I made the decision to go on the Tandem t:slim pump. The t:slim G4 integrates Dexcom's G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitor right onto the home screen. And I really liked the idea of having my CGM data and insulin pump as an all in one device.
My experience babysitting Noah not only taught me new things about managing my own care, but it also gave me a newfound respect for the parents of children with diabetes (including my own).
Single with diabetes. I sleep with a different brand of glucose tablets every night. Don’t judge.
I hated the way my pump interfered with my outfits. I hated the middle of the night beeping. And I really hated changing the reservoir. Yet, since I’d been pumping since I was eight years old, by the time I was in my freshman year of college, being on a pump was all I knew.
Following my recent article about why I lied to my parents about my diabetes, many parents reached out to my mother and me to ask how I turned things around. I thought that I would take this opportunity to address some of the different things my parents, my medical team, and I did to help me recover from diabetes burnout and take responsibility for my diabetes.
High blood sugar completely wiped away my ability to focus in class, and by the time I was home and had to study and do homework, I was so tired that I would fall asleep long before my homework was done.
No hospital pictures, ever. When someone is sick and in the hospital, they are vulnerable and unhappy. I don’t want to be exploited like that – especially not for the sake of advocacy.
I learned that Tess’ little brother Jeff had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. My heart broke for their family. How could the people who were so understanding and caring when I was diagnosed be dealing with the same disease in their own family? Still neighbors, my family offered their family as much support as they could during that hard time. The tables had turned.
My dating history can be summed up as: bleh. One of my ex-boyfriends took me to the hospital in the middle of the night when I had a stomach bug and high ketones, only to repeat - daily until we broke up - how annoying it was that he had to take me. Another guy I was seeing for a few months told me he didn’t care at all to learn about my diabetes.
I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if I would be the same me without diabetes. It’s not that diabetes defines me, but I do believe that it has helped shape me into a person I am proud to be. And is there anything wrong with admitting that life with the bêtes brings us some good as well? So, here it is, my list of things I’m thankful for, that have come from living with type 1 diabetes.