Today, as the last prompt of the official Diabetes Blog Week, we are asked to blog about what we’ve learned from reading other D blogs, or from becoming a part of the DOC in general.
What have I learned…what have I learned…well, let’s see. I learned to appreciate my complication (retinopathy) for what it is and represents from my past while fighting to avoid any further complications. I’ve learned that having retinopathy is not the end of the world (though it once felt like it) and that I will be ok.
I learned about standard deviation. I mean, I knew about standard deviation before, as I took a statistics class. But I didn’t know about SD in terms of diabetes. No doctor had ever (or has ever) said anything to me about SD. While my SD is not great, it’s one more piece of data I am at least aware of and am now trying to improve upon. I know it’s not all about A1c. While I have a great A1c…it’s not so satisfying, because of what I know now about SD.
I’ve learned A TON about Type 2 diabetes. For example, I had no idea it could be caused by anything besides obesity, until I joined the DOC. Now I realize it may not even be caused by that…maybe it causes the obesity. Or maybe they are caused by something completely different. (Another thing I learned from statistics…correlation does not mean causation!) Type 2 can also be caused by steroids, or by POPs (persistant organic pollutants) built up in the body. And importantly – it has an even stronger genetic link than Type 1 diabetes. I’ve learned that despite what I see around me, there are many Type 2 PWD who care for their diabetes appropriately. I’ve learned that there is no such thing as ‘curing’ or ‘reversing’ Type 2. It’s all about control. But it ultimately is a progressive disease.
I’ve learned to appreciate the strength and sacrifice of parents of CWD.
I’ve learned about low-carb approaches to living. While I don’t follow a low carb approach, I understand that some do and it is beneficial to them. (Note: I wish that some others would learn to accept my non-acceptance of low-carbing…I’ve been told many times in the DOC that I am ‘doing it wrong’ and I ‘shouldn’t be eating that way’ and other less polite things, though these people know little about me and haven’t seen my data…)
I’ve re-learned how to log my data after realizing that most of the very ‘successful’ PWD in the DOC log theirs. As a child I always had a log book where my dad (and then later, I) wrote down my blood sugars, insulin dosages, and comments about highs or lows. When I went off to college I stopped logging cold turkey. I don’t remember EVER logging during my undergrad years. Even when I began on the pump…I didn’t start logging again. I didn’t start up until 15 months ago. During that time I’ve logged in many different ways and switched between ways so that my data is all over the freaking place…but it’s SOMEWHERE.
I’m sure I could go on and on, but you get the idea, right? I have learned a lot from this community. Thank you!
delightfully diabetic 
Great post, was an awesome week!!! We really did learn so much. Thanks for sharing. 😀
I like that you’ve learned so much about T2…I’ve done the same this week with T1. We’re all in this together, but separate. I’m with you on the low carb thing. We’re all different and there are lots of ways to deal with diabetes, not just one.
As a side…..I SO admire teachers! First grade is a challenge….cheers to you!
That was one of the most honest responses to learning – sounds like you really read a lot. I don’t do low-carb either, but am overweight so consider it. It’s hard.
What a real post. Really enjoyed reading it! I could learn some logging from you since I used to be religious about it til I went on the pump almost 4 years ago, go figure! Which form of logging would you say works best?
I always have my phone with me. So I use OnTrack (an Android application) to log my data from day to day. It’s super easy to use and has some basic graphs that I can use to spot trends.
When I want a bigger printout for my doctor I use DiaSend (through Animas) to upload my info from my pump which gives me nice printouts of my blood sugars, carbs eaten, basal rates, etc.
Don’t sweat the carb thing! Carbs are the most important form of energy we can give our bodies – they are burned much more efficiently than fats and protein, and our brain needs the glucose to function :). Glad you’re blogging!