I'm your diabetic friend. Help me.
January 3, 2020 3:56 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to have weight loss surgery in 2020, but in order to do so I have to reduce my A1C. It's really high because I struggle with taking my insulin. I need help remembering to take it. Few more details inside.
I've been told that I'm non-compliant with my medicine, and I have to admit that its true. I have reminders set on my calendar at work to take my insulin but often find that I'm stuck in marathon meetings and don't know how to escape without looking the fool. Or I remember, but am not going to be able to eat a meal due to meetings and am afraid that my sugar is too low.
My endocrinologist says that I need to just do it. I agree completely. I want to do it, even though its the most vile experience that I've gone through. Ugh needles.
Outlook isn't working and doesn't help me at home, and I find the iPhone alarms are easy to miss because I usually have my phone muted (or not with me at work). Does anyone else there need to take meds four to five times a day and if so how do you remember? I know its building a habit, but so far I'm not having much luck.
I'd appreciate any help, but no more just do its please. It doesn't help.
Thank you guys!
I've been told that I'm non-compliant with my medicine, and I have to admit that its true. I have reminders set on my calendar at work to take my insulin but often find that I'm stuck in marathon meetings and don't know how to escape without looking the fool. Or I remember, but am not going to be able to eat a meal due to meetings and am afraid that my sugar is too low.
My endocrinologist says that I need to just do it. I agree completely. I want to do it, even though its the most vile experience that I've gone through. Ugh needles.
Outlook isn't working and doesn't help me at home, and I find the iPhone alarms are easy to miss because I usually have my phone muted (or not with me at work). Does anyone else there need to take meds four to five times a day and if so how do you remember? I know its building a habit, but so far I'm not having much luck.
I'd appreciate any help, but no more just do its please. It doesn't help.
Thank you guys!
Here's what helped me, in regards to remembering to take my meds: I worked on changing my view of why I was taking them.
In reality, when I was honest with myself, I could set all the alarms in the world and staple reminders to my forehead and it wouldn't change the fact that I felt bad about myself that I "needed" these medicines and resented the needles and the pills and all the side effects that came along with it. I didn't want to interrupt anyone at work or school by dipping out to take my medicine because I was sure that people would feel sorry for me or judge me or question me about it and I'd have to admit that I had this stupid illness that needed these stupid drugs to keep me healthy.
I'd recommend trying to reconfigure why you're doing this - you want to reduce that A1C, you want to maintain your diabetes more effectively, etc. - and cheer yourself on instead of dreading the needles and setting little subconscious blocks in your head that set you up for failure on this journey of feeling better. Then you'll be more motivated to respond to those alerts and set up your schedule to make insulin your priority and not your enemy. I wish you all the luck in the world and you can totally do this.
posted by Merinda at 4:13 PM on January 3, 2020 [23 favorites]
In reality, when I was honest with myself, I could set all the alarms in the world and staple reminders to my forehead and it wouldn't change the fact that I felt bad about myself that I "needed" these medicines and resented the needles and the pills and all the side effects that came along with it. I didn't want to interrupt anyone at work or school by dipping out to take my medicine because I was sure that people would feel sorry for me or judge me or question me about it and I'd have to admit that I had this stupid illness that needed these stupid drugs to keep me healthy.
I'd recommend trying to reconfigure why you're doing this - you want to reduce that A1C, you want to maintain your diabetes more effectively, etc. - and cheer yourself on instead of dreading the needles and setting little subconscious blocks in your head that set you up for failure on this journey of feeling better. Then you'll be more motivated to respond to those alerts and set up your schedule to make insulin your priority and not your enemy. I wish you all the luck in the world and you can totally do this.
posted by Merinda at 4:13 PM on January 3, 2020 [23 favorites]
My partner has had type 1 for decades and I have a drug regime for a neurological disorder. The one thing that has helped both of us more than anything was (independently, before meeting each other) recognizing that addressing these needs should be a lot more like breathing; it's not special it's just something you do in-situ.
