Hey all - I posted this blog on another D site and thought I’d like to repost it here, as I’ve been WAY more active on tuD. Hope you like! (images added when editing this post)
Standing around the braai (/barbecue) having a beer my friends and I are talking about typical guy stuff - bikes, cars, babes and the like. I'm just enjoying the company and the conversation when one of the guys pipes and asks me:
"Tell me Mark, how DO you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know man, you can eat more than most of us here, but you're always so fit and stay in such good shape."
I sense abit of uneasiness amongst the group of guys as the conversation edges into unfamiliar territory - weight and food.
"I'm connected", I say with a wink and a swig of my beer, trying to keep the convo cool.
"What you mean?" he says. "Like, you know people?"
"Yeah you can say that. Or rather, Someone knows me."
I can see the rest of the guys are a little more at ease now, as they start little conversations amongst themselves. Nevertheless, some of the "bigger" guys are still listening.
"Tell me more," he says, "I want in. I've been trying to get in shape for the past year now, but I want to know how you do it. Who do you know that can help me?"
"Sure" I say, "I'll tell you."
I open my hand and show him the marks on my fingers from my relentless testing and search for the perfect 5.6 mmol/L (±106mg/L) - "These tell me what to eat." I apply some pressure to my little finger as a globe of blood reveals itself, for added effect.
I take out my pump and press to the past 3 hour CGMS graph on the screen - "This manages what I eat."
I lift up my t-shirt and show him the tubing and attachment of my infusion site - "This part feeds a crucial dietary substance directly into my system."
I move around with my t-shirt lifted, and pull down my pants abit to reveal the top of my butt, showing the transmitter for the CGMS - "and this is my feedback as to how I'm doing."
"Now let me tell you how I do it. I just had some crisps which I estimate were about a cup, that's about 15/16 grams of carb. I checked my sugar before I ate and I clocked in at 4.4 mmol/L (± 84 mg/L). According to my pump's bolus wizard, I need 0.2 units of insulin, but because I exercised this morning I feel it's safe to go without that bolus. I also wouldn't want to go HYPO and potentially cause a scene amongst all the people. So I'll wait till lunch, and check again."
"Jeez", he says, "that's a mission. I thought you said you knew someone who could help me. You know, who could show me/tell me/help me how to get and stay in shape. I thought you had an easy answer!" he says, chuckling with the rest of the guys.
Sure I know someone. Or rather, someone knows me.
Big D knows me.
