Type 1'stars R Us

[Alison54321]

Ok, I'll give you a heads up - this is going to be a long one. I think it has a point but feel free to skip.

I usually read fiction because I like to disappear into another world (not necessarily a fantasy world). But I am currently reading "Invisible Women". It is not fiction. It is about how women are not always considered. I believe everyone should be treated equally but this book is showing me that is not always possible.
For example, in the US, the academic policy is you have a certain period of time (about 10 years) after completing your PhD to get a research grant or something. Given the age most people get a PhD, this time period is about the age most women are considering having children. They realised this but didn't want to come across as unfairly beneficial to women. So they decided to add one year for every child you have ... for men and women. Because men are involved with childcare. However, what happens during that year is women are busy suffering from morning sickness and breast feeding whilst men gain an extra year to write more papers.
And women's bodies are different so some of what applies to men doesn't necessarily apply to women.
For example, the safety standards for toxins that may be absorbed through the skin are based on the impact for a man. Women, on average, have thinner skin and more fat, The fat makes it easier to absorb toxins. And the type of toxins being considered are in cleaning products and cosmetics that are used in nail bars ... where more women work.

There are more examples around design, health and safety, transport, and more but I won't bore you by going on about it (for now).

This book and some recent discussions on the forum have been making me think more about diabetes management and gender differences. There was a thread (and news article) recent which suggested low carb diet does not work as well to reduce BG and lose weight for women. One of the theories is around our reproductive gubbings.
And Dr Bernstein has some thoughts around this - he suggests women should go on the pill to avoid the complications menstruation has on our bodies. In other words, artificially get rid of the difference.
Then there are psychological differences - females are more likely to suffer from diabulimia; personally, I resent the sight of my pump whereas most men seem happy to just chuck their's in their pocket and not worry about the bulge (just another one with their wallet, phone and swiss army knife); monthly we have to change our basal doses; ...

This book (which I am only 30% of the way through) is certainly making me question what is meant by gender equality.

Does sound interesting. I have an aversion to political books though, as I think we get caught up in the views of the writers without any counter argument for longer than I want to be, so I tend to avoid them, and read articles, rather than books. That's only my view though, plenty of other people happily read lots of political books.

 

[becca59]

@ert why do you wonder if you can exercise on fast acting insulin?
I did DAFNE 3 years go and loved it. So much more than carb counting. Learning not to inject into limbs before swimming, a real eye opener. How to be brave and inject so much more insulin when ill, with some ketones showing. How to get the best out of your consultant appointment.
There were only 5 of us attending, ranging from 6 months to 30 years diagnosed. The ones longer diagnosed were still using fixed amounts each day no matter what they were eating. Even though they were supposed to be carb counting. It was how they had started out on their journey. My brother, although carb counting and using modern insulins struggled to go to bed without his 2 Weetabix supper. It was what he had to do from aged 15 on fixed units of pig insulin. It wasn’t til he saw the affects on a Libre that he confidently ditched them.

 

[Japes]

Ah. It's going to be hard work, this time... I don't think my brain has returned to me properly yet either

GP doing the repeat prescriptions failed to turn the page of the 2 pages stapled together and therefore only did 3 items not 5. (This is not a first offence for this from this GP. It's amongst several reasons why I outright refuse to see this GP.)

New receptionist looked panic-stricken on trying to work out the problem so I took pity on her, carefully explained about the varying use of Novorapid depending on what I've eaten, so it's not restricted to when the computer tells them I can have it, and that my own GP has sanctioned the spare meter test strips for once every two months. Then I just put in another repeat for the missing 2 items to collect tomorrow as she was clearly frazzled but she did promise to get it done for tomorrow rather than the usual 48 hours which would take me to Monday.

I foolishly went to the pharmacy at peak collection time, to hand in the prescription I did have, when the assistant tried telling me ketone strips probably were unorderable as she thought that was one of the things they'd been told were no longer available. This one got the explanation as to why I need ketone strips to keep me from being a medical emergency and I'd be sorting out the problem with the clinic, not the GP.

Luckily, the pharmacy assistant was wrong. They definitely weren't unorderable... but I had time for a coffee break and a thorough mooch around the shops whilst waiting for 45 minutes rather than the original 20 minutes. Also luckily it was just the usual needing to be ordered status rather than Brexit related chaos.