She can test-and-inject (though is currently testing a pump) at red lights. She is very "not shy" about doing so in meetings.
I set alarms (not reminders, alarms don't get muted) and carry my meds with me everywhere. When it's time, it's time. It really doesn't matter what else I'm doing or who I might be talking to. I can find them in my bag, sort the correct ones for the time of day and dry swallow them pretty much on autopilot.
More than anything - simply being unapologetic about doing the needful reduces friction, increases compliance and reduces interruption.
posted by mce at 4:24 PM on January 3, 2020 [6 favorites]
She can test-and-inject (though is currently testing a pump) at red lights. She is very "not shy" about doing so in meetings.
I set alarms (not reminders, alarms don't get muted) and carry my meds with me everywhere. When it's time, it's time. It really doesn't matter what else I'm doing or who I might be talking to. I can find them in my bag, sort the correct ones for the time of day and dry swallow them pretty much on autopilot.
More than anything - simply being unapologetic about doing the needful reduces friction, increases compliance and reduces interruption.
posted by mce at 4:24 PM on January 3, 2020 [6 favorites]
Yeah, unfortunately this stuff is hard and an alarm might not be enough to reset your thinking, emotions or habits. Have you considered some behavioral therapy for this issue? Or traditional, relational talk therapy to explore the root behind why you might be resisting taking medication?
posted by latkes at 4:25 PM on January 3, 2020
posted by latkes at 4:25 PM on January 3, 2020
One of my students had a little diabetes kit that he would discretely prick and test during class and take action from there. I also have students who are ridiculously embarrassed about it all and that's fair enough, it sucks. But I see the difference between the kid who does what he needs to and the kids who are embarrassed about their care- more serious issues there.
If funds and circumstances allow, could you get some sort of automatic insulin delivery, like a pump? Then it doesn't mean you have to step out.
posted by freethefeet at 4:31 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
If funds and circumstances allow, could you get some sort of automatic insulin delivery, like a pump? Then it doesn't mean you have to step out.
posted by freethefeet at 4:31 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Taking medication like that in a strict schedule is hard. It's hard to do it for just a few days, let alone every day throughout the whole year.
I think the first step is to recognize that. Recognize that it is going to be hard, it is going to be a big change in your life, it's going to be a struggle, it's going to require changing things about your life and your routine and your workday and your mindset very significantly. It's going to take hard work over time and you're probably going to have to try a number of things, a number of things will fail, and you'll have to try and try again with different ideas to find out what works for you.
But, you are worth it.
Also--the fact that it is hard is why things like insulin pumps were invented. If this were me, I would be all over doing whatever it takes to get that type of system.
posted by flug at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think the first step is to recognize that. Recognize that it is going to be hard, it is going to be a big change in your life, it's going to be a struggle, it's going to require changing things about your life and your routine and your workday and your mindset very significantly. It's going to take hard work over time and you're probably going to have to try a number of things, a number of things will fail, and you'll have to try and try again with different ideas to find out what works for you.
But, you are worth it.
Also--the fact that it is hard is why things like insulin pumps were invented. If this were me, I would be all over doing whatever it takes to get that type of system.
posted by flug at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
It sounds kind there are maybe three separate issues here - one is the need for physical reminders. The second is the fact you fear you’ll look a fool for taking medication or food. The third is the fact you hate doing it. (Reading between the lines, the third one is maybe the real issue and the others are symptoms of that?)
The first one seems easily solved with technology (a watch with a loud alarm that you don’t take off?).
On the second - I’ve had both relatives and colleagues with diabetes and the idea that anyone would consider you a fool for doing that is kind of mindboggling to me (sorry, I know that doesn’t address your inner sense of embarrassment but in case if helps, I promise you nobody is thinking that - it’s both common, and understood). If you need to, start the meeting by saying “Just so you know, quick heads-up, I’m a diabetic and I’ll have to eat this banana/duck out for medication at 2pm.” Nobody will bat an eyelid. Just as mce suggests, I have a colleague right now who will stand up at his desk, lift his shirt slightly and inject himself in the stomach while talking to you, and nobody cares. Which is not to say you need to do that, but certainly excusing yourself to take care of it is 100% in the bounds of normal behaviour.
