Here Comes The Dreaded Hiatus

That's right, I'm off on hiatus for a few weeks after tomorrow. You see, the thing is, I'm moving home! And moving home generally means a lack of any form of Internet for a good few weeks. But have no fear, I shall return and hopefully with many hilarious stories to tell you.

You all know what it's like when you move home, how many addresses you have to change and all the stress that comes with that. Today, I began that painstaking process. I tried ringing my bank only to find I don't have the right level of security to change my address over the phone, which meant a walk into town to visit the branch. I tried phoning my local council to change the address where they pick my sharps box up from only to discover that they need a new "letter of referral" from my doctor. I managed to change my address with both hospitals where I'm seen much to the delight of their appointments department. But then it came to changing my address at my GP surgery.

If you're moving there then you're not in our catchment area any more, you have to re-register with a new GP. There is no way on earth we will treat you here any more.

I could have cried. I really could. Since when do GP's tell you that you can no longer be treated at a practice you've been going to for a long time just because you're moving a few minutes down the road. My GP is awesome, he's the one who told me I have nueropathy and how I can beat it. He's the one who doesn't bat an eyelid when I say I've got yet another new blood glucose meter and need new strips. It's just those awful receptionists. Getting through them is like mission impossible. And so, this afternoon I hiked my way into town and towards the closest doctors surgery to my new home. Only to be told I had to wait until I have moved in to register. No, not going to happen. They're getting the registration forms tomorrow and getting me an appointment to get yet another load of repeat prescriptions set up. Oh my new doctor is going to love me, coming in with a list of super expensive things. What's the betting he tries limiting the amount of test strips I use, or telling me I can no longer have Florence the Pump, or that I'm not allowed to have the Optium Blood Ketone strips. Yes, I can see a fight on my hands. But I've fought with rubbish GP's before and won, so let's see what happens.

It will be interesting to see how the blood sugars hold up during the move. Lugging boxes may prove for a few hilarious hypo incidents at the very least. The only problem I'm having right now is that this hectic lifestyle at the moment is leaving little time for basal testing. I slept through all three of my alarms last night so missed out on the overnight tests. Oh well, let's just see how we get on and then maybe once we're settled in the new place then basal testing can properly start. I have to say though, levels over the past week or so have been much much better than they were a week or so ago. Maybe it's something to do with playing with my meal time ratios?

Hopefully things will go smoothly this weekend, and then hopefully we can start getting a new Internet provider sorted out. But until then dear readers I shall bid you all Adieu. You all behave while I'm gone...

See you in a few weeks!

Educating The Masses

When I first heard that Channel 4 were showing a programme all about diabetes, I was filled with a sense of utter dread. Part of me hoped that they would show an upbeat and educational documentary on diabetes rather than stereotyping and telling the public horror stories about what might happen if you don't look after yourself. But I have to say, as I sat there last night watching this programme I was almost reduced to tears on many occasions when the young type 1's were talking about how they just didn't care about what might happen to them.

"I haven't done my insulin yet today. I'll do it later if I can be bothered."

 The fifteen year old girl who said those very words reminded me of me when I was that age. Almost immediately I felt like I knew what she was feeling, knew why she wanted to be normal so much. You see, I was like that once myself. I remember the days where I couldn't be bothered to do my insulin. I remember the days when I didn't test my blood sugar levels. Like the young lady in that programme, I went for months without testing my blood sugar levels.

Unfortunately it seemed as though this programme only concentrated on the negative aspects of rebellion and diabetes in the young. The shock tactics used in the programme were rather horrific and designed to shock people into thinking that all diabetics will end up losing their feet or ending up having to have renal dialysis. I hate to say it channel 4 but this really isn't the case at all. Whilst I appreciate the approach of showing young type 1 diabetics who are mid way through rebellion, what I don't appreciate is being told that I WILL lose a leg and end up having dialysis. Diabetes is not always like this, the programme failed to mention that there are plenty of Diabetics out there who look after themselves. Not only that, there are plenty of diabetics out there who look after themselves and who have never developed a single complication of the disease. There are plenty of ways of administering insulin nowadays and not all of them are via injections. I have been on an insulin pump for near on a month now, and have joined a legion of insulin pumpers who have taken charge of their diabetes.

