Type 1'stars R Us

[Japes]

Think I've now emerged from the end-of-term slump which was slightly extended by me foolishly agreeing to organise some church childrens' activities on Sunday afternoon. We're not back fully with the children's work, just the three or four families who we know well, (In the Before Times we could have up to 12 or so families who attended either the service that was billed as child friendly or this once a month activities session intermittently and these 3 or 4 who came most times to both).

I do admit, I'm relieved we've not yet returned to the full itinerary of services we'd normally have done during this week in the run-up to Easter either, so I've only one additional service to play for, and that's been cut back considerably, not the minimum of six I'm usually expected to do!

The rain for the past two days meant what little energy I had was spent on some bits of household chores that get missed in term time, and a grand shredding and filing session.

I do have a clinic phone appointment at the end of the month and have been contemplating all things diabetes in light of the changing NICE guidelines and the Libre/CGM conundrum. I totally understand those who love the tech, but as I seem to be doing quite well, on the whole on MDI/finger pricking, I'm not sure it's a priority for me yet. I've also really not been convinced by my students' experiences recently and some really unnecessary level of drama with it all (not of their making, I hasten to add. They can be right divas and manipulative with their staff with functioning pancreases, but on these occasions, I'd've fully supported them if they'd thrown the lot in the bin and stuck to finger-pricking from thereon in.)

 

[Marie 2]

@Japes Sometimes I would agree with you when a brand new sensor is reading low and waking me up or reading too high. I calibrate it but those first couple of days can be wacky. Tech is wonderful and it does seem to have more pros to me than draw backs. But I go days now in between sensors to take "breaks". At least once a month. It feels liberating and although I check with finger pricking all day long, more than I did before my cgm, it's sometimes just is really nice to not know what my BG levels are doing 24/7. As long as my finger pricking is falling where it should, I figure I'm doing pretty good.

Given that, a cgm can tell you and warn you that you are trending down, before you are too low, and in my case with a pump, a pod failing. It can help give you alerts, which really are invaluable, especially to some. It allows me to snorkel for hours and not worry about how far I swim because conditions vary, so my BG levels can vary. Driving, I know what I'm at as the beeps tell me if I am straying from my desired range. The trending can really tell you a lot. So more pluses than minuses to me.

But annoying beeps at times when you don't want it to........and it not even being right...........yea, sometimes you want to......

 

[karen8967]

Hi @karen8967, hope today went as well as possible. Sending hugs xx

Thankyou so much hh1 the day couldn't of gone better we gave tommy the best send off and the amount of people who came to celebrate his life was truely touching x

 

[karen8967]

Just logging back in very briefly to share the sad news that @porl69 passed away in the early hours of Friday morning. He’ll be sadly missed from the little chat group a few of us have been a part of for the last couple of years. RIP cariad

 

[hh1]

Morning all, morning @karen8967, good to hear from you, so pleased Tommy had a good send-off and hope you're coping okay.

I had a day out (well, 5 hours) travelling to Bristol Eye Hospital for a follow-up appointment after my optician sent me earlier this year as an emergency possibly detaching retina. It wasn't, but I was diagnosed with retinoschisis (no, I'd never heard of it either) so I was called for a check up. Everyone I'd usually ask to take me was either booked to do something else or away for Easter, and the appointment letter said the appointment could take 3 - 4 hours so it was a big ask of anyone anyway. I drove up and did a park & ride into Bristol as I figured by the time I got back to my car, if the eye drops hadn't worn off I could just hang about until they did. News was no problems, eyes by and large pretty healthy, and I have a nevus at the back of my right eye (again, who knew?). Apparently it's okay for now, 'genuinely nothing to worry about though get your eyes checked annually'. The eye hospital was so busy they had people wait outside until 5 minutes before their appointment time, and whilst there was some waiting around between initial standard read the letters and get the drops, then have pictures and scans (lots of impressive equipment for that!) and finally seeing the doctor, I thought the service was impressive. I was in the hospital for 2 hours, had the least awful eye drops ever and by the time I got back to the car I was genuinely fine to drive. I met several genuinely kind and helpful people, including the man who walked me up to the hospital from the park & ride because I didn't know where I was going!

Happy Easter all

 

[Marie 2]

@karen8967 I'm glad everything went so well. It sounds like a lot of people will miss him. That's good to hear that your eyes are okay @hh1! I'm so glad of that, anything with the eyes can be scary.

