Tag: diabetes education

National Diabetes Awareness Month: Q&A with Jasmine Amerasekera

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Like with a lot of things, you were patiently waiting for it to be over… when we told you it wasn’t going to end, you just took it quietly.

Jasmine Amerasekera

As National Diabetes Awareness Month comes to an end, I wanted to share a Q&A from a diabuddy of mine.

Jasmine Amerasekera and I went to the same school (Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas) our entire lives and while I’m 3 years older, I remember casually seeing her in the nurse’s office giving herself insulin before lunch periods or treating a low with juice boxes; not knowing of her T1D diagnosis at the time.

Jasmine reached out to me recently after reading my bio in our alma mater’s newspaper and was surprised to find out I was diagnosed with type one diabetes in college. She was excited to see a fellow alum/diabetic in the community after so many years of feeling alone during her time at Parish.

Jasmine’s story is your reminder that diabetes is not a one-size-fits-all. Read her diagnosis story and how she chose to tackle T1D both as a young child and an adult. She also shares great tips for when you are feeling defeated and burned out.

1. What do you remember from the day of your T1D diagnosis? 

Some of my earliest memories are from my diagnosis, but they are mostly in short, very vivid snippets. I was about one month shy of my third birthday. I remember being very ill in the days leading up to my diagnosis, especially on Halloween when I had dressed up as a bride but was too sick to leave my bed to even say hi to the other neighborhood kids when they came to the door. I remember the hospital very well, it was the Children’s Hospital in Dallas. There was a working model train in the lobby that my parents would take me to see once I was well enough to walk around a bit. I remember receiving visitors in my hospital room and some of them brought gifts that I kept for a very long time and even some I still have. I loved inviting people to sit down on the bed next to me and then pushing the buttons to move the whole thing up and down when they tried. I was only there for 3 days, after which they sent us home with a couple of Rufus and Ruby teddy bears from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a few picture books for educating children and basically said good luck. 

2. What was your first reaction when you found out? 

I don’t remember much of this myself, but I think I was probably not very understanding of just how much this would impact my life and how different it would be from then on. I asked my parents if they remember and this is what my dad replied: “You didn’t really know what it was, but knew that you were ill. About a couple of months later you asked us when you would be well again and not need to take medication, etc. Like with a lot of things, you were patiently waiting for it to be over… when we told you it wasn’t going to end, you just took it quietly. I think you felt like you got an answer and that was sufficient at the time. But you definitely decided that you did not want to go back to the hospital. You made a promise with Caroline [Mitchell, my classmate at Parish and best friend] about that if I remember.”

3. What resources have been of help to you? 

I had a great set of pediatric endocrinologists growing up, who were very helpful and empathetic. In adulthood, I’ve turned to social media, Twitter especially, where there is a large and vocal community of all types of diabetics who are quite helpful with questions about lifestyle, insurance, the healthcare system, access to supplies, etc. My greatest resource in my life has always been other people with type one diabetes, and I find that our community is always very eager to help each other out in any way that we can.

4. Any advice you have for new diabetics? 

Find other type one diabetics. Diabetes can be hard to navigate alone, both from an emotional aspect and logistical one. Organizations like the JDRF or the ADA will sometimes have conferences and summits, sometimes free or not very expensive, and if you can attend something like that you definitely should go to meet other people who can understand what you’re going through. If you’re a kid or a parent with a diabetic child, look into what summer camps for type one diabetics might be available to you, they even have day camps for kids who aren’t ready to go to a sleepaway camp. These places are also great resources for more information about type one diabetes, since their keystone is always their educational component. Make sure that your friends, teachers, coworkers and other people around you are educated on your disease so that they can both be more supportive and empathetic and also so that they can react in an emergency situation, and get yourself a medical alert necklace or bracelet. I’d also like to emphasize that everyone is different. What works for some T1Ds might not work for others, so don’t feel like you have to follow the crowd when it comes to lifestyle or technology choices. Whatever gives you the best control over your life and let’s you feel the healthiest—do that. 

