Diabetes - a new joy!

Long term use of steroids can make you diabetic....... I'd already been warned of this. When I first came home from Causeway an appt was arranged with District Nurses to call and check my blood sugars every so often. As usual I decided this was something I could control myself...... I asked for a kit to measure them myself. The lovely DistrictNurse arranged this for me. 

Before I went up to the Royal I had been faithfully checking them morning and night. Since I came back I've been lazy. Haven't checked them. Mealtimes have become very important to me and I eat at very regular times - 7am, 12 noon, 5pm, 9pm. Good healthy food. Plenty of fruit and veg. Usually something a bit sugary last thing at night and first thing in the morning because overnight is when sugars tend to drop. Last night I was tired so I didn't have my usual 9pm snack. I had an apple but then went to sleep early. I woke just after 9 feeling awful. I knew it was low blood sugars as it happened before when I was in Causeway and it's a pretty distinctive feeling. Head pumping, shaky, feeling sick..... I check my sugars..... 1.4...... that's really bad. They shouldn't really drop below 4 and mine have never been below 3.1. So I took glucose tablets and Ribena to raise them. Checked them again.......10....... not great either. Too high. 

I had a total meltdown..... I'm now putting myself at risk of a diabetic coma. Like I haven't enough going on. It seems like the ultimate cruelty. I was terrified and no way I could sleep. Is there no end?? Cancer, epilepsy, diabetes..... give me a break. 

So we rang Doctor on call, who was excellent. Explained it all to me. Reassured me. Said to check them again in a couple of hours. Which I did. They had averaged out again. So I knew I was ok to sleep. Which I did. Until my 7 o'clock alarm. 

Now I've had my sevensies - cocktail of medications, tea and toast with jam. I'm going to go back to sleep for a couple of hours. No breakfast out. It's too much and I'm too tired. I'll do it another day. Couple of hours extra dozing then I'll see my sis before she heads back to Manchester. I'll get up and showered, go for a walk. Do all the stuff I make sure I do every day. 

I'm going to find out a bit more about this side effect and try to learn to manage it a bit better. I know I'm letting them drop and then spiking them and that can't be right. I eat good food regularly but I'm clearly getting it a bit wrong. The drop in steroids is probably playing its part. Ultimately that's good. I've wanted off them from the start. I'll accept whatever my surgeon and meds nurse tell me because I trust them...... 'accept' might be a strong word...... we discuss..... negotiate....... it's still my body but they're the experts. I've got to take some control. It's the only way I'll beat this. I know my own mind and I know my own body. If we don't discuss things then they couldn't know what's going on. I'll discuss it with them again next week. Get some more advice.

Still somewhat angry at the repeated blows that seem to keep coming. But still taking control of what I can. People manage diabetes and epilepsy every day. I think I've got the latter controlled now. The former just needs some understanding and a bit of work. I can do that..........

Some great messages of love and support when I woke up this morning. Thank you as ever xxxxx