My husband has the same narrow angle glaucoma that I did. He also has cataracts and knew about those as one had formed pretty quickly in the one eye last year.. He had an appointment last summer that was canceled because the optometrist he was supposed to see had went back home for a visit. So they rescheduled him and then she was staying longer so they moved it again, and then she decided not to come back so they scheduled him with someone else. And of course once he saw the optometrist he was then referred to the ophthalmologist surgeon. So delays, some pressure build up, luckily he is okay. We only have the one eye surgeon on the island right now and I know he wants to retire.

And sigh, cataract surgery solves narrow angle glaucoma, but they won't do the cataract surgery unless the eyes are okay to do so, and they can't tell that without dilating them, and you are not supposed to do that with glaucoma, especially when there is pressure already, it makes it worse and can close it off completely. So he still has to have the laser surgery first and then cataract surgery. So fun!

 

[hh1]

@Marie 2 I had narrow angle closure about 12 years ago and all they did was laser a hole through each iris to release the pressure; think from memory it's called an iridotomy. I wouldn't've called it surgery though I gues technically it probably is, but it took about 5 minutes and whilst it felt a bit weird it wasn't painful and no after-effects. Is that what you had? Obviously now I've had my cataracts done that problem has been doubly resolved. Good luck to your husband!

 

[smc4761]

Another ex poster coming back to say Hi. I was also going to post about the sad new that Paul had passed away, Such a shock and so sudden as well. He was only a young guy, well young to me at only 55. He was always helpful and friendly to me on here, as well as many others.

Hope you are all doing well and your diabetes is just a minor irritation to your life

 

[hh1]

Good to see you again @smc4761, and hope your diabetes is the same for you

 

[Marie 2]

@hh1 Yes, that's what I had and he needs. I didn't know beforehand what to expect and it was very easy and simple. Mine just needed a couple of zaps. But only surgery certified ophthalmologists are allowed to do that here because it involves a laser to the eye. We have a few ophthalmologists here, but no others are certified for surgery. There is 2 major eye centers and the other one lost their surgeon so they were referring everyone to the eye center we are at. But our center was already backed up so they told the referrals they had to fly to the main island. That's a huge hassle.

 

[Nicola M]

Unrelated to diabetes but I'm feeling pretty sad at the moment, break up after 2.5 years and I feel very alone

 

[Hopeful34]

Sorry to hear that @Nicola M. Break ups are hard, sending lots of virtual hugs. Hope you've got some support from friends or family.

 

[hh1]

@Nicola M that's tough, especially on a holiday weekend, can understand why you're feeling lonely. You're not alone though, and it will, bit by bit, feel less awful. Hugs to you

 

[Clivethedrive]

Hi@Nicola M, this forum and those who show real love and affection is the place to be…it’s where I met my wife molly56,and I’m sure there’s someone just for you…keep your messages coming and look forward to the future
All the very best

 

[Japes]

I'm sorry @Nicola M . These things are really hard, especially over a holiday weekend. Lots of virtual hugs from me.

And, yep, support from us lot can definitely be the best!!

 

[Marie 2]

Hugs to you @Nicola M , I'm sorry to hear it, it can really be hard to cope with all the changes that brings.

 

[Jaylee]

Unrelated to diabetes but I'm feeling pretty sad at the moment, break up after 2.5 years and I feel very alone

Hi,

It’s realy easy to give to give a “pep talk” on the subject.. You may feel it’s not what you need right now?
Your own space working out your own identity (or even reclaiming it in some cases.) can work wonders..

Best wishes, moving forward..

 

[zand]

Just logging back in very briefly to share the sad news that @porl69 passed away in the early hours of Friday morning. He’ll be sadly missed from the little chat group a few of us have been a part of for the last couple of years. RIP cariad

Only just read this.
RIP fellow LUFC fan @porl69 Marching on Together.

 

[Japes]

Plan A for the day was to go for a long walk (about 10 miles or so)... which I mostly achieved, (six miles worth) but I'm not entirely comfortable doing a full day without a fully charged power pack for the phone,.The phone is elderly and usually needs a bit of a recharge halfway through a long walk day. Except, the power pack didn't want to charge up. So, I walked until lunchtime and came home.

I think the DIYers who normally get going in earnest on this particular weekend got most of their DIYing done over various lockdowns as it's been a remarkably quiet afternoon, once the household who do an occasional gardening splurge to the accompaniment of very loud reggae had worn themselves out!

Methinks I'll go and finish the ten miles off now I've had a nap instead!

 

[Antje77]

The phone is elderly and usually needs a bit of a recharge halfway through a long walk day. Except, the power pack didn't want to charge up.

Turning off internet and wifi may make your phone last for the whole walk!