This is just a little summary of my diabetes journey. I put it out there as an idea to write a post about when I put a poll up on LinkedIn as to what my next blog post should be. Although it didn't win at the time and therefore I'm writing this later than the one that one my previous Counselling Myths & Questions blog, it still scored highly and so here it is. It's quite a personal post, so if you're not interested in reading about how I have experienced living with diabetes, this is probably not the read for you.

Symptoms & diagnosis

I knew before my diagnosis that something was up. Like pretty wrong with me. I didn't feel like my normal self.

Pre-diabetes was my first diagnosis when my blood sugar levels were elevated but not high enough to be full blown diabetes (yet).

I can't remember at what point that changed, or why, but I remember I had Metformin for a while, which, was expected, my tummy didn't like. I also remember something called Gliclazide, which was around the time they said I had Type 2 diabetes. It made more sense to me for it to be T2 as as I hadn't had the typical presenting symptoms. My symptoms were; getting dizzy at work, getting extremely hot (burning up kind of hot) after dinners and I would fall asleep in my parents car after going out for a coffee. Going out for a coffee was for me, all about the cake.

I can see writing this, the link between my symptoms and carbohydrate consumption (apart from the dizziness).

Move onto insulin injections

It wasn't long after my initial T2 diagnosis that I was moved from the pills on to insulin injections.

P.S. Even though I saw it coming, as I have an auntie who has to inject and had had T1 for years, it still made me bawl my eyes out.

For years I was injecting myself 3-4 times a day, a long acting one and a short acting one for food. Based on my finger prick readings it was decided that I would be better off on a different long acting background insulin that had to be given twice a day. That is  injections rather than the 1 I had been used to. I was then doing up to 5 injections a day, assuming I had 3 meals.

One of my favourite quotes is quite fitting here

"Be kind to diabetics, they deal with enough pricks already"

Now I'm a robot - technology assisted and run on AA batteries

Years later I was seeing a consultant for another chronic health condition I have and he told me he knew of a consultant he studied with who could likely get me an insulin pump, and would I like him to refer me to him. - Oh my god yes!

I had heard of them and had seen them shown briefly on a past DAFNE course but I didn't know anything about them except, it wouldn't mean 5 injections a day.

I did eventually fall into the criteria that meant I could have an insulin pump. The consultant himself was a seriously amazing human being, he listened to me, he didn't judge, he shared banter with me and often called me Ems. He helped me so much.

The pump revolutionised my life compared to what it was before. Oh yes, I had one hell of a lot of learning to do, but I rave about insulin pumps to anyone who mentions them to me. I could probably write an essay or whole blog post on the ways the drip feeding of insulin 24/7 has changed and helped me.

How do I cope?

People sometimes say to me,  "I don't know how you do it" or "I couldn't do that, I hate needles".

Honestly, I wasn't great to start with. Finger pricking to test blood sugar levels is painful (even if you do it where there are less nerves, like I was taught). So I didn't do it very often. Sometimes knowing what my level was, would mean another injection, so I buried my head in the sand - 2 or less pricks to deal with.

Anyway, I could go on and on but if you're still reading now, thank you. I won't continue with more.

If you want any more on this, have any questions or would like to hear about my other chronic illness, let me know,

P.S. I am very open about my health so if you have any questions, please feel free to message me on either of my social media platforms - LinkedIn or Facebook (or send me an email)