As Oprah Winfrey said, “Skiing is the next best thing to having wings.” That’s not the way that I ski, I am a beginner, and do not want to fly while I ski. But I’m happy to watch others fly! The trip I planned with my friends would provide me with plenty of opportunities to watch them fly. Planning a…
This is the third in a series of how people react to my diabetes. The good, the bad, and the neutral (not ugly) from strangers and friends. There’s lessons to learn and some silver linings. If you haven’t already, please check out Part 1 and Part 2. Classmate fainting at the sight of my blood Let’s go back to 1995,…
There are many people who use needles, diabetics, tattoo artists, prescription drug users, illegal drug users, medical professionals, pet parents, and vets. In my experience, people only think about using them for their intended purpose, and don’t think about what happens after they’re done with them. How should a used needle be disposed of? Dangers of Sharing Needles Sharing needles…
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a table top role-playing game where players sit around an in-person or virtual table to tell a cooperative story with their imagination and rolling a lot of dice. Characters are created and these characters go on adventures led by a dungeon/game master. Historically D&D, and many other games, didn’t have characters with disabilities. Luckily…
A chubby gray cat purrs while walking around one of his human’s legs, rubbing affectionately as he saunters by. The cat moves more slowly than he did a few years ago, you know how older cats get. His other human tiptoes over with an insulin-filled syringe hidden behind their back. The cat’s ears twitch then lay flat, right before he…
I know you’ve all read the first part of my How People React to My Diabetes – Part 1. Here is Part 2 in the series. More reactions – good, bad, and neutral – to strangers and friends reacting to me taking care of my diabetes. Stay tuned for Part 3 (of 3) in this series. What Are You Eating?…
In high school, after my friend said he didn’t want to watch me change my insulin pump site, he left the room. So, I pull up my shirt to show my stomach, where the new site will be, wipe off the numbing cream, and began injecting myself with a very long thin needle. During the injection process I look up…
“We certainly concur with the [authors] that “if a hypoglycemic episode occurs underwater or away from shore, the results could be incapacitating and tragic.” However, this same warning applies to almost any activity in which the insulin-dependent diabetic chooses to participate (eg, driving a car). It would be unfair to disallow those responsible adolescents to participate in an activity they…
Growing up I was always open about having Type 1 Diabetes. I rarely hid the fact that I had this autoimmune disease. Eventually, I learned that many diabetics aren’t as open as I am. They don’t share that they have type 1 diabetes with new people. It’s not a requirement for anyone with a disease or disability to broadcast the…
One of the technical advances in diabetes technology are continuous glucose monitors (CGM). They are wearable devices that track blood sugar levels in real time. Before CGMs and for those who do not use one, the most common way to check blood sugar levels is to use a blood glucose meter, needing to prink your finger each time you want…
