100 day challenge

My 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to type 1 diabetes (T1). Type 1 can be an alienating and difficult disease, and we could all use some more positivity.

One of my T1 Instagram friends Leah started a 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 and asked other people with T1 to join the challenge.

This is a great idea and I have taken up this challenge and I am posting on Facebook and Instagram. I’m adding the post to this blog post for people who are not on Instagram or Facebook. The images don’t look as well as on Instagram, but I hope you get the idea.

Day 1 of my 100-day diabetic challenge to post something positive in relation to type 1 diabetes.

I am grateful for all the new glucose monitoring technology that has some along in my 52 years with T1 diabetes.

I started using FreeStyle Libre 6 months ago and while it hasn’t completely replaced finger blood testing, it has reduced it a lot. It has also given me information about my glucose levels in between testing, which I never had before. I am super grateful when I wake during the night that I can scan my sensor and get my glucose reading without turning on the light and fiddling with test strips,

Day 2 of my 100-day diabetic challenge to post something positive in relation to type 1 diabetes.

I am grateful for the work that went into the development of insulin, from its impure state when it was discovered in 1921, to the sterile insulin I use today.

Image credit: Frederick Banting and Charles Best (pinterest.com/…)

Day 3 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1. I am grateful for friends and family. The highs and lows of T1 are easier to cope with because of those guys.

Day 4 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for accurate food nutritional labels. They help me to decide how much insulin I need to take.

The packet on the right tells me that each cracker contains 4.1g of carbohydrate.

This is day 5 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful to the medical profession, who have guided me over the years.

It’s important to get the best from my appointments, so I check over my blood sugars and have a think about how my general health has been since my last app. I jot down any questions or concerns and ask the Doctor about them during my appointment.

Day 6 my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for all the beautiful places in Ireland to visit.

Walking and just being out in the fresh air is great for stabilising my blood sugars.  It’s nice when someone takes an interest in my T1 kit (pic 4)!!

Day 7 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for the advances in insulin, which removed strict meal times for T1’s. Now we can eat at times to suit our lifestyles.

I appreciate this especially when I’m out with my family or friends, celebrating a special occasion.

Day 8 of my 100-challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am very grateful that my eyesight hasn’t been affected by T1. Keeping my sight is a huge motivator to keep my blood glucose in range as much as possible. Keeping blood pressure in range and having regular ophthalmologist check-ups are also essential.

Day 9 of my 100-challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for sugar & glucose (fast acting carbs) when my blood glucose is dropping or has dropped and I’m having a hypo.

It has saved my life many times. I always have some form of it with me (glucose, jelly sweets, honey, regular sugar or fruit juice). There is always a stash in my pockets, bag, car, bedside table etc.

For more information: http://theartisandiabetic.ie/hypoglycemia-hypo/

Day 10 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for all the research that has been carried out and continues, into the cause and potential cure for T1.

For more information on diabetes see http://theartisandiabetic.ie/diabetes/

Day 11 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

This may seem an unusual one ……I am grateful for eggs.

They are an inexpensive lean protein, available everywhere, can be cooked in numerous ways for breakfast, dinner or supper. Lean protein slows the absorption of sugars from other foods, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes.

Day 12 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful that glass syringes and steel needles, similar to those in the picture were replaced by plastic syringes and smaller needles when I was in teens.

After several upgrades, these too were replaced by neat, colourful pens, with micro fine needles or insulin pumps. T1 equipment keeps improving all the time. Embrace every improvement.

Day 13 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for alarms that remind me to give my basal (long-acting) insulin at the same time every day. I have a phone alarm and a small alarm clock in my kitchen set, for the appropriate time.

I have changed the time I give this insulin numerous times over the years. These are planned changes, after reviewing my glucose levels over several weeks, not random ones. Sometimes it seems to work best for me when it is given in the morning, sometimes the evening and for several years I have given half in the morning and half in the evening. The timing is as important as the dose, so it’s best to have a reminder even if I’m unlikely to forget it.

Day 14 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for a good night’s sleep. Unstable blood sugars have a huge impact on sleep quantity and quality. It’s worth making the effort to have my bolus insulin correct and blood sugar ok for night time (not under 6.5 mmol for me. It varies from person to person). I still have the occasional low during the night.

Having my bolus insulin (long acting) dose correct ensures that I rarely go high during the night. I’m grateful for FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system, which gives me information about my nighttime glucose levels. This helps me keep on top of any changes and trends.

Before I started using Libre I had to set alarms through the night on a regular basis to check if my basal dose was right, adjust and check again the next night. There’s nothing worse than facing the day after a night of high and low blood sugars.

Libre is handy for a quick scan if I wake up during the night, rather than fiddling with a meter and test strips. I’m also grateful that I still wake up if my blood sugar starts to go low. People with T1 become can become hypo unaware (don’t feel their blood sugar’s going low and can go unconscious).

I’ve got several positive things in there!!

Day 15 of my 100-day challenge to write something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for my online T1 community, both here and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theartisandiabetic/).

Since I joined last year I have met great people. It is hugely beneficial to see how other people with T1 are getting on and pick up some hints and tips along the way. I am also very grateful to my non-diabetic followers. Thank you all.

Day 16 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

Thanks to T1 I’m good at calculations. I’m so used to calculating carbs and insulin ratios in my head that I automatically do it for other stuff as well.

Don’t try to short-change me!!

Day 17 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for anything that does 2 jobs at the one time. Salmon and mackerel do just that.

As well as their many health benefits (including reducing inflammation & bad cholesterol (LDL) and helping to promote tissue & cell health), they are both a lean protein and a healthy fat (omega 3). Few foods contain both.

Salmon & Mackerel are carb free and the protein & healthy fat help prevent sugar spikes from other ingredients in a meal. (if a large portion of protein is consumed, the excess will turn to carbohydrate after several hours).

Salmon and low carb salad or veg is one of my stand-by meals when my blood sugars are all over the place.

Day 18 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I am grateful that I was able to do the Skyjump in Auckland, New Zealand. It was a fantastic experience. Of course, I had to make sure my blood glucose was ok before the jump!

If any of you are going to New Zealand, I highly recommend it.

Day 19 of my 100-day-challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I am grateful for the fruit trees in our garden. 🌳🌳🌳 Enjoying cherries for the last couple of weeks. As well as being delicious they have anti-inflammatory properties. I am also grateful to the head gardener (hubby)! 🍒🍒🍒

Day 20 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I am grateful that any time is tea time! 🍴☕️ The improvements in insulin, particularly in the last 15 years have brought about a move away from strict meal times for me. 🍵

Day 21 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful that I don’t have complications that would prevent me from driving.

Due to the risk of hypoglycemia, I have to check my blood glucose before I drive and ensure that it stays at a safe level throughout the journey. I often have to eat carbs and wait for my blood sugar to come up to a safe driving level.

The correct blood glucose level is as important as my speed and fuel dials. 🚘🚦️  Of course, my glove compartment is always stocked with quick acting carbs 🍬

Day 23 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive about T1 diabetes.

I’m grateful for the benefits that mobile phone technology has brought me.  As well as keeping in contact with family and friends (super important for a T1), I use apps for carb counting, T1 records and appointments.

I have a mobile phone for less than half my T1 life and can’t imagine being without it now, just for diabetes management alone.

Day 24 of my 100-day challenge to post something positive in relation to T1 diabetes.

I am grateful to have celebrated more birthdays than was predicted 

I hoped that I would live until my two children grew up. I’m very grateful to have seen them grow up and make independent lives for themselves and I’m still able to party 

I will add more posts each day…………

The Artisan Diabetic