Category: Health & Well Being

The Sedentary Seduction…

It’s no secret that the pandemic changed the world in a very measurable and noticeable way. Between distancing rules, effects on peoples’ jobs and finances and the fact that everyone STILL hasn’t recovered rom everything just goes to show how much of an impact COVID-19 has had on the world. One of the most interesting results of the pandemic is remote work. All of sudden, people had to work from home for the first time. And for the most part, it was mostly positive. Peoples’ productivity increased (in most cases), absenteeism lowered and it was realized that a significant portion of the working world could still perform their jobs from the comfort of their homes with very little issue. Oh, there are plenty of employers who fought this and imposed conditions and restrictions, most with very little success. And to be clear, there are obviously some jobs that can’t be done remotely.

From my perspective, working from home is problematic at best. My bloody ADHD makes it extremely difficult to focus at the best of times but trying to do it from home is even worse. I’ll be working on something work related then think “I should start a load of laundry while I’m here…” or grab some lunch in my kitchen and think “Maybe I should get these dishes done while I’m at it…” And before you know it, I’m burning through the work day on stuff that should be done after hours. Another issue is my son. I’m blessed with a red-headed 5-year old son who, once he realizes that I’m actually home, clings to my hip, making it difficult to properly sit through meetings or get any measurable work done. I absolutely adore my son but the added stress of trying to get work done as opposed to playing with him and accepting his hugs makes going into the office important. Plus, working from a small laptop screen as opposed to two large, tandem screens isn’t ideal.

About two weeks ago, I developed a bit of problematic cough. Typically this wouldn’t be a concern. After all, I tend to get sick at the drop of a hat, given I have Type-1 Diabetes. It’s not unusual during the winter months for me to catch a cold and/or get sick at least three or four times. But after a number of days and realizing the cough wasn’t subsiding, I started to realize it may be something more. Last year around this time, I developed a lung infection that progressed to bronchitis. A round of steroids, antibiotics and using an inhaler for the first time in my life, coupled with about two months of lost time hacking and throwing up FROM my lungs (yes, you read that right). One can’t throw up directly from the lungs, of course, since they’re not set up to expel like the stomach. But coughing hard enough can trigger vomiting.

How does this relate to the remote work aspect? I promise I’m getting there… For almost two weeks now, I’ve been mostly working from home. It couldn’t be avoided, as most office staff don’t appreciate their boss hacking and coughing all over the bloody place. And whether I have something contagious or not, it still doesn’t alleviate the anxiety of having someone ill within one’s midsts. So, with the inclusion of a second large screen at home, I’ve been on meds and recovering while working remotely. And I’ve come to realize that the modern world basically allows for one to live entirely from the comfort of one’s home without ever having to step foot outside. I’m not saying I want that, am into that or enjoy that but it’s a realization nonetheless.

Need groceries? Order them online and have them delivered? Prescriptions? Same thing; most modern pharmacies have a delivery service. Anything you could possibly want to purchase can be bought online and delivered right to one’s door. Even one’s banking and finances can be accomplished online. Of course, this brings a significant amount of risk that is lessened by performing these tasks in person. Being delivered the wrong goods, being incorrectly charged, being defrauded by online scammers… The list goes on. But as long as your careful and do things right, one could potentially live out their days from the comfort of their home without ever having to leave. Provided your job allows you to work remotely on a permanent basis.

There is a certain allure to this concept and some of the positives could almost make it worth it. As long as there are no outlying factors at play, you could save significant cost by not owning a vehicle, which requires gas, insurance and registration overhead. Grocery shopping becomes about what you need instead of walking the aisles and grabbing impulse buys that you didn’t go in for. The same can be said for any retail location or business you may walk into. However, one could argue that home utility costs may be a bit higher, since you are running power and utilities throughout the work day instead of being in an office. I’m not sure which of those options would cost more on a month-to-month basis, but it’s a consideration.

Now, I’m not saying this is what I want to do. My specific job wouldn’t allow me to work remotely on an indefinite basis anyway. All I’m saying is that for one who is well-positioned to do so, one could enjoy their years from the comfort of their home without ever having to leave. With everything purchased online and delivered, one could find themselves in a position where they wouldn’t have to leave unless they wanted to. And from a very small, silent corner of my brain, the concept is appealing. And who knows? By the time I retire, that just might be how I spend my final years. Just chilling inside my home, binge-watching Star Trek movies and smoking cogars in my backyard. Time will certainly tell… ☯️

Remembering to Appreciate…

Sometimes it’s easy to take things for granted. Even when they’re essentially life saving or life maintaining. I was diagnosed with type-1 Diabetes when I was 4 years old. That means I’ve been managing and living with this condition for over 40 years! I’d say time flies when you’re having fun but very little of it has been fun. I remember as a child, all of my Diabetes therapy was tedious, annoying and usually got in my way. Kids are usually busy and have things to do, so having to stop several times a day to test my blood or treat a low was annoying to me.

