Saturday, May 19, 2012

Friday Flashback: Diabetes in the 90's

Articles - Diabetes Articles
Friday, 12 November 2010 10:11
The BF and I met up with some of his friends from work at the JDRF walk last month. Without the fluff, here is the jist of the conversation:

Lady: "How long have you been diagnosed?"
Nerdy April: "11 years."
Lady: "Wow!! You must have seen a lot of changes in your lifetime!!"
Nerdy April to The BF: "I know I'm wearing my fashion faux pax sweatpants, but do I look THAT old?!?!"

I'm not sure how old the "lady" thought I was (good Lord, I'm only 23!), but she was right, I have seen a lot of changes in what I will call my

"Diabetes Lifetime." I thought it might be fun to revisit my old Diabetes regime during this Friday Flashback.

Wake Up (7:00am): Blood Sugar Test, 1 shot mixed with Regular and NPH; administered via ugly orange-top syringe.
Breakfast: 45 carbs
Mid-Morning (10:00am): 15 carb snack
Lunch(12:00pm): Blood Sugar Test, 70 carbs
Mid-Afternoon(3:00pm): 15 carb snack
Dinner(5:00pm): Blood Sugar Test, 1 shot of Regular; administered via ugly orange-top syringe.
Bed Time(9:00pm): Blood Sugar Test, 1 shot of NPH; administered via ugly orange-top syringe.

As you can see it was extremely rigid. The meal and snack times were not a joke. The specific amount of carbs listed had to be consumed at the associated time plus or minus 30 minutes. I measured out my cereal until my food-measuring eye was trained and my mom set up my meals to include the exact amount of carbs plus or minus 5. It was a lot easier to go "low" back then because the insulin administered in the morning (NPH) lasted 12 hours. If you didn't want an afternoon snack....TOO BAD, you risked going low if it was not consumed. If you wanted a smiley face pancake at IHOP with orange juice and tons of syrup...TOO BAD, that was waaaayyy more than the 45 carbs allotted. If your friend wanted to have her birthday dinner at Chuckee Cheese's at 7pm....TOO BAD, you had to eat dinner at 5:00pm. 

There was a lot of "Too bads" and "Eat this" and "How many carbs was that?" There was a lot of scheduling, measuring and logging. And there were a lot of nights when I would hate looking the syringe in the eye and wish I had never heard the word "Diabetes". It was traumatic and stressful and regimented. And all of this flashbacking makes me so thankful for the insulin pump and my now well-trained measuring eye [more on the SWAG Bolusing later].

 
Aviva Meter Kit

Diabetes Testing Supplies
at LITTLE or NO COST*
for Insurance Beneficiaries!†

The cost of your meter, test strips & lancets may be covered by Insurance.†

Fill out this form
or call 1-866-422-4866
to see if you qualify today.

First Name*

Please enter first name
Last Name*

Enter last name
Phone Number*

Enter phone number
Email Address

Please email address
Do you have Insurance?*



Invalid Input



By submitting this form you are authorizing Advanced Diabetes Supply to contact you by telephone. Please be assured that we value and protect your privacy. †For those who qualify. Co-Pays and Deductibles may apply.

Article Archives

Polls

What is the most Important Meter function to you?
 
*No cost meter offer available to those that qualify, dependent upon enrollment in our home delivery program. Co-pays and Deductibles may apply. Not available to current Advanced Diabetes Supply or North Coast Medical Supply patients. Terms and conditions apply. The information on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own physician or other health professional. You should not use the information contained on this site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully all product packaging. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.