Hi readers!
You might have read my previous post about my experience with a Medtronic Insulin Pump and going from injecting 4 times a day to using this pump which requires changing every 2 to 3 days.
Although I talked about how much I prefer it to injecting every day and how much more flexible my diabetes is, everyone has their off days with their medical conditions and that's what I'm going to talk about today and how you can turn your disability into an ability! This is by no means a pity post, it is in fact the complete opposite and my main aim of this post is to help you look at your disability in a different, more positive light!
I mostly experience my little gripes and moans about my diabetes when my pump decides to malfunction, so here's a little bit about what happens:
In my previous post I explain exactly how to change your pump (every 2 to 3 days) but if you don't know what I mean by "changing your pump" I'll briefly explain:
When I talk about changing my pump I don't mean changing the whole pump machine every couple of days, I mean renewing the insulin reservoir. The reservoir is a little tube that holds the insulin inside the pump machine which the pump then dispenses into wire connected to the reservoir that is attached to my stomach, allowing the insulin to flow into me. Each reservoir only holds a certain amount of insulin which is why I need to go through the process of changing it every couple of days! And so, this is where some of the gripes and moans come in:
When I've gone through this process, inserted the cannula (a tiny tube that is embedded in my stomach) and I've carried on with my day and I've just had some food I obviously need to bolus, so when I type in on my pump to bolus, the pump bleeps back at me telling me there is "No Delivery" which means I have to do this process all over again, including re-injecting myself to insert the new cannula!
This has happened quite a lot over the years I've had the pump (6 years) but in the last few weeks (including today!) it has become more frequent. This could and probably is just a fluke but when you're glucose levels rise to an extremely high level and you feel the symptoms of high glucose levels, it's very frustrating and inconvenient. Like I mentioned earlier, this is not a "pity me" post at all, it's the opposite because in the previous post I linked to, I talked about how I try to turn my experience into a positive one and how I don't let it negatively impact my life, so please do have a read of that post and I hope it helps you!
The actual main reason for writing this post is just to let you know that whether you're on injections or a pump, diabetes can be a frustration, again no pity or sympathy here, it's just a fact. Similarly to many other disabilities and medical conditions; they're all an inconvenience, a struggle, a different way of life, a hindrance sometimes and definitely frustrating, however if you let negativity set in permanently then you're fighting a losing battle. Yes, be angered and upset at your medical condition for an hour or so, but try and look on the positive side and realise how lucky you are in other ways. Try to keep focusing on all the great things you have in life and keep reminding yourself of these things.
Yes, your medical condition makes you different, but different is great!! Above all, remember, you are not alone. I've had diabetes for 10 years and I can honestly say it hasn't stopped me from doing anything I want to do (I talk about all the different things I've achieved in my other post! In fact, I've benefited from it in more ways than I've been hindered by it, for example I am now a Type 1 Youth Ambassador for JDRF which I'm extremely happy and excited about and I wouldn't have been able to do this if I wasn't diabetic! See? It's not all bad!
As this is part of my campaign as well as my diabetes series, I'll include some info below on how you can contact me if you'd like to talk about anything, ask me anything or vent about anything - I'm so happy to listen and help! The main reason I started this campaign was to provide a place for people to come and feel safe, get advice, have a chat and feel better about whatever is on your mind, so please do not hesitate to contact me!
Get in touch:
Twitter: @ChloesConcept
Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com
Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask
Chloe x
I hope you found this post helpful!
If you would like to know a bit more about my campaign, which involves anxiety, bullying, self-esteem, diabetes and more issues, you can read about it here and if you'd like to get involved, all the info on how you can do that is in that post, or you can just email me if you have any questions!!
Thank you for reading!
Chloe x
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