Here was me thinking I'd try to save myself from too much time spent on diabetes-admin by doing one large repeat now, rather than the essentials this week and the less-essential in a couple of weeks when they'd've possibly turned into essentials.

 

[Fairygodmother]

@helensaramay, I’ve just googled Invisible Women and despite my worry about the ways statistics can be biased by sample choice and questions posed it seemed to be dealing with data in a way that was relatively unskewed which is refreshing. Many of the examples seem all too familiar: it’s an uphill struggle, could compare it to finding left handed scissors. For instance, a female colleague of younger daughter who was still breastfeeding asked to be given a different office when she returned to work - her office had a glass panel in the door and she was expressing. The (male) person who gave her a new desk space was amazed that she was angry that she’d been moved to an office where the door had no glass panel. She’d have been sharing it with four male colleagues.

 

[Scott-C]

Also luckily it was just the usual needing to be ordered status rather than Brexit related chaos.

Hmm, Japes, all the hassle you got was maybe just a government ordered practice run for November....

 

[Japes]

Hmm, Japes, all the hassle you got was maybe just a government ordered practice run for November....

You know, I wondered that...

 

[MeiChanski]

You guys have switched a light bulb on for me, I've now tried to link an outstanding theorist to the theory of feminism and how little impact he had on gender. Unfortunately he mostly talked about the power and the state, education breeding social inequalities etc but not much talk about waman. How do we ladies fit into his theory? We'll find out tonight when I've drank 2 cups of iced coffee and eye bags darker than my soul.

 

[MeiChanski]

I must say infections happen so quickly. My bf had a shower yesterday and he said he got water in his left ear. He felt off after cleaning it and putting a warm cloth on it. Today he said the pain was worse, I said call NHS111 but he kept putting it off saying they’ll make him go to A&E. Im like no you are in pain, I’m sure the doctor would look in your eae and determine whether it’s a blocked ear. Sometimes blocked ears cause pain, discomfort and possibly an infection. He has been in pain all afternoon, I bought painkillers for him and say just call them. I had a look in his left ear with a torch and the best way I can describe it was “ear wax” blocking the entrance of his ear canal.
He got an appointment about 20 mins ago and he called me just now to say it’s an ear infection and the doctor issued him antibiotics. I’m glad I kept pushing him to call them, I didn’t know it was an infection.

 

[Jaylee]

I must say infections happen so quickly. My bf had a shower yesterday and he said he got water in his left ear. He felt off after cleaning it and putting a warm cloth on it. Today he said the pain was worse, I said call NHS111 but he kept putting it off saying they’ll make him go to A&E. Im like no you are in pain, I’m sure the doctor would look in your eae and determine whether it’s a blocked ear. Sometimes blocked ears cause pain, discomfort and possibly an infection. He has been in pain all afternoon, I bought painkillers for him and say just call them. I had a look in his left ear with a torch and the best way I can describe it was “ear wax” blocking the entrance of his ear canal.
He got an appointment about 20 mins ago and he called me just now to say it’s an ear infection and the doctor issued him antibiotics. I’m glad I kept pushing him to call them, I didn’t know it was an infection.

I used to get this a lot as a kid, then it stopped in my teens.. Then in my late 30's I thought I was going deaf. When I hit 40 it was so bad it affected my balance (I felt like I was on a rocking ship.).. So I went to the doc.. "Ah, you're diabetic." Nope, second opinion, it's not a hypo. Ear infection antibionics don't drive. Sudden head movements made me giddy.

My ears cleared & it was like having new hearing which to date hasn't returned.

In the years I didn't have the issue... I honestly believe that "head banging" helped with wax control...?

Seriously! Lol. It helps with long hair. It also helps to stretch out first, or you can wake with "whiplash" the following morning.
(Especially as one matures.)

If your BF isn't already into it. Get him into Metal.

 

[MeiChanski]

I used to get this a lot as a kid, then it stopped in my teens.. Then in my late 30's I thought I was going deaf. When I hit 40 it was so bad it affected my balance (I felt like I was on a rocking ship.).. So I went to the doc.. "Ah, you're diabetic." Nope, second opinion, it's not a hypo. Ear infection antibionics don't drive. Sudden head movements made me giddy.

My ears cleared & it was like having new hearing which to date hasn't returned.

