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Anna's Blog
By: FatCatAnna

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back in 1968 at the ripe ol' age of 7. Since then, the way diabetes is treated has changed for the better. Compared to the days of testing your urine, boiling glass syringes, sharpening the needle on a stone, it feels like the Stone Ages when I see how things have progressed.

Hopefully one day we will find a cure for diabetes, but until then, we plod along with the new technology (for example, since Nov 2008 I have been using an insulin pump to attain better A1C's and quality of life).

I presently volunteer at various websites helping others with their questions about diabetes, and even learning new things myself all the time! I also have taken on the role of Vice President at the West Island Diabetes Association (WIDA) with the hopes of bringing that organisation into the 21st century and attracting more diabetics to come out to meet their fellow PWD's (people with diabetes) and share their secrets of living successfully with our hiccup in life!

The most important thing for PWD's I feel is to educate ourselves on our condition, and not to let it bring us down. With the help of Diabetes1.org I hope to bring a smile to each and everyone of your faces, and for you to question the things that we do to keep on trudging along.

 


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Trying to avoid eating is hard! - Feb 12
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Last week was interesting as far as my blood sugars (BG’s) went.  I was fighting to keep them below 10 mmol/l (180 mg/dl) and at the same time trying not to ...
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Anna's Blog

Socialising with nondiabetic friends
Posted: Jan 17, 2010 13:17:47 2 Comments.
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  • Last night we got together with friends that we don't see too often.  We were celebrating a few birthdays, so I being the dessert maker, made up a nice treat.  Only one person in the group is a diabetic (D) like myself, and I saw their eyes bulge out when they saw what I had made, and I could see their nonD wife giving me the evil eye, as if I was going to kill her hubby due to sugar overdose! He's on insulin by the way, so he can "cheat" from time to time like I/we D's do from time to time.

    As I was sitting around the table sharing appetizers and chatting up with the guys on all the latest news.  I started to realise that I was wishing I was sitting with all my D friends that I've made contact with over the past year.  I only started to socialise in D forums recently, and have found them to be a God send for when I'm feeling down or see someone asking for help.  I  was having an inner struggle inside of myself with feeling the way I was last night.  The one thing  I realised, everything with that evening was revolving around all the good food that we were eating.  Not that this hasn't happened before, I  mean food is part of the "social" thing.  We had awesome brushetta, orange slices made up with sugar, olive oil and whole black peppers (really GOOD - here's a low sugar version I found) to share and the main course was pasta sauce and meatballs with penne - eccellente!  

    The only little glitch, I was having to calculate how many carbs in the back of my mind for all the foods/drinks I was cramming into my body and how long to bolus my insulin so my blood sugars wouldn't spike like crazy.  I felt sort of a bit strange, telling some of my friends about the carb count in pasta, and my other Dfriend giving me that evil eye of "why are you telling them this?".  I guess I just can't shut up about diabetes sometimes - is that bad?

    I was wishing at that pointin time that I was surrounded by my diabetic friends that would "get me" (can you hear me Danny?).  The ones that know what to do with carb/insulin ratio (my Dfriend doesn't really care - despite my giving him a few books).  I was having little thoughts in my head, still listening into my friends of course, but thinking that if we were all diabetic, we'd be sharing some of our  stories about diabetes.   I've never felt this way before at a get together with nondiabetic friends, and as you can see, it's sort of shocked me to be thinking this way.

    So, my question to you, have you ever experienced this feeling before?  I'm thinking because I'm more in tune with my diabetes now then I ever was, that this was the reason for why I felt this way.

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    Comments (2):
    By: FatCatAnna: Jan, 20, 2010 23:51 PM

    Stachapelle,

    I have a few friends that are hypoglycemic. So, we understand each other with how we keep our BG's even as we're in the same boat and want to get the most out of life without a wobbly pop.   E.g. if they eat something sweet, and not too much (just like I have to do as a diabetic and not PIG OUT) - I've shown them how to eat some protein along with something sweet so their BG's don't go dive bombing.  I do the same thing but for me, it's so my BG's don't go sky rocketing!  And yes, trying to eat small meals and work it around your schedule (e.g. school, work, travel) is a chore!  I've just learned to do what I have to do, as I'm sure you do, but we do get questioned sometimes, and it's difficult to make some people understand why we "do what we do".


    By: slachapelle:

    I feel your frustration, Anna. I don't have diabetes, but I do have hypoglycemia, which is another blood sugar disorder where the bloodsugar level drops dramatically throughout the day, and you feel significant highs and lows. I'm supposed to eat several small meals a day,  but you know this is difficult in today's busy society. I'm a college student, so I live with seven other weight conscious female who do not understand my condition or how it makes me feel physically, despite my efforts. They have late lunches and dinners and by that time I'm just about dying despite the five snacks I've had already. They eat small salads for meals while I'm shovelling in tons of proteins and fats, and this certainly doesn't go unnoticed or without comment. A few of them understand how difficult it is and we all try to help everyone else understand, but no one can truly relate to how I'm feeling.  When I do share a story about how I'm feeling, such as the time I spelled my name wrong on important documents because my sugar was so low, they cannot relate. It's unfortunate, but this just means that those with blood sugar related disorders need the support from each other. We need you and your blog! Thanks!



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