One evening, a few years ago, I was at home watching "The Mask" with Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. It was around 8:30PM and earlier on I had eaten my eveing meal - what it consisted of I cannot recall. As I continued to watch the film, I saw that 8:30 had become 9PM, and knowing I would soon be taking my night-time injection, I wanted to check my blood sugar level so that I would know just how much insulin to inject.
So, still keeping one eye on the film, I stabbed myself, exsanguinated my as-yet-never-to-play-guitar digit, and awaited the result from my glucometer. Within 30 seconds I was surprised - somewhat pleasantly, I might add - to be informed by my now-friendly digital machine that I was "Low". I say surprised because I didn't feel any different than if I had registered a 6 or even a 12. To put it another way, I felt absolutely fine.
There was no hunger, no trembling, no shakes, no sweaty palms. There was no panic-induced dash to get something to eat, no need for help, no inability to focus, not even an increased heart-rate - even watching Cameron Diaz, who could do that to most men!! (Maybe there was something wrong with me.....). In fact, I continued to watch the remainder of the film, unhindered by any hypo symptoms whatsoever. It wasn't until we were rewinding the tape (yes, it was a while ago!) did I even remember that about an hour previously I had been informed by my glucometer that I needed something to make my blood sugars rise. However, at this point I still felt fine, so more out of curiosity than necessity I checked my blood sugars again.
This time, the reading was 7.4mmol/l (155mg in America and parts of Europe).
How had this happened?
Why had this happened?
Why didn't I feel low?
Well, at the time that this particular incident occurred, I had had Type 1 Diabetes for about 20 years. In those 20 years, I had had umpteen hypos, most of which I had felt the strength of. However, one effect of having to go through these numerous attacks on my body was that having had so many hypos, my body had built up an 'immunity' of sorts, a certain tolerance for them. My body could 'handle' them without having to inform my mind that I was having a hypo.
I had grown used to them.
It's true. Many people who have had diabetes for a lengthy period of time (or even for not that long) have either had or will experience this phenomenon. In fact, it is quite common among those of us with Type 1 Diabetes, even if it isn't always widely known.
If we are unaware that we are unaware, these can pose a threat to us. We could be going along one minute, feeling fine, only to be looking dazedly around us wondering what's going on the next.
Because I am aware that unfelt hypos exist out there, I find it useful to check my blood sugars frequently, not because I want to be a goody-two-shoes, endocrinologist's lick-arse, but because I don't particularly want to have to be dragged from within yet another hypo with a syringe in my arm or leg, or worse, having to try to get myself out from a particularly strong brand of hypoglycaemia.
This is the main disadvantage of building up an immunity to lows - not even knowing that we are low (at times). However, there are certain benefits. One is the fact that we can actually taste the food we put into our mouths, and actually might even get the chance to enjoy the flavour of chocolate or ice-cream or whatever it is that we use to remedy the situation. There is also the added bonus that we may actually retain some dignity by just going about our business of fixing what is not quite right without having to beg or plead or grunt for help from those around us, not all of whom know what to do (or even want to help). We don't have to make embarrassing spectacles of ourselves in a quest just to get a drink of milk or juice into us, and we can feel relaxed as the potion quietly and efficeintly does its job.
As someone once said to me: "Enjoy your hypos!" I think I know now what he meant.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Check out this website
Hey everyone
Check out this website http://www.churchmousepublications.com and feel free to purchase my work(s) from it.
John
Check out this website http://www.churchmousepublications.com and feel free to purchase my work(s) from it.
John
Antiquated Care Methods
So, having worked a few shifts at this place I now call my job, I have noticed and questioned some of thier policies, in particular their attitude towards treating people with diabetes.
As a lot of the people in care here do not have their full facaulties available to them, they often either can't or won't eat full meals - including those with diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2. When it comes to mealtimes, they just inject them with X amount of insulin and then expect them to eat accordingly - even if they cannot or will not. I asked why they don't just give them their meal, then see what they have eaten, and then inject the insulin in accordance with what they have eaten, instead of eatin according to the amount injected. I think it makes sense, but I think that it may involve making too many changes to the routine of the staff, not necessarily to the residents. Oh, the thoughts of it.......
The attitude of some - not all, I must add - of caregivers to residents in there, from the point of view of diabetes at least, really highlights the antiquated treatment methods which are being administered. The sad thing is that it does not have to be like this. Surely it is in everyone's interest to give insulin according to need, as opposed to give food according to insulin administered. It would lead to less hypos for a start, and they would probably save on their insulin costs too in the long run. But the disruption to the staff............
This bothers me. For one, it is the 21st century, not the 18th, but the thinking behind this way of treating people comes from the point of view of the medic, not the person receiving care. Surely these facilities were built to care for the resident/patient with support from the medic. not run according to the desires of the medic, with the resident/patient coming as an afterthought, or esle there for the benefit of the carer? I wonder how long it will be before the resident/patient comes to the forefront of the equation? Until then, we'll just have to keep on making our point, whether it is subtly, quietly, forcefully or un-ignorgably. If we don't, these methods will just continue.