5. How do you manage diabetes with every day life? 

I make sure to be really open with the people around me about what I need. If I don’t feel well or need to step out of a meeting or class or any situation to take care of a low blood sugar, I explain why T1D is contributing to that. I also try to be really kind to myself. Our blood sugars can be affected by almost anything—food, stress, hormonal changes, exercise, the weather—and it doesn’t make sense to beat ourselves up when our blood sugars and control are really composites of all of these factors plus a thousand tiny decisions we don’t even know we’re making all the time. It can be easy to try and point out one thing you did and blame yourself for making that mistake, but make sure that it is constructive and empathetic feedback in the context of your life, not harsh and unforgiving criticism. I once heard from an endo of mine that there are no “bad” numbers, only data. I try my best to remember this, and that makes managing every day stuff seem a lot less daunting. 

6. What devices do you wear? Are there any other products you use that make living with T1D easier? 

I use a Tandem T:Slim insulin pump with the Dexcom G6 CGM sensor. In all the years I’ve had diabetes, the single thing that has made living with T1D easier has been the closed loop system. I was never able to get my A1c below a 7.0 until the closed loop system, and it also helps me sleep at night knowing that if my blood sugar starts to drop it will wake me up. 

7. Explain how it was to manage diabetes in college. 

I won’t lie, I had a difficult start with managing my diabetes in college. I was still taking injections and despite having had diabetes for years at this point was struggling with social anxiety around it, probably due to being in a new place where people weren’t aware of my T1D as they’d been at the school I’d gone to for my whole life. Luckily, I found out pretty early that T1D counts as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and I was able to receive accommodations from the university because of that. That meant that if my blood sugar went really high and I had to miss a class or a test I was more easily able to explain this to my professors and TAs, and even if they didn’t understand what I was going through they had to accept it because I was protected by my accommodations. I also had accommodations during exams so that I could bring in juice and snacks and check my blood sugar as needed and even get extra time to do these things. After a pretty rough year and a half of really unstable blood sugars, I decided that the multiple daily injections were not working for me and switched to the insulin pump, which really helped a lot. Now I could be more discrete about taking my insulin, which meant I was more likely to take it when I needed it and not wait until I was alone. It was definitely much harder to handle diabetes in college than when I was a kid and had my parents to help me with everything, but it was an important step in my transition to adulthood. Learning to be a diabetic on my own had to come sooner or later, and college provided the catalyst for  that—it was a steep learning curve but in the end I knew a lot more about my T1D and myself. 

8. How has your support system been of help to you as you navigate the highs and lows of T1D? 

I am lucky to have a wonderful support system. My parents have always been my biggest advocates and a huge resource to me—they’ve always done their best to take some of the burden of T1D off my hands, and they’re always staying up to date with diabetes news and technology. They have spent many sleepless nights with me when my blood sugar was going low in the middle of the night. They educated my teachers and classmates at school so I never needed to worry. They have been very involved in the community and organizations with other parents and people with diabetes, asking for and giving advice based on their experiences. When I need help deciding between doctors or insurance plans or insulin pumps, they’ve done the research with me. And those are only just a few examples! I also have a boyfriend who I have been with for almost 7 years who has been a lifeline to me in adulthood. He took it upon himself right from the start to educate himself on type one diabetes and learned how to count carbs, the differences between recognizing and treating high and low blood sugars, and also understanding the emotional weight of T1D so that he can support me without me needing to explain myself. I don’t even know how I would navigate the highs and lows of T1D without my support system.

9. Does it ever get easier? Are you used to it by now?

I’ve seen both the technology and the rhetoric around T1D improve drastically throughout my life. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of issues around accessibility to this technology and even just the basic need of insulin for us. But it is really heartening to see more people talking about it and more awareness being granted to our struggles. As far as the day-to-day living with diabetes, it definitely gets easier—for example, carb counting is almost second nature to me. I no longer struggle with social anxiety around diabetes, fortified by the community on social media that has fully propelled us into the continuing body positivity movement. I think humans are really resilient, and as long as we have the right tools we can rise to so many difficult challenges. 

