My Diabetic Rebellion

Over the past few weeks, I read several accounts of the parents of children with diabetes going through what I like to refer to as "diabetic rebellion."

I haven't seen a lot of accounts of younger diabetics who actually went through this, though.

I would like to tell my story.

I was diagnosed when I was 7 years old.  My parents were very good at teaching me to be independent and how take care of myself.  I was giving myself shots very soon. I don't remember exactly when, but when I went to Camp Sweeney I was the only one in my age group that did not have to sign up for "giving myself shots" programs.

I want to make something very clear. My parents were are awesome. They got me supplies for years with no health insurance. They taught me how to take care of myself, and how important it was to stay on top of my diabetes. I can only hope that if I ever have to raise a diabetic child I can do half as good as they did.

I went to college, and about two years after moving out I just...wasn't staying on top of it.  I'd skip a blood sugar test. I'd wait for a while to take insulin, or skip it entirely. I was on Humalog so it was pretty easy to correct later, but it was also easy to just...not do it.  I could go to Wal-mart and buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's and eat it.  Sure, my friends would give me a hard time, but what did they know?  I'd bolus myself enough and it'd be OK.

It wasn't a sudden thing, it took time. I worked as a waiter and grazed on food (chips and salsa), but I was also busting my ass. I told myself that I'd get insulin later. I remember there were days where I probably only got about half what I needed.

Finally, I got very sick. I couldn't hold anything down. My blood sugar turned out to be around 600 mg/dL.

I had to ask my mom to come take me to the emergency room. When they released me, I was told my A1c was around 14%. It was one of the most humbling times in my life.

When I got out, it was an eye opener.  I had a lot of very good friends who were frank with me. They joked "they'll take your feet." But, they cared about me. My parents were worried. I had a girlfriend (at the time) who I didn't want to let down.

So, I shaped up.  Started seeing my endocrinologist again.  Taking care of myself.

I'm currently on the OmniPod insulin pump and my A1c levels are doing great.  Not quite as low as I'd like, but I'm working on it, like every other diabetic out there :).

This particular post has been written over the past several weeks, off and on.  Recently another diabetic, Scott Hanselman, has started a pledge drive at http://www.hanselman.com/blog/TeamHanselmanAndDiabetesWalk2010.aspx

Please donate. As hard as it is to write something like this, my hope is that someday, no one ever need deal with something like this again.

Thanks for reading.

My Dog Ate My Blood Sugar Meter

The title just about sums it up. Zach has heard all of my "my dog ate..." stories by now, but this one was just too good.

There's a big crack in the LCD cover. The LCD isn't actually cracked, but it's still hard to read anything.

Since I now have insurance, I figured that I'd check the website to see what the copay would be on a new meter. I had to sign up first though.

It asked for a username, with the following verbage:

Please enter your desired username. Must be between 5-50 characters

I enter my standard username, fill everything out, and am then greeted with the following error message:

Your username must contain both letters and numbers.

Oh, really? Would it be that difficult to put that statement above the username entry field? Or, even better, not require numbers in the username? Is that really necessary?

Did they even set a real user down to run through the sign-up process before it went to production?

Team Hanselman Fights Diabetes

As I've mentionend before - I'm a Type 1 Diabetic.

And Scott Hanselman is as well. And he's raising money to fight it. Which is awesome.

Hello, my name is Nic. And I'm a Diabetic.

Yesterday, I did something I haven't done in quite some time. I went to an endocrinoligist, or what I like to think of as "the hormone doctor".

I'm a Type I Diabetic. Many who read this blog probably already knew that. If you are one of those who's been reading that I don't know personally - please leave a comment. I'd love to know how many people actually read this thing.

I've read a lot of articles and interviews with diabetics, and it seems like so many let the disease become the focus of their lives. I remember reading one where a woman refused to take a 2-week vacation because she couldn't get enough backup supplies to last for a month. In Las Vegas, which is technically in the middle of the desert, but I'm pretty sure they have pharmacies in Vegas.

I feel that having diabetes is part of who I am, but it doesn't define me. Yes, I have to watch what I eat. So should anyone trying to be healthy. I have to take shots before every meal - no big deal. It's over and done with in about 3 minutes. I take Gatorade (or Powerade, or Generic-Sports-Drink-Ade) when I work out in case my blood sugar gets low. Just like most people working out. I wear a medic-alert necklace that would let someone know of my condition, in the case of an emergency.

But that's about it. I don't let it run my life, or ruin my plans. I just have to make adjustments when they come up.

I hadn't gone to the doctor in a while, because I've been without medical insurance for the past 3 years. I finally got insurance and can afford to go to the doctor, and my insulin and supplies aren't going to cost a fortune. It's a good feeling. In fact, paying for my diabetic necessities is now relegated to a financial "annoyance" status, instead of a financial "oh crap I can't afford to fix my car because then I can't buy my insulin" situation. Which is just how I like it.