Age: 68 Year Diagnosed: 1978 Location: Los Angeles, Ca
"Actually, I don't think there's much funny about being diabetic. That said, I remember one time when I was trying out a new insulin pump system and the pod alarm started shrieking for no apparent reason. No matter what I tried, I couldn't shut it off. I finally took it out to the garage and whaled on it with a hammer until it stopped! I'm rarely embarrassed about my condition; my wife, friends, and family have always been very understanding and supportive. I mostly just get aggravated and annoyed when, say, the tubing of my insulin pump catches on a doorknob or drawer pull. Or when, before going on the pump, I had to excuse myself from a restaurant table to test and inject. I just loved 'shooting up in strange bathrooms.'
I had a long corporate career. Now, along with being a poet and publisher, I present literary events. My biggest worry is that my blood sugar will drop on me suddenly when I'm at the podium. It's only happened once and I was able to deal with it. But I generally let my blood sugar go a bit high prior to an event or when reading my work in public.
Everything diabetic-related is a guessing game, a balancing act, and a crap shoot as to whether you've counted carbs correctly, or factored in the myriad elements of daily living that can affect blood sugar levels. Our goal is always to be as well-controlled as possible, but you're just not going to get it right all of the time. Learn to just roll with the inevitable highs and lows and live your life to the fullest, within diabetic reason."