10. Are you a part of any diabetes organizations? Participated in any walks, raised money, etc. 

I used to be quite active in a couple of organizations. I did the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes (now called the OneWalk) every year as a kid and got all my friends to join me. My family used to raise upwards of $10,000 some years thanks to donations from some amazing friends and family members. I also volunteered as a counselor and nurse’s assistant for a camp that the North Dallas chapter of the American Diabetes Association put on called Camp New Horizons after attending it myself as a child. I personally am not super active in any large organizations anymore, participating more often in mutual aid efforts online for people who are struggling to access their supplies and insulin, but my mom is still a very active volunteer in JDRF especially, as a mentor to newly diagnosed families and others.

12. When is your diaversary?

November 4th, 1998. It complements Diabetes Awareness Month perfectly! I just celebrated 23 years since my diagnosis. 

I want to thank Jasmine for allowing me to share her story!

Just because NDAM is over, our constant battle of living with type one diabetes never ends- T1D is a full time job with zero PTO.

As Jasmine explained, what works for some T1Ds might not work for others, so don’t feel like you have to follow the crowd and compare yourselves when it comes to lifestyle or technology choices.

There are days where we are just plain tired of it all and days where we feel like we can conquer the world. It’s important to surround yourself with a community who is not only educated but who supports you throughout your daily highs and lows.

Let’s celebrate eachother today and every day because we’ve made it this far.  

Happy National Diabetes Awareness Month! 💙

KEDZ Covers™ Review

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When Katrina reached out to me after seeing my feature on Lauren’s Hope, I knew I had to help share her story and mission. She is the proud creator and founder of KEDZ Covers™, a flourishing small business that sells polypropylene plastic, colorful and reusable covers for the Omnipod insulin pump. Being diagnosed with T1D at the age of 9, Katrina quickly switched from needles to the Omnipod and Dexcom G6. She felt embarrassed about the way the Omnipod looked, so with her creativity and the help of her dad, KEDZ Covers™ was born! They partnered with an engineering company to create 3D printed prototypes for an Invention Convention which later grew into a business. KEDZ Covers™ has been featured in publications like the Boston Business Journal, Diabetes Forecast and Diabetes Mine.

After hearing Katrina’s story, I was excited to try out her KEDZ Covers™. The moment I unpackaged my cover, I was impressed by the overall look and feel of it. It’s made from polypropylene plastic which is flexible and lightweight. The plastic won’t break when snapping the cover on and off, which means these bad boys are durable and will last you a long time. It was easy to attach to my Omnipod and I removed it when it was time to change my pod, so I wouldn’t accidentally take my Omnipod off with the cover. It is recommended that the cover be attached to the pod once the pod has adhered to the skin and the cannula has been inserted. You can view demonstration videos here.

I wore my KEDZ Covers™ to the gym as I went through an entire HIIT cardio circuit without it falling off or interfering with my clothes. This is a trusted product that I will continue to wear and support. I can’t wait for all of my upcoming summer vacations so I can wear these colorful and reusable covers to match my outfits!

 

To rock your very own KEDZ Covers™, click here! You won’t be disappointed.

Katrina is such a strong young lady who continues to find the positive in what is a difficult disease to manage day-to-day. She inspires me to keep my head up and to keep spreading awareness for the type one community. Continue reading my full interview with Katrina below.

Katrina Diel’s Q&A

1. Tell me your T1D story after your diagnosis at age 9.

Once I was diagnosed, I immediately was put on long-acting and short-acting injections. After a few months of extreme highs, my endo decided it would be a good time for me to switch to a pump. I chose the Omnipod because it’s tubeless, waterproof, and best fit my lifestyle. I dance, play the violin, and go to the beach a lot in the summer so it was the best option for me. About a year later I was still experiencing blood sugars ranging from 20-400, and my endo introduced the idea of a CGM. Having a Dexcom has changed my life because it’s made management so much easier. I remember the first time I got it; I kept looking at the number to watch it change because I couldn’t believe that technology was capable of doing what my Dexcom was doing.

