Monday, May 11, 2015

#DBlogWeek Day 1 - I Can

Welcome to the Sixth Annual Diabetes Blog Week!  This is my first year participating as I've just started my DBlog.  A huge thanks to Karen at Bitter~Sweet for putting this all together!

Today's Topic:  Let's kick things off this year by looking at the positive side of our lives with diabetes.  What have you or your loved one accomplished, despite having diabetes, that you weren't sure you could?  Or what have you done that you've been particularly proud of?  Or what good thing has diabetes brought into your life?

I have never, ever hidden my diabetes.  If you meet me at a bus stop, you'll probably know I'm a diabetic within two minutes!  I test my blood sugar in public and I've taken shots (when I was on MDI) in public.  I now use my pump in public to bolus, change my basal rates, or most importantly, to see what time it is.

Why does that matter in today's "I Can" theme?

Well, it's certainly given me the opportunity talk to all sorts of people about diabetes.  I've had the opportunity to educate as well as 'correct' misconceptions about it.  I've also had the chance to talk to other diabetics about their experiences (which is a huge benefit to me!).

For example, Angry and I were at a bar and I used my pump to take a bolus for dinner.  The gentleman sitting next to me turned and asked what pump I was using.  He was a fellow Type 1 and was interested in learning about a pump that was different than the Medtronic he was currently using.  We had a nice conversation, comparing and contrasting the pumps.  He said he was going to speak to Animas to learn more about my pump and then go to his Endo to see if a switch was a good idea/necessary.

Another time, Angry and I were at a bar (as this blog continues, you'll see this as a regular theme!!) and I tested my blood sugar.  The gentleman next to me asked if I was a diabetic and we got into a rather long conversation about diabetes.  He had recently been told by his doctor that he was a pre-diabetic.  He was very interested in some education about the differences between Type 1 and Type 2, low carb diets, and how exercise affects blood sugar.  Please note that I told him repeatedly (as I always do) that I was not giving him advice and that he should consult with his doctor before changing anything in his routine/healthcare regime.  He was most thankful for the information and did mention that his doctor wasn't very educated about diabetes.  He had basically told him to stop eating sugar and exercise more so he wouldn't become a "full blown" diabetic.  YIKES!  I did suggest that he search out an endocrinologist for more information/diagnosis.

There have been many other instances similar to those.  Sometimes it was a quick "Hey, I'm diabetic too!" comment or "I've been afraid to test in public, thanks for making me feel more at ease about it." comment.

Am I "God's gift" to diabetes?  Hell no.  But I feel like "I can" do something.  I may be able to educate someone. I may learn something. I can share my experiences.  And I may be able to help someone feel more at ease about their own diabetes.

Click here to read more "I Can" posts.


12 comments:

  1. How wonderful to have people like you out there doing what you can to educate others! Thank you. Your story about the pre-diabetic is, unfortunately, a very common tale. I'm glad that man is paying attention as so many don't! Great to have met you Liz and I look forward to repeating that soon!

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  2. It's so great that you are educating people about diabetes everywhere you go! You rock!!

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  3. Great you can open that dialogue anyplace and help people out!

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  4. Hooray for education people! I especially love that you've been able to help others battling diabetes. Sometimes it's easy to forget that not everybody has access to such amazing support and information from the DOC as I do. I've talked to a person with type 1 before who had never heard of a CGM! Thanks for putting yourself out there!

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  5. that should read, "Hooray for educating people."

    Apparently I need a little more education. Or maybe I should just learn to not post comments with two small children yelling at me

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  6. hahaha! My most frequent action is checking the time when I grab my pump too. I work at as a bartender and wear my CGM on the back of my arm and my pump on the outside of my jeans. It invites a lot of questions and I , like you, love sharing and making an opportunity to educate. Funny how that happens so much in bars, eh? Thanks for posting. I loved reading it. <3

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  7. Aww it's great that you are able to educate others! I wish I could do it more!

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  8. I love that you are a voice for diabetes and diabetics everywhere. Thank you x

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  9. Love the blog name and look forward to reading more! In my biased opinion, once you are comfortable with diabetes it is best to "own it." If you are cool with diabetes, others will be, too. Seems like you set a great example of that in the #doc!

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  10. Have definitely gotten more open about my D as time moved on and I interacted more within and beyond the DOC. And I still remember being late to a work meeting one morning, and walking by a guy who had a MM pump clipped to his pocket -- but I didn't have time to stop! Or that woman in church who was on the opposite side of the sanctuary and had a MM pump, and I darn near had to stop myself from jumping over a few pews to go talk with her. Good times, and those ones never happened. Oh yes, and bars and microbrews.... now THAT'S where it all happens, indeed!

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  11. I love that you are educating people just by using your pump. GO YOU!

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  12. Sometimes the best education comes from people who live with it and have the patience to speak to others about it. You ARE God's gift :)

    Awesome blog!

    Ash

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