I didn’t understand or realize how important those steps were as a child. Or how very fortunate I was that there was even a therapy that could allow me to live with my condition. Not everyone is so lucky. These days, I’m often blown away by how far I’ve come, considering many if not most people with my condition tend to deteriorate after a few decades and often end up with organ failure, amputations and blindness. Granted, a lot of my good fortune comes from the effort I’ve put into my self care. This includes proper nutrition and fitness habits, the latter of which I admit I haven’t done so well with in recent months.

I saw a post a few days ago about the first use of insulin on patients, which occurred in January of 1922 in Toronto. I’ve often written about things like the fact I wouldn’t survive a zombie apocalypse because once I’d run out of insulin, it would be game over. Ten days is the basic standard, without any insulin therapy. Once you’ve reached that point, you generally slip into a coma and die shortly thereafter. But reading about how Frederick Banting visited a coma ward and injected a young, comatose patient who awoke about a day later and whose blood sugars started to regulate, reminded me of just how fortunate I am indeed.

Considering that until the 1920’s, Type-1 Diabetes was effectively a death sentence for children, it was a discovery that changed the world. It was made all the better with the fact that they sold the patent for a dollar so that the whole world would have access to insulin. I can’t imagine how things would be different if they took the monetary approach and sought to get rich off their discovery instead. In a series of unlikely events that took place decades before I was born, my health and longevity was secured by individuals I’ve never met and will never get to thank.

That’s why I consider it so important to be grateful for the options I have. If I had lived in the early 1900’s, I likely would have died. So on the days where it feels like a pain in the ass to test my blood, take medication or change up a glucose sensor, I remind myself that while it would be far better for my life if I was Diabetic at all, these things are keeping me alive and healthy. And it’s impossible to put a price on that. Food for thought… ☯️

The Most Unlikely Discrimination…

Among some of the worst conditions are the ones that are invisible to the naked eye. The best example is the scenario where someone parks in a handicap spot without any visible, physical handicaps. Despite the driver having a registered handicap placard on their windshield, you’ll always get that one asshole who decides to stick their nose in and try to convince this person they should be packed there. Despite that issue, the person in question may have some underlying condition that the complainer simply doesn’t see. But I may be digressing just a little bit here…

The point is, Type-1 Diabetes is very much or of those conditions. Although there will usually be nothing visible on the surface, there can be a tumultuous storm of symptoms and issues under the surface that simply isn’t visible to anyone watching. True, there are a lot of long-standing, inappropriate jokes about Diabetes, such as an obese person MUST be Diabetic or eating a candy bar will cause it, but on the whole, having Type-1 Diabetes isn’t something you will SEE. But it’s always there and it always creates obstacles.

For the most part, I’ve always operated on the basis of full disclosure. This is especially true with family, friends and employers. After all, the last thing I want someone to do if a Diabetes-related incident occurs, is have someone do something that could harm me or exacerbate the issue further. For example, the most important thing I tell everyone in all circumstances is, if I have a Diabetic incident near them, it’ll always fall under one of two categories. Either I’m conscious, in which case I’ll either treat myself or ask for your help and instruct you on what to do, or I’m unconscious, in which case you shouldn’t try to treat me and should simply call 911 and get medical assistance.

Some people have always claimed that when in doubt, feed the person orange juice or some other fast-acting carb because, even if the issue is high blood sugar, it’s easier for medical staff to bring it down and could potentially save you IF if a low blood sugar incident. Not only is this grossly inaccurate, but if I’ve lost consciousness due to high blood sugar, it’s a guarantee that it’s high enough that anything you fee me may kill. No thank you. I’ll roll that dice all day long. Bearing in mind, this is my preference. Like any other condition, the person who has it should be the one instructing others on what they’d prefer.

That being said, there are certain discriminations that apply to people with Diabetes that others likely aren’t aware of. They range from the simplest and smallest of things to some reasonably life-altering statements and decisions. ON the former, a good example would be someone who brings sweet treats into the office to share with everyone. But when you come around to see what’s there, you get the sympathetic look, followed by “oh, I suppose you shouldn’t be eating these…” as they pull the items out of your reach. That’s pretty presumptuous at the best of times. Practically-speaking, someone with Diabetes isn’t inherently restricted from eating any given foods, so long as they bolus properly for it. That’s the whole point of insulin.