2. What was your first reaction when you found out?

Honestly, I didn’t really have much of a first reaction! At the time, I didn’t quite understand what everything meant until it started requiring carb counting, shots, more doctor appointments, etc. I learned to just adapt it to my current lifestyle and make do with the circumstances.

3. What complications have you experienced?

I’ve developed insulin resistance, making daily control challenging. I also have other chronic autoimmune disorders that make managing my numbers more difficult.

4. What resources have been of help to you? (Blogs, social media, nutritionists, endocrinologists?)

My family and I attended the Children With Diabetes Friends For Life Conference in Orlando, Florida about a year after I was diagnosed. It’s a week-long program where T1D’s have the chance to meet other T1D’s, and caregivers can attend informational classes regarding management, research, awareness, etc. You can learn more about meters, pumps, CGM’s, meal planning, pump trials, and more! It was there I met 3 T1D girls from different places across the U.S., who I still keep in contact with every day by text. They have offered me so much support, whether it’s advice, low carb recipes, or even just making me laugh on days that my diabetes doesn’t treat me so great.

5. Any advice you have for new diabetics?

You know your body best! It’s important to know when to trust your own opinions over others because after all, it is YOUR diabetes. Sometimes we set unrealistic expectations based off of things we hear or see from the lives of other diabetics/social media. But everybody’s body is different! Even though it may seem as if every other type one diabetic has perfect numbers 24/7, they’re not! It’s important to maintain balance, and remember there will be good days and bad days.

6. What’s your go-to when you’re experiencing lows?

Gummies if I’m trending down with IOB, and either a Capri Sun or Glacier Freeze Gatorade when super low!

7. Does having diabetes and being a high school student make it tough at times? (school dances, lunchtime, curious students, tests)

Definitely! My entire schooling experience with diabetes has been about navigating the rocky waters, and remembering that not everyone will understand because they don’t have the disease. I’m always open to educating others because I believe the more curious people are, the better because it raises awareness and creates less stigma. Most recently, my parents and I had to apply for accommodations during standardized testing for college applications, which can be a very tedious process. I think the more people who are made aware of the difference between type one and type two, the more they will understand they are two entirely different diseases.

In high school particularly, everybody is just starting to figure out who they are and find their own voice and sometimes diabetes can clash with that. As much as I want to go to a sleepover or have a smoothie at the mall with my friends, I have to remember there are some things I just can’t do because of my own personal health. For me, that’s often hard to come to grips with, but it’s helped me figure out who my true friends are. The ones that don’t mind sitting out with you while you drink a juice at a school dance with low blood sugar, or are willing to eat at a different restaurant you can enjoy something at, or who even help you tape up a site falling off at the pool, are the ones who you know will be by your side through thick and thin.

8. What does “living diabetter” mean to you?

I think “living diabetter” is about living a lifestyle where you don’t let your diabetes dictate every single one of your choices. Managing can be very exhausting, and it’s important to reward yourself with that ice cream sundae or an extra bowl of pasta and meatballs, but it’s also important to take care of yourself and try to stay active and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.

9. How do you balance dancing and diabetes?

I think for me it’s about knowing there will be times I can control my diabetes and times I cannot. I usually try to keep water and Gatorade in the studio with me so that I can stay hydrated and have easy access to juice if I notice my BG trending down from my workout or a previous bolus. I wear my Apple Watch for every class since my Dexcom connects to it, allowing me to keep an eye on my trends with a quick glance. Usually, if I’m low I take a few sips of juice and keep up with dance class, but if my blood sugar reaches below 65 or above 300 I usually sit out because at that point it isn’t safe for me to continue. It’s often hard because I just want to continue on with class and improve my technique but I have to sometimes stop and listen to what my body is telling me.