For the third problem I’ll defer to others, but you have my sympathy that you have to do something you hate so much - if your hated of it is so severe that it’s leading to you putting your health at risk, maybe some talking therapy to noodle out what’s going on for you would be worth doing. Best of luck.
posted by penguin pie at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2020 [9 favorites]
The first one seems easily solved with technology (a watch with a loud alarm that you don’t take off?).
On the second - I’ve had both relatives and colleagues with diabetes and the idea that anyone would consider you a fool for doing that is kind of mindboggling to me (sorry, I know that doesn’t address your inner sense of embarrassment but in case if helps, I promise you nobody is thinking that - it’s both common, and understood). If you need to, start the meeting by saying “Just so you know, quick heads-up, I’m a diabetic and I’ll have to eat this banana/duck out for medication at 2pm.” Nobody will bat an eyelid. Just as mce suggests, I have a colleague right now who will stand up at his desk, lift his shirt slightly and inject himself in the stomach while talking to you, and nobody cares. Which is not to say you need to do that, but certainly excusing yourself to take care of it is 100% in the bounds of normal behaviour.
For the third problem I’ll defer to others, but you have my sympathy that you have to do something you hate so much - if your hated of it is so severe that it’s leading to you putting your health at risk, maybe some talking therapy to noodle out what’s going on for you would be worth doing. Best of luck.
posted by penguin pie at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2020 [9 favorites]
It sounds to me like you are not laying the groundwork for your necessary self-care. It sounds like you don't even know how to begin, and are not thinking about how to handle the situation. It's kind of like being in denial. I'm going to suggest you over-think and over plan for your insulin instead.
So in the morning when you know you'll be going to a meeting and will need to eat and take insulin, instead of going oh gawd, I can't deal and just going to the meeting and hoping to get out before midnight and eat then, go to your manager or whoever will be leading the meeting and tell him in advance that you'll need to step out to take your injection, and does he think it will be obtrusive if you eat during the meeting so you don't have to step out to do that as well.
If you work at a sane and reasonable place of work he will assure you that of course you can step out, and yes it's fine if you eat your food.
Then get some kind of a portable alarm that will beep softly during the meeting, and bring your carton of milk and crackers with you into the meeting, and have your insulin as prepared as possible so that you can be out of the room as briefly as possible. Take the seat nearest to the door. You want an audible alarm, so that you will keep your eye on the clock and at one minute to when it should go off, will intercept it, turn it off and start eating the cheese and crackers. If you forget it will remind you, but not be so loudly that it totally disrupts the meeting - one that will make your neighbours on either side glance at you or frown and try to locate the source of the sound is at the ideal volume.
If you do all this prep it makes it much easier to follow through when the alarm alerts you or before it does. It will take an actual intention to mistreat yourself to not follow through after you alerted your manager and took the seat by the door. After you drink the milk and eat the crackers, stand up and make eye contact with the manager, nod and silently slip out. Return to your seat just as quietly. Doing this will in a way make you accountable to your manager for not taking care of yourself. Once you mention to him that you have to do this, it puts you in the situation of potentially having to explain yourself to him if you don't.
If the idea of going to the manager before the meeting is too difficult and you blow off talking to him and doing your self-care then start your groundwork even earlier, and go shopping for special nice meeting time snacks. You can at least do that without social anxiety, and having done it you've started a trajectory to follow through with the next stage.
If you can't face telling your manager you will be stepping out, go to him anyway and speak to him about something else without saying anything about your insulin, as a place holder for not mentioning it and then act as if you have mentioned him. But during the stepping out of the meeting stage when you would be making eye contact just mouth the words, "Excuse me" or "I'll be right back."