On the heavier side, it can even be someone that would affect a chosen career or path in life. For example, I originally applied to the police force all the way back in 1998. If I had successfully gotten in, I would have a twenty seven year career under my belt. Instead, I was denied at the outset because I checked off a box on the application that asked if I had Diabetes. realistically, it isn’t something I could have hidden or lied about and if I’d been willing to do so, I would have had no business carrying a badge. But there’s no denying that it dealt a serious blow to my self-confidence and self-worth that took effort and years to recover from. The sad part is that I had better physical health and a greater fitness regime than many of the other applicants I joined that night.

It wouldn’t be until 2007 that I would discover that the condition in question had been lifted and my application would be accepted. I chose to apply, ready to face whatever challenges would be laid before me. The part I wasn’t prepared for, was the extended application process that would follow, that contained increased medical testing and examinations. While I can understand the Force’s need to ensure the “I’s” are dotted and the “T’s” are crossed, it took me twice as long to be accepted as any other applicant. I persevered and got in, but my time as an academy cadet was marred with little jabs as well. Between being labeled as sub-par in physical benchmarks, often due to low blood sugar or other illnesses and being denied food in classrooms due to the “rules,” even when I was having lows, they certainly weren’t ready to deal with the prospect of accepting Diabetic candidates.

I’ve often faced that same issue with several employers, where the need to stop and step away for a few moments to treat a low or test blood sugars have been met with responses that it’s against the rules or “if you can’t do the job” statements. It’s never been that I can’t do the job, but sometimes five minutes of compassion can allow an employee to flourish and become one of your most-valued as opposed to feel ignored as though they’re being discriminated against. I’m blessed in that my current employer has a deep understanding of such things. While the working world has improved its duty to accommodate when someone has such difficulties, there’s still a long ways to go.

While I wouldn’t expect certain jobs to accommodate certain disabilities, for example, I would expect someone with no tongue to be a food taster, having an underlying condition or chronic illness doesn’t automatically render one incapable of doing a particular job. There are things you can do to protect yourself and ensure you put yourself in the best situation possible. Open honesty about your condition is always the best policy. While employers aren’t inherently allowed to ask you specifics about health conditions, I’ve never understood why people want to keep such details to themselves. I much prefer open transparency. Not only does it keep everyone on the same page, it could also potentially save your life, if the people around you know what the issue may be.

Another important aspect is open communication from both sides. When applying for jobs, be sure to ask what accommodations can be made for your specific condition. This plays into the previous paragraph. While you may not HAVE to provide specifics about your condition, giving a potential employer some high-level information can help them be honest and forthcoming about what accommodations may be available, as well. For example, asking “what accommodation can you make if I need to step away from my till for ten minutes in the event of low blood sugar?” Could mean the difference between finding a positive place for you to hang your hat or moving on to the next potential career option.

All of this information is based on the premise that little of what’s happening is intentional. If you find yourself in the midst of a situation where you feel someone may be straight up discriminating against BECAUSE of a medical condition, you may have bigger problems to address. But that’s for another post. For now, suffice it to say that there’s plenty you can do to protect yourself. Even though you shouldn’t HAVE to. But such is the world we live in. A little effort can go a long way and sometimes you just gotta pick your battles. Just always ensure you’re fighting on your side. Food for thought… ☯️

Resolutions Aren’t Meant For Once A Year…

Well, here it is, folks! The last day 0f 2024. As my day dwindles on, I’m found thinking back on the past year and the things I’ve experienced, the things I’ve accomplished and the things I’ve wished for. I’ve had some happy times, some less than happy times and times when I wondered what it was actually all about. For most people, the New Year holiday represents a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to make resolutions for a better year. For me, it’s just another Wednesday. And here’s why…

When New Year’s Day hits, it’s usually the time when most people decide on resolutions to change the overall tone of their lives. These resolutions come in many forms. While some of the most common ones include things like more exercise, dieting or cutting out vices like alcohol or gambling, some can be on the more wholesome side, like reading more books, spending more time outdoors or doing at least one new thing every week. While all of this is totally well and good, the statistical majority of people who enter into a New Year’s resolution will typically give up and/or falter in their resolution within a few months. If they last that long.

This begs the question: why bother? This failure is a known fact to most people and yet, most people will still start the New Year off with, “This year, I will…” While it may sound strange coming from me, being the guy who usually promotes having goals and achieving them, I can’t help but think that perhaps a single day of the year set out as a holiday is NOT the best time to be making commitments to something else. And one shouldn’t wait UNTIL New Year’s to make said commitment. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve heard say things like “oh, I’ll cut down on sweets in the New Year,” or “I’ll start getting fit in January as my New Year’s resolution.”