The programme failed to note the key differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. I felt as if both the narrator of the documentary (and quite possibly most patronising interviewer ever) and the doctor of the hospital in question had it in their minds that both types of diabetes are caused by poor lifestyle choices. Funny really, I actually thought I was diabetic because my immune system decided to attack my pancreas...I had NO IDEA it was because I ate too many burgers as a kid (/sarcasm). In all seriousness, the programme failed to mention that there are significant differences between the two types, and that even with Type 2, it's not always caused by poor lifestyle choices but rather can be down to genetics or other reasons, not just because an individual is classed as "fat". It made me feel quite unwell listening as the consultant in question kept on about how it was all down to food and how all diabetes is down to poor lifestyle choices.

All in all a poorly constructed documentary and in a way I wish I hadn't watched it. Not only did watching those teenagers upset me greatly but the total lack of education and support shown for these young people made me feel angry. The total lack of care when dealing with their diabetes reminded me of me...

I thought I was superhuman once. And then I got nueropathy. And all because I didn't look after myself. Thankfully I turned myself around and now have a much greater hold on my diabetes and am looking after myself. But it doesn't stop the damage that has been done. I'm frightened for these children, frightened that their superhuman attitude and lack of education will lead to some serious consequences and for some of them maybe death that can so easily be avoided.

And channel 4, maybe next time you do a documentary on diabetes you can start commenting on some of the good stuff that happens? How about those of us who have fought back from the brink and become successful in both the management of our disease and in life itself? How about those of us who actively campaign for diabetes research? How about those of us who try and help those young people in bad situations because we know what it's like?

Diabetes isn't all bad. And I wish the media would start concentrating on that instead of trying to tell everyone that all diabetics have their disease because of poor lifestyle choices. It's not like that at all. It's time the media took a stand and made a documentary about the other side of diabetes, and explained the true difference between type 1 and type 2.


There was too much in the documentary (if it can even be called that) to bring up here. But what I will say is this, it didn't educate but rather proved to be a disgusting attempt at saying that diabetes is an epidemic that can be halted by eating "healthier". This disgusts me, as so many of us cannot even help the way our pancreas' failed on us. The "mockumentary" (thanks for that Tom!), failed to distinguish fully between the types of diabetes and aimed only to scare. Granted there are those that rebel, but this travesty has only served as a poor shock tactic which probably wouldn't even work anyway. I'm half tempted to write and complain to Channel 4 for creating a biased and quite frankly untrue view of what being a diabetic is like. And do you know what I can see growing from this Channel 4? More prejudice from those non diabetic people, you know the ones I mean? The ones who take it upon themselves to lecture you and look down their nose at you when you tell them you're diabetic, the ones who tell you you must have it from eating too many chocolate bars as a child. And this is not on. Thank you channel 4, the next time I get a comment from a non PWD about how I got diabetes, I'm blaming you. And a letter of complaint will be written for your poor, disgusting and poorly put together documentary.

Maybe it's time for those of us who live with this disease day in, day out to make our own documentary. One that shows both sides of living with diabetes. I know I'm up for that. It's time to educate the masses. And properly this time.

Seeing The Benefits

 Today was the first time in a long time I have felt truly well in myself. And I have to say it's a pretty nice feeling. Bar a couple of hypo's this evening, my blood sugars have been below 10mmol/L all day and that's the first time this has happened since I started pumping nearly a month ago. And for the first time, I felt genuinely well and healthy within myself. No annoying thirst that comes with highs, no nasty twinges in my feet when sugar levels are too high, no spates of feeling angry. Just...wellness.

I know I still have a way to go, and a lot of basal testing to do and basal levels to sort out. I know I have to start playing with insulin to carb ratios now. But I'm getting there and I'm starting to see the advantages of pumping start to shine through. I don't think I can ever go back to MDI now, I don't think I would ever want to.

For the first time in years I'm starting to notice hypo symptoms again. For the first time in years I'm starting to feel rubbish when levels hit 12 or so mmol/L. This is a good thing, and something I want to continue. I know I still have a way to go, but after today I want to fight even harder to get there quicker.

I know I can do it.

And maybe part of my best way forward is to eat no carbs at lunch time, as for the first time in a couple of weeks today I didn't see levels shooting up into the 20's post lunch. And this made me a very happy young lady!