lesson learned.

of all places to discover i was low, it had to be at the neuroscience clinic today. i’d developed a foot drop while warded and it’s been recovering well, but i had to go for an appointment today.

i had my usual 20 minute jog on the elliptical machine this morning, followed by a good shower, and a drink of water. i was so focused on getting all the stuff i need into my bag, and so i completely forgot to have a snack!

my appointment was at 12.10, and i usually have lunch around 12.30. And it just so happened that i had to wait…and wait…and wait. waiting is usually frustrating enough for the uber-impatient girl i am.

but i was getting grumpy for no apparent reason and i was really, REALLY hungry. so out came the one touch ultra metre, and i pricked my finger.

3.8mmol.

just a mild one. i wouldn’t have to treat it should a meal be nearby, but because i was two patients away from seeing the doctor, a snack was necessary. I got a tuna bun from the bakery downstairs and munched on half of it. Stomach temporarily satisfied, I saw the doctor and soon, lunch was in my tummy for real.

that was definitely a horrible reminder that snacks are not always bad for me (i tend to have that mentality at times) and that i MUST remember to have it when necessary!

now i look forward to the diabetes nurse’s weekly nagging when i report to her next tuesday. oh boy. (that aside i know she cares, i could just pass on the nagging.)

highs & lows

it’s been something like 2 months since my diagnosis and i’m getting better at this diabetes thing altogether, and i’m pretty darn glad about it. the only problem with me now is that i still can’t properly identify a low.

i can’t imagine how many of my precious test strips i’ve used testing myself when i believe i’m low, only to be proven wrong. and there have been a couple of times when i was low and couldn’t sense it. good thing i test four times a day and i can easily, easily rescue myself should a low happen somewhere just before a mealtime.

but since i’m still relatively new to this, i think it’ll take some time before my body can truly accurately sense highs and lows.

in other news, i saw the dietitian yesterday and she’s super pleased with my diet and my blood sugars! i can eat up to 4 exchanges of carbs at a meal but because i’m looking to lose a couple of kilos, i’ll stick to my maximum of 2-3 exchanges per meal.

things are looking bright. my appointment with prof. thai is in a couple of weeks, i hope i’m okay enough for her to run my blood test then because i am quite anxious to know exactly if i am a type 1 or 2. but whichever the case i’ll live with it.

diagnosis.

1am, 30th april.
hyperventilating, and barely alive, somehow i survived the five minute drive to emergency. i wasn’t at the wheel of course; my dad was, and in any case i can’t drive.

blood sugars were off the meter, ketones were found in my urine, and to top it off, they discovered an infectious tissues on my abdomen and groin which had to be removed by surgery.

semi-conscious, post-surgery, the emergency room doctor had to explain what had happened to me. i was hyperventilating because of DKA, and i’d had surgery and all this was caused by diabetes.

it sounded like a bad ultimatum – some kind of dreaded condemnation. i’m young, i was strong, why me? my previous perceptions of the condition proved wrong. here i was, nineteen, and lying in emergency waiting to be wheeled up to ICU, half sedated and barely hanging on to my life.

three weeks in hospital, inclusive of two days in ICU were spent struggling to cope with the diagnosis, deal with the pain of surgical wounds, and come to terms with the fact that i could never call myself ‘normal’ again.

slightly over a month later, i’m recovering from the surgery (it was pretty extensive) at home and learning all i can about how to take care of myself.

finger pricks and insulin shots are now part of my routine as are careful meal planning, daily exercise and lots and lots of research about diabetes.

sure i’m scared. but i think the fear will lessen as days go by.

anyway writing is therapeutic. this blog is my therapy.