There are a lot of reasons why people give up or quit their resolutions within a few months. One reason is that the holidays are probably the worst time for the year for people over-eating, drinking and lounging around watching Christmas movies and doing fuck all. It’s kind of hard to jump from that and go into a new diet or try to get yourself moving in any efficient way. Another reason, especially if your resolutions is fitness-oriented, is that it’s hard to hit the ground running in January, considering it’s usually followed by the coldest months of the year (at least here in Canada). The human body is at its lowest energy point and focusing solely on staying dry and warm. Sometimes, the drive to keep pushing physically just isn’t there.

Lastly, many people will drop their resolutions because they simply aren’t seeing results. The inherent problem with this is that fitness and health is an ongoing journey, not a destination. If your goal is to increase muscle or lose weight, it can take months or even years to achieve what you’re seeking. We live in a world of immediate gratification and most people don’t like to wait for things. So by March or April, people can become disillusioned with their goals and simply give up. Viewed through that lens, those folks should be grateful they don’t have Type-1 Diabetes; that shit never ends.

My point is, don’t wait until New Year’s to start improving upon yourself. Start today. The New Year is nothing. It’s not a “fresh” start. It isn’t the beginning of something new. It’s just another day. Simply another date on the calendar. Your life starts every day. THAT’s where your resolution begins. Not on a holiday, not as a special occasion but as a conscious decision to make the change. After all, life is like a book. We all know how the story begins and how it ends. It’s up to you how the chapters in between get written. Food for thought… Happy New Year. ☯️

Slow And Steady Wins The Race…

There is always plenty I can write about Diabetes care and even more so about how involved and complicated it can get to properly maintain one’s health and blood sugar levels. In fact, in over 5 years of blogging on the topic, I’ve never run out of subject matter to discuss (minus some occasional repetition). That’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. And I guess I am saying so. Might sound like bragging but it’s not; it’s merely intended to show just how complicated a condition Type-1 Diabetes actually is. Quite a change in what my parents believed in the 1980’s, which basically just included “don’t eat sugar” and take your one-a-day insulin injection.

I often wonder how differently my health would have progressed, had I known about things like carb counting, proper bolusing and an actual understanding of the different types of insulin and how they function within the body. I often get a lot of questions about what some of the hardest aspects of having Diabetes are and how I deal with them. Certainly there are quite a few. And I’ve written about most of them. But in recent years, I’ve come to recognize that one of the hardest aspects of having Type-1 Diabetes is not, in and of itself, a symptom but rather, something I need to DO. The hardest part of being Diabetic is being patient. Yes, you read that right; patience is one of the hardest parts of dealing with anything Diabetes-related.

Let me explain. In my youth, when I would have low blood sugar, I would eat until I felt better. While this makes sense in concept, if I’m starting to feel better, it likely means my blood sugars have already reached a normal level and I’ve likely eaten beyond what was required. The result is that my blood sugar would skyrocket, requiring further insulin to bring it down to normal. This kind of rollercoaster blood sugars can be detrimental on one’s overall health and proper balancing of a1c’s. Nowadays, I actually measure my blood sugar to determine whether it’s low, rather than depend on a general feeling as I would have when I was younger. Given that getting older involves its own generalized pain, that only makes sense.

But when I find that my blood sugars are low, I take a finite amount of fast-acting carbs that are appropriate to bringing my blood sugar levels up to normal. Where the patience comes in, is the need to sit and wait while that finite amount of carbs does its job. This is particularly difficult when your blood sugar is low and you have to sit there and experience the symptoms of it for what will likely be twenty to thirty minutes. Let me walk you through it. I’m talking nausea, stomach cramps, disorientation, restless limbs, excessive and profuse sweating, blurred vision, loss of fine motor skill and a partridge in a fuckin’ pear tree. And that’s just to name a few. Don’t even get me started on how I feel if I get a low in tandem with anything else, like a cold or flu.

This required patience doesn’t just apply to lows. Sometimes recognizing that if I’m sitting a bit high, it may take a while, hours even, for my levels to come down smoothly. A sudden drop is never a good thing, even if you were high to start with. It can be extremely taxing on the system. The amount of fatigue I feel when I’m high and have to bring my blood down is substantial. If I don’t do it slowly and surely, it can sometimes put me down for the night. And when you live with two small sons who don’t grasp the concept of ever being quiet, getting the rest one needs to properly recover can be difficult.

That’s why it’s important to take one’s time with anything needed when it comes to Diabetes. Nothing can really be done quickly and even if there’s some that could, the after effects can be just as bad or worse than the symptom itself. It can be tough to wait something out, especially if it causes discomfort. But patience is key. After all, slow and steady wins the race. Especially where Diabetes is concerned. Food for thought… ☯️

What Pain Gives Gain?

