There are two ways I can look at this. I am going to give you the bad before I give you the good.
Bad: My annoying little sister wakes me up at 4:30 every morning so that I can check my sugar! That is her way of telling me that I cannot take care of myself and she refuses to let me sleep! Ugh!
Good (and how I actually look at this): I am so THANKFUL to have a little sister who is selfless enough to set an alarm for 4:30 every morning to make sure my sugar doesn't drop and I live to see morning. In so many ways, she is my little hero.
To be honest, I've never looked at it the bad way. Maybe once or twice when I had not slept very well, but never to that extent.
A few weeks ago I had a middle-of-the-night diabetes scare, where if I wouldn't have set an alarm randomly (I had no reason to, and I never do), I would not have woken up. My sugar was only 40 at 4am, but I didn't wake up like I usually do. I was in a very deep sleep. The next night at 4am, I was only 30. Every night since then my sweet little sister has come to check on me and make sure that I am okay. She makes me check my sugar and then we both go back to sleep. Until I was 18, my Mom did that for me. If I have been having a rough day with diabetes she will still check me throughout the night to make sure that I am okay.
Too often I read about diabetics who are "dead in bed." This basically means that their sugar drops too low while they are sleeping and they do not wake up. I never want this to be me, but it has come close quite a few times in the past year and it scares me a little more every time. I am so blessed to have a family that is willing to help me take care of my disease to ensure my safety! I am eternally thankful for that blessing. It is because of my family that I am still alive, and probably because of them that I do not have any complications from my disease.
I guess God just isn't done with me yet, so He decided to wake me up and let me stick around for a while. He never ceases to amaze me.
Showing posts with label Bad Things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bad Things. Show all posts
Monday, January 11, 2016
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Some Fun Facts About Type 1 Diabetes
Misconceptions are common, especially when people rely on sources they assume to be credible. In the age of internet, that is a dangerous thing! Not every source is reliable for everything. Sometimes people will take information from a source and hold it as a fact, when it is actually a myth.
So there are some myths about diabetes that I would like to address and correct. Let me establish my credibility by saying that I have been living with and fighting this disease for 19 years.
First: diabetes is caused by obesity. This one drives me crazy. This is a very common myth that most people believe to be true. Diabetes can be caused by obesity--if it is Type 2. The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 can be described fairly easily. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system destroys the pancreas, causing the patient to be insulin dependent. This isn't typically caused by eating too many calories or carbohydrates, despite popular opinion. My diagnosis came after an allergic reaction to my immunizations when I was 10 months old. How can a 10-month-old be obese to the point of diabetes diagnosis? For another example, one of my best friends was diagnosed at 3-years-old after her body fought off the chicken-pox virus. Both of us were completely healthy prior to our diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body isn't able to use insulin correctly, or when the body is insulin resistant. Only 5-10% of diabetics have Type 1 diabetes. (For more information, you can look at the WebMD website here: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/tc/diabetes-differences-between-type-1-and-2-topic-overview)
Second: Diabetics can't eat sugar. There is sugar in pretty much everything, so the belief that diabetics cannot eat sugar is definitely incorrect. We don't even count sugars! We actually count carbohydrates, because that is what directly affects the blood sugar. Yes, it does sound dumb, but trust me that's how it works. Once again, it differs between Type 1 and Type 2 with how we treat it. Personally, as a Type1 diabetic, I just have to get insulin before eating something with too many carbs in it. I will add that if my sugar is too high (which I would say is 250+) then I won't eat anything with too many carbs in it. It can be too difficult to bring the blood sugar down at that point. I'd rather maintain my health than eat a cookie whenever I feel like it. Type 2 diabetics can control it through diet and exorcise, which brings us to our next myth.
Third: ALL diabetics can control it through diet and exorcise. Additionally, insulin is only taken when the patient's disease is extremely out of control. (Some people don't add the last part, but that is pretty much what it means.) I suppose this can be true to an extent. I know for a fact that if I exorcise when I am high, then my sugar will come down. Of course, eating any kind of carbs will bring it up. But it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes I might be stressed out, and if that is the case, no amount of exorcise I can do will bring my sugar down. Insulin helps at that point, but it is not because my disease is extremely out of control. You have to consider the difference between a Type 1 Diabetic and a Type 2 Diabetic at this point. Recall that a Type 1's pancreas has been destroyed and therefore the person is insulin dependent. It doesn't matter how much exorcise a Type 1 does, the body will not produce insulin because it is not capable of doing this.