10. Are you apart of any diabetes organizations? Participated in any walks, raised money?

I’ve participated in JDRF walks in both Providence, RI and Tampa, FL with family and friends. My family and I were the ambassador family for Omnipod at the 2014 CWD FFL conference. We sat in the Omnipod booth and answered questions from families, talked to other reps, and represented the entire Omnipod team. It was such a rewarding experience! I’ve also been featured in the Boston Business Journal, Diabetes Forecast, Rhode Island Monthly, the Rhode Island Patch, and more. Having those interviews gave me the opportunity to raise awareness of this disease.

14. How did you come up with KEDZ Covers™? What’s the story behind your company?

When I was in the 5th grade my class was required to come up with an invention for my school’s annual Invention Convention. Having been disappointed and somewhat embarrassed of the plain, white looking outside of my Omnipod, I put my thinking cap on, trying to figure out what I could do to change its boring appearance. I made a small cover to fit over my site with clay, and spray painted it. With the help of my dad, we took my model to somebody who created a scale drawing, and then later printed a 3D design made out of polypropylene plastic. We later had covers manufactured in 4 colors, and KEDZ Covers™ was created. “KEDZ” stands for my full name: Katrina Elisabeth Diel.

15. Anything else you would like to add/comment on.

Just a little thing I try to remember when I’m having a bad day: We always move forward. Tomorrow is a new day, and we can’t go backward and change the past. What we can do, however, is take the life we have been given and make the best of every single second we have.

Q&A with Matt Collins, Co-Founder of SizeSlim Supplements

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Video courtesy of SizeSlimTV

1. Tell me your T1D story when you were diagnosed in 1997.

I was diagnosed during my freshman year in high school in 1997. I was the JV football quarterback, and during a game, my mom noticed how thin I looked. She mentioned to a friend of hers (who happened to be a physician) all of my symptoms. I was exhibiting the classic symptoms: weight loss, blurry vision, sweet-smelling breath, etc. The physician/mom’s friend told my mom in a very stern voice: “after the game go directly to the drug store. Buy Keto-Diastix and use them. If they turn color head straight to the ER. I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming.” Sure enough, they turned dark brown. Next thing I knew I was the first name at the top of the ER chart with a blood sugar reading of 680mg/dl! The doctors at the hospital said I was so lucky someone was there to recognize the symptoms…otherwise, I may not have made it through the night.

2. What was your first reaction when you found out?

I was bummed out for sure. I had a lot of things going for me, and I remember thinking “but I was so close to having everything lined up perfectly…why me?” Luckily I have an amazingly supportive group of friends and family who helped me take on a somewhat competitive spirit with diabetes and always helped me move in the right direction.

3. What complications have you experienced?

None so far. I’ve been extremely diligent with my routines…for 20 years. I’ve never had to deal with any complications thus far, thank God.

4. What resources have been of help to you?

For me, the number #1 resource is technology. The more information I can get about my blood sugars throughout the day, the easier it is for me to maintain quality sugar levels for extended periods of time. This and the online diabetic community has been extremely helpful.

5. Any advice you have for new diabetics?

My advice is to never be ashamed of your condition. It is what it is, and unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do (at the moment) to cure it. But, it’s really important that you know this “hard lesson” as well. This condition is NOT your fault. But it IS your responsibility. Take it day by day. Learn something new every day. And, have an open mind about new technologies, techniques, or tricks to help you along the way. Success does not happen overnight. It happens by learning from your failures and utilizing all of your resources.

6. What’s your go-to meal?

Breakfast: 2 eggs with avocado toast 🙂 Lunch: Chicken and salad. Dinner: Sashimi…I could eat raw fish every day of the week.

7. How do you manage diabetes with your active lifestyle?

I manage my situation by staying 1 step ahead of every low and every high. That means being prepared at all times with insulin, CGM’s, food, and meters. No matter what, we always have to stay 1 step ahead of whatever activity comes throughout the day. For Example, big meeting at 1:00pm? Check, correct, and fix BG’s no later than 12:30pm.

8. What devices do you have?

I use the Dexcom G5 CGM (love it) connected to my iPhone which connects to my Apple Watch…this is a home run combination. Makes my life sooooo easy 🙂 I also use insulin pens – Dexcom and Apidra.

