Diabetes and Wellbeing: You can’t always get what you want

Diabetes and wellbeing is tricky and you can’t always get what you want! Here is a great reminder from guest blogger, Georgia

Helen

xx

Guest Post by Georgia

It seems sometimes that no matter what you do, things never go as expected. Yes I am talking about diabetes care. And yes I know I must sound like a broken record, along with everyone else that has diabetes. But it can’t be stressed enough, that the unawareness and blurred lines of diabetes can really take its toll on those living with it.

For example, recently before I was going to bed my blood glucose reading was 15.4 mmol, then I remembered I didn’t wash my hands so I checked again (yes, OCD, I get it) and it read 17.6 mmol – dumbfounded…….the only resolution was to check again, so I changed the needle, and re-tested and it read 14.3 mmol – confusing huh? I woke up this morning at a level of 8.0 mmol – great, right in the ‘correct’ range.

That was just one small fraction of my day dealing with diabetes, not every day it’s problematic but there are a lot of times, and I know I’m not the only one here – where I just ask, how? The simple reason being, there is none.

No doctor could master it, it is simply unexplainable most of the time.

This all goes on behind closed doors with people who are living with type 1 diabetes, so before you ask someone what their blood sugar level is and then question, is that too high? Think that maybe it’s not as simple as high v low and wrong v right.

Just remember they are the ones living and dealing with it, when you ask, ‘didn’t you just check’, maybe try and put yourself in their shoes and think well if I had my health in my hands to monitor 24/7 every day I wouldn’t be putting my judgement in and making them feel lower than they already may be feeling.

But it isn’t all a dark and stormy road, and it’s not all ‘too’ complicated, because, yes it is there all day, like an itch in an awkward place you can never quite get rid of. However it isn’t your whole life, or day for that matter, and you can’t let it consume all your time. I agree 100% that your health is number 1 but if you do monitor it to the second you may miss a moment you can never get back. Be healthy and take care of you, but if you’re stuck asking yourself why and how, know you may never find the answers and can when you accept that you can move toward the solution, as frustrating as it may be.

In this crazy world you may feel different, and you are, but different is great!  Think of anyone out there who has accomplished something magical, they are different. So embrace it and know you’re just living a bit of an extraordinary life and it sets you apart from the rest, even if you are the only one who knows what you’re going through, it should empower you and remind you of how capable and strong you are.

Stay strong,

Until next time

Georgia