There are way more than 10 reasons! But these are darn good. After almost 53 years of living with Type 1 diabetes, I’ve been feeling a little bit cranky that there is still no cure for this devastating disease.
Don’t get me wrong … I do live in gratitude. There are medications that keep me alive and technologies that help me manage with diabetes. I have a good and happy life, and I appreciate every day for seeing amazing advances, beauty all around me and hugs and love.
So back to the topic at hand … the 10 reasons …
1. Too much can kill us! When taking insulin, it is crucial to get the dosage right, not only to stay healthy, but also because too much insulin can kill us. The hormone that people with perfectly functioning pancreases produce is a life-saver, but when you have to inject it yourself and guesstimate how much of it you need at any given time, it’s got the potential to be deadly, too. We have to put this stuff into our bodies every day, on our own, without medical support or advice, and we do a pretty darn good job of it. But, boy, is it stressful!
2. Too little can kill us! I repeat, we must get the dosage right. The unrelenting pressure to constantly ensure you do not have too much, but just enough, insulin in your body sometimes feels like walking a tightrope. Without enough insulin in the body, a person with diabetes may go into diabetic ketoacidosis which can lead to painful complications, coma, and even death.
3. We always smell like Band-aids! Insulin smells weird. Those of us who manually put it into our bodies every day know exactly what I’m talking about.
4. A refrigerator is essential! Insulin needs to be kept at a stable temperature or else it can spoil or become less effective. It’s recommended to store insulin between 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit or 2-8 degrees Celcius.
5. We never get a break … acting as a 24 hour, seven days a week pancreas is both physically and emotionally exhausting.
Read the WHOLE list: 10 Reasons Being Insulin Dependent Totally Sucks