9. You find yourself “low” when…

If I over bolus for a meal. I will get immediately frustrated for no apparent reason. I’ll look down at my watch and sure enough, I’ll be dropping and on my way to being low.

10. You find yourself “high” when…

If I don’t workout throughout the week and am super stressed, I’ll for sure run a bit high. I find myself aggravated very easily. Basically, I’ll go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Jackass. LOL.

11. What does “living diabetter” mean to you?

It means giving myself every fighting chance to live a “normal” life. I would LOVE to know what it’s like to have perfect sugars for an entire year. We’re not quite there, but living diabetter is me finding my way to living the best life possible given my t1d situation.

12. Does it ever get easier? Are you used to it?

Oh, yeah! 100%. With all of the new technology and resources we have, t1d is 10,000 times easier than when I was in high school or college. Did I get used to it? I suppose so. It’s a way of life now. Still a pain sometimes. But I’m not ashamed, nor do I care what other people think about me. For others it’s probably harder to get used to. For us, it has to be 2nd nature.

13. Are you apart of any diabetes organizations?

Yes, indeed! I’m involved with JDRF. These guys are GREAT! I’ve actually been invited to be a guest speaker at the largest JDRF event which is on May 12 in Oakland County, Michigan. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there! Also, I’m proud to say that my company (SizeSlim Supplements) donates 1% of our sales to JDRF each year. More information can be found on our website at www.sizeslim.com.

14. Anything else you would like to add.

Please feel free to reach out with any particular questions you have about T1D. I can best be found on Instagram at @matt_t1d. I want to give a big thanks to Amshi at Living Diabetter for all of the work she does. I think this resource should be used by all T1Ds as a means to learn more from each other.

Remember: together we are MUCH stronger than dealing with this alone.

Diabetes Month Q&A

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As we wrap up Diabetes Awareness Month, I’ll be featuring stories of fellow type one diabetics. Today, I’m sharing with you a Q&A interview I had with Parker Nunes.

Parker Nunes was recently diagnosed with type one diabetes on June 22, 2017. His diagnosis story intrigued me so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dive in deeper. Parker is from Massachusetts and is currently a college student. After graduating with a degree in Landscape Design, Parker plans to attend nursing school. Read how Parker chooses to live diabetter!

Q: Tell me your diagnosis story.

A: I was diagnosed with type one diabetes a month before my nineteenth birthday. Every morning I woke up with the inside of my mouth and throat completely dried out. I was drinking about four to six gallons of beverages a day and using the bathroom about twenty-five times a day. I thought the many bathroom breaks were due to me drinking more frequently so it didn’t alarm me. One night, I knew something was wrong because, in my sleep, my legs locked up making me feel paralyzed, unable to move without feeling sharp pains. The pain went away after an hour or so and I went back to sleep. That morning, I went to work and I started feeling the same pain. I immediately went to my physician’s office to do a routine check-up; everything came back clear except for two things. My sugar level was extremely high, with an a1c of 12.6 and large ketones. This day forever changed my life.

Q: What was your first reaction when you found out?

A: Once the physician’s assistant told me what the diagnosis was my heart literally dropped to my stomach. After nearly having a heart attack my physician contacted my father and told him what was going on. He was very surprised too. After getting off the phone with my father he called my mother and she had a very hard time understanding why this was all happening.

Q: How has it been adjusting to your new lifestyle?

A: Adjusting to diabetes was hard at first. As time passed, it got a little easier to manage but still difficult.

Q: How does type one interfere with sports?

A: When playing sports like hockey and golf it is difficult. Hockey is more difficult because I can’t wear my pump when playing. I have to disconnect the pump and load up on a bunch of carbs so I can keep my levels even throughout the entirety of the activity.

Q: What resources have been of help to you?

A: I always talk to my regular physician, four endocrinologists I see at Baystate, and my nurse I see about anything diabetic related. I’m surrounded by my helpful resources.

