Month: December 2016

How Mallory Richards is Living Diabetter

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Q&A with Mallory Richards
I met with Mallory Richards, a Junior at Parish Episcopal School (my alma mater) who is redefining what is means to live with diabetes. Diagnosed at the age of six, she not only raises awareness in her community but raises money for a foundation close to her heart. Mallory is a true example of what is means to Live Diabetter!

Q: When were you diagnosed?
A: I was six at the time and we thought that I was using the restroom a lot and I was super thirsty all the time. We thought it was strep throat or a bladder infection, so we ended up going to the doctor and my blood sugar was above six-hundred. So they put me in the hospital right away.
Q: How has your lifestyle changed?
A: It’s definitely made things harder because it’s just one more thing to have to deal with on top of everything else going on in life. But it’s also taught me time management. When I’m having a bad day, I have to learn to get back on my feet and keep going and push through, and realize that some things are more important.
Q: What are your daily struggles?
A: Accepting the fact that when my friends run off and do things that I have to stop for a second and pay attention to it, and not let it affect me when everyone else is doing other things and I’m held back.
Q: How did you tell your friends?
A: As I started getting older, my friends just automatically started to take care of it as if they had the disease as well. They were always there to have my back and they’re sometimes when they understand it better than I do. They’re able to take care of me. One of my friends even knows how to changed my insulin pump, which is very impressive!
Q: What are your proudest accomplishments?
A: One of my proudest accomplishments with this disease is raising awareness throughout the community. When I first got diagnosed, I was a part of the walk, I lived in North Carolina at the time, but I think I raised over $10,000 for JDRF.
Q: What is the biggest misconception with Type 1.
A: Automatically when I tell people I have Type One they always just jump straight to “Oh, you can’t eat sugar, you can’t eat this, are your sure you can do this? Have that?” You know I have teachers who start to hand out candy and they skip right over me and I’m like “I’m still here, I can still eat candy.” I don’t have this disease because I ate poorly or because I don’t exercise… it’s because my body literally stopped working.
Q: How do your treat lows and highs during school?
A: It’s hard when you’re low or you’re high and you’re in the middle of class, especially I’ve had instances where in the middle of tests and quizzes, I’m not feeling great but I try to push through and even some of my teachers have come to notice. It’s hard to tip-toe around having to excuse myself from class, especially when we’re learning important things and I’m like “I need to go tot he nurse.”
Q: What are your extracurricular activities?
A: I’m very involved in theatre, I’ve been doing it since the fifth grade. The reason I think I came to love theatre so much is because I was able to go on stage and be a completely different person. I wasn’t Mallory with diabetes which was nice.
Q: Explain Parish Family Performs?
A: I’m directing Parish Family Performs which is a Broadway revue show that’s performed by faculty, staff, parents and alumni. Every year a Junior directs it for the Junior Service Project and they get to benefit a cause of their choice so this year I decided to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. All proceeds from the show along with a free shoe day that we did with our uniforms, all the money collected is going straight to JDRF.
Q: What advice do you have for someone battling Diabetes?
A: You’re not alone. This disease doesn’t define you and that you’re going to have bumps in the road and it’s not always going to be easy but you can get through it. We’re searching for a cure.
Q: What does living Diabetter mean to you?
A: Living Diabetter means taking care of yourself and taking the action of being in control of this disease, that way you live better with Type One.
I’m Mallory Richards and I’m Living Diabetter!

Power to the Pump: No Need for Needles

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If you ask someone their birth date, they can tell you. If you inquire about life changing moments they will describe them to you. Dates hold a special place in people’s hearts. Dates mark tragedies, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, heartbreaks, and celebrations in one’s life. Dates have become very important to me since I’ve been diagnosed with t1d. They’re the good, the bad and the ugly that shape up my life. I remember the exact date of graduation, my diagnosis, my first car and the date of my first job. On October 18, 2016, I became a “podder”…. One of the best decisions I’ve made.
Insulin pumps are small computerized devices that deliver insulin in two ways:
1. In a steady measured and continuous dose (“basal”)
2. As a surge dose around mealtime (“bolus”)
aka God’s gift to type 1 diabetics!
The American Diabetes Association explains it best, doses are delivered through a flexible plastic tube called a cannula. With the aid of a small needle, the cannula is inserted through the skin into the fatty tissue and is taped in place. The insulin pump is not an artificial pancreas… This delivery system most closely mimics the body’s normal release of insulin.
I’m new to this whole insulin pump thing but I’m loving it so far! For almost 5 years, I’ve been giving myself injections using the Novolog (during meals) and Levemir (bedtime) Flexpens.
That’s 12,698 insulin needle injections to be exact.
You can find your T1D Footprint at https://www.jdrf.org/t1dlookslikeme/
The injections were convenient starting out. I just did some carb counting and adjusted how many units of insulin I needed for my meals. Then before I went to bed I would inject 14-18 units (depending on ratio at the time) of insulin (Levemir).
Sounds easy right?
Not exactly.
As time past, I noticed fatty tissue began to build up on my injection sites. Yes, I changed site locations frequently but the fatty tissue was still there. I felt self conscious wearing certain clothing during the warmer months and injecting under the table at restaurants and/or in the bathroom when your pen cap rolls under the neighbors stall didn’t help matters either.
The result of injecting yourself 3-4 times a day, not including corrections and snacks can take a toll on your body’s physical appearance.

no-need-for-needles-2
After many discussions with my endocrinologist and nutritionist, I decided that the OmniPod was more compatible with my lifestyle and here is why:
– The OmniPod is tubeless and wireless (no plastic tubing) which is perfect for my active lifestyle… no stuffing tubes in sports bras during a workout or bulging dress shirts in business meetings.
– Patch-style adhesive allows discreet wearing and makes it easier to camouflage with seasonal clothing.
– PDM (controller unit) has a built-in fingerstick meter for checking BGs… no separate meter required = more purse space!
– The Pod (insulin unit) is waterproof up to 25 feet… Costa Rica here I come!
– PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager) provides precise doses down to .25 units… regulates blood sugar = lower A1C levels!
– User friendly… if you are new to an insulin pump, the OmniPod comes with a quick and easy setup and site changes.

podder
I chose the Pod Life because of the fewer injections, discreet site locations and control of my insulin intake… I can set a “temp basal” when I exercise or “extend” the insulin during 1/2 price appetizers. Being on the OmniPod eliminates the need to guesstimate when I eat because there is a built in food library and it allows a more accurate dosage of insulin delivered throughout the day.

Although there are cons to the Pod Life like the alert beeping noises, higher risk of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), changing your site every 3 days or the fact that I could be allergic to the adhesive?? does not change all of my positive experiences I’ve had so far.
Please check with your endocrinologist before considering an insulin pump.

t1dlookslikeme