Fourth: Diabetes has a singular treatment option. This one might not sound so familiar, but the majority of people do believe this. It basically means that, assuming a person knows the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the person believes that all you need is insulin and that will fix your problems. I can assure you, there is much more that affects this disease than insulin and/or food. This is an individual disease, and it does not affect everyone the same way. It doesn't even affect me the same way every single day. For example, if I eat the same food for breakfast everyday this week my blood sugar will not do the same thing afterwords. Sunday I might go too high because of the inactivity during church, while Monday I might drop too low because of my morning run. My emotions also play a huge part in what my diabetes will do. If I am stressed out over a school project, my blood sugar might stay high no matter what amount of insulin I get. The only way to fix that high is to relieve the stress. Alternatively, my blood sugar could decide to drop below 60 and remain there until I relieve the stress. (This is very dangerous!) I have done this before, especially lately. It gets to the point that I will literally take my insulin pump off and eat every two hours. Once again, this might not work the way I want it to. I could still remain low until after I have relieved the stress. Additionally, it doesn't affect every diabetic the same way. One of my diabetic friends might be stressed over a school project but be medically fine. But when she gets her heart broken, her disease a complete disaster to try and control.
Fifth: Diabetes is curable. This myth is quite hurtful. Some people assume that I can cure my disease through diet and exorcise, as I have addressed. But some people are persistent that this particular diet, or that exact food will cure my diabetes for good. The only way to cure this disease is to make the pancreas function "normally." It is hurtful because of the infinite amount of people that come up to me and treat me like I am stupid because I don't know how to cure it. I've even had some of my customers at work try to magically cure my disease with certain diet plans! Even when I know that most people are trying to help, it still makes me feel bad when they try to "cure" me. Partially because it reminds me that I am stuck with this disease forever. But partially because I take it to mean that they assume there is something wrong with me or with how I am dealing with diabetes. I can't express the fact that it is an individual disease enough. I am doing the best that I can, and I have plenty of help from my family, my doctors, and my God. I appreciate the care, but it is hurtful at the same time.
I didn't create this blog post as a rant, but it might look like that. I created it because I genuinely wanted to resolve these myths as best I could. There are a ton of things that I still didn't touch on, because it would take up too much time. I will probably write about those later. I want the world to be informed about the disease, rather than to just trust what the internet or their friends say about it. Thank you for taking the time to read.
So there are some myths about diabetes that I would like to address and correct. Let me establish my credibility by saying that I have been living with and fighting this disease for 19 years.
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Second: Diabetics can't eat sugar. There is sugar in pretty much everything, so the belief that diabetics cannot eat sugar is definitely incorrect. We don't even count sugars! We actually count carbohydrates, because that is what directly affects the blood sugar. Yes, it does sound dumb, but trust me that's how it works. Once again, it differs between Type 1 and Type 2 with how we treat it. Personally, as a Type1 diabetic, I just have to get insulin before eating something with too many carbs in it. I will add that if my sugar is too high (which I would say is 250+) then I won't eat anything with too many carbs in it. It can be too difficult to bring the blood sugar down at that point. I'd rather maintain my health than eat a cookie whenever I feel like it. Type 2 diabetics can control it through diet and exorcise, which brings us to our next myth.
Third: ALL diabetics can control it through diet and exorcise. Additionally, insulin is only taken when the patient's disease is extremely out of control. (Some people don't add the last part, but that is pretty much what it means.) I suppose this can be true to an extent. I know for a fact that if I exorcise when I am high, then my sugar will come down. Of course, eating any kind of carbs will bring it up. But it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes I might be stressed out, and if that is the case, no amount of exorcise I can do will bring my sugar down. Insulin helps at that point, but it is not because my disease is extremely out of control. You have to consider the difference between a Type 1 Diabetic and a Type 2 Diabetic at this point. Recall that a Type 1's pancreas has been destroyed and therefore the person is insulin dependent. It doesn't matter how much exorcise a Type 1 does, the body will not produce insulin because it is not capable of doing this.
