Voogs

Diabetic advice…. again as if there isn’t enough (yeps it never stops!)

Part 1.

Just a catch up on all that’s been happening the last week, my Diabetes is all good and am sitting on an average 8 (5 is perfect), which is good for me.  The local foods are not effecting my BSL’s and am really surprised at them  not being higher than I would think that they would be.  I am taking less ‘fast acting insulin’ than I usually do in Australia and am feeling bright, happy and healthy with loads of energy, thos am still waking up really early in the morning before sunrise and going to sleep at dusk.

I did have one problem thos, (oh ohhh’s) I forgot to pack my test strips (when leaving Seminyak) and was here in Ubud (1 ½ hours away) realising that I didn’t have enough strips to last me the few days that I was here, so I sent my ‘Wayan’ friend driver back to Seminyak (on his scooter took him 3 hours) to retrieve them with my keys and instructions where they were in my bathroom……So more rules for the Diabetic travelling….    Check and check and re check that you have your insulin your meds and your test strips, enough to last you the time you are away, or it will cost you.  It cost me a $25 driver fee to go back and retrieve them for me…..This was not a major issue thos, I am used to just sitting still, feeling how I feel, thinking of what I have eaten, counting up those carbohydrates and then thinking of what I will be doing for the next couple of hours.  So if I have eaten 45 grams of carbs then I know I have a couple of hours’ worth of activity before I need to eat again.  Do your math, eat sensibly and plan your outings/adventures times against how much energy/carbs expended.

Happy travelling fellow Diabetics

Voogs

Part 2

YES another ‘part’ to the Diabetes story.

I have noticed that when I am at the mercy of other peoples too' ing and fro 'ing of me in transit that I tend to get caught up, forgetful of my strict eating regime, other people (non diabetics) do not live such a 'structured' life as we do, do not live by an ‘exact’ time table for the day… for meals, and I mean 'meals' not snacks, rest and taking stock of ourselves, BSL’s meds ect.  That we tend to forget that (the non diabetics) are way more flexible and it’s hard to impose our rules we live by onto others, we stop harping on about them because we feel we come across as bossy and nagging constantly going on about ‘food’.    Ignore those feelings of embarrassment!  If you need food or rest, demand we find food!  Or this is the result! ……..

I had the hypo from ‘hell’ when I was at the Ubud villa, the one (hypo) where it just drops and drops so fast you just can’t seem to stop it, you are drinking juice and eating sweets to no avail…Your body goes into spasms and almost convulsing, there is no time to explain, there is no time to think, there is no time left but to gasp, mutter ‘sugar’ ‘sugar water’ ‘hot sugar water’ to those around you.  Believe me they see your body arching, they see your eyes are rolled back in your head; they see you are crying and gasping.  (I’m sorry to be so graphic but this is what it is like!  This is why we MUST tell everyone in and around our lives that we have Diabetes, we show them our hypo gluco pen and we tell how Diabetes works and how to deal with us in case of a ‘hypo’, to give us sweets/in my case sugar dissolved in water works best) We may come across as being pedantic but we MUST explain the procedures of having a Diabetic in your establishment or as a companion.  And my case this proves true.  As the owner and his staff, made me hot sugar water, made me sip holding me, and then drink, made me eat, then stayed with me till I recovered.  Yes I mortified and embarrassed, the owner was grateful….because he told me that now he understood and could aid Diabetics in future.

When I went touring the next day I had a driver all to myself I kept reminding him one hour before lunch that he had to think of a good place to take me for lunch, and that in half an hour we will be needing to go there.  BECAUSE I was not being distracted, that I could remember my plans my schedule that I have had drilled into me for years. I was in control.  When you’re not in control you lose your power over the Diabetes.

I don’t think people really think, or they may forget that Diabetes is a 24 hour a day 7 day a week disease, it never stops it has to be fed, fed food, fed insulin and if it doesn’t get its own way it starts to grumble then ROAR!

To all my friends and family, please do not be afraid for me, sorry to be so graphic!  I am well, I am in control and I am being so honest with what I am going through with the thought of maybe helping other Type 1 Diabetics who wish to travel safely in the future.

So please don’t be scared to travel fellow Diabetics!  Just stay in control and you will be fine.

Voogs