As a lot of the people in care here do not have their full facaulties available to them, they often either can't or won't eat full meals - including those with diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2. When it comes to mealtimes, they just inject them with X amount of insulin and then expect them to eat accordingly - even if they cannot or will not. I asked why they don't just give them their meal, then see what they have eaten, and then inject the insulin in accordance with what they have eaten, instead of eatin according to the amount injected. I think it makes sense, but I think that it may involve making too many changes to the routine of the staff, not necessarily to the residents. Oh, the thoughts of it.......
The attitude of some - not all, I must add - of caregivers to residents in there, from the point of view of diabetes at least, really highlights the antiquated treatment methods which are being administered. The sad thing is that it does not have to be like this. Surely it is in everyone's interest to give insulin according to need, as opposed to give food according to insulin administered. It would lead to less hypos for a start, and they would probably save on their insulin costs too in the long run. But the disruption to the staff............
This bothers me. For one, it is the 21st century, not the 18th, but the thinking behind this way of treating people comes from the point of view of the medic, not the person receiving care. Surely these facilities were built to care for the resident/patient with support from the medic. not run according to the desires of the medic, with the resident/patient coming as an afterthought, or esle there for the benefit of the carer? I wonder how long it will be before the resident/patient comes to the forefront of the equation? Until then, we'll just have to keep on making our point, whether it is subtly, quietly, forcefully or un-ignorgably. If we don't, these methods will just continue.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Working Nights at the New Job
Okay..... so I've begun to work nights, and initially my bloods were all over the place - just like my insulin amounts. I started on Monday night with a 25 (yes, a 25!) but I managed to reduce it to a 9 by the end of the shift. I don't know whether this very elevated reading was down to overeating (don't think so), nerves (possibly) or the erratic sleep pattern (possibly) or even a combination of the aforementioned factors (probably). However, it was a very uncomfortable me who began work that night, and a slightly more comfortable me who finished at 7 the following morning.
These night shifts have been really disrupting my sleeping patterns, though, and this also could be playing a part in my bloods ghosting around, going wherever they want (except too low, thankfully). I don't like it. I don't like the fact that I have to do these nights, as my bloods are all over the place, but I'm not sure whether to say anything to my employer, for a number of reasons. If I say anything to them about the job affecting my bloods, would they use that as an excuse to let me go, bearing in mind that I am still on probation and therefore I can be let go without reason during this period. Also, I don't want to hide behind my diabetes, and it would be really easy to say "Oh! It's having an adverse effect on my bloods, therefore I can't do it!" and use that as an excuse not to do the nightshift - welcome as it might seem to me.
There's also the stress. We have been given a bare minimum of exposure to this particular role, and tonight they are3 expecting me to go in and look after all of these people on my own, with very little experience. I can't see the sense of this, as they are willing to pay people overtime, but when I was orientating, I was in a team of 2, and things worked much better. It was also a better way of getting the experience while working with an experienced colleague who could answer questions and point you in the right direction. Tonight will be different. I have to go in, on my own, and look after these people for 8 hours. The stress of that alone is enough to cause my bloods to fly up, which I will have to deal with later on, I'm sure.
Dilemmas, dilemmas.............. I know I have to go to work. My kids, wife and family are depending on me, as am I, and the job involves taking care of people, which also appeals to me, ut can I do it to the expected degree? I pray God will guide and direct me, and also help me to control my bloods so that I am physically and emotionally capable of doing what is required of me properly.
These night shifts have been really disrupting my sleeping patterns, though, and this also could be playing a part in my bloods ghosting around, going wherever they want (except too low, thankfully). I don't like it. I don't like the fact that I have to do these nights, as my bloods are all over the place, but I'm not sure whether to say anything to my employer, for a number of reasons. If I say anything to them about the job affecting my bloods, would they use that as an excuse to let me go, bearing in mind that I am still on probation and therefore I can be let go without reason during this period. Also, I don't want to hide behind my diabetes, and it would be really easy to say "Oh! It's having an adverse effect on my bloods, therefore I can't do it!" and use that as an excuse not to do the nightshift - welcome as it might seem to me.
There's also the stress. We have been given a bare minimum of exposure to this particular role, and tonight they are3 expecting me to go in and look after all of these people on my own, with very little experience. I can't see the sense of this, as they are willing to pay people overtime, but when I was orientating, I was in a team of 2, and things worked much better. It was also a better way of getting the experience while working with an experienced colleague who could answer questions and point you in the right direction. Tonight will be different. I have to go in, on my own, and look after these people for 8 hours. The stress of that alone is enough to cause my bloods to fly up, which I will have to deal with later on, I'm sure.
Dilemmas, dilemmas.............. I know I have to go to work. My kids, wife and family are depending on me, as am I, and the job involves taking care of people, which also appeals to me, ut can I do it to the expected degree? I pray God will guide and direct me, and also help me to control my bloods so that I am physically and emotionally capable of doing what is required of me properly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)