Being a college student with diabetes is entirely different than being a high schooler with diabetes. The level of difficulty is about the same, but it is just a lot... different. Being diagnosed at 15, I have always had a pretty good idea of the importance of taking care of myself, but when I lived at home I did have that extra pressure from my parents asking "Ashley, what's your blood sugar?". However, it's not hard to think of a number between 80 and 150 quickly off the top of your head... : ). Just kidding, I usually would go find the nearest glucometer and check it so that they would be pleased. I don't have anyone here at school with me to put on that pressure, but I am doing a pretty good job of doing it myself. A plus of living in a dorm is that when I am in my room, I am no less than five feet away from a glucometer at all times so I can no long use the excuse of "crap, my glucometer is upstairs... oh well...".
For those of you who aren't diabetic I guess I'll give you a little bit of background terminology... A glucometer is a meter that tells you what your blood sugar is. It pricks you with a little needle and produces a small dot of blood that you touch to a strip that sticks out of the meter. Somehow it soaks it up and tells you your number. Your number (bloodsugar) should be between 80 and 150. It sounds complicated but it's not a hard concept (I taught my roomate how the other day).
But anyways, so college isn't much more difficult as far as checking bloodsugar when I'm in my room. I make myself check it usually before I leave to go anywhere and when I come home.
As far as for my pump, that thing is pretty much a part of me so whether I was at home or at school. Being at school and away from home just means that a little bit more of the resposibility is in my hands, and I think I'm handeling it pretty well.
Monday, September 28, 2009
at school vs. at home
Posted by Ashley at 1:11 PM
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2 comments:
All this is very interesting to me. A few people in my family have diabetes, and my grandad has to do a lot of this same stuff. I never really asked him why he has to do that or what any of the equipment means, so it was good to learn about some of the things that people with diabetes have to do.
I also think it is interesting how technology (the pump) is really changing more than just how we communicate. Medical technology isn't something we've discussed in class, but I think it is really important and affects our lives more than we think.
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