Blonde Moments and Diabetes Management

I feel like such a divvy. Earlier this month (that time of the month when I go low) I found that I was having major hypos so I changed my carb to insulin ratio, in my pump settings, from 1 unit of insulin / 15 carbs to 1unit/17carbs. This little adjustment did wonders for the hypos and I had perfect bgs. However, this past two weeks, with the wrong ratio, I have been running higher than normal and it has left me scratching my head wondering why. I totally forgot I had changed it in the pump settings because I usually just do it manually as and when I do a bolus. I’m going to go back to my 1/15 ratio and see how I get on. Hopefully it will get rid of those woeful headaches and the pesky mood swings.

I have a major busy week this week. I’ve got about 5 more rehearsals, a studio practice assessment, a performance, tech runs, dress runs, a show to watch, prepare lesson plans, a class to teach and to successfully manage my diabetes. I’ve also got an essay to hand in but that is nearly finished so no panicking there. Oh, and I have work on Saturday and Sunday.

Do you have any “blonde” moments that effect your diabetes management? If so, tell me about them? You can comment below or tweet me here or talk to me on instagram.

Rowena x

Hyperglycaemia After Pole Performance

This is my performance from the pole showcase 05/12/14. I spoke on my instagram about my blood glucose levels around performance. I had my pump off for around an hour and my blood sugar went from 7mmols to 14.5mmol, so it went up quite a bit with all of the adrenaline.I took a correction straight away and I was back down to 6mmols within an hour.

I hope you like my dancing. Let me know what you think?

Rowena x

Unpredictable Type 1 and Dancing

What a strange week with diabetes. I’ve had to take almost double the amount of insulin I usually take because of the amount of corrections I have had to do. My diet hasn’t changed and I have exercised a lot so I don’t really get it. I think diabetes is so unpredictable. Even when my diet has been really good, my bgs have not. I also had a really bad low when I was in work; I was sweating and very short of breath. It took 70carbs to make me feel normal again and when I eventually tested again I was only at 5.2mmols.

On a more positive note, I have been doing more rehearsals, which can only mean one thing… more performances, Yay. I am working on a few dance pieces the moment. The first one is about bipolar disorder, second is about relationships in the space and the third is about sexuality in the dance industry. I am also due to start work on an intermedial dance piece, interesting stuff. Maybe I should create a dance piece based around type 1 diabetes? I could use stories from my readers for my inspiration? Would you be up for sharing?

Now that I am in my final year of uni, I really have to think about what I want to do when I leave. I know I want to perform and I know I want to create my own work and teach. A studio of my own and casually working for other people would suit me well. I like being my own boss. All of the above is definitely within my reach.

Back to diabetes, do you know when your blood sugar has been on a roller coaster, up and down and round and round, do you feel like absolute crap? I have noticed that it makes me feel ill like I want to throw up and it’s hard for me to be around light. When I feel like this, I want to go to bed for a sleep. However, I won’t do that. I’m usually quite busy during the day and feel that this “diabetes episode” would be an inconvenience for me. I don’t ever want diabetes to dictate anything.

Another thing that happened this week; my pump ran out of battery during a theory lecture. It made that lovely sound that goes higher and higher until you change it. I didn’t have no spare batteries on me but luckily my gf came to drop one off for me. This has taught me to carry a spare battery too. Along with my spare canula, a needle, hypo treatment etc. It’s gotta be done hey?

Are you following me on Instagram and Twitter yet?

Rowena x

Drawing Attention To My Insulin Pump

My body is feeling surprisingly happy today considering I have doubled my training and upped my calories a bit. My blood sugars have been happy ones and I have managed to avoid significant hypos. The main hypo of the week came on me during a theory class where we were talking about project management. Sometime I get confused with the signs of a hypo and just think I’m being dramatic. Do you ever do that? I tell myself I’m imagining it, I fidget and organise things near me, until I actually have no other choice but to check my levels to find out that I am below 4mmols.

I often check my levels just before class and I usually do it in the studio where I keep my bag or I do it in the toilet if I have to go. Anyway, on Wednesday, I was checking my levels and one of my class mates said “Oh Rowena, are you diabetic?” I said “yeah.” She then went on to ask about injections and insulin, I told her that I had a pump instead of injections. I began to stretch as I thought the conversation was over and she jumped back in and said “that’s so cool to have diabetes”. Well, I was gobsmacked and said “not for me it isn’t” and I continued to stretch. The conversation was definitely over now. I have heard of people who have experienced the same comment and I just wonder what planet they are living on? Hmm.

