Dealing with Hard Things
- plus an upcoming workshop that might help you!
As I get closer and closer to my 30th diaversary, I am noticing that the things about diabetes that piss me off have evolved. I am not often taken aback by a high blood sugar, or having to carb count and bolus for every meal, or needing to consider whether or not exercise mode is the right course of action.
For me, that’s just thinking. I don’t notice it much more than I am bothered by having to decide what to eat in the first place. Those things use to be hard, but the hard things have changed.
Here are some of what I find hard about diabetes nowadays, and how I deal.
Interruptions.
Alarms! So many alarms. Low blood sugars sucking the proverbial air out of the room. Failed or falling off pods or pump sets.
But I really feel like there’s nothing more annoying and heart-breaking than when my blood sugar is off-kilter and it means that I have to wait to play with my kids or they have to wait before I can do something for them because I don’t feel well enough. It’s hard not to feel badly for them, and me, when diabetes gets in the way of a good time.
One of the most important things that has helped me cope with this is acceptance and self-compassion. By acceptance I mean that I accept my emotional reaction to the challenge, and then show myself self-compassion.
Cost.
D’ya ever feel like diabetes is just nickle and diming you? I mean, sure, there’s the big boat costs of insulin pump supplies and CGM supplies. Thank God test strips have mostly gone the way of the dinosaur because those things are $1 a pop off the rack.
It’s also all the “accessories” it needs. Juice boxes and fruit snacks. I would never drink juice and eat fruit snacks if I didn’t have diabetes. Then there’s the alcohol swabs, and the sharps containers, and the amount of gas I’ve spent on doctor’s appointments.
And sure, some of this is covered by an HSA/FSA if you have one, but not everyone does and this stuff adds up! It’s one of the reasons why we are hosting our first Diabetes+Mental Health Workshop called “The Fear of Affording Diabetes” on Wednesday, November 1st, all about financial distress. Our two wonderful speakers are Drs. Julia Blanchette and Katherine Wentzell, diabetes clinicians and researchers who focus on financial concerns for young adults. I hope you’ll come by because it’s going to be such an informative workshop. These ladies are brilliant! And if you already have plans, you’ll get the recording to watch later!
The Unexpected.
I have spent many years working to better understand my body’s patterns and so it is very infrequent when something happens that completely catches me off guard. But that doesn’t mean I can completely avoid it 100% of the time. There are times where I underbolus because I don’t get the carbs right, or my activity is different that I expected and that impacts my insulin sensitivity. Seeing those highs (especially the sticky ones) and the lows that I thought I’d avoid are bothersome, and can really bring me down if I sit in the disappointment for too long.
Thankfully, I learned to use even my mistakes and missteps as learning opportunities, helping me to grow in my skills and resilience as a PWD. Showing myself compassion and getting curious, instead of judgmental and critical, has helped me grow and cope. Helping others do the same is one of my favorite things about being a certified diabetes educator.
In fact, having my own diabetes educator is what helped me develop coping skills to deal with these hard things. Because hard things are a part of living with diabetes, and pretending otherwise just makes it, well, harder.
If you want support in developing your diabetes management skills and emotional resilience, please reach out by filling out this coaching interest form. No packages required - work with me for as long or as short as you’d like. There are still openings for November and December, but space is filling up quick!