In the years I didn't have the issue... I honestly believe that "head banging" helped with wax control...?

Seriously! Lol. It helps with long hair. It also helps to stretch out first, or you can wake with "whiplash" the following morning.
(Especially as one matures.)

If your BF isn't already into it. Get him into Metal.

Oh boy, if you asked his teenager years, we'd be like oh yeahhhhhh. We were into metal in our teens,

 

[MeiChanski]

Hello friends, unfortunately I'm still going at it and I did have a few mild hypos which have left me quite sleepy with headaches. I took a nap despite lack of time, health comes first right? Diabetes safe sailing at 7.5.

 

[becca59]

Morning! More water raining down in my garden at the moment than is pleasurable for summer. Off to swimfit, could probably manage it in puddle on garage roof!

 

[karen8967]

Good morning everyone have a good day

 

[Marie 2]

Yippee! My bookshelves are finally built in the bonus room, we can get rid of some of the boxes in the middle of the floor! Now onto a shed...............so we can get rid of the boxes on the lanai. We have a bunch of stuff for Christmas and Halloween outdoor decorations. I have a sneaky feeling the decorations won't hold up well over here. With all the rain and rust ............we shall find out!

 

[SueJB]

Morning all, still not had time to catch up with posts so hope you're all well and looking forward to fun things at the weekend.
Happy ................woke 5.8. Brilliant! Think the steroid might have gone. Silly thing is, I've got a physio appointment this morning. I'm feeling guilty because I'm no longer in pain.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I survived the first introduction to DAFNE meet of only seven participants. Some people have had T1 for 28 years. Here I assumed they'd all be new to this insulin malarky. I wonder if there is anything new to learn after such a long time on insulin.

Hi ert, after 30 years I am still learning, they say knowledge is power. Sounds like the course went well, I'm pleased for you

 

[Fairygodmother]

Mornin all. Have a good day even if it’s a soggy one. It’s raining here too.
Had the obligatory libre training sesh yesterday and it was a strange feeling being in a small room with 20 other T1s. One of us arrived at a sweaty 3.4 (it was also a hot and humid day) and was met by a shower of juice, lucozade, glucotabs, jelly babies from bags and pockets. The Abbott presenter was T1 too.
The freebie bag had a new reader in it, , very happy. I’d spent another hour on the Abbott phone line unsuccessfully trying to update mine. Again. There’s a freebie reader case too, blue, black, grey or red. Lots of swapping in the room, felt like being back at school swapping erasers.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Good morning, TGIF. BG 7.5 this morning, so that's fine by me, also work will keep me on my toes todays, promoting 2 Cawston press fruit juices, Rhubarb and Cloudy Apple, hope the weather improves, as I will using plenty of ice today.
Have a great day whatever you're doing

 

[Fairygodmother]

It’s the hair, @Knikki, the hair that’s feeling the spike What’ll happen when you take it out in the rain?
Hope all blouses fit for the day.

 

[MeiChanski]

Morning All,

@MeiChanski I hoep you are getting sleep during your uni work and that your boyfriend is looking after you.
@SueJB Yay! for the steroid BG affect wearing off and Yay! for the pain gone away. I wouldn't feel guilty about the physio appointment - hopefully it is a short one.

At 1am, I realised I was wearing the wrong curry blouse. I had gone to bed on a happy 5.8 and knowledge that there was some IOB to deal with the delayed fatty curry. I forgot my homemade peanut, coconut and aubergine curry was not as fatty so there wasn't much to delay. I am annoyed by the night time hypo. But pleased with the way I dealt with it - 3 x GlucoTabs, 30 minutes basal suspension (based on remaining IOB) all followed by a reduced temporary basal - which gave me a 4.7 upon waking with the alarm/radio.

It will be a quiet one today ... apart from the forecasted rain which I expect to hammer down on the velux windows.

Hope all is well in the rest of D-land ... whether the "D" stand for "Diabetes" or "Ducks".

My former younger self would have said "sleep is for the weak" But one look at me you can tell I've been camping all night with little results. I'd like to think I'm getting somewhere though but word count is digging at my confidence like "those 3 sentences are 100 words" and I'm shocked.
My poor bf has an ear infection, he can partially hear me or he is pretending to ignore me. I mean I had a look in his ear and it doesn't look pleasant. :***:
But my question is what is sleep?