If you’ve been following my blog or instagram, you will know that I reduce my basal rate for class and I put my pump in my bra. You know that little beep that happens when you have a reduced / increased basal? Yeah? Well, that beep is enough to make the teacher talk about it and turn heads to my pump (boob area ha). He heard it beep, looked straight at me and then went on to create a beat with that one beat as the inspiration, I would’ve been fine with it the once but it happened each time. Every time it beeped, people stared and I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that.

I’ve got some cool plans for my blog so stay tuned. For now, follow my instagram and twitter If there is something specific you would like me to talk about, let me know here or in the comments below.

What Does Your Diabetes Say About Diabetes?

Sometimes, when looking to be inspired, I watch TED talks. They have an app and a range of different clips on Netflix. I watch them because they inspire me in writing, doing better and generally pushing myself to aim for bigger and better things. The speakers are experts from all different fields; choreographers, writers, entrepreneurs, chefs etc. The most recent one was from an African writer who was talking about Single Stories. As an example of a single story she used her experience as an African Female who moved from Africa to America for college. Now, before her roommate had even met her she had assumed that because she was from Africa she would be poor, listen to tribal music and wouldn’t speak very good English. This wasn’t the case at all.

This got me thinking about my single story and if that has changed since my diabetes diagnosis. Have I gone from being Rowena to being that diabetic girl? I certainly hope not. Do people think of diabetes when they think of me? As a diabetic person, what information do I implant into peoples brains about diabetes?

How I act and manage my diabetes will give someone a story about it and I would prefer for it not to be a sob story. Yes, it is challenging but if I get it right I can feel well and energetic. That’s why I try my best every single day to keep it in check. I will never tell someone that I can’t eat something because I am diabetic, I will tell them that I don’t want to eat it because it is not good for me. If I’m having a crap day at managing my blood sugars I won’t tell a non-diabetic about that because I don’t want them to feel sorry for me or to assume that it’s my fault. When I am in dance class and I have a low, I will not make a scene; I will test and act accordingly. You get where is coming from? How I act will determine how another diabetic is treated. How someone’s mum manages their diabetes will affect how people see mine. An example, I have a friend whose mum is Type 1 who doesn’t exercise because of hypos. Thus, because her mum doesn’t exercise because of hypos, my friend is under the impression that I should be very careful around exercise.

If you know someone who has Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes you will obviously have an idea about it and a story to tell if the conversation calls for it. If you’re diabetic, you will understand that people have a “single story” about diabetes and some people will not change their idea of it even if you shove it in their face. The most common “stories” are that it is a self-inflicted medical condition brought on through eating too much sugar or it is believed that we can’t eat sugar at all. I live with type 1 diabetes and I can firmly tell you that both assumptions are incorrect.
Where does that leave me now? I guess I just have to make sure my story of diabetes is a one that won’t mislead people for years to come. What do you think about your diabetes story? What impression do you give to other people?

Have you followed me on Instagram and Twitter yet? As of next week I will be posting my weekly workouts, my before and after blood glucose and some of my meals. My timetable is sorted and I can’t wait to get into it.

Rowena x

There Are No Complications

The other day, I was scrolling through Facebook and I noticed a post from Diabetes UK. It was saying something about the complications that can occur in diabetes. Usually, when I see links like this I never click on them because it’s not good for me to focus on negative things. It sends me into a paranoid state of worry and I end up getting very upset with myself it I miscalculate a bolus and end up high. So, instead of clicking on the link, I looked at the comments that other people had made and it appeared that others would prefer not to see it either. It upset a lot of people and “made them feel even shittier about this disease than they already did”. I mean, why would anyone want to be reminded that they are more likely to go blind and or lose a leg?

Is it really necessary for us to know so much about these complications? I don’t think so! I think it is best to let the doctors take care of that and then we can learn from them (and books) if and when it happens. I didn’t start learning, in detail, about diabetes until I was diagnosed with it so why should I learn about neuropathy if I don’t have to. Non diabetic smokers don’t learn about lung cancer just because they smoke, do they? When I look through the comments on posts similar to the one mentioned above, if I see something negative in the comment I skip it straight away and look for someone who has said something good. I know it sounds pretty ignorant of me and I obviously wouldn’t ignore someone who was talking to me directly. But, for my sanity it is best to look at the positive in everything. While one person is saying that they lost their drivers licence, another is sharing their improved hba1c result.

I suppose this post is just a suggestion to you and I to carry on looking at what can go right. It would be so nice if dominant companies could post something positive. It would be nice to read the success stories of diabetics who keep their levels under control and the benefits it has had towards their health. For me, Instagram is the place to be. I always see lots of positive posts about diabetes on there.

What do you think? Do you know the ins and outs of everything diabetes? Let me know.