Another thing you can do is make up little snack meals and put them ready in plastic bags with a slip of paper with the time on it that you need to take them. So instead of just trying to remember to eat, you have the apple and cheese in a bag labeled 10 AM, the salad and cold cuts in a bag labelled 12:00, the grapes and the crackers in the bag labelled 2 PM and the nuts and the celery in a bag labelled 4 PM and an additional bag with a shelf stable protein bar and a mini can of tuna in a bag labelled 6 PM, the last one for just in case you end up working late. Packing these things ahead will help underline to you the importance of eating on the schedule that you are supposed to. Try and be nice to yourself so that when you realise it is 10:20 AM you can pull the morning snack bag out and be pleased with the little treat that you have prepared for yourself. If you've got something you don't even want to eat it's no wonder if you miss meals.
Another thing that may help is self talk. "Okay, Draccy, these are your meal packages. Today you are going to go to the washroom and do that injection at noon, and if the meeting runs late, you are allowed to stand up and excuse yourself. You can do this. Your doctor wants you to do this. You'll feel so much better if you can do this. C'mon Draccy, you are worth this." Say this kind of stuff out loud to yourself before going to work, looking in a mirror if it helps you take yourself more seriously.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:02 PM on January 3, 2020 [10 favorites]
So in the morning when you know you'll be going to a meeting and will need to eat and take insulin, instead of going oh gawd, I can't deal and just going to the meeting and hoping to get out before midnight and eat then, go to your manager or whoever will be leading the meeting and tell him in advance that you'll need to step out to take your injection, and does he think it will be obtrusive if you eat during the meeting so you don't have to step out to do that as well.
If you work at a sane and reasonable place of work he will assure you that of course you can step out, and yes it's fine if you eat your food.
Then get some kind of a portable alarm that will beep softly during the meeting, and bring your carton of milk and crackers with you into the meeting, and have your insulin as prepared as possible so that you can be out of the room as briefly as possible. Take the seat nearest to the door. You want an audible alarm, so that you will keep your eye on the clock and at one minute to when it should go off, will intercept it, turn it off and start eating the cheese and crackers. If you forget it will remind you, but not be so loudly that it totally disrupts the meeting - one that will make your neighbours on either side glance at you or frown and try to locate the source of the sound is at the ideal volume.
If you do all this prep it makes it much easier to follow through when the alarm alerts you or before it does. It will take an actual intention to mistreat yourself to not follow through after you alerted your manager and took the seat by the door. After you drink the milk and eat the crackers, stand up and make eye contact with the manager, nod and silently slip out. Return to your seat just as quietly. Doing this will in a way make you accountable to your manager for not taking care of yourself. Once you mention to him that you have to do this, it puts you in the situation of potentially having to explain yourself to him if you don't.
If the idea of going to the manager before the meeting is too difficult and you blow off talking to him and doing your self-care then start your groundwork even earlier, and go shopping for special nice meeting time snacks. You can at least do that without social anxiety, and having done it you've started a trajectory to follow through with the next stage.
If you can't face telling your manager you will be stepping out, go to him anyway and speak to him about something else without saying anything about your insulin, as a place holder for not mentioning it and then act as if you have mentioned him. But during the stepping out of the meeting stage when you would be making eye contact just mouth the words, "Excuse me" or "I'll be right back."
Another thing you can do is make up little snack meals and put them ready in plastic bags with a slip of paper with the time on it that you need to take them. So instead of just trying to remember to eat, you have the apple and cheese in a bag labeled 10 AM, the salad and cold cuts in a bag labelled 12:00, the grapes and the crackers in the bag labelled 2 PM and the nuts and the celery in a bag labelled 4 PM and an additional bag with a shelf stable protein bar and a mini can of tuna in a bag labelled 6 PM, the last one for just in case you end up working late. Packing these things ahead will help underline to you the importance of eating on the schedule that you are supposed to. Try and be nice to yourself so that when you realise it is 10:20 AM you can pull the morning snack bag out and be pleased with the little treat that you have prepared for yourself. If you've got something you don't even want to eat it's no wonder if you miss meals.
