Saw this on Allison’s site a while ago and never filled it out. I figured that today, since I’m home sick and bored, would be a good day to do so. I apologize for the fact that I have no idea what the original source is.
What type of diabetes do you have:
Type-1, which used to be called “Juvenille-Onset Diabetes” but I think that term is depreciated now.
When were you diagnosed:
October 9, 1999. It was 4 days before my 12th birthday! (Thanks for that early birthday present, mother nature.)
What’s your current blood sugar:
I literally just pulled out my glucose meter to check this. It’s 270 mg/dL, probably because I’m sick.
What kind of meter do you use:
OneTouch UltraLink, it’s the one that “communicates” with my insulin pump. (“Communicates” meaning it sends my readings to the pump so I don’t have to type them in, and that’s it.)
How many times a day do you test your blood sugar:
I average twice a day, but I know I should be doing it more like 5 or 6 times. I’m really lazy when it comes to testing but I’m trying to get better at it.
What’s a “high” number for you:
Anything over 200 mg/dL I consider “high” and I correct to 120 mg/dL.
What do you consider “low”:
Anything under 70 mg/dL. Under 80 is when I start getting symptoms, but under 70 is when they start becoming really apparent.
What’s your favorite low blood sugar reaction treater:
I love fruit punch glucose tablets, and I keep a roll of them on me at all times. Sometimes, for a really low blood sugar or if it’s before bed, I also eat a spoonful of peanut butter.
Describe your dream endo:
Female, a fellow type-1 diabetic, well-educated, familiar with the latest technologies available, and easy-going/friendly.
What’s your biggest diabetes achievement:
Living, of course!
What’s your biggest diabetes-related fear:
Having complications related to my eyesight—my field of work is graphic design so I depend heavily on my eyes to do my job.
Who’s on your support team:
My mom, my brother (a fellow type-1 diabetic himself), my boyfriend (he still needs to learn more, but he’s been great so far), and hopefully whoever my new endocrinologist ends up being (I have yet to find one in SF yet).
Do you think there will be a cure in your lifetime:
I highly doubt it, but I’m trying to be optimistic for future generations.
What is a “cure” to you:
To quote Allison: “A complete biological reversal of Diabetes.” I will also add, in the case of pancreas transplants, that my ideal cure would not include pills to prevent my body from rejecting a new organ.
The most annoying thing people say to you about your diabetes is:
I often get asked if my pump is a beeper, which seems silly to me. Though once I got asked if it was a new, unreleased iPod (which made me laugh). But I’d have to say that the most annoying thing to me is the misconceptions people have about Diabetics and how most of those misconceptions are related to Type-2. People like Dr. Oz going on Oprah and using a type-1 Diabetic with severe complications (due to the fact that she didn’t take care of herself) to scare type-2 Diabetics into eating better and exerciseing while also attempting to convince them that Diabetes is reversible (trust me when I say it’s not) DOES NOT help these misconceptions.
What is the most common misconception about diabetes:
This list could go on and on and on, but here are my least favorite:
1) Diabetes is reversible
2) Type-1 Diabetes is the “bad kind.”
3) It’s caused by eating too much sugar.
If you could say one thing to your pancreas, what would it be:
Why’d you have to go and let my cells beat each other up? That’s not cool.