Rowena x

A Type 1 Holiday

I’m back from holiday and ready to get back to training. I now have a copy of my final year timetable and, combined with my extra activities, I will be doing around 25 hours physical activity per week. This includes yoga, weight training, pole, and various dance classes, walking and cycling. As I will be doubling my training I am going to increase my calorie intake, but more about that on another post.

Back to holiday and how I managed my blood glucose. Well, the first day I was doing great until half way through the flight. I had dinner on the plane which was a small mushroom risotto which I think I gave the absolute correct bolus for. I checked my BG afterwards and it was around 12 from 5. I took a correction dose straight away. I then checked another 2 hours later and it had risen to 14. I checked the line to my pump and there were several air bubbles which meant I obviously wasn’t receiving the insulin I was giving to myself. I went ahead and primed the pump to remove the air bubbles and gave another correction dose. I also walked down the stairs and to the back of the plane to do some jogging on the spot. Yeah, I’m weird! Within an hour or so I was back down to around 8 and I was nearly at my destination. The flight was 10.5 hours from Manchester to Las Vegas.

Throughout the week I wasn’t really too careful about what I ate, I didn’t over indulged but I did indulge more than I would at home. If I had a particularly carby breakfast I would have a lower carb lunch and vice versa. I love American hash brown and I managed to bolus for them properly. On top of the eating, I walked a lot and it was around 40 degrees outside so my insulin didn’t really increase. I also did a few workouts. The workouts included bodyweight training in the hotel room, running up and down 28 flights of stairs in the Flamingo Hotel and, of course, pole dance and flexibility classes at Pole Expo.

During the whole week I only had a few highs. If you follow my instagram you would’ve seen a pic and an explanation of one of them. I drank a splash of cranberry juice with my vodka soda water and bolused for 2 carbs which is what I usually do in the UK with the cranberry juice I drink. However, I should’ve known that the cranberry juice they serve at the bar would not have been a sugar free version. Duh! I took a correction dose, stopped drinking alcohol and continued with my night as planned. I was on my way out to dinner and a show called Zumanity by Cirque Du Soleil.

All in all I managed it really well. I took enough insulin and other supplies to cover me for a few weeks rather than just one. It’s better to be safe. I had to change my insulin daily as I think the heat was damaging it when I was at the pool or doing anything outdoors. Most days I would only go to the pool for an hour so I took my pump off and left it in the safe in the room. On the days where I knew I would spend more time at the pool I took it with me and had it wrapped under a towel with some ice. I just detached it when I got in and out of the water and it was fine. Nobody noticed or said anything about it.

The night times were interesting when I would put on a nice dress and have to figure out when to put my pump. My knickers or bra were the safest bets. The pic above is where I put my pump on the night I went to see Britney Spears. She was amazing and kept me dancing.

How do you find it to manage your diabetes when you are away from home? Do you find that you stay in control? Let me know in the comments below, email me or follow me on instagram and twitter.

Rowena x

A Frustrating Conversation Between a Type 1 Diabetic and A Type 2 Diabetic

I had the most frustrating conversation tonight with a lady who has type 2 diabetes. I see this person on a weekly basis so she knew that I had diabetes and I knew that she was type 2. Here’s how the conversation went… I will refer to myself as me and her as t2.

T2 – Rowena, did you know the NHS are offering gastric bands to diabetic people with a BMI over 30?
Me – yeah, it’s specific to type 2 diabetes isn’t it?
T2 – yeah, I’m going to get one, I might as well if it’s free.
Me – oh.
T2 – I have to take insulin, it’s so inconvenient. Do you have to take insulin?
Me – yeah, although I don’t have to inject because I wear an insulin pump.
T2 – that must be a lot easier than the injections. I bet that does everything for you?
Me – no, I have to count carbs and type it in. It’s really helpful to keep things flexible when I exercise.
T2 – have you ever had one of those hypos?
Me – yeah, I’ve had quite a few since I was diagnosed(4 months ago incase you’re wondering).
T2 – omg they are awful. I had one once and it was horrible. Had one in 15 years and that’s enough for me.
Me – yeah, it’s not a nice feeling.
T2 – so I take it you’re type 2?
Me – no, type 1.
T2 – wait, don’t type 2’s take insulin and type 1’s get away easy?
Me – no.
T2 – they must just be the same then.
Me – no, actually, type 1 and type 2 are completely separate diseases. Mine is an autoimmune disease and you, as a type 2, have insulin resistance.
T2 – I didn’t start takin insulin until about 7 years ago and when I lost some weight I was taken off the insulin completely.
Me – that’s good. I could never stop taking insulin because my body can’t produce it.
T2 – do you have to test? I find it such an inconvenience. I do it once a week and I’ve seen a little drop in my levels recently.
Me – I test around 8 times a day. Sometime more, sometimes less.
T2 – you’ve got a really severe version then haven’t you? Doesn’t it bother you?
Me – it’s not the easiest thing to manage but I can handle it.

