Tag: Diabetes

May is …

~ JodiLea

How nice.

I am aware, thank you very much.

Mental Illness runs on my Mom’s side of the family. Grandma was diagnosed with “manic depressive” syndrome. So was my Mom, myself, then my sister. People are no longer diagnosed with Manic Depression. They call it Bipolar now, but we are talking about the same kind of crazy.

Also, from my mom’s side, I have Type I Diabetes. The T1D research group I belong to published this article in their May newsletter. Whether you have diabetes or not, I think you may find it interesting.

For people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), self-management requires an extraordinary amount of decision-making every day. In fact, research suggests this tallies to about 180 more health-related decisions than someone living without diabetes.   This level of stress can affect a person’s emotional well-being, leading to feelings of frustration, burnout, and diabetes distress. And it’s why your healthcare provider may regularly use an assessment tool to monitor your mental health.   According to our Registry data, participants with T1D also self-reported the following diagnoses. While these numbers are only representative of our participants, they are telling.
Anxiety (24.9%)
Depression (24.2%)
Eating disorders (3.2%)
Diabetes distress (2.4%)
PTSD (0.3%)
That said, on average, research suggests people with T1D are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than someone without T1D. But only 25-50% of these individuals are diagnosed and treated. That’s why it’s important to be honest about your feelings and advocate for yourself or a loved one. While caring for your physical health is essential, your mental health is equally important.   The T1D Exchange Registry is dedicated to improving the lives of those living with T1D. One way we do this is by supporting mental health research in T1D. A current study, Mental Health Support Experiences and T1D, aims to better understand participants’ experiences when talking with diabetes care providers about their mental health and well-being.

To find out more about the T1D Exchange Registry, see their website.

TTFN



Can You See Me Now?

~ JodiLea

InvisibleIllness
When I saw this diagram, it reminded me of the iceberg that destroyed the Titanic.  Then I read it.

Wow. That’s me. And like the Titanic, it was the below the surface crap that crippled and nearly sunk me. However – this post is not about me. “What?!” you say.  Yeah yeah.

I was compelled to share this with you, my dear readers, to hopefully educate you about people with chronic (invisible) illnesses. Maybe, you deal with one, but certainly someone you know has a chronic illness, whether you are aware of it or not.

I know about it now. Way too much, to be honest.

If you have read any of my posts under “Being Diabetic” or my “Insulin Pump Saga”, I talk not only about my disease, but how I try to cope with everyday life.  Just telling y’all is cathartic, so I benefit, but I also have my BFF, God, my diary and a dog I can talk to, so these posts are more for those newly diagnosed with a chronic illness, or the people who care about them.

It’s a walk in my shoes to look at how things go, from a person living with one (chronic illness). Live information, instead of all the books, pamphlets and videos thrown at you to absorb. Don’t even think about getting rid of those, BTW!  Mine are filed away in the black-hole under my office files, but they are there when I need to refer to them. Yes, even after being diagnosed 10 years ago, I still need them occasionally.  You can’t know everything!  Not at the same time.

Some days I may seem a little “off”, or not myself.  OK, so most days I seem like that – Ha!  I don’t usually mention it because words of explanation are tough to come by without sounding like a complainer. [Y’all know I’m a complainer, but it’s usually about politics, law, football or stupid people – not all about me.]

Well, it’s time to check my sugars and have a snack (or not) and put my ass in bed – that’s a big job these days…

TTFN

If you have Diabetes (Type I or II) and would like to comment, ask questions, or relay information – PLEASE do so!!

 

 

Day One: Going Live

~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Well, class this morning was early. Unlike most morning classes I PumpClasshad when I was a full-time student, this class was exciting. Maureen, the trainer, is friendly, and easy going. Even though the subject is life & death serious, we had fun while I learned some things I hadn’t before. And I have dealt with diabetes for 9-years. It is a complicated chronic disease.

Because I was her only student and the training center is a 2-hour drive away, and Maureen lived closer to us, we had today’s class at home. I’m so glad we arranged this because I was nervous enough about going ‘live’ with insulin without a 2-hour drive and a strange place. I did really well and my blood sugar is spot-on (so far).

The only issue I had during the practice phase was my nemesis the syringe. And guess what?  I was not doing something I knew how to do with normal syringes – priming them.  You need to push up and down with the plunger a few times before attempting to insert air/draw out insulin. This loosens up the plunger. Besides feeling like an idiot, I was so happy that it was an easy issue to fix.

Tomorrow’s class will have to be at the facility because I need to meet with my doctor afterwards, to go over my log book and make any corrections to my dose, if necessary.

Meanwhile… the rest of the afternoon/evening/bedtime I must test my blood sugar every 1-2 hours, and from midnight to 6:00am I must get out of bed three times to test as well. If my fingers don’t hate me now, they will after 2-days of this! I get to taper off some, but not much for the first couple months.

Now I am officially “on the pump”. The only insulin I am getting is via the little Pod attached to my abdomen. The Pod is my pancreas, and it is remote-controlled. My granddaughter’s are fascinated, especially the (almost) 4-year old. She wanted to look at the Pod, and constantly touch it. She calls it “grandma’s boob”.

🙂  This thing will take some getting used to, for everyone…