My Diabetes Blog

Whoohoo - got the result I wanted.

I am going on insulin.

There are a few different insulin delivery regimes that I could have chosen.

Like the good control freak I am, I chose the one that lets me ‘be in charge’ as much as possible.

One slow acting jab accompanied by a fast jab before each meal.

Of course, one side benefit of this is that the dosage can be modified to suit whatevr meal you are eating.

Obviously, I am not going to go daft with this, but the ability to have a curry and NOT fall asleep for 2 hours afterwards is a definite bonus!

See, I have a cold - a real stinker.

Before I was diabetic, I would notice a cold only when the first symptoms appeared. Now, thanks to the wonder of diabetes, I know at least 2 days prior to the normal symptoms.

Why? ‘Cos my blood sugar readings go through the bloody roof and stay there until the cold has buggered off.

Right now this is a mixed blessing. I have my ‘insulin’ appointment on friday, and having my blood sugar at silly high levels will aid my argument to put me on insulin, which is a ‘good thing. The down side is that I feel like crap and will probably throw a paddy in the medical centre if they don’t do everything I tell them to.

I am a difficult patient under normal circumstances, but with a cold, ten times worse. I know it is not their fault, but they have a habit of talking down to patients. In most cases this is, no doubt, essential - most patients just want their diabetes to be treated by a pat on the head and a bottle of magic pills. I am not like that. I want them to prove to me that they really understand what they are saying and are not just repeating a mantra handed down from above. The problem occurs when they can’t - if I am in a good mood, I cut them a little slack and send them away with a whole bunch of questions. If I am I bad mood, …well, lets just say that I am somewhat less polite and have been known to mention the phrase ‘medical negligence’ … never said I was nice.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

… or at least I hope I am.

This friday is the day I go in for the insulin consultation. I have been on Gliclazide and Metformin for the last few years and it has stopped working - that is , my blood glucose levels are too high even on the highest medication dosage allowable.

FWIW, this slide towards insulin was not gradual - everything was tickety-boo until about 2 months ago when, in the space of a week, it all went to pot. Fasting blood sugar levels of 6.5 turned into 9.5 overnight - increasing the meds made no difference. I persevered for a few weeks and then decided enough was enough - I’m down the insulin route.

Many doctors use the threat of insulin as a stick to beat you into taking your meds and doing plenty of exercise, “if you aren’t a good little boy, the insulin bogey man will get you” kind-of-thing. This makes many people scared of insulin as if it is some kind of ‘final’ treatment that confirms that there is no return, you have failed, and the grave now beckons.

This is an outrageous state of affairs. Every type of medication has more risks associated with it than correctly administered insulin. With insulin you can keep your blood sugar levels under tight control far easier than you can with meds. Tight control improves your long term health prospects.

So why aren’t we all put on insulin immediately?

The answer is in the words “correctly administered insulin”.

If you are not ready to face up to regular monitoring and keeping track of your carbs, then stay on the meds for as long as you can. Better still, slap yourself upside the head a few times and start taking it seriously.

Personally, the more I learn about insulin, the more I wish I had gone onto it right at the start.