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Forgetting to take insulin

Denisea

Denisea

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Have very demanding and stressful job and keep forgetting to eat meals or take insulin when I do, or forget to check blood 2 hours later to see if carb counting is accurate. Been T1 for 3 years and totally not under control... Any tips? #needhelp :-)
 
Set meal times if poss along with setting alarms on phone, monitor etc at same times.
 
Also, set on your monitor alarms to sound 2 hours after inputting a bolus dose.
 
Thanks Brett, what I usually find is I'll be in the middle of a meeting when the alarm goes off and I'll think - must remember to take blood after meeting... Feeling frustrated as I don't really know the right etiquette?
 
Im on Novorapid so got one of the memory pens for when I forget whether I did or did not jab. Other thing is to go take a look at the Freestyle libre, even if you forget to test on time the Libre will tell you what has been happening.
 
Just excuse yourself for a moment. Everyone will think you are going to the loo then do what you need to do for your health. Don't explain. If anyone asks asks then be fairly explicit and they won't ask again.
 
Can you try and get into the routine of injecting once your food is in front of you ? In meetings i would inject under the table, i'm sure if anyone noticed they never said anything (far too polite) but I was very discreet and always wore tops with trousers rather than dresses so easier to access the tum. As far as etiquette is concerned you are taking insulin to stay alive so it's vital you take it when you eat, if not before you eat, I personally don't worry about anyone else and what they think because of this reason, so please put yourself before anyone else ;)
 
Hi, @Denisea, welcome to the forum!
Have you read, 'Think Like a Pancreas' by Gary Scheiner?
I'd recommend it as a way of changing our mindset as people with diabetes who find that life just gets in the way of looking after ourselves sufficiently.
 
You need to take a step back @Denisea, and regardless of your job, consider that you are more important than it.

If you don't look after yourself properly, you will be of little use to your employer, and most understand that.

So, instead of just getting on with work, get on with staying alive and healthy.

As I'm not on the website, I can't tell what your insulin regime is, but if you are using MDI (two insulins) then missing meals shouldn't really be an issue. Missing insulin before a meal isn't such a good idea.

Ultimately though, your approach feels a little as though you've really been in denial over the past three years and you're starting to realise that you can't do that anymore, which is a good thing.

As I've already said, you need to make the decision to be in control and manage this yourself. Ultimately, you are the only person who can!
 
What tim2000s said. Also, no one will give you a medal for putting your job first.
 
Agree with what Tim says, you know you're digging your own hole here. Hard to get out of at times when your psyche is displaced, well you've come to the forum and opened up now that you know yourself you need to get to grips with it. Sort of like AA. Make your diabetes the priority, it takes time but if you gradually piece this puzzle together you'll get there.

There are three main components, insulin, carbs and blood tests. Measure adjust, measure adjust, measure adjust, the more frequent you do this then your knowledge will build.
 
@tim2000s Wow... Insightful - yes I have bed. In denial and incredibly angry... Why me?!?! I've led such a healthy life style - then get gestational diabetes which turned into T1... Finally letting go of the anger as its only hurting me... Now time to embrace change - just hope I haven't done some irreversible damage in the interim years
 
I think we all know that what the NHS teaches T1s is massively simplified. It is really easy to kid yourself for a long time that you can put the diabetes second, after all if you test before each meal work out your correction bolus and meal bolus then everything will be fine won't it. For far too many years I believed that as well as the idiocy that I can eat what I want just so long as I do a jab!

I got the Libra about 6 months ago. From that, the forum here, the Libre group on FB, Bernstein, Schreiner, Spooner etc I have learnt more in the last 6 months than the previous 39 years. Speaking for myself though, it was seeing what my BG was doing 24x7 that was the trigger to sorting things out.
 
@steve_p6 I'm really excited to get mine... Unfortunately they are sold out... Must be a great product. Thanks for your help - you've been fab!!
 
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