Fourth: Diabetes has a singular treatment option. This one might not sound so familiar, but the majority of people do believe this. It basically means that, assuming a person knows the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the person believes that all you need is insulin and that will fix your problems. I can assure you, there is much more that affects this disease than insulin and/or food. This is an individual disease, and it does not affect everyone the same way. It doesn't even affect me the same way every single day. For example, if I eat the same food for breakfast everyday this week my blood sugar will not do the same thing afterwords. Sunday I might go too high because of the inactivity during church, while Monday I might drop too low because of my morning run. My emotions also play a huge part in what my diabetes will do. If I am stressed out over a school project, my blood sugar might stay high no matter what amount of insulin I get. The only way to fix that high is to relieve the stress. Alternatively, my blood sugar could decide to drop below 60 and remain there until I relieve the stress. (This is very dangerous!) I have done this before, especially lately. It gets to the point that I will literally take my insulin pump off and eat every two hours. Once again, this might not work the way I want it to. I could still remain low until after I have relieved the stress. Additionally, it doesn't affect every diabetic the same way. One of my diabetic friends might be stressed over a school project but be medically fine. But when she gets her heart broken, her disease a complete disaster to try and control.
Fifth: Diabetes is curable. This myth is quite hurtful. Some people assume that I can cure my disease through diet and exorcise, as I have addressed. But some people are persistent that this particular diet, or that exact food will cure my diabetes for good. The only way to cure this disease is to make the pancreas function "normally." It is hurtful because of the infinite amount of people that come up to me and treat me like I am stupid because I don't know how to cure it. I've even had some of my customers at work try to magically cure my disease with certain diet plans! Even when I know that most people are trying to help, it still makes me feel bad when they try to "cure" me. Partially because it reminds me that I am stuck with this disease forever. But partially because I take it to mean that they assume there is something wrong with me or with how I am dealing with diabetes. I can't express the fact that it is an individual disease enough. I am doing the best that I can, and I have plenty of help from my family, my doctors, and my God. I appreciate the care, but it is hurtful at the same time.
I didn't create this blog post as a rant, but it might look like that. I created it because I genuinely wanted to resolve these myths as best I could. There are a ton of things that I still didn't touch on, because it would take up too much time. I will probably write about those later. I want the world to be informed about the disease, rather than to just trust what the internet or their friends say about it. Thank you for taking the time to read.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Unexpected Blessings
I was thinking about this earlier today. All of the "bad things" that have happened in my life. All the things that I regret, that I prayed for and never received, that went terribly wrong. But as I was thinking about all of the horrors of my life, I realized that blessings have come from each of them.
A familiar verse popped into my mind as I considered these things and had my epiphany. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." I hadn't really thought about applying it to my life before today.
The first thing I thought about was the obvious. Diabetes. How could that possibly be a good thing in my life? How could this tragic, life-altering disease help me? But I already knew the answer. This disease has made me a more responsible person from as early as I can remember. It has helped me to have compassion for others, especially the "Under dogs" or those who are different and don't fit in. It has brought me to many people that I would have been likely to avoid without this compassion and understanding. I love these people with all of my heart, and I thank God for them everyday. Because of diabetes, I was homeschooled for all but about a year prior to college. That gave me an education that put Christ at the center of everything, more time to worship and serve my Lord and time to be influenced by my family. Therefore, God gave me diabetes so that I could come to Him! I'll always pray for a cure, but I'll never detest this God-given gift that is my disease.
The second thing that came to mind was relationships, especially friendships, that have failed miserably in my life. It was in His plan for these people to let me down, and some of the reasons are being revealed to me. Members of my family and most of the people that I've put my trust in have rejected me. That had destroyed my self-worth and peace of mind. I actually prayed that God would terminate some of these relationships, but He had other plans. He has healed the friendships that He wants me to have, and restored the relationships with family members. Moreover, He has healed me of any hard-feelings and hurt caused by them. The pain that these people brought me lead me closer to God and my immediate family. Later, my pain turned to peace as I realized that everyone will fail me. There is not a person in this world that will not let me down at some point. God, however, will be eternally faithful to me. He will never hurt me. Everyone gets rejected, but God heals the broken-hearted and He definitely works all things together for good to those that love Him.