I don’t think I have to explain how absolutely EVERYTHING affects a Type-1 Diabetic’s health. Blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels and other health factors are often affected by things like stress, physical activity, diet and alcohol consumption and even one’s state of mind. It can sometimes become a challenge for someone to maintain proper controls when something completely out of one’s control can affect everything. Like weather. If I do thirty minutes of heavy exercise in the comfort of my basement, no problem. If I do thirty minutes of work outside in cold, winter weather, my blood drops like fuckin’ stone in a clear lake. So given that everything affects blood sugar levels, what about pain? Could pain affect one’s blood sugars?

We should start the conversation by defining exactly what I mean by pain. Simply put, pain in today’s context is defined as the signal your body sends to your brain when trauma is caused to the body. And by trauma, I don’t mean the typical, modern definition that means having experienced something bad, although that could be included. trauma refers to the damage and/or blunt force exercised against tissue, causing damage. This can include cuts, abrasions, bruising, blunt force, burns and exposure to extreme cold. All of these things will trigger a signal from nerves to the brain, telling it that something bad is happening and that one should remove themselves from the situation. This is why people will automatically pull away from open flame or grip their arm if they suffer a cut, etc. Most of it is reflex and even those who train themselves to “fight through the pain” will have some difficulty in ignoring or overcoming the sensation.

So, how does pain play into blood sugars? I should start by clarifying that the idea started from a conversation I had with my ophthalmologist. During a recent appointment to get eye injections, (my eyes are doing great by the way. Thanks for asking!) I asked my doctor what the level would be, on a scale from 1 to 10, for me to receive the needles in my eyes without the numbing drops. He confirmed that it would likely be an 8 or 9. While he made it clear that he had never tried it or had it done on any of his patients, he working off his knowledge of pain and how it’s received by the body. He explained it would certainly be painful enough for a person to be unable to do it without the numbing drops. I was fascinated.

When I returned to my room, I realized that my blood sugar levels and increased. Not to a significant, uncontrollable level but enough to be noticeable. And it got me to ponder the question on how pain affects the blood sugars. In essence, pain is a stressor. And stressors DO affect blood sugars. While people don’t define stress quite in this way but pain causes stress and stress increases blood sugar levels. According to an article posted by the Mayo Clinic, “Physical or emotional stress triggers the release of hormones that can cause high blood sugar levels.” While the article is short and doesn’t specifically address physical pain, if we acknowledge that pain is a stressor and stressors will cause the release of hormones that will elevate blood sugars, the math does itself.

So this is mostly information and not so much a specific thing, but if you notice your blood sugar levels are running rampant and you can’t quite explain why, you may want to look at the stressors in your life, including pain. The pain that results from my eye injections is certainly something that will has an effect. Any other pain you may be suffering will also have an effect. While it may be difficult to gauge and treat your blood sugar levels based on this, it’s an important factor when considering your overall blood sugar management. Food for thought… ☯️

Expectations vs Reality

There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes for someone with Type-1 Diabetes that the average person isn’t aware of. Much like seeing someone park in a handicap spot but yet walk with simple ease, an illness or disability isn’t always obvious to the naked eye. But without standing too high on my soapbox, my point is that there are a number of things that people tend to take for granted that almost seem like a rare treat to someone with Type-1 Diabetes. In this post, I’m going to examine the top ones that are important to me.

A Naked Shower
I should probably clarify that I’m naked for every shower that I take. This isn’t a high school changing room; I don’t shower in my clothes. That’s a story for another day. But what I mean is, having the ability to take a shower without needing to protect infusion sites or adhesive pads. Generally speaking, my insulin pump’s infusion sets are changed out every three days. This is because after three days, insulin begins to crystallize on the plastic based tubing and parts of the infusion set. This can result in an inaccurate delivery of insulin.

My continuous glucose monitor sensor gets changed out once a week. This is mainly because the interstitial fluid and the wound heals up enough that reading becomes difficult. In any event, with one of my cyborg parts replaced every three days and the other replaced every seven days, it’s usually an interesting challenge showering, since some of the adhesive patches will dry up and peel after a hot shower. The result is I usually have to maneuver and cover the injections sites and their coverings so that they get wet as little as possible. You ever try taking a normal shower while trying to keep any one area of your body dry? Not so easy…

Once in a while, an opportunity comes up where both insertions are due for replacement around roughly the same time. On those rare occasions, I get to take a nice, hot shower without any concern about protecting anything on the abdomen. I can effectively shower withy abandon, which one wouldn’t think is a big deal but when you can never do it, having the chance to just let the hot water wash over without concern is a definite treat that the average person takes for granted.

