2013

2013 was a year of transition. I feel as if my diabetes grew from a baby into a toddler. I was able to let my guard down a bit and I finally felt as if I was not thinking about it 24/7. I am at the point where I can pretty much do everything with my eyes closed, which can lead to the occasional error since I am not as careful as I used to be. I also feel like I have let go of some of my control and realized that sometime no matter what I do diabetes has a mind of it's own and I should not get too upset about an unexpected high or low, just correct and move on. This leads me to the best and worst diabetes moments of 2013:

The Worst 

1. The most upsetting D-moment of the year was when I forgot to bolus (give insulin) for my bagel at breakfast and I did not realize until 2 hours after the fact. I felt like crap and I had no one to blame but myself. I learned that I need to pay more attention but I should not beat myself of up because it was going to happen at some point and if it only happens once every 3 years I can deal with it. 
2. I had my first encounter with the NO DELIVERY alarm on my pump. This occurs when the insulin is not able to properly pass through the tube into the cannula inside your body. I had to learn how to trouble shoot and was reminded that I always need to bring extra syringes and a vial of insulin with me in case of these situations. 

The Best 

1. The absolute best thing about this year not just in diabetes management but life in general was getting my Dexcom, Dexter. He has allowed me to relax more, knowing that he will alarm when things get a bit hairy. I would never give up this amazing piece of technology. 
2. I also had the opportunity to talk with an older classmate who has T1D about how he deals with social aspects with D. He gave me great tips on how I can enjoy my upcoming 21st birthday safely without D getting in the way of the celebration. In general all conversations with diabuddies are ones that I cherish and never forget because we belong to a special club and they just "get it". 

Below is a short snapshot of my 2013 journey with Diabetes:

Happy New Year Y'all!

-Morgan 

Blessed with the Best

I love winter break because I get to catch up with my long lost best skating friends that I do not get to see much because we are all busy with college and our "new" lives. It is amazing to see how when we step on the ice together, we magically turn in to our "old selves" and it is almost as if nothing has changed. I felt as if I was in a time warp on the ice as jumps seemed to come back easily and laughter filled the rink.

This girl <3 

I also got to catch up with my BSF (Best Skating Friend) over dinner. When we get together you can bet on there being a lot of pink and purple, diet coke, and all-around silliness. We got to discuss skating, college life, and the excitement of our upcoming 21st birthdays!!!! Of course, the D-monster got in on the conversation too. I am so LUCKY to have someone to discuss the effectiveness of different insertion sites and the feeling of lows with, otherwise I would be a sad lost puppy.

Paradigm 523 on top, Paradigm 723 o the bottom 

We even found time for a in-depth comparison of the medtronic Paradigm pumps. The smaller one is the 523 and it holds up to 180 units of insulin. The larger one is the 723 and it holds up to 300 units. That is the only main difference, as they have identical features when you go through the menu. One visual difference I discovered is that the reservoir for the 523 has a medtronic logo on it that you can see through the little reservoir peep hole. The 723 reservoirs do not have that because the pump has room for the medtronic logo on the front. The debate is still out on which one is more practical, but in the end it does not matter because they both do their job and are a heck of a lot better than shots. I continue to be in awe of the journey I have been on for almost 3 years now and am so blessed to have such wonderful people to share the up's and down's with.
-Morgan 

A Silent Thread

Today, I was sitting at the front office at work as I saw the Fed-EX man walking in. I thought nothing of it and prepared myself to sign the monitor for the packages that were being delivered. As I was signing, I heard the man exclaim excitedly, "What is that?". At first, I had no idea what he was talking about, but then I looked down and saw Dexter, my Dexcom CGM laying on the desk in front of me.

Dexter, sitting pretty

When he asked, I have to admit I was a bit frazzled because I am never sure what a person's perception will be. So, I began rambling off my rehearsed spiel, "I have Type 1 Diabetes and this device measures my blood sugar every 5 minutes to help me stay in range...". The kind Fed-EX man sweetly interrupted, stating "Oh, that's a CGM!". Then time stood still, he was someone who gets it and lives in my world. He must have noticed the "myabetic" logo on my case. He began explaining that his son has Type 1 and wears a Medtronic pump and CGM. We had an excellent discussion about the latest technology and what we have to look forward to in the future. In the background, I could see the other Fed-EX man rolling his eyes, and laughing a bit about how we both knew so much. But in that moment I did not care, I was just blessed to be among people who just "get it".
-Morgan