Friends in low places....

I'm popular. I have lots of friends. Well, sort of. I have lots of FaceBook friends, but only see about 50 of them in any given year. I do, however, have a handful of close friends that I cherish deeply. Most are evil bitches, such as myself, with sick senses of humor and husbands that run the other way when we are all together. To me, my diabetes is an after thought. To some of them, its something unknown and scary at times. This, I find fascinating.
My bestest friend (lovingly referred to as my Nestor) and I attended nursing school together. So she has a medical background, and a pretty decent grasp on the whole 'betes thing. She's tested my sugar and administered insulin while I was in drunken stupors, she makes fun of me when my pump tubing gets hung up on things, and she feeds me when I'm low. It ain't no thang to her.
On another front, I have a newish friend, one whom I get along with like she was my and the Nestor's long lost triplet (scary, huh?). She has a medical-like background, but no experience with the 'betes, other than drawing labs on patients that require testing. I have been very surprised at the level of discomfort I have placed her in when describing a glucose of 32 mg/dL...or 500 mg/dL (I had a bad pump site, NO judging).
I'm an educator...eradicating diabetic ignorance is my thang...so why do I find educating my new friends about my chronic disease so awkward?? Do I sit her ass down and give her "Diabetes 101"? Do I print out info from JDRF? Or do I let her wing it, and learn as we go?? WhyTF am I struggling with this? And how do I assure her that my almost 20 years of experience as a diabetic is legit, and she doesn't have to call Dr. C when I look like I'm about to fall over or puke?
I laugh, because SO many people are diabetically naive, and some of the things that people believe to be true, are total CRAP! Just yesterday, Dr. C and I celebrated the fact that we haven't assassinated one another all week (I've been working as his nurse) with a jumbo cupcake. ANOTHER Dr in our practice passive-aggressively berated us! Said there was something "wrong" with 2 insulin pumpers eating cupcakes, and that it didn't exactly set the right example. I almost flew across the counter. UMMMM oh yeah??? Well my MoFo cupcake was good, and I'll eat another one in front of you, just because I can (please make it red velvet, this time)!!!! But then I get annoyed that my new friend brings me a peach bellini mix with 8,000 carbs in it. How DO I set the right example? How DO I reach this happy medium??
SURE!! I can eat cake and drink alcohol, but No, no thanks...that sushi roll makes my sugar spike so I can't eat it...oh, and that bellini mix, no way...I'll go sky high. Am I making this up as I go along? Does anyone else do this???

Maybe we need to set up a "New Friend Orientation 101 Basics, Version 1.1" for all new peeps in our life? Heck if I know. But if so, I'll bring the cake and margaritas!

Love,
a confuzzled Nurse Kelley

PS. Dr. C just told me I looked "off"...well maybe because my sugar is 49...so YES, I just wrote this ENTIRE post under the influence of hypoglycemia...Yeah, I kind of rock like that.

The sick of it all

So, I'm sick. No, not with diabetes. Diabetes is just that little thing in my life that has given me everything I love in my life. I'm actually sick, with something that does not want to live in my stomach, apparently. RUDE.
So enough about my ass and vom problems. It has just made me think about a little thing us edumacators like to call "sick day management". My sugs have been elevated, I've had ketones...and not really wanted to eat much. At least it's not the herpilie erpolies. Still not fun. I've been hydrating and cranking up the temp basal, and sipping some Vitamin Water Pure, low carb, but has electrolytes and vitamins, and isn't too sweet. Golden Pineapple is my flava fave! In fact, you should buy me a case and send it to me, it's the least you could do.
Are you up on your latest sick day plan? Parents, do you have pedialite, Gatorade, ketone strips? Having these things (and knowing where to find them) could save you a trip to the ER for ketosis. For habitual vommers, I will even give them an Rx for Phenergan suppositories (as in, insert per rectum) to have on hand, and several patients have said they are literally life savers (no, not the candy...the rectum invaders...well, I guess we COULD call em rectum candy...but I digress).
Also, keeping your Endo or educator in the loop is a good idea. I had a mom, cool, calm and collected, shoot me a text about what was going on with her daughter this weekend.....that way I was aware and could intervene if needed. Your endo's office may have a nugget of info that is down right helpful in the event of an illness.
If you aren't familiar with any of what this post is referring to, make it your priority to speak with your Endo and/or educator about it at tour next visit.
Happy hump day!

Peace, love & 'betes, 
Kelley

(PS. I may, or may not, have written this in the bathroom on my iPhone)