What it’s like to live with type 2 diabetes
IN MY SHOES: Sara Sklaroff, a former editor of American Diabetes Association magazine Diabetes Forecast, describes what it is like to have diabetes in this Washington Post op-ed:
The panic always takes me by surprise. It creeps in, a gathering fog of unease. Then I find myself unable to carry on a conversation. Or I start arguing, mindlessly. My scope of vision narrows, and my heart thumps like Bugs Bunny in love – except I’m not enraptured; I’m sick. I have been through this again and again, and still it takes me a few minutes to realize that I urgently need something to eat.
But this is no ordinary hunger. This is my brain on low glucose, also known as hypoglycemia. My blood sugar has plummeted, and if I don’t get enough glucose into my body quickly, I could pass out. This is what I live with after a decade with Type 2 diabetes. …
I stick lancets and needles into my skin about a dozen times a day. Because I use insulin and aim for near normal glucose, I’ll have occasional episodes of low blood glucose, some of which are downright scary. It also means extra finger sticks, because I test just about every time I get behind the wheel of the car, get into the swimming pool or do anything that could conceivably put me or others in danger.
Before each meal, I count the carbohydrates to figure out how much insulin to inject, and I try to inject it 15 minutes before my first bite so that the insulin kicks in at about the same time the glucose does. (Imagine doing this in a restaurant, where you usually have no idea what the carb count is and no way to know when the food will arrive at your table.)
If I miscalculate and don’t take enough insulin, my glucose might skyrocket. If I take too much insulin, my glucose might plummet, and then it’s back to the panic fog. I almost never leave the house without a blood glucose meter, test strips, lancing device, insulin pen, insulin needles, emergency glucose, phone and driver’s license in case I have a low, become unconscious and need to be identified.
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