I > ^∨
I’m hoping this blog makes sense as I am using it to make some sense of what has been happening to me the past few weeks.
Like what?
Well, following my accident last August, while it is obvious that some things have healed (and healed well), there have been some unforeseen consequences.
See above?
I’ve been a type 1 a long time and in that time I have tried to keep my blood sugar as “normal” (aka euroglycaemic) as possible. My parents both felt that would give me not only the chance of living as long as possible but as healthily as I could.
It means that while I have a good tolerance for low blood sugar, I feel physically awful if my blood sugar is above 10mmol/l more than an hour after food.
I belong to a type 1 group on face book, and that’s highlighted some other things. Since my accident, I have had that many contiguous nights’ sleep (i.e. sleeping without waking up). It’s not been uncommon for me to wake a few times between 1pm and 4pm.
This, along with my body completing the healing of the five fractures in my face has led to some unacceptable behaviour especially with concern to me keeping control of my temper.
Wow!
Not wow: this is in no way good. Thankfully I’ve got much better control over the past couple of months but I have been left with a semi-permanent headache in the right top half of my head. This gets much worse when I am tired.
I’m pretty much always tired and the discoveries of my “temper tantrums” is not helping. Not least because no-one raised it with me. Obviously, many of the people I work with don’t know me, but I’m usually pretty ease going and have asked them to let me know if I am not behaving “rationally”. That didn’t happen, so I have been left which much higher blood sugars than I needed to have for longer which causes, well, damage.
What a mess!
What’s with the title?
I > ^∨ is I am greater than my highs and lows and is used as a motto by a few type 1 groups. At the moment, I just feel ∨!
It does not help that this piece of research came out last March: https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/are-people-with-diabetes-more-prone-to-aggression/ .
This is written in lay man’s terms and talks about people who have had diabetes for a long time (without defining what long is). I am coming up to 41 years, which is a long time by anyone’s definition.
There’s also some consolidation of the fact I was diagnosed before the age of 7: this seems to be much more aggressive in its progression. Part of me feels proud that I am doing so well but that’s pretty terrifying.
Sounds scary.
In many ways, I have dramatically tightened everything up and having finally trusted my abilities, I am no longer taking three chocolate bars a day while in the office, I am feeling much brighter.
It is surprising people assume if my behaviour is off that I must be hypo. If anything, I am passive and laid back when my blood sugar is low unless I feel the need to put in some adrenaline to help recover. That’s hard work and almost always ensures I get a post low headache.
I do need to make amends.
Posted: July 21st, 2018 under 42, Diabetes.