by Lisa Brady
We all know that when it comes to us ladies we take a little longer to get ready and carry our entire lives on our oversized, could-be-a-carry-on-item, purses. But for someone with a slightly more complicated life, everyday routines and the contents of a purse can be a whole other ballgame.
For instance, what do you do to get yourself ready in the morning? There are the givens; showering, shaving, brushing teeth (hopefully), applying deodorant, etc… I cannot even get out of bed in the morning before I have stabbed myself in the finger to get a blood sugar reading. Luckily, I’ve gotten to the point where I can do this pretty much blindly, I can do it before I have achieved complete consciousness. Once a number is achieved, then I can get up and start my day. Unless, of course, the number is wonky somehow. It’s more likely that I wake up with a lower number, which is good, unless it’s too low. Anything under 95 first thing in the morning means I instantly have to snap into treat-a-low mode. This can be fun because normally I avoid sugar like acid wash jeans, and a low allows me to get a little candy or regular soda into my life. Mmm, Swedish Fish. It can also be too high. Which means more needles. Great way to start the day, huh?
[Sash Suicide in Sugar Lips]
Anything I do during the day, whether it be work, errands, anything that involves me operating a motor vehicle, working out and even sleeping requires that I think about my diabetes before I take another step/put my head on the pillow. Everything must be scheduled. How do I manage, you ask? An over-anal attention to detail, my friends (and a lot of junk in my purse).
The diabetic contents of my purse.
All joking aside, diabetes is a serious and, can be, life-threatening disease. Though most of the mainstream public doesn’t know a whole lot about it. Most people (including me before I was diagnosed) think that you have to be overweight and can give yourself diabetes by consuming too much sugar. That is true for Type 2. Type 2 makes up 95% of the diabetic population; only 5% are Type 1. Being T1 means that your body makes no insulin at all and therefore requires daily injections. Life is truly a rollercoaster, and no matter how prepared or well-equipped you are, there are going to be ups and downs.
So the next time you decide to have a late-night pizza, drink an alcoholic beverage or hit the gym, thank your lucky stars that you can do any one of those things without a second thought. It’s easy to take for granted your health. I know I did for the first 21 years of my life. But I am thankful that I was able to live my childhood and teenage years as a normal kid. There are so many who aren’t that fortunate.
What are you thankful for?
