This weekend, Sat. and Sun., were the first terrier trials of the season. A terrier trial is an event where Jack Russell Terriers and their human companions meet to compete in racing, go-to-ground, agility, lure coursing, conformation, etc. We had close to 200 dogs this weekend. This particular group is like a second family, there’s always someone to help if you need it, a shoulder to cry on. My adopted special needs son is totally accepted, appreciated for his skills and know who to ask for food LOL
So… of course I let my pump/cgm ‘hang out’ as I hadn’t seen these folks since October. The responses were so varied! A few of what I call puppy dog eyes looks; I smiled and walked away. Some real interest in how the tech works, some intelligent and some not-so intelligent questions.
Two interactions really stick with me. One man, who is extremely heavy, has been pumping for 10 years. He has a 7 year old medtronic. I started talking about basal rates, carb counting, etc. and his response was… Oh, I just leave it the way the doctor programmed it, I eat whatever I want. No, I don’t bolus. CGM?? That’s WAY too much information for me! After thinking about it, I remembered that not everyone is as compulsive as I am about achieving a flatline with the numbers I want. I suppose there’s a continuum - I’m at one end, he’s at the other. I can’t help but want to shake him and tell him how much better he could be doing with a little more attention to the ‘too much information’.
The other man, also very heavy, said he sometimes does his shots and sometimes doesn’t. He also eats whatever he wants. Neither of them test regularly.
I tend to be the kind of person who does let it all hang out. When I was getting chemo for breast cancer, I walked around at terrier trials bald… it was hot! My intent was not only my own comfort, but the hope that I’d make it easier for someone else. I will continue to do the same with DM/my pump &cgm, but it’s really difficult to NOT try to educate someone who doesn’t want to hear it. An exercise in keeping my mouth shut, something I’m not good at 