Diabetes Details 10: Peeves
Previous diabetes posts are available by clicking the diabetes tag.
For the most part, my diabetes is under control, and I don’t think about it much from day to day. I check my blood, drink diet instead of regular pop, and swap out the insulin pump every 2-3 days. It’s a serious disease, but doesn’t significantly interfere with my life.
That said, there are some annoyances…
1. Blood. I don’t mind testing my blood sugar, but when I change out the insulin pump, sometimes the site bleeds a tiny bit, and no matter how careful I am, I keep getting tiny smears of blood on my clothes. It happened 
again last night. I removed the old set and checked to see if that site was bleeding. It wasn’t. So I finished prepping the new infusion set for my pump, looked back, and there was a tiny smear of red on my shirt.
I swear my belly is taunting me. My blood cells are tiny Weeping Angels that only sneak out when I look away.
2. Insurance. This is not my U.S.-health-care-is-busted rant. But dealing with insurance companies can be annoying. Like when I was told they would no longer do 90-day supplies of insulin, and I’d have to go to 30-day supplies instead. Are you thinking I’ll suddenly stop being diabetic after a month, or just that it will be cheaper for you and the pharmacy to do all that paperwork once a month instead of once every three months? Then there was the time they switched providers for my pump supplies without telling me … or without mentioning that I had to call the new provider to give them my info, or else my supplies wouldn’t show up. D’oh!
In each case, I’ve been able to get things straightened out, and I’m grateful to have health coverage at all. That said, it irritates me every time I have to spend time clearing up stupid mistakes and miscommunications, or navigating nonsensical policies.
3. Food Police. One of my biggest peeves is other people deciding what I can and can’t eat. I know it’s usually well-intended, but please don’t. I can eat anything you can; I just need to take the right amount of insulin for it. I eat ice cream and cake and pizza and whatever else I want. I’ve chosen to stop drinking regular pop, and to eliminate a few things from my diet … but that’s my choice.
If you ask me whether I can eat or drink something, that’s great, and I appreciate the consideration. If you decide for me, I get irritated fast. Even when it’s well-intended, like bringing in brownies to work and saying, “I know you can’t have them, so I brought in a rice-cake for you!” I know my disease and my body better than you; I’ll decide what I should and shouldn’t eat.
4. Insulin Pump & Karate. I love having a pump. I’m getting a new one soon, actually. I love that I no longer have to take 6-7 shots per day.
I do not love the fact that I have to clip the thing to my belt in karate, or that I have to warn everyone I practice with not to hit my infusion site, or that the silly thing sometimes slides around my belt, so I have to make sure it hasn’t moved before I roll to the ground or something.
#
None of these are huge problems, and I’ll certainly take the peeves over the alternatives. But the disease comes with annoyances, even when it’s well-controlled, and since I hadn’t done a diabetes post in a while I figured I’d share.
Questions are very welcome, as always.
—
Insulin pump photo by Medtronic.
Andrew Betts
May 18, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Jim its always great to see people share their struggles and victories with diabetes. Back in November I actually my blood glucose to normal for the first time in years. I was exercising every day, watching what I ate, and felt good. Then something happened and I fell off the wagon and I’ve been struggling to get back on (for example, yesterday I had a reading of over 400 which made no sense to me and yeah I know it happens). I’ve now been struggling since December, although the addition of a second anti-depressant seems to be helping some. I’ve been taking my shots for over a year and every time I still cringe and it still hurts. Here’s to hoping I can straighten it back out again. As for the insurance thing I know exactly where you’re coming from. I had physical therapy earlier this year and suddenly received a notice after finishing that my insurance company had been told I had secondary coverage and so they weren’t going to pay any of the $3000+ of the bills. Luckily it ended up being a mistake and I hit my deductible for the year and that’s gone down, but bringing that back to diabetes I know that day didn’t help me as I tend to be a comfort eater and well, bad day again. But anyways before I fill your comment section with a full blog post I just wanted to once again say thank you for being so open about the disease as it always helps me a little more when I read these posts.
Jim C. Hines
May 18, 2011 @ 10:37 am
The past month or so has been a pain in the ass for me, too. I caught a cold, and suddenly everything was high. I had to reset my pump to increase both the baseline and my meal dosages, and still struggled. I think allergies may have kicked in as well to throw things out of whack. And of course, when I finally got things back into a decent range, my body went back to normal, and suddenly I was overdosing on insulin and had to adjust again.
Someday I’m going to write a story about the diabetes fairy, in which said fairy gets run over by a freaking steamroller.
I’m glad you were able to get the insurance thing straightened out. I’ve had to make those calls as well, and even though they get fixed, it’s still a huge stressor when those unexpected bills show up.
Do you mind if I ask what kind of syringes you’re using for your injections? It’s been years, but I remember the insulin pens having slimmer and shorter needles, which might be one option?
Andrew Betts
May 18, 2011 @ 11:08 am
I actually use pens. I’m on a once-a-day slow release insulin and still taking Metformin. So guess I’m Insulin Dependent Type II. I’ve always had a problem with needles (I’m almost 29 and was on the verge of crying when I got my last booster shot). My needles are 1/2″ 29GA so they’re not big ones, but I just have never been able to get over it. If I ever end up having to do multiple shots in a day I probably would have to talk to my doctor about an insulin pump because as expensive as it would be, I think I’d have a nervous breakdown if I had to do that many shots in a day. The other problem is the insulin I use has a higher PH so it’s a little acidic which means if any gets on my skin while I’m inserting the needle it burns.
Amy (LunarG)
May 18, 2011 @ 12:05 pm
*blinks*
I’m not sure anyone else could link in weeping angels and insulin pumps. I know there are promises of smartphones with integrated glucometer functions just around the corner… do you anticipate a day you can play angry birds on your insulin pump?
Right. Off to avoid statuary.
Jim C. Hines
May 18, 2011 @ 12:08 pm
“I’m not sure anyone else could link in weeping angels and insulin pumps.”
I was rather proud of that line
I don’t know if that would work for the pump itself, since it needs to stay attached, and yanking it around to use for other purposes could disrupt tubing or even pull out the infusion site.
That said, I’m getting a new pump shortly, and it has wireless communication with the glucose meter its paired with. They also have continual glucose monitors now too, and I expect the technology to continue to improve. I’m hoping that eventually I’ll be able to just plug the thing into my gut and not worry about it.
Laurie Robey
May 18, 2011 @ 12:34 pm
As a diabetic Doctor Who fan, I loved the weeping angels reference.
Also re: the insurance switching your providers, I hope they didn’t send you any of the contaminated alcohol swabs that have since been recalled. There has been at least once case of illness caused by this.
Jim C. Hines
May 18, 2011 @ 3:11 pm
Nope. My insurance doesn’t actually cover alcohol swabs, and I haven’t run into that particular problem. Not good…
Amy (LunarG)
May 19, 2011 @ 11:12 pm
Edging your way to being a cyborg? 😉
Jim C. Hines
May 20, 2011 @ 8:16 am
I’m hoping one day to get an artificial pancreas. With built-in laser.