Q: Any advice you have for new diabetics?

A: For any new diabetics of any age, I would say watch what you eat for the first month or so to see how you adapt to your diabetes and insulin/ carb ratio. At nineteen years old, I joined the gym to keep up with exercise and to maintain a healthy weight. Insulin does have an effect on your body, you just have to get used to the changes. Whenever I’m at home or somewhere and in public, I normally keep my bag full of supplies with me and of course food.

Q: What’s your go-to meal?

A: Who doesn’t love food? My go-to is beef/bacon jerky. My all-time favorite snack is low in carbs and it’s very accessible anywhere you go.

Q: How do you manage diabetes in everyday life?

A: Managing diabetes in my everyday life can be difficult at times. When I first started on pens it was more of a hassle than it was with the pump.

Q: What devices do you have?

A: I have the Tandem Slim X2. I will be getting the Dexcom G5 continuous blood sugar monitor. The CGM reads your sugar level every five minutes to let you know how you are doing. If you have a pump without a CGM I would consider looking into it.

Q: What does “living diabetter” mean to you?

A: Living diabetter means being conscious of what I eat and being aware of my numbers, but still finding that balance. I still love my sweets 🙂

Sherry Davidson RN, CDE Educates Patients How to Live Diabetter

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Q&A with Sherry Davidson RN, CDE

I interviewed Diabetes Educator, Sherry Davidson who was actually the first nurse I met after my diagnosis. Sherry has a passion for education and is full of information. She knew at a young age that she wanted to be a nurse and after occasional fill-ins at the hospital, Sherry earned her career as an educator full time. Sherry answers questions from the correlation between stress and diabetes to the do’s and don’ts of drinking alcohol. Read how my favorite nurse educates people on how to live diabetter!
I’m Sherry Davidson, I’m a Registered Nurse and a Diabetes Educator, I’m the Diabetes Coordinator here. So 70% of my job is diabetes education, mostly outpatient education, I do see patients in the hospital as well. The other 30% is checking in on in patients, I look at lab values and blood sugars and try to make sure we’re managing patients well.