A Decent Night’s Sleep
First and foremost, I need to point out that proper sleep is always an issue for someone with Type-1 Diabetes, whether you wear a pump or not. Between fluctuating blood sugars, fluctuating blood pressure, circulatory issues that cause your arms and legs to go numb and restless as you sleep… The list goes on. Tack on my PTSD and the frequent repetitive nightmares and you’ve got a recipe for shitty nights. I have, on occasion, had the opportunity of sleep well throughout an entire night but these instances have almost always included some exterior assistance, like melatonin or a few fingers of whiskey.

Wearing an insulin pump presents its own unique set of challenges during sleep. While I always make a point to wear shorts or pyjama pants that have pockets, the pump will often slide out of the pocket during the night as I roll over. What’s worse is if I end up on TOP of the pump. This can be uncomfortable and even painful, especially if I roll over and the pump ends up in my tender bits. Y’all know what I’m referring to. Trying to remain perfectly still during sleep is effectively impossible, which means that under all circumstances, my pump will contribute to waking me up repeatedly throughout the night. So if you’re someone who gets a full night’s sleep, don’t take it for granted.

Eating With Abandon
Before the concept of pump technology and carb counting were brought to my attention, one of my favourite things was eating at a Chinese buffet. I’m one of those fuckers who loves the concept of the fried foods and flavoured sauces and dips that one can only enjoy through Asian cuisine. Nowadays, being mindful not only of what I eat but in what amounts can be challenging at best. Even when I read food labels and calculate based on the amount of carbohydrates they indicate, I hit some obstacles with lows, highs and miscalculations.

Eating out at a restaurant is usually the most challenging, because asking a server how grams of carbohydrates are in the meal you’re planning to order can be troublesome. While restaurant staff are generally expected to have some knowledge about the meals they serve, one must be realistic in just how deep that knowledge goes. It’s different if you’re having something defined, like a fast food burger, where you can usually check their website and get comprehensive nutritional information. But then when you incorporate something loose, like fries, rice or mashed potatoes, calculating the proper amount of carbohydrates and delivering the right amount of insulin is tough. What’s even tougher is if you estimate, then you can’t finish what you’ve bloused for.

Buffets are now an absolute waste of money for me, considering I can’t eat with abandon and have to moderate my portions and calculate insulin delivery. Even protein-based dishes are packed with carbohydrates at Asian buffets, considering everything is usually battered. While pumpkin therapy allows me to live easier with my meal choices (eating a slice of cake in my teens would have been completely out of the question), having the ability to eat whatever one wants whenever one wants without worrying about the consequences is definitively something any non-Diabetic shouldn’t take for granted.

SO, as you can see, there are many things that the average, every day person takes for granted that Type-1 Diabetics are dealing with behind the scenes. And this isn’t an all-inclusive list. People rarely see those aspects and simply assume that as long as we avoid sugar and take our insulin, the ship stays on course. Nothing could be farther from the truth. So if you have the ability to sleep properly, shower with abandon and relax and eat at your leisure, take the time to recognize how blessed you are. While I will always acknowledge that things could be much worse for me, all the little things y’all take for granted are often the things that any other person yearns for. Food for thought… ☯️

The Unbalanced Scales of Retail…

It starts out as pretty much the way every shopping errand does… I slowly walk the aisles, scanning for items I need and watching the items I could potentially want. With a significant number of ongoing and increasing shopping concerns, such as inflation and grocery affordability, the “wants” usually go untouched. But for the most part, the “needs” make their way into my basket as I slowly shuffle along. In the interest of navigating the public, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones with some soft, meditative music sit atop my head. While cursed with an unfortunate contestant state of hyper-vigilance, the noise blocking gives my PTSD-riddled brain a much needed respite from the public as I do I what I have to do.

I guess I should clarify that, despite my loud, outgoing voice, I am inherently an introvert, preferring to use self-checkouts and avoid unnecessary interactions with random strangers for no purpose. While this has often made me seem anti-social other some, I prefer to think of myself as socially independent; not requiring the interaction with others to get through my daily grind all while not avoiding it when it’s necessary or socially warranted. For these reasons and many others, I almost always use a self-checkout option if I can. But the retail world is complex and convoluted, often differing from one location to the next. Here are a few examples of how this has applied in recent weeks.

I stopped in at a particular retail location to purchase my weekly lottery ticket. For obvious reasons, I won’t name these businesses since, you know, I prefer not getting sued. But generally speaking, lottery and age-restricted items can’t be purchased through a self-checkout for the obvious reasons. So, I walk up to the till. I was the only customer there and waited several minutes for a cashier to notice and acknowledge my arrival and approach the counter. As opposed to the typical greeting one would expect from a retail person, her first words were to ask me if i would be paying by debit or credit, to which I replied I was. She then proceeded to suggest I use the self-checkout and began walking away from me.

