Attention Type 1 Diabetics : Need some feedback here!
I am still amazed that my blog post about 25 years with diabetes was one of my most-read posts. But I think that there are a lot of diabetics out there that are looking for feedback, encouragement, and information from someone other than their doctors, nutritionists, or diabetes educators. Someone who actually HAS diabetes. I know I am!
So today I’m looking for some feedback. If you haven’t been here before, I am a type 1 diabetic (diagnosed 25 years ago at age 10). I use an insulin pump. I have three children, ages 7, 5, and 1. I have a busy life.
My last HBA1C reading was higher than it has been in probably 8 years. I faithfully check my BG (4-5 times/day). But I don’t spend much more time on it – I feel like I don’t have the time to analyze my BG readings adequately, and then make changes and analyze the effect of those changes. Lately I’ve been using the Minimed online software to do this, but I’ve only been doing it about once every 6 months (before an endo appt.). I know, it’s not enough. I’m curious about how others manage this. So would you share with me the answers to the following:
- Do you use some type of software to analyze trends, etc.?
- How often do you actually take a look at your trends, analyze them (i.e., decide if basal rates or carb ratios need to be adjusted), and then make the appropriate changes?
- If you make changes, do you go back and analyze the affect of those changes?
- Do you do most of this on your own or on the advice of your doctor?
Thanks for your help, fellow diabetics! I appreciate it!
TTAH Tuesday – Shopping Date
One of our traditions is to take a day in December, just my hubby and I, to do our Christmas shopping. We get a babysitter (usually one of the grandmas) and we spend the whole day – just the two of us – together.
It’s like a day-long date. Almost like playing hooky (although I assure you, Dave legitimately takes a vacation day). We shop, we talk, we eat lunch out together. It’s great.
There’s something special about having lunch together for us – because, I think, it only happens once a year! It’s fun and refreshing. And I like shopping together because then he can help me pick out presents for the kids – it doesn’t all fall on me.
So if it’s possible for you / your husband to take a day off to go shopping, go ahead and do it. You just might make it a tradition!
Encouragement
Just a scripture verse I wanted to share that I’m thinking about today.
Romans 15:4
“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
God inspired the writing of the Bible to teach me AND to give me hope. Thank you, God!
TTAH – Beating the Blues
I’ve been feeling pretty miserable, off and on, for the last 6 months or so. I’ve had times when I’ve been in a mood that I can only identify as despair. And this is new to me – I’ve never in the past been through this. I’d like to call it baby blues except that my littlest is almost 20 months already!
Sometimes I just think to myself – what is your problem? Because the circumstances of my life are really relatively peachy. So why do I feel so miserable sometimes? I suspect all of the following plays a role – hormones, being needed by someone all the time, lack of sleep, busy schedule, lack of time spent alone or doing things I enjoy, constant supervision of my kids, constant bickering between the kids, the list goes on and on.
So in case any of you are feeling similarly, I thought I’d share my tips on how to get through it. Because really, today, I need to remind myself. Here goes:
- Get enough sleep.
- Pray every morning. (oops I should have put this first because I’m starting to believe it’s really even more important than sleep)
- Make sure I have some time away from my kids at least once every couple of weeks. This does NOT include grocery shopping – it needs to be fun and enjoyable. (for me, this alone time is a good time to employ my creativity – then I get a double bonus of feeling like I’ve accomplished something and also some peace & quiet)
- Maintain my friendships. I need to have other moms I can call or talk to regularly when I’m struggling with something. Even better if they are also willing to pray for me!
- Ask for help when needed.
- Listen to uplifting music. Christmas music always lightens my spirit.
- If you keep a journal, read through it. It’s always helpful to me to see where I’ve been and to see how God has been working in my life.
- Help others. It’s not hard to find other people who need a card of encouragement, a meal, someone to pray for them, someone to watch a baby while they get a nap or some shopping done. There’s something really uplifting about stepping out of your own issues to help someone else with theirs.
- Exercise.
- Get a grip and realize it’s not all about me. Read Philippians 2:3-11 (below). Sometimes I like to throw myself a pity party and tell myself that I’m the only one doing anything around our house. When I read this verse, it puts everything in the proper perspective:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
I hope this is helpful to you. Do you have something that you do regularly to help you stay on an even keel emotionally? Please share!
TTAH Tuesday – Fill a Box (AND GO VOTE!)
OK, my post today is actually two tips. Both are important, but totally unrelated. I debated about which one to write about, and lucky you, you get both.
First, it is the season for Operation Christmas Child. As a family, we have been participating in this ministry for several years. To break it down for you, Samaritan’s Purse collects shoeboxes filled with gifts for underpriveleged children, they add some information about Christ in the child’s own language, and they send these boxes around the world. For most of these kids, it’s the only gifts they get (or have ever gotten!). It is such a powerful ministry, and so easy to participate in! You decide what age/sex of child you’d like to fill a box for, then go fill it with toiletries, school supplies, toys, etc.
This has been such a neat experience for our kids – we let them pick out what goes in the box and it gives us the opportunity to teach them how blessed we are – that there are children out there who don’t know Christ, who don’t get gifts, who don’t have even a small percentage of what we have. They get to see how fun it can be to give rather than get.
If you’d like to participate, check out the info on the Samaritan’s Purse website.
And the other tip for today – go vote. I wonder if I really even need to remind people about this – because let’s face it, if you weren’t planning on doing it by now, I’m probably not going to change your mind. But I will say that voting is our privilege and responsibility as citizens in the USA. Seriously consider the candidates and then get out there and make your voice heard!
Have a great day!