  1. Is there a correlation between anxiety/stress and diabetes?
    That’s a form of stress… anxiety, stress and being scared so any type of stress can make your blood sugar go up or down, most people they go up but a lot of people they go down. One of my patients was learning to drive and he was going for his test and he took his blood sugar before the test and he failed. He took his blood sugar after and it was way sky high, so the next time he went, he did better and didn’t fail. It showed immediately how that one little event really made his blood sugar skew.
  2. Can I reuse a syringe?
    That’s always a hard one, everything you read will say no. There’s a lot of literature that has looked at that just for cost and disposal and all those issues. They do say that technically you can, there’s no risk necessarily of infection to the person, which is what you would be concerned about. The needles are so fine that they do tend to get dull faster and when you look at some of the research that shows the actual needle, after one use it gets a little jagged. It certainly can if you’re using it too much can definitely irritate the skin, but as far as infection risk and everything there’s not really. So I don’t recommend it but I do tell people if you’re out somewhere and you forgot to bring an extra one or you’re over night somewhere and didn’t bring one, reuse it!
  3. Tips on drinking alcohol
    Always have food with alcohol because a lot of people think depending on the alcohol they’re drinking, it’s going to make my blood sugar go up so I better not eat as much. It’s actually the opposite because when you’re drinking alcohol your liver is metabolizing the alcohol and it can’t do anything else. So people actually run the risk of a low blood sugar because one of the functions of the liver is to also release sugar that’s stored and it can’t do that when you drink. The rule I have with that is, women 1 alcoholic beverage, men can have 2 and just always make sure you have food if you’re going to drink.
  4. What is diabetes burnout?
    One of the things I hear patients say is, “I just want a diabetes vacation” because it’s so much work and you’re thinking about it 24/7. I think there are ways to take breaks from certain parts occasionally depending on what your regimen is and maybe having another person be responsible for parts of it for two days so you can kind of have a little break.
  5. Is a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) necessary?
    A continuos glucose monitor is such a great tool, I don’t think it’s a “must” but I think they’re times when it’s helpful. I do think if people are having hard times managing their blood sugar or their a1c isn’t matching because you can’t test 24/7, then it might be necessary. I think the CGM for me is more meaningful to do spot checks. Some people do it all the time, but like you said it’s expensive. Maybe do it 3 days a couple of times a month, just to see where your baseline is and if there is an issue you’re not aware of.
  6. Tips on sick day management?
    One of the big things with sick day management is balancing the carbohydrate beverages with the non-carbohydrate beverages. There’s a difference between staying hydrated, you want to stay hydrated with the sugar-free gatorade, broth, sugar-free jello and water, just things that don’t have carbs in them. Drinking lots of sugar-free beverages to stay hydrated but balancing that with apple juice and ginger ale. So usually what I tell people to think about how many carbohydrates you normally have in a meal and have that same amount even though it might look very different. It might look like apple juice or sprite and alternating with the non-caloric and non-carb.
  7. Does insulin aid in weight gain?
    Insulin is a fat storage hormone and so it stores fat if you have extra you’re not using. I tend to see this with people who have type 2 diabetes more but it definitely can be with type 1 as well. You have insulin that’s not being used, it’s not causing low blood sugar, it’s sitting there so it does cause you to gain weight. So making sure you are using all that insulin and exercise is the best way to do that. Women tend to run their blood sugar higher to avoid weight gain because they know that if it’s high, they’re burning off the calories which is not good. Sometimes when people are first diagnosed, they’ve lost weight and they put it back on and they are like “uh oh, am I going to keep gaining weight?” No, it’s just initially it’s stabilizing, you shouldn’t continue to gain from that if so, we need to look at the ratio you’re using because you’re not using it all.
  8. How can someone manage diabetes without insurance coverage?
    Diabetes is definitely a tough disease if you don’t have insurance coverage. I would say that typically they would be on a different insulin regimen. Some of the newer insulins cost more but we have older insulins that still work fine. You can buy a bottle of insulin for $20 at Walmart if you’re on a generic brand. It can be reasonable but it can be the $200 bottle too. With glucose testing, you can buy name brand which the strips are $1 a piece or you can buy the others that are $15 for 50 strips, so they’re ways to help.
  9. Is it safe to use expired supplies?
    Technically yes we do say that you’re not supposed to use them, I don’t really know what happens. One of the things they say with insulin is that a bottle of insulin is good for a month, 28 days. If you go past that it’s not like it isn’t working, it’s probably now 98% effective. So it does lose its potency, I don’t think something bad is going to happen.
  10.  What is hypoglycemia unawareness?
    A lot of times after you’ve had diabetes for a long time you just aren’t as sensitive. Those nerves that usually warn you that you’re having a hypoglycemic event aren’t there. So people get really low, 20 before they would have any symptoms but then your brain can’t remember what to do and it can be very dangerous. People tend to run themselves higher so they avoid that. What they do say is that if you run yourself a little higher for a while, your body can reset itself. That’s not always true if you’ve had diabetes for a long time.
  11. Any advice for those battling diabetes?
    Staying focused on what the end result is. A quality life is so important and I think enjoying life too. So many people have diabetes controlling them instead of them controlling their diabetes and initially I totally understand because it is self-absorbing and trying to learn everything, but eventually we want to get people where it’s part of what they’re doing. Some people deal with that better than others, I think support systems make a big piece of that.
  12. Will there ever be a cure?
    I do think that sometime in the future. They say every 5 years they say, “Oh, in 5 years…” and they’ve been saying that for the last 30 years but we’ve learned so much. Treatments have definitely improved, so I don’t know that will be exciting one day if they can. I think we know why, we just have to figure out how to fix it.

Ms. Sherry is one of many who has encouraged me to turn my diagnosis into a positive by choosing to live diabetter every single day.

Who has helped you on your diabetic journey?

Do you have more questions you want  me to ask on my next doctor’s visit?

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