Day 9 - Sneaky D.

Diabetes has a certain way of showing up where it is not wanted. As I was putting away laundry today I found a tiny spot of dried blood on the waist band of one of my skirts. I assume it happened when I gave myself an injection under a table in a restaurant. At the time I never noticed any bleeding. I hope I can get the stain out, otherwise it will just be another constant reminder that I am a person with Type 1 Diabetes. In order to take care of myself I have to take injections of insulin. Sometimes this means little spots of blood will show up in unwanted places.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.

If you can't see the little spot click on the picture or check it out at the Diabetes365 Group on Flickr where I added a little note to point it out (don't forget to see my pictures you have to sign in).

Day 8 - Plastic Pancreas

Today my mom and I went to our pump training session at my endocrinologist's office. If you had asked me even a year ago if I would consider an insulin pump, the answer would have been NO! Over the past few months I have realized that the pump would be the only true way for me to mimic what a normal pancreas should do. A pump is not the right therapy for everyone. An insulin pump is not a cure, it is only another delivery method. I will wear the pump for 4 days with saline, to get used to this new method. Then start on insulin this Friday. In the meantime I will still be taking multiple daily injections. I do not need this device because I have a "bad case of diabetes". I hope that I do not have to be on a pump for 11 years like I was on multiple daily injections. I hope a cure comes sooner. But until there is a cure this is what I will do.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.

From Penny & Bernard, go write Ellen a letter suggesting she feature something about November being Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14th being World Diabetes Day on her show!
I can't write her because I am not 18, but I will ask my mom to do it for me!

Day 7 - Message in a Bottle.

As a person with diabetes, insulin injections become a routine part of life. I have been a diabetic for most of my life, 11 out of my 16 years. This past week marked my last complete (Monday to Sunday) week of multiple daily injections. This photograph is of a water bottle filled with every pen top needle I used this week and the 4 insulin pens I finished ( I had a few half used ones in my fridge, they won't be any good to me by Friday). This is only a part of what I do every week to control my diabetes.

There is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Yet.


10 AM Tomorrow, Pump Training and Saline Start!!!

Forums!

I have a follow up appointment on Monday with my Endo, because I have been on Symlin for a month now. When I go I would really like to discuss pumping even though he seems to be not so sure about it. So I posted some questions on Children with Diabetes & Diabetes Daily, any feedback here or or on either site would be really helpful. The following is a copy of what I posted.

I have a few questions about insulin pumps, but first I will give you a little history about myself and my diabetes.

I am 15 years old and was diagnosed 2 days after my 5th birthday, so 11 years this September. I have never been on an insulin pump, always MDI, starting with R and N and only to shots a day at diagnosis (1996) to a minimum of 8 injections a day including 3 of Symlin, 2 of Levemir, and 3 + of NovoLog. I have had many doctors one of which was what I like to call a “pump pusher”. At every appointment she was pushing the pump to me (around the age of 10) when I wanted nothing to do with it. 2 years ago I switched to a doctor who is very progressive with putting younger kids on the pump and has discussed pumps with me, but I was not ready. Now I have been investigating them as he suggested and the only one I would ever use would be the OmniPod. The only problem is that he wants my A1c under 9 before he will put me on any type of pump, but unfortunately nothing we have tried (Lantus, Levemir, and now Symlin) has been able to get me to that goal. Mostly now because I am still waking up extremely high, even though using the Symlin usually keeps me in range during the day. I am wondering if your doctors had restrictions like this before putting your children on a pump? I thought that pumps were to proven to help lower A1c’s? Would a pump possibly solve my problem with long acting insulins (Levemir and Lantus) and waking up high? Any ideas and opinions about how to get my doctor more on board would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance.