Choosing a new pump

At my clinic your pump gets upgraded every 4 years, this basically means you get to choose a new pump. This can be a really hard decision to make though. after you have made the decisions you are stuck with the same pump for 4 years! that is a long time if you don't like the pump you decide. There are so many pump to choose from pumps with no wires, pumps with a wire pumps with cgm's , pumps that can connect to your meter... So I thought it would be a good idea to write this post all about the different pumps that are out there to make it a little bit easier for you when it comes to choosing a new pump.

I have been on a pump for nearly 8 years now and I have had the same pump, Medtronic MiniMed. Now that it is coming up for my pump upgrade in August I really want to try out a different pump, however there are so many the hospital gave me to choose from. There is the Medtronic 640G pump, the Animas Vibe pump, the Roche Insight pump and the Omnipod. So what is the difference between all these pumps?

Medtronic 640G pump
The Medtronic 640G is a waterproof pump which comes in Blue, purple, pink,black and silver. It has a blood glucose meter which can automatically send you levels across to the pump which saves you having to manually enter all of the levels into the pump. Also with this pump you can have a sensors with it. The sensor based on your levels can predict when you are  approaching low levels 30 minutes in advance and automatically stop insulin delivery and after your levels are back to normal the pump will automatically resume insulin delivery.
Here is a link to the Medtronic 640G pump website for more information:
https://www.medtronic-diabetes.co.uk/minimed-system/minimed-640g-insulin-pump 

 

 

Animas Vibe pump

The Animas Vibe is a waterproof pump which comes in silver, black, blue, green and pink. The pump tracks the insulin which is still active in your body to help prevent you taking extra insulin which is unnecessary which reduces the chance of going low. This pump can also connect to a sensor if you have one. The Animas Vibe pump is very similar to the Medtronic MiniMed pump.

Here is a link to the Animas Vibe pump website for more information:

http://animascorp.co.uk/animasvibe 

Roche Insight pump
The Roche Insight pump is a waterproof pump which comes with a separate handset. This means you can put your levels and carbs into your handset without having to take the pump out. This makes giving your insulin a lot more discreet to other people. However the connection time between the handset and the pump can be a bit slow compared to other pumps.  The pumps shape is designed to be more comfortable to wear and there is a choice of small, flat cannulas.
Here is a link to the Roche Insight pump website for more information:
https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/gb/products/insulinpumps/insight.html 

 

Omnipod

The Omnupod has no wire as the 'pod' and handset aren't connected. This means all the insulin is stored in the pod which is attached to you, however this does make the cannula (pod) bigger then the other pumps. It also means you cant disconnect the pod from you, it has to stay in you for 3day until you next change it. The idea of having no wire to your pump is very appealing to people as his is the only pump with no wire at the moment. The only down side to the omnipod is when you bolus or use basal rates the amount of insulin the pod gives you can vary up to 30%.

Here is a link to the Omnipod website for more information:

https://www.myomnipod.com/about-omnipod/system-overview/ 

As you can see there are so many different pumps out there and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. However there is not a better or worse pump, everyone prefers different pumps because everyone is different. Some people may decide that they really like the Omnipod becase it has no wire whereas some people may not like it because they are sensitive to insulin and that 30% vary in insulin could really effect them.

Out of all of these different pumps I have decided to get  Medtronic 640G pump as I think it will be the pump that will suit me best. The reason I have chosen this pump is because I am not very good at changing my cannulas, it normally takes me about 30mins to change it. It takes me this long because I have a needle phobia. The great thing about the  Medtronic 640G pump is that it has the same cannulas as the pump I already have (Medtronic MiniMed) which will make changing my cannula every 3 days a lot easier because I am used to those cannulas.

Anyway hopefully this post has helped you see the different pump that are out  at the moments and the advantages and disadvantages of them. Hopefully I will be getting my new pump in August! I can then write a post all about it :)

Tips for exams

Its been a really long time since I last posted I know but now that my GCSE's are basically over (I only have one more exam left which is on Friday) I am finally able to start writing on here again :) So much has happened since I last wrote on here, I have loads to tell you and lots of tips and advice I have learnt along the way which will hopefully help you all.

So where should I start?  I think GCSE's would be the best place. As you probably already know GCSE's can be very stressful but with diabetes on top of it, it can be a lot harder for us then it is for other people. There is so much revision that needs to be done, so many things to remember, so little time to do it all in. On top of this we have our levels that need to be kept under control so we can do the best that we can in the exams.

Everybody gets stressed out about exams. The only difference is when I get stressed out it can cause my levels to go high and this makes it really hard for me to concentrate. I remember sitting there trying to revise and wondering why it wasn't going into my head properly, when I checked my levels they were high and this was the reason why it wasn't going in. I would get really annoyed because it wasn't my fault this was happening but I was really worried it would mess up my exam results. I found the best way for me to revise was revising for half an hour and then having a break five minutes and then going back to revise for another half an hour. If I found my levels were running high I would give a correction or put a temp basal on to keep my levels lower so that I could actually concentrate.

If you are starting any exams or anything like that where you have got to do a lot of revision I would advice making a revision time table. On the time table it should tell you what you are going to revise everyday so that you don't get behind with revision. Making a revision time table really helped me because it meant I knew exactly what I had to do everyday and it meant I had revised everything I needed to in time for the exam. I would also recommend not leaving all your revision till the day before the exam. If you do it will just stress you out more because you wont be able to learn everything before the exam and this will mean you wont do as well as you can. I kinda left my revision for my mock exams to the last minute and I didn't do very well so for my GCSE's I made sure I revised months before the exam so that I knew all of the information and I wasn't stressing out the day before the exam.

When it came to my first exam I was so worried and stressed about it on the day, even though I had revised loads for the exam I felt like I didn't know the information properly. I remember sitting in the exam panicking as they read out the exam rules on the front of the test. I sat there and closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, this really helped me calm down. When I opened the paper and looked at the questions I realised I actually knew all the information and I was able to answer all of the questions. After the exam I felt so happy and impressed with myself because I couldn't believe that I got through the exam without panicking loads and giving up. The exam was no where near as bad as I thought it was going to be so this made me feel a little bit less stressed about the rest of my exams. Surprisingly throughout all of my exams in the first 2 weeks my levels were really good which meant I was able to concentrate properly and do the best I could.

When you do any exams remember to tell the exam people at school that you have diabetes so that they are aware as they can set up things like sitting you near the door so that you can go out and check your levels at anytime. Also the time that you are out sorting out your levels should then be added back on to the time you have in the exam so that you don't loose any time. This can be really helpful as it means you don't loose anytime if your levels are low so you have exactly the same amount of time that's everyone else has.

So here are a few things you need to remember when it comes to revision and exams.

1. Make sure you don't leave revision until the last moment
2. Make a revision time table
3. Take regular breaks when revising and keep checking your levels so you can correct them if they are high
4. Make sure the school have put things in place for your diabetes
5. If you start panicking in the exam concentrate on your breathing
6. Test your levels before and after exam so you can correct them if they are high or eat something if they are running a bit low
7. Try not to panic, (easier said then done I know)  you will be fine

Hopefully these points will help you through exams and revising. I know exams can be scary and you probably feel like your diabetes will get in the way and stop you achieving your best, but trust me that isn't true as long as you look after yourself as well as revising. I thought my levels would be really high in the exams which would have made it hard to concentrate and affected my grade but actually my levels were fine.

Good Luck to anyone who has been taking exams recently :)  

Exams

Being in year 11 (last year of college) at school can be really stressful. All the exams, controlled assessments, homework, revision....the list goes on and on. Its like the school think you don't have a life outside school with the amount of revision and homework they want you to do (one of the reasons why I haven't posted in a long time). You are put under so much pressure to do well in all your subjects and it really doesn't help when they cram like 3 mock exams in each day over 3 weeks, it would make so much more sense to spread the exams out more so that you actually have enough time to revise and remember all of it. Anyway luckily the real GCSE's are spread out more so that you can make sure you have enough time to revise, learn everything and do the best that you can in the exams.

I remember when I had my year 10 exams which decided if you were ready to move up into year 11. I panicked so much about them, I was silly though as I left my revision to the last moment as every time I tried to revise I would stress out which made my levels go really high. This made it really hard for me to concentrate so I ended up giving up with revision. This obviously wasn't the best thing to do as it meant I panicked while in the exams as I hadn't revised anything and I ended up doing really
rubbish.

 

I went through this cycle every time I had an exam. I am sure many other people go through something like this too so don't worry if you do, you aren't alone.  

I needed to find away of stopping this cycle happening though as with my year 11 exams I need to get good grades to be able to get into the 6th forms I want to go to so that I am able to do the courses I want. So I spoke to my psychologist about it and we came up with a few ways how to stop this cycle from happening.

Here is a list of things you should try to stop the cycle from happening:

• Start revising early, don't leave it to the last moment 
• Make a revision table so that you know what you are going to revise every day
• Revise for like an hour and then have a break as if you revise for too long it will stop going in
• Make sure you are organised and know when your exams are
• If you know your levels go high when you revise, put a temp basal on your pump while you revise or if you are on injects check your levels regularly so you can correct them    
• Try some relaxation techniques to help yourself relax

I used the stuff listed above and it really helped me, I hardly panicked in my mock exams and I feel like i have done well in most of them. If you had asked me at first before I did all of those things to help me stop the cycle I used to go through, I would have said they would have never worked and there was no point in even trying them. I am so glad I tried that list of things as it has helped me so much and now I am not working about doing me GCSE's next year as I know I can control my emotions and not panic in the exams and mess my grades up.

If you are struggling with your emotions and levels while doing revision and exams please use the list of things to help stop that from happening, it will really help. If you plan enough in advance you will do fine in your exams. Just remember to revise and follow the tips in this post. I wish everyone good luck in their mock exams if you haven't already done them :)  
 

PE and School

I admit I really don't like PE at school, I don't like being judged by other people in the class because I am not very good at sport. Most people just end up moaning at you because you aren't very good and apparently your not even trying when you know you are, you're just not very good at it. This doesn't always happen to people but I have had it happen to me before and know probably other people have too. Anyway, doing PE can really effect your levels just like any form of exercise does and with the weather on top of this it can make it even harder and frustrating.

So a couple of weeks ago I was doing PE at school and we were playing rounders outside on the grass. The teacher split the class in to 3 teams so that 2 teams could play a game of rounders while 1 team did some batting practice and then we would all swap over. For the first game I was on the team that was doing batting practice then when we went to swap over I started to feel like my levels were low.

Me: Miss can I check my levels as I think I am low?
Teacher: Yeah of course
Me: (checks levels) Miss my levels are low
Teacher: It will be fine I will sit in field with you encase anything happens
Me: I need to have something to make my levels go up first
Teacher: Have you got something on you to eat or drink?
Me: Yeah I have a can of coke (gets can of coke out and starts drinking it)
Teacher: That can of coke is so small and perfect for people with diabetes
Me: Yeah I know (finishes can of coke)
Teacher: You can go stand in field now
Me: No I cant, I have to sit down for 10mins first, for my levels to up
Teacher: Ok, you can stay there then
Teacher: (Comes back to me 5mins later) Its been 10mins Laura
Me: I don't think it has been
Teacher: Yeah I know, I was only kidding
Teacher: (comes back 5mins later) Its been 10mins, you can bat now
Me: I need to check my levels first to see if they have upped enough
Teacher: Okay
Me: (checks levels) My levels are fine now miss
Teacher: Good but its the end of the lesson now


I couldn't believe that my PE didn't know what I was meant to do when my levels were low, she's so funny. Luckily now she knows what to do when my levels are low as I was low in my PE lesson the next day and she understood what I had to do and knew my levels were running low because of the hot weather.

Tips for looking after your levels while doing exercise:

• Check your levels before doing exercise - if they are below 10 maybe have something to eat before
• Make sure you have stuff to up your levels on you - Glucose Tabs, sugar drinks, sweets or something like that (liquid ups your levels quicker as you don't waste energy chewing)
• Make sure someone with you know what your symptoms of a low are - sometimes you might not realise you are low but someone else can by looking at you and the way you are acting
• Make sure you check your levels more while exercising - check if your levels are dropping so that you can have something to eat to stop them dropping
• Check your levels after doing exercise

I know that your levels can be really annoying while you are trying to do exercise but if you follow the tips in this post, hopefully it will make it a little bit easier for you. Don't let your levels stop yourself from having fun doing whatever exercise you like doing.
Always remember you are stronger than you think!

Some days...

Some days...
...are bad
...are good
...levels are high
...levels are low
...you feel rubbish
...you feel good
...you are fed up of diabetes
...you don't think that much about our diabetes
...you just want to be like everyone else
the list could go on and on

Being diabetic can be really hard at times, it can make you feel really different compared to other people. Everyone have days when your diabetes just doesn't seem to be going right and it can be really annoying, I know.
I have days when it hit me that my diabetes is probably going to affect me for the rest of my life and that there will be no breaks from my diabetes (I will have to deal with it every minute of every day). These days I realise that I am different to other people. I wish I never got diabetes as it would make life so much easier.
However I think it would be so weird if I didn't have diabetes anymore. In some ways I think I would be lost without diabetes as I have had it since I was 4 years old and I cant remember my life before I was diabetic. The things we have to do each day like checking levels, giving insulin, carb counting just seem like part of my everyday routine. Also I feel like I have become a lot more independent and more responsible because of having diabetes, I think it makes people act more responsible then they should be for their age. In some ways I look at having diabetes as a good thing as I have made so many new friend which I would probably never meet if I didn't have diabetes.
However everyone thinks of there diabetes in a different way (there is no right or wrong way) for this post I hope it helps people to understand that everyone has those tough day with their diabetes but always remember tomorrow is a new day and a new start. Diabetes doesn't always have to be a negative thing, in some ways it can be a positive thing.
 Always remember you are stronger than you think!  

 

Hot weather

I am really sorry I haven't posted on my blog in ages, I have been so busy with school, homework, revision, applying to be a prefect, concert and other thing like that. The time has just gone so quickly and so much has happened that I think I should blog about as I now have the some free time :)

The weather can affect your levels a lot however it can effect everyone's levels differently. Some people find that when the weather gets warmer and a lot hotter it makes there levels lower and some people find that the hot weather makes their levels higher then usual. It can be really annoying if your levels tend to run lower in the hot weather as that is the time that people normal do more exercise. For example when people go on holiday the weather is normally hotter which will mean your levels will probably run higher or lower then usual which can be really annoying as when your levels are running high it can make you feel rubbish which will mean you wont be able to enjoy your holiday as much. Also if your levels are running low while you are on holiday it come also be annoying as people normal go swimming a lot and that will make your levels drop even more. It can be so annoying, I know!

Recently the weather has got a lot warm and more humid in Cambridgeshire and this has effected my levels quiet a lot. When I was younger the hot weather always used to make my levels run higher which was really annoying as it used to make my feel so ill and rubbish however over the last couple of days the weather has gotten warmer my levels have been running really low and I keep have quiet a few lows. My mum said she doesn't think it is the hot weather that is affecting my levels however I cant think of any other reason why they would be running low just when the weather got hotter. As I have notice that my levels maybe running low because of the hot weather I have been checking my levels more regularly and I have been taking more things like cans of coke, more glucose tabs to get my levels up just encase I have more lows then usual. I have also adjusted my insulin so that I am less likely to keep having all the lows I have been having recently.

Here are some of the things I found on the internet which will help managing your diabetes in the hot weather:

• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Carry a bottle of water with you
• Exercise and do more strenuous activities in the early or later hours of the day when the temperatures are cooler and the sun is not at its peak.
• Check blood sugar levels frequently, since they may fluctuate more.
• Remember, extreme temperature changes can have an effect on your diabetes supplies; insulin can break down, blood glucose meters and test strips can be damaged, and altitude can affect blood glucose meter performance. Use insulated bags protected by a cool pack to safely store your supplies, but avoid freezing.
• Make sure you have more supplies on you to up your levels encase you go low
• Adjust your insulin if you think its needs adjusting 
• Wear light colored clothing

If you are going on holiday soon make sure you remember the above points as it will really help and make managing your diabetes a bit easier. Also please don't get annoyed or upset because your levels aren't perfect while the weather is hotter or while you are on holiday as no ones levels will be and I don't want you to ruin your holiday just because your levels aren't where you want them.
Hope everyone is enjoying the hot weather and has a lovely time on holiday if you are going on holiday!  

One thing...

Most people think that they know lots of things about me and how I cope with diabetes however there is one thing that I haven't really told anyone about because I am a bit embarrassed and I thought that other people wouldn't understand. The easy bit for me is writing down how I felt and what happened but the hard part is pressing the published button because as soon as I press it everyone can read my post. I thought I would tell you on this blog what it is that hardly anyone else knows about as it might be able to help some other people in the same situation and show that they aren't alone and that other people out there are going through the same thing as they are. It is going to take a lot for me to tell people but I think its the best thing to do.

As you already know I have had diabetes since the age of 4 and I am 15 now which means I have had diabetes for over 11 years. When I was 4 years old I started on injections and my mum used to inject me because I was so young. However injections didn't work very well for me and made me quite ill which meant I had a lot of time off school. The hospital tried me on all different types of insulin but none of them worked so when I was 9 I got a pump and I have been on the pump ever since. The pump has helped me so much, my levels are better and its made me feel a lot better too but I still have the odd days were my levels aren't right and make me ill. The pump has been a lot better for me then injections and I have no idea what I would do without it now. Everyone is different though so just because the pump works better for me it doesn't mean it will work better for everyone.

Anyway as you probably already I have a really bad needle phobia, I know it sounds really stupid but its true. Even though I stick needles in my everyday I still have a massive fear of them. So when I first started on injections at the age of 4 my mum injected me because I was so young. I know people normally injected there self from like the age of 5 or something like that but the truth is I never injected my self the whole time I was on injections. I know this probably sounds really weird and stupid that from the age of 4 to 9 I never injected myself but its true. My mum used to come into school for me just before lunch so that she could injected me and then I could go have lunch. You are probably all wondering why I didn't inject myself, the main reason is because of my phobia of needles. Even now the thought of having to push a needle through your skin and then holding it there while you push the insulin in you, then pulling it out makes me feel really sick. I really don't know why it makes me feel like that but its the truth. 

So when I was 9 years old the hospital gave me a pump as injections weren't working for me. When I first started on the pump my mum would change my line every 3 days for me as I was scared to change it myself. I had my line in my bottom to start off with as that was the place where the hospital told me to have it. My site got all lumpy after a while which meant the insulin wasn't going in to me properly so I had to change my pump site. To start off I was really scared to change pump sites as I had used the same site for so long and I couldn't imagine it being anywhere else. Also I was scared because of my needle phobia too and if I changed sites it would mean I would be able to change it myself which I didn't want as I was scared. It got to the point where my levels were really high and I had ketones because my pump site was lumpy so I had to change it or I would have ended up in hospital. So for the first time I had to let my mum put my line to my pump in my leg and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be (I still have my line in my leg now)

When I was 14 years old I started being the Duke of Edinburgh award. However when it came to the real expedition there was a problem. I couldn't change my line to my pump myself, so the hospital wouldn't let me go. As I really wanted to got I thought I would try to change my line myself for the first time ever. So I set a new line up and tied to put it in my. When I went to put the cannula in me I couldn't  do it as I  was so scared! I tried again and put the cannula on my leg making sure it was alright and then I closed my eyes and pushed the buttons to insert the cannula into my leg. When I opened my eyes I couldn't believe it, I had done changed my line myself for the first time ever.

After changing my line for the first time I decided that it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would have been. I started to change my line myself everyday for the first time and now I change it myself all the time. At first it was a bit scary dong it and even now I have days were it takes my ages to change it because I am scared and trying putting off changing it. I am so proud of myself that I can change it myself as 5 years ago if anyone had asked me if I thought I would ever be able to change my line by myself I would have said no. I have now realise that I can do thing if I put my mind to it.

I hope that this post has made people realise that if they are scared to inject or change their line to their pump they aren't alone as I am sure loads of other people have been in the same situation. Also I hope that other people understand and don't think its weird that I have never injected myself. I promise there is nothing wrong with being sacred to change your line or inject as I am sure other people were scared the first time they did it. Everyone is different and should do it in there own time so don't worry how long it takes you to inject or change your line because you will be able to do it in the end and you will be so proud of yourself when you do it.
Always remember you are stronger than you think!

Late Nights

Some nights it can be really hard to get to sleep because of your diabetes. Its so annoying laying  in bed for hours just looking up at the ceiling thinking why cant my levels just be in range so that I can get to sleep.  Its really annoying and frustrating, I know.

I don't know if its the same with you but when my levels are 15+ I find it really hard and impossible to sleep. I used to be able to get to sleep when my levels were high but for some reason I really struggle to now. Some night I just lay in bed for hours trying to get to sleep but no matter how hard I try or what I do I cant get to sleep due to my levels. I try reading a book (I always end up falling asleep when I read at night in bed), closing my eyes, just laying there, clearing my mind....and so many other things but nothing seems to work. I just end up just laying there thinking about so many different things. The only good thing is I do think of the weirdest of things while laying there and I normally end up remember things I had forgotten about and coming up with ideas. However the next day after I have had a night with high levels I am so tired and not in the best of moods. Its so annoying when you have school the next day because it takes so much energy to concentrate, I could so easily fall asleep in lesson lol (I don't think the teacher would be very impressed with me)

So what is the best way to deal with nights like this?
- You should check your levels every 1-2 hours to check that your levels are coming down or going up
- Try clearing your mind to help you sleep
- Try and stay relaxed and calm
- Don't worry if you cant get to sleep as you will fall asleep eventually
- Make sure you keep giving correction if your levels are high
- If your levels are running high check for ketones (if you have any ketones drink lots of water)

I know it can be really annoying when you cant sleep and everyone else in your house is asleep. The thing is there isn't really anything that we can do to stop with from happening, its just part of diabetes (annoying I know). The best thing to do is try to get your levels back in range so that you can sleep. Sometimes it can feel like you will never be able to get them back in range but I know that you can. You are stronger than you think!

Exams

Exams are stressful for everyone but with diabetes on the top of exams it can make it a lot harder and more stressful for us. Stress can make your levels really hard which makes it I lot harder to concentrate in an exams and this could effect you mark and overall grade that you get in the exam. The hospital have told me several times that if I have high levels in an exam my grade will be lower then if I had good levels, however its really hard to make sure your levels are in range while you have an exam. You don't want your levels to be too high or too low but its really hard to get them just right when you are so stressed about the exam.

The last 2 weeks I have had loads exams, the exams are for the teachers to check that you are on target and ready to move in to year 11. I found it really had to keep my levels under control these 2 weeks as on some days when I had exams my levels were running really high but then on other days when I had exams my levels were running nearly low. This has made it harder because I had to try and work out whether I needed a temp basal on when I had an exam.

On Friday last week I had 2 exams in one day, my first exam was a maths exam and my second exam was a ethics exam. On Friday morning before school my levels were running a bit high so I decided to put a temp basal on of 150% and kept checking my levels every hour so that I could give myself correction to try and get my levels down and back to normally. However every time I checked my levels they had either stayed the same or gone even higher. When I got to school I had my maths exam and throughout the who exams I was really struggling to concentrate and work out the answers, even though I had done loads of revision at home before the test I was really struggling to remember how to work out some of the answers because of my levels. When the exam had finished I knew I had done really rubbish because of my levels being high so I was worried about what grade I was going to get.

After break I had my ethics test, throughout the whole of break I was panicking because I couldn't remember any of the information I had revised for ethics so I stood their at break looking over my revision notes before the bell went. Even though I had already revised loads and I was reading over my notes, none of it was going into my head as I felt so ill and couldn't concentrate because of my levels. When I heard the bell go I was panicking so much as it meant the ethics exam was minutes away and I couldn't remember anything, I was going to fail! As I walked into the exam hall I saw that my ethics teacher was standing at the front of the hall so I walked over to her and told her that my levels were running really high and I was really struggling to concentrate and remember the stuff I had revised. I told her that I would try my best at the exam but I probably wouldn't do very well. My teacher said that I didn't look very well and that she didn't want me to do the test as it would be a lot better if I went back to lesson and did the exam another time then having to sit there feeling rubbish and then having to retake the exam because of my grade. So I went to go to the lesson I was meant to be in and then realised that I was meant to be in my ethics lesson with the teacher, so I had to go back and ask her what she wanted me to do as I wasn't meant to be in her lesson. She told me that I could sit and do some move ethics revision and relax in her classroom while she marked some peoples exams. I am so glad I didn't end up doing the ethics exam as I would have done really rubbish and I am so glad I have a really nice teacher who is really understanding and caring.

However my levels aren't always really high when it comes to exams. This Wednesday I had no exams but my levels were running really high so I put a temp basal on of 150% and was checking my levels every hour so that I could make sure they weren't going any high and so that I could keep giving myself corrections to bring my levels down. My levels wouldn't go down even though I was having 50% more insulin then I normally do and I had had loads of corrections. Then on Thursday I woke up with low levels, so I took the temp basal off. I had a English exam and a French exam, so I made sure I checked my levels before the exam encase they were high or low. Before my English exams my levels were 5.6 which was a surprise as I thought they were going to be a lot higher as I was really stressed about the exam. When I can out of the exam I made sure I checked my levels again just encase I needed to give myself a correction or I needed to eat something, when I tested they were 4.0 so I had something to eat. My levels were running in the 5s when I did my French exam which was good.

As you can see exams can make your really high or nearly low so make sure you check your levels before and after an exam and let someone know if your levels are going to affect the grade you will get. Also make sure the people running the exam know that you are diabetic as you might have to go out of the exam if you start to feel like your levels are high or low and need to test. In all of my exams the school has sat me near the door of the exam hall so that I can put my hand up and go out of the exam at anytime to test my levels without distracting other people who are doing the test. Always remember that your health is a lot more important then the exam, so make if you feel like you need to test your levels you tell someone and then go out of the exam hall and test.
Good luck to everyone who has exams coming up!  

What diabetes means in one word!

Every person that has diabetes has different experiences. Some people are lucky to have good control and find dealing with diabetes relatively easy while others struggle with the emotional side of diabetes finding it hard to except their situation and others work really hard and still are unable to achieve good control. Our bodies all work differently and we all have different lifestyles, which makes diabetes is a very complex and unpredictable condition!

 

I thought by asking different people (including adults and teenagers) what diabetes means to them in one word I could give a better perspective of diabetes as a whole.  Rather than just making a list of words I decided to make it into a poster, Hope you like it!

 

 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone, I hope you have all had a great day and that you got the Easter egg you wanted.

Today I have seen quiet a lot of posted on Facebook saying stuff like don't eat to much chocolate Easter eggs or you will ended up with diabetes. The truth is you can't get diabetes from eating too much chocolate. Some people think that people who have diabetes have to have special sugar free Easter eggs or that they can't have any Easter eggs. You can special sugar free chocolate that people think is better for people who have diabetes but it sometimes actually has more carbs in then a normal chocolate Easter egg so it mean they wouldn't be able to eat as much as a normal Easter egg so you would probably be better just buying a normal Easter egg. It is really annoying when people say you can't have a chocolate Easter egg because you are diabetic or Easter eggs cause diabetes if you eat too many because it isn't true, having diabetes doesn't stop you from eating chocolate, all we have to do is give ourselves enough insulin for the amount of chocolate we eat. It does mean our Easter chocolate probably does last longer then other people but it doesn't mean we can't have Easter eggs.

Hopefully this post will help explain to some people that just because someone has diabetes it doesn't mean they can't have Easter eggs and that diabetes isn't caused by eating too much chocolate.   

Meeting up

I have always said that I would love to meet other people my age who has diabetes. I talk quite a lot to people my age, younger and older then me who have diabetes on Facebook and on Facebook groups. Some people have helped me so much on there because they have made me realise that I am not alone and that there are loads of other people in the world who are going through the same things as I am. I have made so many friends on the group but one problem is that most of them live no where near me which means we won't be able to meet up in person and go somewhere for the day, we can only talk to each other over Facebook. Even though these people have helped me so much I still really wanted to meet up with someone my age who has diabetes that lives near me so that we could go on days out together, be able to met in person and get to know each other more.

I have been seeing a psychologist for quite a long time now and she has helped me so much. She has shown me that if I put my mind to something and really want to do it, I will be able to. She has also made me realise that I am so much more then diabetes and if I can try and get my levels in range it will make it easier in the future. Also since seeing have I have achieved so much and most people say it's like i am a different person. I am so much more confident and independent. Part of the reason why I started writing this blog was because I wanted to be more like my psychologist and help people by using my own experiences as she has helped me so much. I just wanted to say thank you so much to my psychologist because she has helped me so much and I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for her. 

My psychologist thought it would be a really good idea to start a group where teenagers who had diabetes. The point of the group was so that you could make friends with other people and so that we could all support everyone in the group so that if they were having a hard time they could talk to someone in the group and they would try and help them. The psychologist wasn't really sure what the group should be like and what people would want to do at the group so she decided that she needed some ideas for people who would come to the group so she invited me and two other people to meet her and discuss what we wanted the group to be like. After we met up she set a date for the first met up for the group. To be honest I was a bit nervous about going as there were going to be a lot more people and at first we wouldn't know any of them. 

On Tuesday it was the day when we were all meeting up as a group. When I first got there we sat in a room with all of the teenagers and there parents and then all the teenagers went in to the room next door so that we could do some activities to help us get to know people more while the parents could talk to other parents and get to know them more and also help them if they had any questions. The first activity that the teenagers did was introducing yourself to the rest of the group. We had to say our name and one thing we had done in the Easter holidays. After that we all got given a piece of paper, a pencil and a balloon. We got told to write one thing we would bring to the group or something we liked doing, then we had to fold up the paper and put it inside the balloon, once we had done that we had to blow the balloon up and put the paper on it and tie it. The point of the game was at the end of the group we would pop a balloon and see what it said on the piece of paper and then we would guess who wrote it. I had no idea what to write on the piece of paper though so I ended up sitting there for ages trying to think of something and then my psychologist told me to go and talk to her and she said to me to write that I blog on the piece of paper. I didn't really want everyone knowing I had a blog because then they would want to read it but I ended up putting it on the piece of paper. Next we got told that there were lots of different activities around the room that we could go and do or we could try and come up with a logo and a name for a group. So me and one of the girls say down and tried to come up with a logo and a name. It was nice because while we were doing it we were talking to each other and got to know each other more. At the end of the group we popped the balloons and it was quiet interesting and fun guess who wrote it as we found out a lot about people that we didn't know before. 

Overall I think the group was really good as you got to know people more and it was so nice knowing that you weren't alone and that there are people that live near you that are going through the same thing as you are. Also I met some really nice people while I was at the group and I really can't wait to meet up again. 

If you ever have a chance to go to a group where you will meet other people with diabetes, I would defiantly suggest going.

Summer

The weather has started to getting warmer and people are starting to go swimming more and wearing skirts and shorts. This might seem like a really random thing to talk about but I know I get really self conscious about going swimming and wearing shorts because of my line to my pump. I don't like it being on show to people because I worry about people making fun of me or asking loads of questions about it. I like it when I go out and I can be round people without them asking about my diabetes or worrying about me, also it can be quiet nice being able to go out and people not knowing you have diabetes. Some people might not mind if people can see their pump or line to there pump but I know there are some people out there who are really worried and self conscious about it.

The last time I went swimming on holiday was in America in 2012. At that time I had my line to my pump in my bottom as that was where I got told to put it when I first started on the pump. I kept it there as I don't like changing things (I have no idea why), the thought of changing where my line was scared me. I also couldn't change my line myself either because I have a phobia of needles and I was really scared about changing it myself just encase I did it wrong or it hurt more. The thought of pressing the buttons on the inserter to pump the line in me really scared me, I thought I would never be able to change my line by myself (I have near told anyone that before as I know it probably sounds silly but its true) Anyway as I had my line in my bottom it near really got in the way, when I went swimming or had shorts and skirts on, no one could see my line which made me feel a lot happier wearing shorts and going swimming.

However this year I am going on holiday to Portugal. I can now change my line myself and I always do it in my leg as I find that the easiest place to put my line. However I totally forgot that my line would be on show to people when I go swimming or wear shorts until I went swimming at the local swimming pool this week. I couple of day before I went swimming I did think about what people might say if they saw my line in my leg and what might happen. The thing was I really didn't like people seeing it but I didn't really have a choose if I wanted to go swimming. So I thought that if I may put my line in my stomach instead of my leg it would mean that no one would be able to see my line when I was wearing shorts or a swimming costume however on holiday I normally wear bikini's in the swimming pool which meant my line would still be on show which would make me feel self conscious about going swimming. The thing is I wanted to go swimming so I just had to try and get over my fear of my line being on show.

On Tuesday I went swimming in the local swimming pool, I was really nervous about getting in the pool at first so I made sure as I was walking to the pool I had my towel covering my line as I didn't want anyone else to see it and thing it weird that I am going swimming with it on my leg. Once I had walked over to the pool I put my towel on the seating around the edge of the swimming pool and I made sure my hand was coving my round so that no one saw it. There was a slight problem though because now I had to get into the pool by going down the steps, however I wasn't going to be able to do it one handed. So I had to take my hand away from my line and climb down the stairs (my line was on show to everyone), some people saw my line I think but they never asked me anything about it which was good. It made me feel a bit more confident about my line being on show now. However I did still cover my line with my towel as we were walking back to the changing rooms.

I know that it can make you really nervous having your line to your pump on show to other people however you will be able to do it as I was able to face my fear and go swimming with my line on show. It seems really hard to do at first but I know you will be able to do it because you are stronger then you think. At first I thought everyone was going to look at my line and ask questions about it however I was wrong, none of that happened and because of this I feel a bit happier having it on show. I do still worry about it  but I know it will be ok and get easier the more I have my line on show. Always remember you are stronger than you think!

Not your fault

It can be really annoying when people get confused between type one diabetes and type two diabetes or just refer things as diabetes. It might not seem like it matters to other people but it can be really upsetting to people who have diabetes. They wouldn't like it if they had diabetes and got comments from people saying stuff like its your fault your diabetic because you ate too much sugar or you cant eat sweets because your diabetic...

Last week, I was in a French lesson and we were learning how to say what we eat and how often we eat it. The lesson starter was matching the French words to different parts in your diet, for example carbohydrates, dairy, meat, protein... The teacher gave us about 5 mins to finish the starter, I wasn't very good at it as I am rubbish at French. Then the teacher started going through the answers so that we had it in our books to use later in the lesson. After the teacher had finished going through the answers she started asking the class questions about what would happen if we ate too much or not enough of certain foods. She told the class that if you eat too much food with lots of fat in it would cause heart disease and high cholesterol which would lead to heart attaches and strokes. She then told the class that if you eat too much sugar and carbohydrates you would get diabetes.

The whole class looked at me after she said it. It made me feel really upset and annoyed because now the whole class (apart from my close friends) thought I got diabetes because I eat too much sugar and carbohydrates. They were all going to think that it was my fault that I got diabetes and that I caused it because I didn't look after myself. I really didn't want to go to school the next day as I was scared of what people might say to me.The thing I didn't get diabetes because I ate too much sugar and carbohydrates, I got diabetes because pancreas doesn't produce insulin anymore so I have to check my level and give myself insulin every time I eat.

I know it can be really annoying when people get confused with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. I have had so many people think that I got diabetes because I eat too much sugar, didn't eat a balanced diet and other things like that. Some people think it is my fault that I have diabetes because of something I did or didn't do. The truth is it isn't anyone fault that they have diabetes. Always remember you are stronger than you think!

 

Illness and levels

Sorry I haven't written on my blog in a while, I have been busy because of work experience and then I was ill this week. This gave me the idea of writing a post about how being ill can effect your levels. Illnesses and infections as well as stress will make your levels go high because as part of the body's defence mechanism for fighting illness and infection causes more glucose to be released into the bloodstream and prevents insulin from working properly. This happens even if you are off your food or eating less than usual.

Last weekend after I had just finished my work experience my levels started running high and I couldn't work out why. I thought it might be because a had a bit of a cold or that I was upset about leaving the work experience because I was going to miss the children and babies.

On Monday norming I woke up at 1am and I could hardly open my left eye because it was all gooey so I showed my mum and she said it was probably conjunctivitis so I cleaned my eye up and went back to sleep. I didn't sleep well though because I kept waking up in the night because of my eye. I woke up at 1am, 2am, 4am, 5am and 7am so in the morning I was really tired and felt rubbish so I didn't go to school or do my paper round. In the morning my mum rang the doctors and said that she couldn't drive me to the doctors because of the operation she had on her back and then she explained to them that my eye was really gooey, bloodshot and sore and my levels had been running high. They said that we could buy some eye drops at the chemists. So my stepdad brought them on the way home from work for me. I started using the eye drop on Monday but my levels where still running really high because of the conjunctivitis in my left eye.

On Tuesday morning I woke up in the morning and I could hardly open my right eye as the conjunctivitis had spread to my right eye as well as my left eye. So I went and did my paper round and then came home and told my mum that the conjunctivitis was in my right eye as well as my left eye. So my mum put the eye drops in both of my eyes and said I was alright to go to school. While I was at school my eyes started to really hurt in science so I closed my eye for a bit as it made them feel better, I nearly fell asleep though. Then at lunch I took some paracetamol as my right cheek started to hurt and I felt so rubbish so thought it might make me feel better. Everyone of my teacher kept asking if I was alright because my eyes were so swollen and bloodshot they thought I had been crying when actually it was just because of my conjunctivitis.

On Wednesday morning I woke and went on my paper round. When I got home I didn't have school as the school was on strike for the day so I just sat down and relaxed for a while. I then started doing some of my patchwork blanket because it is the last thing I need to do to complete my Duke Of Edinburgh bronze award so I thought I would get some of it done. My right cheek started to hurt again but it hurt more then yesterday so I told my mum and she said to take some paracetamol because that should help, I also checked my levels and they were really high so I thought I would put a temp basal on off 170% to try and get my levels back down. I then went to sleep for a pic so that I wasn't in pain anymore and when I woke up my right cheek still hurt so I told my mum again, she said my cheek was really red, swollen and hot. So I checked my level again and they were still over 15 so something wasn't right as I was having 70% extra insulin and my levels were still really high. My mum called the doctors and explain what had happened with my eye and my cheek and that my levels were still running high even when I was having loads of extra insulin, The doctors said that it was classed as an emergency appointment because of my diabetes so they fitted me in an appointment at the end of  the day. So my step dad took me to the appointment when he got home from work as my mum couldn't drive there. The doctor said I had conjunctivitis and sinusitis which was why my right cheek had been hurting so much so they gave me some antibiotics to help with the conjunctivitis and sinusitis, they also said that my levels were running so high because of the infections I had and that I needed to keep the 170% temp basal on and keep checking my levels to check what they were. My mum told me that I should tell the paper round lady that I wasn't able to do paper round on Thursday morning as I wasn't well enough to do it and she told me that I wasn't going to be going to school on Thursday either as she wanted me to rest so that I would feel better on Friday.

On Thursday morning (today) I woke up feeling a little bit better. So I had some paracetamol, my antibiotics and my eye drops and relaxed for a bit as I didn't want to over do it and make myself feel more unwell. At lunch time when I did my levels they were 9.1 which is the best they have been in ages and I didn't even have a temp basal on. At dinner my levels went up to 23.3 and I started to feel ill again, my right cheek started to hurt again and my levels weren't helping at all. I gave myself a correction and then put a temp basal of 150% on to try and get my levels down again.

When you have an illness or an infection your levels will go high and it can be really annoying as it can make you feel worse. The best thing to do is not to panic because if you panic that will make your levels go higher, so if you have any questions or you are unsure on what to do stay calm and contact your diabetes team because they will able to help you. You should test your levels more often, like every 1-2 hours so that you can make sure your levels aren't gong higher or dropping too quickly. Try and stay well hydrated, so have a bottle of water with you because high levels can make you really dehydrated. You should test for ketones if your levels are running high, if you have ketones and you aren't really sure what to do, don't panic, just contact your diabetes team can give you some advice on what to do.
I know it can be really annoying when your levels are high because you are ill and you aren't doing anything wrong to make them high but just remember you will get through it because you are stronger than you think

Exercise

Exercise can effect your levels a lot. It can make your levels go low but it can also sometimes make your levels going higher after you have exercised. I have always wondered why my levels sometimes when I test my levels before PE at school they will be fine and then after doing PE when I test my levels again they are a little bit high then before PE but normally my levels do go lower after I have done exercise.

I thought I would look it up on the Internet to find out why our levels go low and sometimes high after doing exercise.

"When you exercise your muscles need more glucose to supply energy. In response, your liver increases the amount of glucose it releases into your bloodstream. Remember, however, that the glucose needs insulin in order to be used by your muscles. So if you do not have enough insulin available, your blood glucose levels can actually increase right after exercise. Basically, stimulated by the demand from your exercising muscles, your body is pouring glucose into your bloodstream. If you do not have enough insulin available to "unlock the door" to your muscles, the glucose cannot get into your muscles to provide needed energy. The end result is that glucose backs-up in your bloodstream, causing higher blood glucose readings." https://www.joslin.org/info/why_do_blood_glucose_levels_sometimes_go_up_after_physical_activity.html

Yesterday my friend asked if I wanted to walk the dogs round the village with her and I said yeah sure as it was I really sunny day and I had been inside all morning doing homework and cleaning. So my friend came to my house and then we went on a long walk with the dogs round the village and then we sat on a bench near the park and let the dogs of there leads and run around after each other. Then my friend said about going to the post office to get a drink and something to eat but the post office was closed so she said we could walk to the bp (petrel garage) and eat something from there. The thing was it was a really long walk to the bp and I didn't really want to walk that far just to get a drink and some food so we walked back to my house and got a drink for us and the dogs. Then my friend persuaded me to walk to the bp with her but we weren't going to take the dog as it was too far for him to walk. Before we went I checked my levels and they were 8.6 so I had something to eat and didn't but it in my pump as I knew my levels would drop while we walked there as it was a long walk. When we got to the bp the walk didn't actually seem as long as I thought it would have but I think that because we were talking and listening to music the whole walk. I checked my levels again to see what they were and they were 9.4 so I brought a drink and a bay of crisps and me and my friend walked to Ely and sat on the grass and relaxed for a bit. Then we followed a path to see where it took us and we ended up at a park, so we played at the park for an hour and then we started walking back to the roundabout where the bp was. It was starting to get dark so my friend rang her mum to see if she could come an pick us up and drop us home, her mum said that she would so we waited for her to come. While we were waiting my friend said that I should test my levels again as we had been playing and messing about in the park, when I tested my levels I was 6.5 which was really good. I had a really fun day with my friend and my levels had been really good however my feet did really hurt when I got back home.

Exercise can make your level low however I always I always check my levels before I do exercise and if my levels are bellow 8 I always have a biscuit to make sure my levels don't go low. Sometimes I have a biscuit if my levels are bellow 10 but it depends how much exercise I am doing and what exercise I am doing because different types of exercise effect my levels differently. Remember everyone's diabetes is different so you need to see what happens when you do exercise. Since doing my Due of Edinburgh bronze award where I had to walk 8 miles on the first day and 7 miles on the second day, I have leant that my levels always drop when I go on long walks so I always have something to eat before I go if my levels are under 10.

Hopefully you now understand why your levels go low and sometimes higher after exercise. I know your diabetes can make it harder to exercise but all you have to do is check your levels before you do exercise and have something to eat without giving yourself insulin if you think you need to so that your levels don't drop while you are doing exercise or after.       
Always remember you are stronger than you think.  

Work experience

At my school when you are in year 10 you go on work experience for 2 weeks, everyone get to decide where you want to work for the 2 weeks. You could work in a primary school, preschool, shop, hairdressers, building site....there are so many places you could go. I was really excited about choosing somewhere to go but at the same time I was worried about how my diabetes might get in the way and make it harder.

I decided I really wanted to work with children on work experience but I wasn't quite sure what type of job I would prefer to do. I talked to my mum about it as she works in a preschool so I thought she might know some places which would be happy for me to do my work experience at. She said about a daycare place near to wear I live who look after babies and toddlers. I went there for an interview to see what the daycare was like, what the staff were like and to have a tour of the daycare. After the interview I was so excited about starting work however I was a bit worried what my levels were going to be like as I am not used to being active all day an working long hours.

On the first day of my work experience I was really worried as I didn't know any of the children there or any of the staff, so my levels were running in the morning because I was so worried and nervous about starting. Luckily by lunch my levels had gone back to normal which made me feel better. I was worried at first that I might need to do my levels while I was meant to be looking after the kids but the staff were really good and told me that if I needed to check my levels or I didn't feel well and needed to sit down for a bit all I had to do was tell one of the staff and then I could go to the office and sit down for a bit and sort myself out.

I realised that I never needed to worry about my diabetes as they were really understanding and my levels weren't effected that much by working longer and being more active however I was really tired and kept having to go to bed early haha. I have now been on work experience for one week and I am really enjoying it and it has made me realise that my diabetes doesn't stop me being like everyone else at work. Always remember your diabetes doesn't have to stop you from doing anything, you are stronger than you think.

Reality Check

This time last year I went through a stage where I wished I didn't have diabetes. I wished I didn't have to test my levels or give insulin before I ate, have a pump attached to me 24/7, have hospital appointments, worry about my levels and hba1c count. I just wanted to be like I used to be before I got diagnosed with diabetes. I just wanted to be normal! 

I ended up being admitted onto a ward at the hospital because I stopped testing my levels and I was just putting a random number as my levels into my pump and then being the amount of carbs I was eating. However this made my levels really high because I wasn't correcting my levels when they were high because I was guessing what my levels were. When I was admitted in to hospital the nurses were checking that I was checking my levels and doing everything that I was supposed to be doing. They were checking my levels every 2 hours so that they could monitor them.

While I was in hospital I was on a ward which mostly had children who had cancer on. I was in a room with this little girl in the bed next to me who had cancer, the girl had been in hospital for 5 months. She was so ill and was crying all the time because she was in pain, it must have been so hard for her parents having to be with their daughter and see her in so much pain and there was nothing they could do to help her. It was sad knowing that she had been in hospital so long and that she was so ill, all she wanted to do was be at home and not be ill or in pain.

I have never had the courage to tell anyone this before or been able to admit this to anyone before so it is quiet a big thing for me to write this on my blog and it has taken a long time to write.
The reason I got back on track with my diabetes and am where I am today is because being in hospital and seeing some really ill children my age and younger with cancer made me realise that having diabetes isn't actually that bad, it could be a lot worse. If I looked after myself I would never had ended up in hospital whereas all of these children were in hospital and it wasn't there fault, they didn't really have a choose about being in hospital but I did. It made me want to look after myself, get a better hba1c, try and get better levels because I could make these changes and then not end up in hospital. It still really upsets me thinking of that little girl and all of the other children who I saw on the ward with cancer, it was bit of a reality check for me and made me realise that if I look after myself diabetes wont control me and I can still have a normal life whereas there are some people that cant because they are really ill and have to stay in hospital loads.

I know I shouldn't have stopped checking my levels in the first place but at the time it felt like the right thing to do because I just wanted to be normal but I am so glad I have now realised that having diabetes isn't that bad if you look after yourself. Always remember you are stronger than you think!

Bloodcount meter

It can be really hard to find a bloodcount meter that you really like and that works well for you. There are so many meters to choose from. I always found it really annoying that I had to do my bloodcount and then remember what it was and put it in my pump, I would sometimes forget what my levels were and then put it into my pump wrong.

Recently when I was at a hospital appointment this lady in the clinic showed me and my mum the Contour Next Link bloodcount meter. I was already using the Contour Link meter and the Contour Next Link was a newer version of my meter. At first I wasn't really sure about changing meters as I really liked the meter I was using and if I changed meters it would mean having to get new test strips that the new meter used and also it would mean I would have to learn how to use the new meter as all meters work differently.

The lady was explaining to me and my mum what was different between the Contour Link and the Contour Next Link. She said that the Contour Next Link had a USB connection for charging and downloading readings, this meant I wouldn't have to pay for batteries for my meter as it didn't need them and I could also download my meter on to the laptop so that I could  if I had any patterns in my levels. On the Contour Next Link when you tested your levels and they where running high or low the meter would let you know by the colour of the numbers of your levels. For example if your levels were 3.4 the numbers would light up orange as say at the bottom of the screen that your levels would low. You could also set reminders on the Contour Next Link, so if you need to check your levels in an hour because they were running high all you have to do is set a reminder on your pump and it will make a noise to remind your to test your levels. Also on the Contour Next Link you can see how your levels have been trending and tells you your average levels over 14 days.  I really liked the sound of the Contour Next Link so the hospital let me take one home with me to use.

I have now been using the Contour Next Link for about a month and I love it. We did loss the USB led to charge it though so my mum had to ring up the company and they replaced it for me and send me a spare meter too encase I loss the meter or if it brakes. I honestly think the best meters I have ever used are the Contour Next Link and the Contour Link, its so much easier having a meter that links to your pump so that you don't have to remember what your levels were.

I know it can be really hard to find a meter that you really like and that works best for you but there are so many meters I am sure you will find one. If any of you are on a Medtronic pump I recommend you try the Contour Next Link meter or the Contour Link meter.
Always remember you are stronger than you think! 

Friends at school

We all have days where are levels are running really high or really low, and we have no idea why. It can be really hard when you have days like this at school because it can make it really difficult to concentrate and learn things when your levels are all over the place. It can be really annoying when you just want to get on with your work and be like other people in your class, and then you start to feel unwell. So you ask the teacher if you can check your levels which mean the whole of your class find and it stands out that you have diabetes (I hate when this happens).
The school gave me a card called an 'exit card'; I can show this card to any of my teacher at any point in the lesson and it means I can leave the lesson without telling the teacher why or where I am going. This means the rest of my class don't know why I am leaving the lesson and they don't even see the card when I show it to the teacher, they think I have just gone to get a drink or gone to the toilet when actually I am soring my diabetes out. Its made it so much easier to look after my diabetes at school.
 
So yesterday at school I checked my levels in form because I wasn't felling that well. My levels were 20.4 which didn't make sense because my levels were 12.7 before I had breakfast which was an hour ago, so I had no idea what was happening with my levels. I gave myself a correction and then I put a temp basal of 150% on my pump so that my levels would come down. I then went to my next lesson which was Core RE, I didn't really have to do I lot in that lesson so that was ok. All I had to do was write down some information from this sheet of paper, I did find it really hard to concentrate. At the end of my Core RE lesson I thought I would check my levels as I was feeling worse then I did when I was in Form. When I was checking my levels my friend saw I was checking my levels so asked what they were, I told her they were 26.0, I couldn't believe that my levels had gone up instead of down even though I had given myself so much more extra insulin.

My friend kept telling me that I need to go do some exercise like doing lap round the school to get my levels down. The thing is I really just wanted to sit down and wait for my levels to go down because I didn't feel well. My friend was really worried about me so she walked to my next lesson, science, with me. I told her I was fine and that my insulin would start working soon so my levels would go down.  My friend said no I am telling your science teacher. I said its ok, I will be fine, don't worry. My friend didn't listen to me, she went up to the teacher and told her that my levels were 26.0 and that I needed to do some laps of the school to get my levels down. At first the teacher had no idea what my friend was talking about and then she realised. My teacher asked to talk to me so I went over and spoke to her. She said I needed to do some exercise. So I told her that I had given myself some insulin and all I needed to do was sit down because I wasn't feeling well.

Throughout the whole of my science lesson my teacher keep checking on me, to see that I was feeling ok and that my levels had came down. The good thing was she did it without the whole class knowing what she was doing. Luckily by lunch my levels had gone back to normally and I was feeling a lot better, however by 8pm I was really tired and ended up falling asleep, which isn't normal for me as I normally go to bed at 10pm.

At the time when my friend told my science teacher about my levels I wasn't very happy with her, however after my science lesson I totally understand why she told her, and I am quiet glad she told my teacher as I wasn't able to concentrate in science as my levels were so high and I didn't do as well as I could have in my science test.

It is really good to have friend that look after you at school, I know it can sometimes feel like they are telling you what to do but its only because they care about you and don't want you to be ill. Sometimes you need someone to help you with your diabetes and your friends are really good at that.
Always remember you are stronger then you think.