Took this survey on another user’s page and thought I’d post. It was good therapy to answer some of these questions and it’s neat to see others replies…Thanks to Lacy for putting this out there. Below are the questions and my replies Your responses may differ, give it a try, think it’s best to just shoot from the hip… See how you might answer some of these questions.
Name books/movies/tv with diabetic characters?
Jay Cutler–QB for Chicago Bears (for now). Never really paid much attention and if not being dx’d myself around the time he was I would have never paid attention to it or forgotten it by now…but (even though I’m a die hard Packer Fan) Like to see Jay do well since I’m in awe of what he’s able to do in a professional sport being a T1!!
How do you cope with your diabetes?
one minute, one hour, one day at a time! Like the old adage: How to you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Guess that’s how I handle it by taking care of the little things (bg testing, changing pump, carb counting). Do each little thing well and the big thing doesn’t seem so bad!
Do you talk openly about diabetes?
Every chance I get…I use the opportunity to educate others as most have no idea what this “D” thing is and how it really works or doesn’t work for us I guess. Try to give them the cliff notes version since most people will say “You don’t look sick?” “Your not overweight?” So I explain what I have and what other’s may have and how we have to treat and take care of it and hope some of it sticks so they know more than they did before.
Do non-diabetics say/do anything which exasperates you?
Not really. It makes me mostly laugh at the what people know, my own mother still thinks I need to take insulin when I’m getting low! My mother in law will do some weird things like make me special dish and state “I took all the egg yokes out for you” and then I just thank her and smile and deep down inside I’m thinking that was the part I could actually have 
What color would your diabetes be?
I think a cool blue for me when it’s all going good, like the sky on a calm day with no wind or clouds or storms! But when it’s not good it’d be just like the sky when it changes colors before that storm that’s about to hit and you just know things aren’t right and time to button down the hatches and ride it out and then ahhhh… there it is that calm blue sky again…its that surreal feeling of calmness.
Does your diabetes have a nickname?
I just call “D” but I think I need to give it a name but I’m going to have to think about that one some more…
How many times a day do you check your blood sugar?
Minimum of 7, before and after each meal and before bed. On weekends or doing an activity and you can throw 3-4 more tests. Mostly on weekends when out of that workday routine. Think that must be why I have 10 fingers…on those days the bad finger gets it twice!
Do you have a favorite finger to lance?
Not really but I’m right handled so the lefties get picked on the most…they haven’t revolted yet.
Do you have a diabetic related tattoo(s)?
No…but I have thought about it but don’t want to all attention to myself, which was my biggest issue to get over before going on a pump. Deep down inside I think it was finally admitting that I have this and now a few weeks into a pump I’m glad I did–What was the question again?
Do you celebrate the anniversary of your diagnoses?
No I don’t celebrate it but I know the day very well and (Jan. 23rd 2008) find myself just reflecting on the events that have passed and I’m finding it harder to remember what life was like prior as this and this my life now!
What lessons have you learned from diabetes?
Control beyond what most people can comprehend. People always say “I don’t know how you can do that” and I just tell them that they don’t have to make that decision of I’d like to eat that bag of Peanut M&M’s (my fav before) or die! I tell them it’s a easy choice from my perspective…not so easy from theirs!
How do you overcome diabetic discouragement?
Tomorrow is a new day and don’t let each day define who you are! I also love quotes and read them usually more than once…they give me the spirit that I need to look at things as “the glass is half full, not half empty!”
What’s your diabetic swagger?
Doing the things that I did before…I refuse to crawl in a hole and sit out of this game we call life. Just kept picking one thing off at at time and looking forward my next visit with my endo…She takes great notes and we have goals–one goal that I didn’t know how to handle was my trips I take to CO and crawl around the mountains for a few day! Just didn’t know how I would be able to do that without being on a pump and she agreed and we are working towards that so that I can take a trip back to the mountains and spend 4-6 hours of going vertical “when” I get to the top it will by my “Swagger” when I look down at the rest of the world! Best feeling in the world when you get to the top—In so many ways!! Can’ Wait!
That was fun and helpful and the best therapy session I’ve had in a while!!
Best of luck to All ~Schumtz~