A lukewarm rant: You know they have machines to measure your blood sugar?
I'm really not upset because I'm used to it. It's just irritating.
I was out to lunch with a group of people today. The topics of pets came up. I mentioned that I had a cat who passed after 19 years. (Loved her).
Anyway, now that I zig-zag in and out of hypo unawareness and have actually passed out before, I signed up to get a service dog. There is a wait list, so it will be awhile.
The person I was talking to was like "well, they have devices to measure your sugar, you know."
Duh? I pointed out to him that I'd taken my glucose before the meal and gave myself a dose of insulin all while I was sitting at the table. (I've had type 1 for so long that it's pretty unnoticeable unless someone is watching me.)
I then explained hypo unawareness. However, I was just like, "WTF?" I always feel like people who don't have diabetes and don't know much about it have stuff to say.
(Honestly, I think it's worse if someone's related to someone with type 2 because they start talking about oral medication and other stuff that simply doesn't apply to me.)
Okay, lukewarm rant over, but the longer I have diabetes (it's been over 20 years now) the more I want to punch people who try to be smart about it around me. I didn't though. ;)
Tags: rant
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Regina on
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I'm just glad that I can take or leave sweets. I had a nice 3 course meal last night and I only ate the desert because I realized I'd gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overboard on my carb count. I needed that desert to save me. Sure enough 2 1/2 hours later, my glucose was normal and still had just over 2 units floating around in my system. I let myself have a drink with orange juice in it to counteract the hypo that was going to come.
Having a carb addiction to things like rice and noodles is bad enough. I bring the sweets in only in situations like last night where I have to or if it's a piece of luscious cheesecake. (I'm in it for the mouthfeel.)
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Permalink Reply by abcpav on -
haha, Regina, I've done that too -- I occasionally have to have "medicinal" dessert because I overbolused for something else. Truly -- I don't *want* to eat this fantastic ice cream/cake/what-have-you, it's just that I'll pass out if I don't. This dessert is *good* for me. Don't give me that look, I know I have diabetes! *eyes rolling*
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They won't let me reply to you @abcpav!
Last night's 3 course meal was all by myself. I'm wonderfully happy with my own company. I think that's why I don't get as many dumb comments or judgements about my diabetes. I just avoid people. :-S
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Permalink Reply by Doris D on -
Natalie just asking here do u have gasteroparasis along with that thing about carbs?? My digestion and stomach emptying is REALLY bad due to the gasteroparasis.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
Thanks for asking, Doris, but I have never been diagnosed with gastroparesis. And I don't THINK I have it, because I really don't have trouble except for when I eat too much. As long as I keep my meal size small, I do fine.
Also, I have NO other complications whatsoever at all, especially no neuropathy that I know of. Wouldn't it be strange to have gastroparesis without any other neuropathy?
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
I think that sounds nice in theory, Type 1gal, but for me there are several reasons I don't do that: In the short run, I just find it harder to accurately bolus once the carbs get above say the level of 40. I'm not a low carber, but I do like Bernstein's law of small numbers: The less carbs, the less insulin, the less damaging the results can be.
And in the long run, I gain weight way too easily, and lots of carbs and lots of insulin would almost guarantee that for me. Plus, a related issue is that type 1's who eat whatever and take lots of insulin to cover it are at risk of developing insulin resistance. No thanks, one diabetic problem is quite enough for me!
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Permalink Reply by Judith on -
Zoe---I always love being reminded of his "law of small numbers". With a depressing pre-prandial # this eveing and few options, my brain says it as "there's no such thing as a Free Carb" and so about 5 carbs I might normally have are Deleted!
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Permalink Reply by Betty J on
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People who don't live with our disease have no idea what it's like and they won't unless they get to have our disease. No matter how long you live with this disease you will always feel that way unless you adopt another attitude. I've lived much longer with D and early on I adopted the attitude that people have to be educated and that's how I handle it.
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Very true and I don't disagree. In fact, I did inform him about hypo unawareness which he had no idea about.
It's not so much that he was unaware or ignorant about diabetes, but that he was insensitive and, frankly, rude. I can forgive someone for not knowing. I've had people in the past ask me "oh, what's this?", ask about how I manage daily, or even get excited to see me checking my blood sugar. I remember I even had a guy ask me if I'd check his. I explained that his blood glucose would be fine, so it was sort of a waste. Also, that I didn't switch out my lancets as much as I should (reminds me to switch mine today). I ultimately said no because I was paying out of pocket for those test strips. What he learned that evening? Test strips aren't cheap. ;)
People like that, who are truly curious, I have no issues with. It's people who are insensitive and rude who rub me the wrong way, and that's distinct from simply not knowing. People can be both, but I've run into a few that aren't. When I have to deal with the others, I'm just not as patient. Maybe that will come with time, but maybe it won't.
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Permalink Reply by knittykat on -
I was blown away by the first person to find blood sugar testing fascinating. My thoughts were literally "This is the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE how could you find this interesting?? I hate each and every test strip I've ever used and I could literally use this meter as skeet for my shotgun!" But then I got over it, it's kind of cute when it happens now. She still gets excited.
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I actually don't hate it that much. I was surprised when this guy was so interested in it, but it came off as more cute than anything.
If I'm tired, I'll get cranky about testing just because I want to rest. I'm pretty clinical about it. Maybe it's because I was once a science dork who had med school ambitions. I never sweated blood testing or giving myself shots. I'll point out to the person drawing my blood for tests the right vein to go after. ;) When I was first diagnosed when I was in university, I remember the doctors would bring the residents into my room to talk to me. I was an articulate and calm model patient. I told them they ought to probably hang out with the less rational patients as that was better practice.
I'm still really compliant. My endo read my pump data and was like "you actually do what the pump tells you to do." My reply was wasn't that the point? His reply? "You'd be surprised". I would. This equipment costs so much and is really a PITA (pain in the a##) with all the moving parts (supplies, swabs, sticky swabs, testing 6x or more a day, alerts, malfunctions, etc.), so I want to try to get the most out of it. Otherwise, I can go back to shots.
Okay, that was babbling but the testing got me on a train of thought that took me all the way to the station. ;)
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