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Monday 28 January 2013

Apocalypse Now


My power is *finally* back on. The insulin in my fridge survived, and therefore so will I. Despite this crazy storm (which I don't really consider a storm due to lack of thunder and lightning, very very frightening) my D is behaving very well. Sort of. As well as can be expected when you have been unable to do any exercise or cook any decent D-friendly meals due to power outages. 

Anyhow, so yesterday after our power went off Hugh and I realised we had no non-cookable food in the house, save 1/2 a box of cereal, some crackers and cheese and potato chips. Oh and a carrot or 2 as well. So we toddled off to IGA and went apocalpyse shopping, as you do when you need food that doesn't require electricity to make. We stocked up on water, muesli bars, cold meats that we expected to last a few days in the freezer (which was still quite cool), bread items and a few other things in the event of no power deciding to stay around for a few days. I'm pretty sure our whole suburb had migrated to IGA for their apocalypse shops (by apocalypse shop, I mean those scenes in movies where everyone is frantically running around the grocery store with trolley-loads of food and looks of madness in their eyes). It was sort of a weird thing actually, to go from 1 suburb in complete darkness void of any signs of life, and then you cross a road and there's lights and sirens and people, and did I mention light?

Somehow the subject came up as we were driving home as to what we would do if there was an apocalypse like scenario for realsies. More importantly, what would we do in regards to my D in said apocalypse like scenario. Oddly, both of us had thought about this before. The general agreement was that my D supplies would be first into the survival tool kit. I would need to change my glucometer back the standard Verio because the IQ is rechargeable. We would travel to my work, because I have the keys and therefore wouldn't need to get all bloody and tired out smashing windows. We'd take all the insulin from the fridge in there. I would gather all the spare meter cases and take the batteries from them, as well as taking about 5 spare meters, and anything else laying around that would be of use. I would then break into the pharmacy directly next door, because they are always super-stocked with strips (being right next door to an endo and all).  Take any more glugacon, insulin and needles I could find  and all their jellybeans. Good to go medic wise!

After this and the usual looting of other required necessities to live we would head out to the country and go all "Tomorrow When the War Began" style and set-up in the bush somewhere near a creek, so I could find a spot to immerse all the insulin in the water to keep it cool (in water-proof bags of course). We would collect animals for food, for by-products, and in case I ran out of insulin and needed to harvest any (not that I would have a clue how to do this, but its all trial and error, eventually we'd get it right). 
Then we'd pretty much sit tight until the world resolved itself, occasionally staving off zombie attacks (not that there should be too many out in the bush). Hopefully this would happen before my insulin expired or I ran out of test strips (which I would have to cut back use on majorly, and pretty much use only when I felt hypo or exceedingly high). 

End Zombie scenario. It's good to know you got these things covered.

Tuesday 1 January 2013

An Appropriate End


I guess it seems appropriate that my honeymoon phase would seem to end as New Year approaches. Or if it's not ending, my diabetes has thrown one last 2012 curveball at me. Either way, the result is needing more insulin, and being completely stuck about it. Yes, it chose the holiday period, when my educator and endo are closed. I think it must be testing me 1 more time to see how I could handle it. So here's how I handled it as the days went by:

- 1st few days - Frowned slightly and thought BGL machine must be off. Blamed no exercise but not my eating because I'm actually alright with my diet and have been losing weight through diet alone.
- End of 1 st week - Head in sand. Blamed Christmas. Even though I ate heaps good during Christmas and was very active.
 - Week 2 - Do about 1/2 my normal BG checks. After all everyone knows that if you can't see a bad BG, it doesn't exist.
 - Mid Week 2 - Sick of constant headaches. Up my meal time insulin. No Change. Turn into sulky cow.n
 - Now - Have massive tantrum. Exercise like crazy with my pump on. BG goes super high after exercise, but not a hypo rebound. Throw another tantrum. Get on Facebook and see a post on Zayla's page. Realise I CAN still walk, I CAN still see, I DON'T have any complications yet (apart from High Blood Pressure but we'll get to that later) so I CAN do something about my diabetes misbehaving. 
 - Last 1/2 an hour - Restarted a BGL diary including all exercise, food consumed listed, blood pressure readings, anything that might have an impact on my D. Didn't change any insulin rates but we'll see what my diary shows up and work from there.

So I think I did alright, and it will get better. I think its ok to ignore it for a little while, that's all part of the process of accepting it and learning to do something about it. 

And I think 2013 will be a better year. After all, in 2012 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 2012 consisted of me learning how to stab  needles into my stomach several times a day, force  blood from my finger tips until they ached every 3 hours or so, learn to change and insert my own cannulae sets, get regular blood tests, go high, go low and everything in between. I was told I had my 1st complication  - high blood pressure. They started me on tablets. I refused to take them. Instead I changed my diet (not tremendously but enough) and exercised (more). Now I'm regularly sitting at 120 - 130/70 - 75 instead of 135 - 160/80 - 110.

I of course have made some D goals for 2013 - maintain good control and even though it seems my honeymoon is ending, try to minimise insulin usage by keeping my body as insulin sensitive as possible. I'm going to get CGM. Even though it means another device attached all the time and moolahs. 
But in 2013 I am also going to make it a goal to LIVE more. Diabetes swallowed 2012 whole for me and I didn't let myself have a break from being the best D I could. So I'm going to relax (hence the CGM - less worry! I can see what's happening). In 2013 I'm going to TAKE UP drinking. I know that everyone else says they will stop. But I never drink!! And I want to! I know I won't go crazy, so I will happily let myself venture out from my own self-made shell and EXPERIENCE life. See more, do more! Blow all my money (my parents will be so upset...I was always the 'smart and sensible' one) and buy expensive clothes that I'll only wear once.

BRING IT ON!!!!