Another thing that may help is self talk. "Okay, Draccy, these are your meal packages. Today you are going to go to the washroom and do that injection at noon, and if the meeting runs late, you are allowed to stand up and excuse yourself. You can do this. Your doctor wants you to do this. You'll feel so much better if you can do this. C'mon Draccy, you are worth this." Say this kind of stuff out loud to yourself before going to work, looking in a mirror if it helps you take yourself more seriously.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:02 PM on January 3, 2020 [10 favorites]
Often people with diabetes or other health issues are so anxious that they mess up their routines because they don't want to think about it. And if you remind them of negative consequences it makes them more anxious so they are even more avoidant.
If you think this is something happening to you, then get into the routine of telling yourself, "As soon as I take my insulin I can stop worrying about it." Self talk like this, where you give yourself permission to feel safe and promise that you are safe until it is time to take the next dose, or eat the next meal can help you manage the anxiety.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:07 PM on January 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
If you think this is something happening to you, then get into the routine of telling yourself, "As soon as I take my insulin I can stop worrying about it." Self talk like this, where you give yourself permission to feel safe and promise that you are safe until it is time to take the next dose, or eat the next meal can help you manage the anxiety.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:07 PM on January 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm not diabetic but my SIL is so I can only say what I've seen as an involved stranger. Why is your endocrinologist not pushing you to a treatment that fits your actual lifestyle and not punishing you for being overweight? If you have difficulty remembering injections, would a pump or a different formulation of insulin be a better clinical choice? If you have a type of diabetes that can be managed with metformin or one of the newer treatments, why don't they put you on that?
So much of my SIL's time was spent jumping through stupid loopholes to prove she can manage her weight, that she can take her insulin and obey the doctor. It was like it was more important that she show she is a good patient than that she get medical help that actually works.
She switched doctors last year and they put her on Farxiga since it's the freaking 21st century. She's actually lost weight now tho she does need to monitor she doesn't get too low, but it's much less maintenence than before and she's finally at the numbers she's been trying to get to for years.
posted by fiercekitten at 5:44 PM on January 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
So much of my SIL's time was spent jumping through stupid loopholes to prove she can manage her weight, that she can take her insulin and obey the doctor. It was like it was more important that she show she is a good patient than that she get medical help that actually works.
She switched doctors last year and they put her on Farxiga since it's the freaking 21st century. She's actually lost weight now tho she does need to monitor she doesn't get too low, but it's much less maintenence than before and she's finally at the numbers she's been trying to get to for years.
posted by fiercekitten at 5:44 PM on January 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
Can you get an InPen prescribed? Basically you load cartridges into it instead of using disposable pens. Its reminders have sensible defaults, it removes some cognitive load from your calculations and your doctor helps you tune the therapy settings so you’re seeing realistic absorption curves. You should be able to get two so you can keep one at home and one in your desk or bag.
Then you just need to leave that meeting. Sit down with your boss and inform him of your medical need and they will need to accommodate you. Bring glucose tabs or Coke for when lunch is unexpectedly served late. Also, you can duck out at the beginning of lunch to take your meds, which shouldn’t be intrusive. You’ll be 20-30 minutes too late to prevent the initial rise but that’s way better than not eating or not taking insulin.
posted by michaelh at 5:54 PM on January 3, 2020
Then you just need to leave that meeting. Sit down with your boss and inform him of your medical need and they will need to accommodate you. Bring glucose tabs or Coke for when lunch is unexpectedly served late. Also, you can duck out at the beginning of lunch to take your meds, which shouldn’t be intrusive. You’ll be 20-30 minutes too late to prevent the initial rise but that’s way better than not eating or not taking insulin.
posted by michaelh at 5:54 PM on January 3, 2020
This is meant as encouragement that there is no real stigma attached to needing to take care of your meds.