Let’s evaluate this for a moment. I’ve worked in the retail environment. Most staff are already of the opinion that their jobs are in jeopardy’s because of self-checkouts and program automation. Yet, this cashier is trying to ENCOURAGE me to use the self-checkout option. I’d say this is just a “her” thing, but I’ve gotten this response from a few different employees at this location. I clarified that I needed lottery, which resulted in a not-so-subtle exhalation of a sigh and a return to the till, as though I had interrupted her previously scheduled program. But I digress… I got my lottery ticket and went on my way, somewhat taken aback at how I was being thrown towards technology by the very folks who have the most to lose from it. That’s the first side of the coin.

Now let’s look at it from the other side of the coin. Another retail location I visited is one where I typically insist on using their self-checkout given the busy lines and long wait times to be served by a cashier. This would be one of those scenarios where I have my headphones on and don’t want to interact with the world; I just want to pay for my shit and go. On this occasion, I have a number for heavy and bulk items that are cumbersome and inconvenient to try and manually run through the till scanner. I begin looking for the scan gun that should be sitting in its cradle at the top of the till. It isn’t there.

Already a bit flustered, it took me all of ten seconds to realize that none of the scan guns were at ANY of the self-checkout tills. I waved over an employee and pointed out the issue. The response was that he brought over a scan gun but rather than let me use it, he physically scanned all my items himself, despite repeating twice that I wanted to do this myself. He indicated that they couldn’t leave the scan guns at the tills and that he was the only one allowed to use them. I challenged him by asking what the point of a self-checkout was, if I needed a cashier to scan my things for me. He had no response.

It seems like such a small point and certainly not one I’d die on the hill for, but it raises a good point. What the fuck is the point of having self-checkout if a cashier scans all my shit? It seemed like a weird scenario in a frowning market where automation and self-checkout of bien flushed but on the flip side, scenarios where staff who should be more than happy to push for their continued employment, push for it as well. As you may have been able to tell, there’s very little to no point behind today’s post. Sometimes, one just needs to rant. ☯️

The UnSeen Symptoms…

These days, we hear a lot of folks talk about invisible injuries or handicaps. While this can refer to a number of different things, it generally refers to instances where someone may be suffering from something that has no outward appearance or that the average person won’t notice. This can include but is not limited to things like PTSD, certain mental health conditions but even certain physical ailments that, while invisible on the outside, can cause great discomfort, pain and inconvenience to the sufferer.

While I wouldn’t necessarily consider Type-1 Diabetes to be an invisible condition, I could see how the average person might believe it to be so. When one considers that, all jokes about obesity meaning one has Diabetes aside, a person would not be able to tell simply by looking at me that I have Diabetes. Of course, if someone is astute enough to spot my insulin pump, it might be a different story. But my focus in today’s post is to consider some of the invisible “symptoms” or Diabetes, even the ones that often smack you in the face but you may not KNOW they’re a symptom.

I should point out that this list is mine and what I’ve noticed over the decades. I’m sure there’s more others could provide, but this is just to give you a bit of idea about three of the main issues that others could potentially attribute to something else. Here we go…

Mood Swings/Temper
Blood sugar fluctuations can also cause changes in one’s emotional state and temperament. For the most part, if my blood sugars rise, I’ll become a cranky, cantankerous asshole. Not to be confused with my everyday crankiness, these moods swings are essentially unavoidable and I have no control over them. While they don’t really happen so much these days, they used to happen quite frequently in my younger years, before I was on pump therapy and before I knew better. I’ll admit I had some ex-girlfriends who may or may not have walked away fully convinced I was just being a dick. In reality, it was blood sugar control that was needed.

This can also occur with extreme low blood sugar. I remember (or rather I was told) about an incident when I was in high school. Somehow, my blood sugars got away on me and I suffered a low. By the time the bell rang and I walked down to get in line for lunch, I was no longer in control of any fine motor function. Oddly enough, my mother had shown up to bring me lunch money and I apparently started yelling at her and told her to get out for the school. It wasn’t until I had eaten and my blood sugar started to level out that one of my friends told me what had happened.

I have no memory of it, at all. The lesson here is that if your fiend or loved one has Type-1 Diabetes and they seem off, emotionally, it’s important to consider they may have fluctuating blood sugars. Or they may just be a dick. I don’t know your friends. Moving on.

Bad Breath
There’s nothing worse than talking to someone who has bad breath. For someone with Diabetes, it can come along naturally or honestly, as this is yet again something that is usually immediately out of our control. There are a couple of reasons that someone with Diabetes will experience bad breath. The main one is that high blood sugars can lead to excess glucose in the saliva, which increases the bacteria in your mouth. As bacteria grow and propagate, it increases the amount of plaque you have, which can lead to bad breath. The bacterial life cycle itself can also cause bad breath.

