Hello All,
Just wanted to introduce myself and vent a little… for anyone who wants to read it.
I’m Courtney, I’m 25, and am an RN in Minnesota. I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic since age 12 and hate nothing more. I’ve also had depression for the last 5 or so years which doesn’t help at all. It seems like no matter how hard I try at managing my blood sugars I still have uncontrollable spikes that come out of nowhere. I currently use a minimed pump which I love a whole lot more than injections but hate because I can never hide it (at least comfortably). I’ll try to stop venting, and get to actual questions/comments/info.
I’m considering switching from a minimed to an omnipod. My biggest concern is the price and cost associated with switching. Anyone made the switch? Also, I know I’ve seen some people who wear the pod on their calfs which I think I would love, but is that an actual recommended site? As far as I know (with Minimed at least), you need to have some fatty tissue to insert the pump into and the calf doesn’t have enough subcutaneous tissue for the cannula. (Oh, and with any responses, please don’t turn this into an argument for pro-pod or pro-minimed, I have seen too many of those and know my own stance on the pros and cons of losing the PDM and all.)
Random thought, I REALLY WANT a pancreas transplant. Haha, who doesn’t?
Anyone else on here have horrible depression that makes it almost impossible for them to do anything all day? Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions that coincides with depression, so I know someone does, but I feel strangely alone, maybe because my husband is miraculously healthy.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi, thanks for the welcome messages. I have a regular blog but I stopped writing in it because what I normally wanted to write about was my frustration with diabetes and/or depression, and I feel like I can maybe do that here, and even if people don’t want to hear it, at least someone might relate.
Courtney
Howdy. Know how you feel belive me. Now I gotta say this…YOU DON’T WANT A PANCRES TRANSPLANT! Been there done that rejected 7 times over 2 years (1 1/2 years in the hospital thanks to some big things some little things) on the 7th rejection and afte MANY, MANY meds totally rejected the transplant and went back to being a Type 1. I’ve been a Type 1 since I was 10 (back in 73) and am now 48.I decided when I done the transplant I had rather take a shot (or shots) everyday than have a tight regeimen of pills to take 5 times a day.
Sorry that happened to you, Doris. I have a neighbor who had a pancreas transplant and had a wonderful experience, so I know they’re out there (the positive results). I think for me I would rather take the risk. I’m already on a tight regimen of testing my blood and taking insulin, so a tight regimen of pills wouldn’t bother me, if I could enjoy eating something and not worrying about if my blood sugar will spike, or if I took too much insulin, or waking up in the middle of the night low when I have to get up in 2 hours anyway. Anyway, there’s a risk for everything, and pros and cons to everything. Wouldn’t it just be easier if we didn’t have this terrible disease in the first place? Ugh. I wish.
Don’t I wish too! But anyway. Here we are all here to support each other and help if we can at all. I know sometimes (many times) it seems so overwhealing, Have you tlked to your dr about a pump? I know that the injections didn’t work so well for me & right after the pumps started coming out I was put on one. Just a suggestion.
I’m on the pump, the minimed. But I still have uncontrollable spikes. The smallest little stress sets me off. I got sunburned last week and that put me in the ICU for two days. I’ve had a few different endocrinologists and they’ve had me keep extensive diaries (everything from how long/when I’m sleeping, how much water I’m drinking, stress levels, everything), and they can not figure out what the hell is wrong with my body. They’ve basically said that all I can do is treat it when happens (the spikes) and try to minimize my stress (which is pretty hard as a nurse and as someone with depression). I hate it. A lot. But to answer your question, yes, I’m on the pump.
Oh God Stress!!! I tend to get into trouble when that happens. Were you in the ICU b/c of the intense sunburn (which I know made it hard to find a site to put your pump in) or b/c your stress made youe bs’s go up? I’ve gotten pretty much of what your dr said many times (after keeping many extensive diaries too) The depression? That’s what over so many years ppl around me have learned to live with b/c they have learned my moods ( my poor husband just avoids me all time when i get depressed)
Whoops forgot to say I’m also on MM
It was a whirlwind of things. The sunburn dehydrated me, of course, and made my blood sugars skyrocket, which also makes you extremely dehydrated, so with the extensive sunburn AND the high blood sugars (400+), I couldn’t get hydrated. My body went into hypovolemic shock (because I lost so much fluid), and when I got to the ER my blood pressure was 76/35. Even after 5 liters of fluid (by an IV that anesthesiology had to put in because they couldn’t find a vein), my blood pressure was only up to 84/40 and my heart rate was in the 120s. I had no idea that morning at work that I was that sick, I just knew that I really, really didn’t feel good and just probably needed some hydration, lol. Normally you can just rehydrate yourself, but since I had the high blood sugar I got dehydrated way too fast and my organs began to shut down (which is what happens in hypovolemic shock), and I was so nauseated I couldn’t even sip anything. Ugh. It was quite the experience. I’m waiting to get the bill from that.
WoW! Hate to hear that. I’ve been there thanks to dehydration and really high bs/s b/f myself. They put my IV in my neck ( whatever that big ardery is in your neck) b/c they couldn’t find any veins on me either. Let’s just say I WASN’T happy when I awoke to find the iv in my neck and told the nurses they had better be thankful that I was out when they done it. LOL!
I’m T2 and am missing the lower half of my digestive tract - the part that extracts fluids from our food, so I know what it’s like to be dehydrated a lot of the time and boy is that yucky!! I never go anywhere without my water bottle (which I call “my baba”… baby talk) and when I do get sick from even a mild cold or food problem, tossing my cookies means hospital time for me. I’m not allowed to ditch all that fluid at once! Whenever I do go to hospital for anything, I have to get an IV ‘hooked up’ ASAP just to keep the fluids coming in, despite whatever else is going on with my digestive tract or BP (usually really low) or diabetes. The longer it takes to get that IV ‘push’, the closer I am to death, even in an emergency room.
So I think I feel a bit of your pain, Courtney - even with depression since I am on so many pain meds and those are notorious for bringing the mood down - CNS depressants that they are.
I think you have a major advantage in your job. You can and probably do get really engrossed in your work and, for me, that means the magic of DISTRACTION. That’s my main helper - keeping myself occupado and involved in whatever I’m doing, whether it’s here at tuD or scribbling out somebody’s tax return (exciting work, if you can get it! 
I realize that every job has a certain amount of “politics” to contend with - be it management or union or peer pressure - but if you like what you do and I assume you do since you’re still doing it, try to immerse yourself in the part that gratifies you the most. I tend to spend my time with the clients and papers that require the most work and that can be demoralizing at times, when you keep finding the same types of problems and errors over and over. And the results of an incorrect tax return or financial statement can be fairly serious, but rarely life-threatening. At least, hardly anyone has threatened my life (recently Nursing can be a life-saver. So give yourself kudos for choosing a career with importance and for continuing that career despite your own personal “inconveniences”.
And while I’m a big proponent for immersing oneself in any given project, like work, we also have to remember where to draw the line on that element as well. Outside of work, we need other distractions that mean as much to us - family, sports, travel … Oprah 
Find those distractions outside of work also and get involved. You might not have time to be depressed!