I then proceeded to make an excuse to leave the conversation. I was so shocked to have had that conversation with someone who has had TYPE 2 diabetes for 15 years. There were other bits of the conversation that I have left out because it is too long winded and I think re writing them probably would’ve frustrated me further.

Anyway, I think it is woeful that someone would sit there and tell me how much of an inconvenience it is for them to have one injection a day and one blood glucose test a week. And to tell me I have the “severe kind”.

Have you had any experience like this? Maybe I’m overreacting, but I think it is really important to know about your condition specifically and not assume things about others.

On that note, I’m going to check my blood sugar for the 8th time today.

Irritated When Hyper

Seen as I wanted to write a post complaining about hyperglycaemia, I might as well write it while I’m in double figures. My head is banging, I feel very uncomfortable in my own skin and I am very irritated and snappy. Oh, and thirsty. I’m definitely coming towards the end of my honeymoon period now. I’m never high during the day, especially not from a sandwich. Maybe my site isn’t attached properly? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I should check? I’m not sure who I’m directing this post at or if I am actually going to post it. Although I suppose it’s taking my mind off of this woeful feeling of having a vice squashing my brain.

Anyway, enough complaining now because it makes me sound like a mad woman. I don’t get what I have just written. Did I write it? I’m confused. See, high blood sugar is no good for concentration. Rambling again… I think the culprit of this hyper is from the sandwich I had a lunch time and the fact that I was sat down for most of the day(very unusual for me). Ahh, that’s it. It’s the sitting down. I’m very good at controlling my blood sugars when I am active. However, when it comes to sedentary days I go high. I better play with my ratios.

I hope I haven’t frightened you off from reading my blog. I also hope that if you have ever experienced a hyper you can relate to a couple of things I have said. Even if it doesn’t make any sense.

What Have You Learned About Diabetes Since Diagnosis?

Diabetes is a tough one to crack. I barely had a clue about it until I was diagnosed, but I am 4 months in and now I know a lot. Here are some examples.

Type 1 diabetics can safely eat chocolate and whatever else they like (providing they have enough insulin)… I always knew diabetes was something to do with insulin and sugar intake. I thought they just had to be careful around sweets and not eat too many, just like non diabetics should not eat too many. Now that I am diabetic and an occasional chocolate eater I know that I have to bolus for it. For example, a bar of dairy milk=25 carbs=1.25 bolus for me (with my carb to unit ratio). Not much difference from the bolus you would do for a 20 carb banana.

Diabetes is much more serious than I ever imagined. When I was doing my life guard training and my fitness qualifications, I was required to do first aid training. I learned about hypoglycaemia where u would offer something sweet and hyperglycaemia you would offer water and insulin. That was it. They don’t tell you what will happen if it goes untreated – Coma, diabetic ketoacidosis. You get my drift.

Type 1 diabetes is very different from type two. They are two separate diseases. End of!! It frustrates me when people say “can you eat that”, “did you eat too much sugar”?? Er, no!! Calm down.

It is a 24/7 job. I won’t say it’s a constant battle because that makes it seem like it can’t be managed. However, I know that this condition needs a lot of attention and patience. Before you eat, you have to have the patience to test and work out your carbs when you’re hungry. When you’re in the middle of something, anything, if you have symptoms of a hypo or hyper you must stop what you’re doing and treat it.

There are hidden carbs everywhere. One day, I had been to dance class, the gym and for coffee so I was expecting a great reading in the normal range of 4-7. I was about to eat dinner so I tested my blood glucose and I was very shocked to learn that it was in double figures. I was scratching my head until I realised that it was that skinny latte that I had in Starbucks. No sugar, cake or anything else just the skinny latte. I found out that there was something like 25 carbs in that drink alone. I think I’ll stick to my usual Americano next time.

Last but not least. Diabetics can be as fit or a successful as anyone else. Yes, it might be inconvenient sometimes and yes it might make me feel like my head is going to explode, but I have not let this set me back in any of my training. And, if anything, I feel stronger. Nothing is too dangerous as long as I look after myself and monitor my levels.

I have obviously learned a lot more than what is written here. These things just popped out to me now.
Do you educate people about type 1 or type 2 diabetes? What have you learned since your diagnosis? I feel like I learn more and more on a daily basis and will continue to do so forever.