Another thing Satan threw at me was my failures. The devil constantly makes me ponder over the things that I have utterly failed at in my life. He tries to destroy my confidence and make me permanently unhappy. I can't say without lying that this tactic hasn't worked before. I'm not perfect by any means. I'm no where close to perfect. Perfection is Jesus Christ, and no one matches Him in that aspect. I've done things I am not proud of, and Satan reminds me of that every chance he gets. But I have to remember that God is using those things to further His Kingdom through me. I can't dwell on my mistakes, because God has already forgiven me of them. I am "called according to His purpose." He created me, and He doesn't make mistakes. My regrets, failures, mistakes, everything that is bad about me, He can use for His glory.
God quickly reminded me tonight that I am His, and everything I do is in His plan. I don't have to worry about things that I have done, things that I can't do or things that go wrong. I just have to trust in His perfect plan, and have peace in knowing that all things work together for good to those that love Him. I have to remember that I am called according to His purpose, and He isn't finished with me yet. Next time I start dwelling on the unexpected things in my life that I think are curses, I will remember that they are unexpected blessings from the One who planned my life before the world began.
A familiar verse popped into my mind as I considered these things and had my epiphany. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." I hadn't really thought about applying it to my life before today.
The first thing I thought about was the obvious. Diabetes. How could that possibly be a good thing in my life? How could this tragic, life-altering disease help me? But I already knew the answer. This disease has made me a more responsible person from as early as I can remember. It has helped me to have compassion for others, especially the "Under dogs" or those who are different and don't fit in. It has brought me to many people that I would have been likely to avoid without this compassion and understanding. I love these people with all of my heart, and I thank God for them everyday. Because of diabetes, I was homeschooled for all but about a year prior to college. That gave me an education that put Christ at the center of everything, more time to worship and serve my Lord and time to be influenced by my family. Therefore, God gave me diabetes so that I could come to Him! I'll always pray for a cure, but I'll never detest this God-given gift that is my disease.
The second thing that came to mind was relationships, especially friendships, that have failed miserably in my life. It was in His plan for these people to let me down, and some of the reasons are being revealed to me. Members of my family and most of the people that I've put my trust in have rejected me. That had destroyed my self-worth and peace of mind. I actually prayed that God would terminate some of these relationships, but He had other plans. He has healed the friendships that He wants me to have, and restored the relationships with family members. Moreover, He has healed me of any hard-feelings and hurt caused by them. The pain that these people brought me lead me closer to God and my immediate family. Later, my pain turned to peace as I realized that everyone will fail me. There is not a person in this world that will not let me down at some point. God, however, will be eternally faithful to me. He will never hurt me. Everyone gets rejected, but God heals the broken-hearted and He definitely works all things together for good to those that love Him.
Another thing Satan threw at me was my failures. The devil constantly makes me ponder over the things that I have utterly failed at in my life. He tries to destroy my confidence and make me permanently unhappy. I can't say without lying that this tactic hasn't worked before. I'm not perfect by any means. I'm no where close to perfect. Perfection is Jesus Christ, and no one matches Him in that aspect. I've done things I am not proud of, and Satan reminds me of that every chance he gets. But I have to remember that God is using those things to further His Kingdom through me. I can't dwell on my mistakes, because God has already forgiven me of them. I am "called according to His purpose." He created me, and He doesn't make mistakes. My regrets, failures, mistakes, everything that is bad about me, He can use for His glory.
God quickly reminded me tonight that I am His, and everything I do is in His plan. I don't have to worry about things that I have done, things that I can't do or things that go wrong. I just have to trust in His perfect plan, and have peace in knowing that all things work together for good to those that love Him. I have to remember that I am called according to His purpose, and He isn't finished with me yet. Next time I start dwelling on the unexpected things in my life that I think are curses, I will remember that they are unexpected blessings from the One who planned my life before the world began.
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