I suppose workplace cultures vary but I can’t imagine anybody having a problem with you discretely checking your metrics and injecting during the meeting or stepping out for a couple of minutes to do so. It doesn’t really tend to register. I’ve even observed people taking care of that stuff whilst it was their turn to speak.
I also can’t imagine meetings that overrun by a lot where it is not acceptable to munch on a quiet, non smelly snack and where people don’t bring their drink bottles. At least for just about any internal meetings.
I’ve also had client meals where somebody sits at the table and injects their insulin or takes some preventative antihistamine because, unknown to anybody else, they have a fatal shellfish allergy and somebody at the table has just ordered muscles.
These were all complete non issues.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2020
I suppose workplace cultures vary but I can’t imagine anybody having a problem with you discretely checking your metrics and injecting during the meeting or stepping out for a couple of minutes to do so. It doesn’t really tend to register. I’ve even observed people taking care of that stuff whilst it was their turn to speak.
I also can’t imagine meetings that overrun by a lot where it is not acceptable to munch on a quiet, non smelly snack and where people don’t bring their drink bottles. At least for just about any internal meetings.
I’ve also had client meals where somebody sits at the table and injects their insulin or takes some preventative antihistamine because, unknown to anybody else, they have a fatal shellfish allergy and somebody at the table has just ordered muscles.
These were all complete non issues.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:57 PM on January 3, 2020
Vibrating reminder via smart watch?
posted by oceano at 6:03 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by oceano at 6:03 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Have you added recurring meetings to your work calendar for your food and insulin needs? They can be marked private, then that is on your calendar before others are scheduling meetings. Give your health a proper time for care.
posted by kellyblah at 7:16 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by kellyblah at 7:16 PM on January 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Sorry to hear you’re struggling - it sounds like you have quite the combination of challenges to get into compliance with your medication. Are you a type 1 or type 2 diabetic? If type 2 are there other medications your endocrinologist could potentially prescribe to help manage your blood sugar levels and reduce your need for insulin.
It seems like your endocrinologist could be a bit more helpful here. There are ways to manage diabetes in spite of dislike of needles. Have you looked into a Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor and/or Insulin Pump?
- https://www.freestylelibre.us/
- https://www.dexcom.com/continuous-glucose-monitoring
- https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-pump#1
My father has been a type 1 diabetic for over 50 years, and after some initial teething pains he’s very happy with his libre. I have no direct experience with insulin pumps.
A CGM patch needs to be changed every week or two, and pump infusion set every few days, so no need for needles or finger pricks during your work day other than emergencies.
I’d suggest doing some research into needle fear - it’s quite common in diabetics. You may want to talk to a therapist about that - your health plan may have some options for EAP or a nurse/nurse-practitioner/diabetes educator who could help. Endocrinologists and PCPs aren’t necessarily the best people to actually help you with these sort of fears or your medication management.
I think the bigger challenge may be diet and meal related given your other comments about that, but that may get easier if you can keep your blood sugar better managed. Not skipping meals due to meetings needs to become non-negotiable somehow.
Good luck!
posted by dttocs at 9:41 PM on January 3, 2020
It seems like your endocrinologist could be a bit more helpful here. There are ways to manage diabetes in spite of dislike of needles. Have you looked into a Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor and/or Insulin Pump?
- https://www.freestylelibre.us/
- https://www.dexcom.com/continuous-glucose-monitoring
- https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-pump#1
My father has been a type 1 diabetic for over 50 years, and after some initial teething pains he’s very happy with his libre. I have no direct experience with insulin pumps.
A CGM patch needs to be changed every week or two, and pump infusion set every few days, so no need for needles or finger pricks during your work day other than emergencies.
I’d suggest doing some research into needle fear - it’s quite common in diabetics. You may want to talk to a therapist about that - your health plan may have some options for EAP or a nurse/nurse-practitioner/diabetes educator who could help. Endocrinologists and PCPs aren’t necessarily the best people to actually help you with these sort of fears or your medication management.
