I hope that everyone had a great day celebrating World Diabetes Day! November 14 has been designated as World Diabetes Day. Why November 14? It is Sir Frederick Banting’s birthday. Sir Frederick Banting, along with Dr. Charles Best discovered insulin.  Banting would have been 120 today, and I, as well as so many others in the diabetes community as well as our families and friends are thankful for that discovery! While there are many who are able to manage diabetes in other ways because their bodies still produce some insulin, people with type 1 diabetes, LADA or 1.5 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes must depend on a regimen of insulin injections or an insulin pump around the clock just to stay alive. I am very thankful to Sir Frederick Banting as another World Diabetes Day passes by. My maternal great-grandfather passed away due to complications from type 1 diabetes, due to lack of insulin, and I am fortunately living, so far complication free as I personally just passed my own 10 year diaversary (diabetes diagnosis anniversary).

Without my insulin pump, I'd never have the diabetes control that I currently have, and be able to work my way back into school. For example, the surgery that I had last month would not have been possible without insulin, and I am thankful, even through my frustrations with slow healing. I am still recovering from surgery, and in turn, catching up in my classes on campus as well as some general appointments with my medical team. Last week, I had an appointment with my diabetes educator. I have been having a lot of low blood sugar levels in the evenings and overnight into the early morning hours. There hasn’t been a night lately where I haven’t had a CGM alarm, and been up treating a low BG level. I started with temporary basal reductions on my pump, knowing that I was likely to rebound to a wicked high, I put on a -50% rate. I still went low, even with the temporary basal rate, following a dinner of pizza, which usually makes my BG levels go through the roof, and having some dessert while celebrating my sister’s birthday. Seriously? Diabetes, you want to play like this, when I have to get back to life and have way too much to do? Two can play at that game!  My appointment with the diabetes educator was my regular quarterly appointment and had been scheduled for three months.  I had it on my Google calendar, on the calendar that syncs to my Google calendar on my phone, and I got the automated confirmation call, where I double checked my computer version of the Google calendar. All were a go for the appointment at the right time. Over the weekend prior to the appointment, the clocks changed, and we went back an hour to standard time. I went to check-in at my appointment, and was told that I was an hour late. Again, Seriously? I was told I could see a different educator if I waited for a little while, and since I was having problems, I really needed to do so to make sure my basal calculations were correct and appropriate. So, I spent close to 4 and a half hours at the endocrinology clinic for what turned out to be a less than a half hour appointment. Don’t get me wrong – I’m very thankful that the clinic was still able to fit me in and have me seen by one of the educators that day when there was a time confusion, but all of the other things that I needed to do that day feel by the wayside because I spent so much time at the clinic. My levels are a little bit more stable now, but I’m still getting some lows – though nowhere near as many as before!