Blood Glucose Envy

Ann Bartlett is savoring life! Living With It Wellness Center Owner, living with type 1 I have lived with juvenile diabetes since I was 5 years old. My... Send Message Subscribe: Ann Bartlett

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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On July 14th, tudiabetes had a Test-In, a timed blood sugar check, to celebrate their membership of 14,000 in the tudiabetes community. At 4pm EST, I checked my blood sugar, which was 188, and then posted my reading on the site to go public on tudiabetes. Many people posted perfe...

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Great point!
Manny Hernandez
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 12:42 PM

Ann,

We were having a similar conversation in the TuDiabetes admin team last night. I think the more we share numbers when/if they are out of range, and acknowledge that sometimes we are out of range in spite of our focus to stay in the range, we will see more and more people becoming comfortable with coming out of the diabetes closet, whether that means being comfortable sharing their levels or sharing the diabetes altogether.

re: Great point!
Ann Bartlett
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 02:58 PM

Thanks for reading Manny! I read your blog about how much we are reaching people with diabetes. Sharing is so personal with regard to diabetes & the numbers. I hesitated for years about getting actively involved, until I needed to find help and could not find a diabetes community for adults! I'm grateful to sites like Tudiabetes, Health Central and Diabetes Daily that designed for this issue!

I think it will be a slow change. One problem I see, that adds to BG envy, is yesterday the news was tighter control means less complications. You have a bad diabetes day and you think you have signed your "complications contract!" There needs to be an effort to figure out how to help those who feel they aren't near perfection, realize they may be closer than they realize. This will give a great sense of comfort and encouragement, and sharing a day full of wonky numbers doesn't seem so embarrassing or threatening. Instead it is part of the process!

Let's brainstorm on this very important diabetes point!

Untitled Comment
Faye
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 01:25 PM

great post! i've, thankfully, been having readings in my target range for the past few days, except yesterday, when i shot to 439 for no apparent reason. i thought it was a bum omnipod, but even after changing and bolusing accordingly, i was still at 404 an hour later. in a last-ditch effort, i went on to inject FIFTY units of novolog (not a brute force method i support, but hey, i was getting desperate!). finally, 2 hours later, i was at 132 and stable.

so yeah, blood glucose envy...sometimes i envy myself on other days for having "normal" levels!

re: Untitled Comment
Ann Bartlett
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 03:05 PM

Faye!

Boy can I relate! I am still on my pump vacation, because I felt like I needed fewer variables for a while and it has helped! But believe me, I still have those days when I feel like a deer in the headlights! And then those days of feeling like your own personal diabetes hero.. I could use a few more of those! lol

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Anonymous
Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 12:23 PM

That was like reading about my self!AWESOME!

Awesome!
delia
Monday, August 03, 2009 at 02:10 PM

Thanks Ann for the great article! Reading this makes me feel less alone in this sometimes lonely and frustrating challenge we live with!

re: Awesome!
Ann Bartlett
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 09:27 PM

Big D!

You finally visited me! You, my dear, are never alone! Thx for coming into the folds of my life! Looking forward to our October fun with JDRF at Health Central!

Big A

Realistic!!
Mariela Lauria
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 10:10 PM

As most of other readers felt, after reading your post, it´s a great relief to see that ups and downs are a common point in all of us, diabetics. In my case, I´m now 42 years old and I´ve been under this condition since I was 19 (too many years!!).

And must remark your post, sometimes you feel great and dominating this illness, but others you hate the fact you are doing everything you can to be almost normal, and nothing behaves as expected. Just driving the situation as you said, if b.sugar is high... more insulin, if it is low... eat more carbs or have sth.sweet ( or coke which is the quickest!). Frustration sometimes can be hard, but persons like me, that have been in this condition for too long, also learns how to handle them.

To make this long story short, your comment is GREAT. Pure reality, nothing is too controlled nor undercontrolled... don´t you agree. Just need to keep testing.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Mariela, from Argentina.

re: Realistic!!
Ann Bartlett
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 09:23 PM

Hi Mariela!

You and I are close in age, I turn 45 in a couple of weeks. I couldn't agree more, that over time you learn to deal! My husband suffers more frustration for me then I do during a situation like crazy blood sugar numbers! Poor guy!

and you are right hang in there, better days can be around the corner! That's why we need communities like this one!

Thanks for reading.. all the way from Argentina! By the way, I love some of the wines from your country!

Stay in touch!

re: re: Realistic!!
Mariela Lauria
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 10:03 PM

Hi Ann!!

I´m so glad that somebody has read my post!! Never thought of having an answer!!

By the way, how long have you been having this disease? I know how your husband would suffer your ups and downs!! It´s not death but this illness can be very unfair and that is when I become a rebell (just for a few hours, but I do.... l.o.l).

I inject low doses of insulin because I´m very active but sometimes I go through h.BG. passages and I feel I´m leaving my heart in what I do everyday to mantain averages, and that can´t do more for it. I usually, or better I never, try to put some of this weight on my family shoulder. They keep asking about my sugar but I tell them everything´s ok. I often go on like if nothing was happening but sometimes my mood changes a lot. I know that if that happens I´d sound a bit ironic or angry so I let them know in order to avoid their sadness or preventing them from feeling I´m mad at them...( I´m very concious about that...). But, well, I´m handling it and have been doing this since my nice 19!!

Love that u like Argentine wines... they´re almost the best, aren´t they???

See if I can send you some.... l.o.l.

Thanks for your attention,

Best wishes!!

Mariela

re: re: re: Realistic!!
Ann Bartlett
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 10:19 PM

Mariela,

I always read my comments and usually respond. We all do here!

I have been living with diabetes since I was 5, diagnosed Easter weekend 1970! Remember Easter well that year!

Do you know about DESA, Diabetes sports and Exercise Association? http://www.diabetes-exercise.org/ They are a wonderful organization for those of us who are active and involved with our diabetes management! I'm about to write a blog about them, which should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Figuring it all out is beyond me, and I keep a CDE who is an exercise physiologist on contract! Really!! It makes the differnce between my biting off my husband's head and leading a civil life!!

My family has been great, very hands off unless I ask them. I know what you mean, it's hard enough to deal with diabetes, but then when family, who doesn't have it, gets involved, it makes for a rough relationship!

Let's chat Argentinian wines for sure!!

Always here feel free to send me an email! If you sign up and make a profile for yourself you can be directly connected to me. There is no spamming from this sight, so don't worry that you will get tons of email for signing up.

Look forward to staying in touch!

A