I think the bigger challenge may be diet and meal related given your other comments about that, but that may get easier if you can keep your blood sugar better managed. Not skipping meals due to meetings needs to become non-negotiable somehow.
Good luck!
posted by dttocs at 9:41 PM on January 3, 2020
Best answer: Hi. I've been dealing with Type 1 diabetes since I was 12 - but I've really only been "dealing" with diabetes in a mature way since I was 24. The adolescent years in between were a barely-controlled stint of denial and anger, where I focused on the stuff I was great at - academics, arts, friends - and shunted off the stuff I felt I couldn't control anyway, so why bother (diabetes) to the back of my brain.
First of all, it's okay to be angry and upset about diabetes, and the mammoth list of unasked-for pain and responsibility that comes with it. It gets easier, but it never gets easy. It might actually help to let your co-workers see some of that, not to beg for sympathy, but so they're aware that this is a thing that does affect you and your routine, so that you don't feel you have to be a superhero all the time. It's also okay to be frustrated that taking insulin promotes weight gain, which seems antithetical to your goals. When I went on insulin, I gained 30 pounds in maybe six weeks. It was psychologically devastating to a teenage girl. On the other hand, it will help you reach your goals in the long run. In the short run, you will feel better with lower readings, even if your readings are high so consistently that it currently feels like normal.
I don't know you, so I can't give you a read on where you are psychologically, but all this sounds like me - that it's not about a lack of reminder, it's deliberate forgetting to shield oneself from upsetting feelings and reactions. Because of this, my recommendation is to get support from people who have been there - who don't just see you as "their diabetic friend," but who can come at it with true empathy. I couldn't stand the idea of going to a "support group," but there is some great social media for people with diabetes out there. Personally, I credit the Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) on Twitter with putting me on a path to owning up to what I had to do, but also agreeing with me that it sucked and I wasn't wrong for thinking so. The hashtag #dsma (Diabetes Social Media Advocacy) is a really helpful one. There are chats on Wednesdays from 9-10pm EST, and lots of great voices out there.
The other thing that made a huge difference in my life is an insulin pump. Yes, it's a big needle every three days, but just the one, and then you can dispense a calculation of insulin at the push of a button. If Johnson&Johnson hasn't pulled out of your country like they did mine, you could get an Animas Ping, which operates via remote, which means you don't even have to pull out the pump (I miss mine SO much). It would be really unobtrusive. You can even pull out the pump to lower a temporary basal rate if you get worried about hyopglycaemia.
If you have a boss you trust, you should bring up this issue and get the okay to take care of yourself (in writing, if you can), which may make you feel less unsettled about doing it during a meeting.
Recognize that perfection is a myth, and that you'll still have issues even if you follow all the steps, but it's still better, often much better. If you don't, and you're a perfectionist, it can get very easy to start feeling like it's better just not to try at all. It is better to try. It really is.
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more.
posted by ilana at 12:51 PM on January 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
First of all, it's okay to be angry and upset about diabetes, and the mammoth list of unasked-for pain and responsibility that comes with it. It gets easier, but it never gets easy. It might actually help to let your co-workers see some of that, not to beg for sympathy, but so they're aware that this is a thing that does affect you and your routine, so that you don't feel you have to be a superhero all the time. It's also okay to be frustrated that taking insulin promotes weight gain, which seems antithetical to your goals. When I went on insulin, I gained 30 pounds in maybe six weeks. It was psychologically devastating to a teenage girl. On the other hand, it will help you reach your goals in the long run. In the short run, you will feel better with lower readings, even if your readings are high so consistently that it currently feels like normal.
I don't know you, so I can't give you a read on where you are psychologically, but all this sounds like me - that it's not about a lack of reminder, it's deliberate forgetting to shield oneself from upsetting feelings and reactions. Because of this, my recommendation is to get support from people who have been there - who don't just see you as "their diabetic friend," but who can come at it with true empathy. I couldn't stand the idea of going to a "support group," but there is some great social media for people with diabetes out there. Personally, I credit the Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) on Twitter with putting me on a path to owning up to what I had to do, but also agreeing with me that it sucked and I wasn't wrong for thinking so. The hashtag #dsma (Diabetes Social Media Advocacy) is a really helpful one. There are chats on Wednesdays from 9-10pm EST, and lots of great voices out there.
