to help you identify patterns in your glucose levels. What's also nice is that it's a touchscreen. This one is perfect for those who are one multiple daily injections but who want the control that a pump would give them. You can even upload your own photo for the background.







+


6.) OneTouch Ping
Unfortunately, this one is restricted only to those who have the OneTouch Ping insulin pump. But all the same it's got some really neat things on it. Of course it transmits wirelessly with the pump by allowing you to bolus without you needing to take the actual device out of your pocket of wherever you may be stowing it. I has a huge food base with brand name foods that you can select and it will count up your carbs for you. It also allows you to store some of your own foods which may not be on the list. I calculates the amount of insulin you take and can really fine tune your dosages.








Now if only all of these features could come on a meter remote that transmits wirelessly to an insulin pump I would be 100% sold.