...oh, I guess they'll never know! Donny Osmond, I think. Apologies if you read the last blog or even heard about it on the grapevine. I decided it would be better to not publish that particular post in the interests of the personal safety and causing any distress to the victims of that particular group of people. Instead, a complete change of tone with a photo of Billy. Cute, hey?
True, he is cute and a burning ball of nuclear grade energy. As we know, using our own energy burns up that glucose pretty efficiently in most of us and so "Puppy Low" rather than "Puppy Love" seemed like a good title for this post. Sorry, Donny.
Billy arrived during the final week of my Steptember Challenge. I was already exercising a lot more than usual and chalking up a good number of hypos during the first few weeks of the month, at least. This new, very cute, energy sapper really threw a spanner into the works. Very short but high intensity bursts of exercise were sending my BG tumbling. Alongside a different waking and sleeping pattern, it's made for a difficult week with Type 1 Diabetes. I'm adjusting... kind of.
The experience made me wonder about how others cope with different variables thrown into the mix on a frequent basis. Shift workers certainly sprung to mind but I'm sure there are others with equally or more challenging lives. The solution to many of the challenges and life changes which we experience is, of course, technology. I know, a tweak of the Banting Juice might keep things in order, a couple more finger pricks per day might do the trick too. However, for those wild times, the big life changes, the why does my puppy keep on pooping moments, it seems like tech is the answer.
Some of you may have read about a lady who had waited a year for a pump clinic appointment, only to be refused funding at that appointment because of her sleeping issues. Yeah, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry either. Other stories were shared, including a particularly bizarre refusal tale which the lovely Lesley Jordan (from JDRF UK) shared. Take a look, you'll see that on my time line among all the puppy photos. Technology within diabetes should always be burden reducing for us alongside improving or maintaining our long term outlooks. My switch to a pump has vastly improved my T1D burden and, so far, the numbers all suggest that my long term outlook is in a good place. Where would I be without the pump? Struggling, for sure. I certainly wouldn't be trying to walk 250,000 steps while puppying. It could be easier, too! I could be looping and many more highs and lows would be reduced. I'll be a looper, soon enough, I'm in no real hurry.
So, while my hypos have been on the increase, I'm still in a very good place and a place which I can adjust to with the new arrival in the household. Others aren't so fortunate when it comes to accessing the technology which they need. Here is a link to a Twitter poll about hypos. The results are interesting! However, I know of at least two people who are in the replies with huge hypo numbers. Both are fighting for access to a pump and I have one question; Why?
Why are people with (sorry, my friends, no reflection on you) large numbers of hypos having to fight for access to a pump that will almost certainly reduce those dangerous and debilitating events? Are those numbers not raising large red flags and causing fast-tracks to Pumpville? I'm really at a loss. One hypo is a hypo too many and could lead to horrible things happening, including pre-mature death. To minimise those events should surely be a high priority and if many avenues have been explored without success then it's really time to sign off the pump paperwork.
We've seen these types of tech refusals before, of course, in the last 5 or 6 years since Libre hit the radar. It stinks of purse strings and worry about spending rather than offering the best possible care to diabetics - care which will ultimately reduce NHS spending on diabetes related complications. But what about NICE guidelines? What about them?! I don't know about you guys but, NICE don't live my life or manage my diabetes. I know what I need for my best care and to live my best life. Push for the technology which you KNOW will improve your life now and in the future.
Billy agrees.
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