The other thing that made a huge difference in my life is an insulin pump. Yes, it's a big needle every three days, but just the one, and then you can dispense a calculation of insulin at the push of a button. If Johnson&Johnson hasn't pulled out of your country like they did mine, you could get an Animas Ping, which operates via remote, which means you don't even have to pull out the pump (I miss mine SO much). It would be really unobtrusive. You can even pull out the pump to lower a temporary basal rate if you get worried about hyopglycaemia.
If you have a boss you trust, you should bring up this issue and get the okay to take care of yourself (in writing, if you can), which may make you feel less unsettled about doing it during a meeting.
Recognize that perfection is a myth, and that you'll still have issues even if you follow all the steps, but it's still better, often much better. If you don't, and you're a perfectionist, it can get very easy to start feeling like it's better just not to try at all. It is better to try. It really is.
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more.
posted by ilana at 12:51 PM on January 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
Have you explored trying to do more of the heavy lifting with diet? I am currently dealing with a nasty case of gestational diabetes, that while only temporary, is typically treated much more strictly than type 2. I have a pretty extreme carb intolerance, but I manage my day without insulin by just being super obsessive about my food. (Fasting blood sugar is a mess so I use medicine at night to manage that.)
Eating a small ziplock bag of almonds in a meeting is not going to be noticed by anyone. Sneaking in a walk between meetings makes a huge difference in glucose numbers. I found it took about two weeks of constantly monitoring my sugars to figure out what did and didn't work for my body. Now I am able to make good consistent decisions that keep me mostly level all day. While you still might need insulin, you might be able to cut it out for certain meals. I find my sugars at breakfast are THE WORST, but my lunch numbers are great. Not having to do lunch insulin might make a world of difference to you.
I guess my suggestion is to invest two weeks into really understanding the patterns of your body. You might learn a few tricks and shortcuts that make your life way easier. Find a dietician too that supports lower carb diets. Also diabetes sucks and I am sorry you have to deal with it :(
posted by KMoney at 7:28 AM on January 5, 2020
Eating a small ziplock bag of almonds in a meeting is not going to be noticed by anyone. Sneaking in a walk between meetings makes a huge difference in glucose numbers. I found it took about two weeks of constantly monitoring my sugars to figure out what did and didn't work for my body. Now I am able to make good consistent decisions that keep me mostly level all day. While you still might need insulin, you might be able to cut it out for certain meals. I find my sugars at breakfast are THE WORST, but my lunch numbers are great. Not having to do lunch insulin might make a world of difference to you.
I guess my suggestion is to invest two weeks into really understanding the patterns of your body. You might learn a few tricks and shortcuts that make your life way easier. Find a dietician too that supports lower carb diets. Also diabetes sucks and I am sorry you have to deal with it :(
posted by KMoney at 7:28 AM on January 5, 2020
Before I had bariatric surgery, I had to have a psych eval. Is this a requirement for your program? If so, can you use the opportunity to talk about the issues you're having?
Also, if you are a Type I diabetic, the FDA just approved an automatic insulin pump with continuous glucose monitoring.
Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the surgery.
posted by kathrynm at 10:37 AM on January 5, 2020
Also, if you are a Type I diabetic, the FDA just approved an automatic insulin pump with continuous glucose monitoring.
Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the surgery.
posted by kathrynm at 10:37 AM on January 5, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
at home, continue always having your phone by you, and if the vibrate won't grab your attention turn the sound on. you should be able to set it so twitter etc doesn't ding, but your alarm setting does.
at home, if you have an alexa or similar, you can set that to TELL you to take your meds.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 4:08 PM on January 3, 2020 [3 favorites]