If a Diabetic person’s breath smells a bit on the fruity side, it could be a sign of uncontrolled blood sugars and ketoacidosis, which is a condition where on’e blood becomes acidic as a result of extreme high blood sugars. In cases you’re not catching the theme here, the majority of these issues are caused by high blood sugars. But in this case, proper teeth brushing, coupled with regular dental visits are critical to maintaining that plaque level and cleanliness. This should be paired with proper monitoring and control of one’s blood sugars.

Fatigue/Apathy
I’ve lost count of how many times in my life I’ve had people call me lazy because my body was physically tired and I had no ability to push myself forward. I’ve had times in school where I was accused of falling asleep in class or people who considered me rude or lazy for refusing to do things or come out because I was tired. Once again, this can be easily attributed to blood sugars being out of whack. Having high blood sugars will make you seem lethargic or apathetic on its own.

Having an extreme low that you’ve treated will make you exhausted once your blood sugars level out because your body was struggling while you were low. You end up exhausted and it isn’t unusual after I’ve treated a low for me to need a short nap to allow my body to recover. To an unknowing person, partner or friend, it could just look like you’re sleeping your day away or are just lazy. I had this one friend back in New Brunswick who had the damndest habit of showing up at my home unannounced to hang out. If I were sleeping, he’d insist on waking me up and getting me out of bed. Boy lucky he didn’t get himself killed. Waking me is a bit like poking a bear. Possible but not advisable.

In the end, the prevention/mitigation of all of these symptoms includes proper blood sugar control, proper diet and proper self-care in general. Sounds easy enough on its face but it very rarely is. And it’s very easy for people to mistake a Diabetic symptom for something else. While not everyone is comfortable discussing their condition with others, the key is solid and open communication so that the people in your life understand. Food for thought… ☯️

Slowing Is Not The Same As Stopping…

I’m sure many of you have heard the expression that you don’t stop training when you get old, you get old when you strop training. The idea behind that is that when you stop maintaining your mobility and fitness, it can have adverse effects on your personal well being. Realistically speaking, the lessening of one’s physical health will also have an impact on the mental clarity, since the mind can’t exist without the body and vice versa.

A good example for this would be my dear mother. She’s spent her entire life taking care of others. Besides being a capable woman in her own right, it started with her caring for my ailing brother, who passed away at the age of 18, followed by caring for her elderly parents since she was the eldest daughter. Even as all of these people have passed away, she then began to dote and take care of my father, who unfortunately has a condition where his spine degenerates and has him wheelchair ridden. She’s always had someone to focus her attentions on. Once the smoke cleared and there was no one left to take care of, her mind slipped away.

Most people have been confused by this phenomena and don’t understand the connection between maintaining the body and maintaining the mind. While my mother has been in a state of hyper awareness for the majority of her life by virtue of caring for others, she’s never taken much care of herself. The result is her body has absolutely no ability to sustain her mind. As a result, she has slipped away. I just spoke to her on Sunday morning by Facetime and she thought my son was a little girl and had no idea who he was. Just a bit sad.

This is why it is so important to keep moving. In recent years, I’ve come to the realization that I can longer carry on in the same fashion as i have for the past few decades. My training in the martial arts has significantly helped in my battle against Type-1 Diabetes and has helped me out of more sticky situations, both personally and professionally, than I can possibly count. But there’s no chance in hell that I can do it like I used to. This was evidenced by a very unfortunate incident at a local karate dojo where I had a couple of my ribs fractured and my muscle wall crushed in a manner that I would have easily defended from in years prior.

It makes me realize that I need to slow myself down. This is not only important in order to accommodate my age, which will never stop, but to prevent unnecessary injury. BY the way, the older you get, the longer and more difficult it is to get over injuries and heal properly. But the important thing, if you paid attention and read the previous two paragraphs, is that you don’t stop moving. Slowing does not mean stopping. And the sooner you throw in the towel and say “screw it, I’m done,” the sooner your body will have difficulties accommodating your needs into the foreseeable future. And you need your body and your mind as long as you can manage it.

Slow down if you need to. Hey, we all get there. Do I think I could still kick some ass, if I needed to? You’d better believe it! Protect my loved ones? Anyone who would threaten the well being of my family would find out that even old dogs can still punch. But I recognize that maybe those two-hour karate sessions need to drop to only one hour. Maybe my 70-kilometres bicycle treks need to become 20 or 30 kilometres instead. I’ll never stop moving. I can’t. My health depends on it. But the manner in which I move and in what amounts are what make the difference. Food for thought… ☯️