The story of Cristina Iaboni is fairly common to many diabetics all across America. She tried to manage her diabetes through a daily dose of insulin and other medication. Disappointingly, her blood glucose levels still remain unabatedly high. Desperate because of the cost and the hassle of undergoing her daily diabetes regimen, she went online and found a study that provides weight loss surgery as a means to help diabetics like her.

Gastric bypass surgery or more commonly called as weight loss surgery, involves either stapling the existing stomach of the patient or the use of gastric banding to create a smaller pouch for the patient’s stomach. With a smaller stomach, the patient would eat less and the result is the dramatic weight loss for the individual. Because of the inherent risks involved in the surgery, there are federally mandated guidelines for those who can avail it. The guidelines allow only those who are morbidly obese, those with a Body Mass Index of over 40 and have a pre-existing medical condition such as hypertension or diabetes. The BMI is a measure of height and weight from which an estimation of body fat can be made. A BMI reading of above 25 means one is overweight, a reading of 30 means obese and at 40, the individual is considered as morbidly obese.

For Cristina Iaboni, whose height is 5 feet 5 inches and weighing in at 191 pounds, the strict guidelines would not allow her to undergo the surgery. Her BMI is only 31.8. What she did though was become part of the study to see if gastric bypass surgery can help manage diabetes, together with a $30,000 payment for the surgery.

After the surgery last fall, she has progressed tremendously in managing her diabetes. She has lost over fifty pounds. Surprisingly, her blood sugar is nearly normal, a far cry from her Type 2 problems before she joined the study. She says,” “I didn’t care if I lost any weight. I just wanted the diabetes to go away.”

Her doctor, Dr Francesco Rubino is but a very select few of doctors willing to push the gastric bypass surgery frontier. He reports that her progress is above average and he plans on expanding his study on the effects of the surgery for diabetics. Another one of these doctors is Dr. Philip Schauer of the Cleveland Clinic. Both see the goal of their individual studies as the means to achieve complete remission for diabetes sufferers.

Schauer declares, “These procedures can cause long-term remission and restore someone to normal blood sugar levels without medication.” He cautioned though that, “It’s important to tell patients this is a promising option, but of course we can’t promise this is the cure for diabetes for everybody,” he said.

For Cristina Iaboni, she got the best of both worlds.

Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to create the hormone insulin for the body. There are two types of diabetic conditions, the first being Type I diabetes. This kind of diabetes presents itself as the body’s inability to produce insulin and is wired to destroy the cells that produce insulin. The second type is called Type II diabetes and this condition is a result of inadequate supply of insulin for use by the body. Insulin helps regulate the body’s glucose level in the bloodstream and it also is the key for the cells to use the glucose in the bloodstream as fuel for its needs.

Diabetes Consequences

There are many illnesses that result from diabetes. The primary concern is that there is cell degeneration. This occurs because the lack of insulin makes the cell dry up and brittle as it does not have the necessary power to maintain its normal processes. This is because the hormone insulin helps the cell to metabolize glucose for its use.

Another job of insulin is it is able to regulate the amount of glucose that is present in the body. An insufficient amount or complete lack of insulin in the body would result in the blood glucose levels that are high.  Here are some of the results of an imbalance in the insulin levels in the body.

• When glucose levels are too high in the body, the result would be a chemical imbalance in the body. There would be deep emotional pain, depression or stress felt by the individual as the liver and pancreas lose control of the amount of glucose in the body. This can also result in dizziness and later on unconsciousness.
• When glucose levels are too low, because of an oversupply of insulin, the individual experiences fatigue, weakness, hunger, heavy perspiration and anger. Here dizziness also occurs, as the body is unable to provide the necessary energy for its normal processes.
• Diabetes also slowly causes degeneration of the eye function. This is called diabetic retinopathy. This is the result of the degeneration of the retinal nerves of the eyes. Also, the blood vessels towards the eyes burst because of the thickened character of the blood because of the oversupply of glucose.
• Diabetes affects the liver functions. With the oversupply of glucose in the bloodstream, the liver works double time to keep the balance. Thus a sudden increase or spike in the blood glucose levels affects the retina and this causes blurred vision. The repeated blurring of the vision is a portent of further damage to the eyes due to diabetes.
• Diabetes causes problems to the cardiovascular system. The veins towards the heart are clogged because of the thickened blood and the smaller veins because of the diabetes. This means the blood rich with oxygen cannot travel fast and properly throughout the body, leading to a form of dizziness for the individual.

Dizziness and Blurred Vision

Dizziness relates to the body’s equilibrium and this is highly dependent upon the body’s central nervous system. This together with the inner ears, eyes and sensory receptors in the skin, muscles and joints add up all the necessary information for the proper sense of balance of the body. Diabetes affects the nervous system of the body by cellular degeneration. The incomplete information makes the individual dizzy during bouts of high glucose levels.

Blurred vision is one of the early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. The retinal nerve of the eyes degenerate slowly because of the inadequate supply of nutrients to the eyes and the cellular decay caused by the cell’s inability to process glucose. Also, the blood vessels of the eyes also degenerate because of the thickening of the walls of the veins and the overall increase in viscosity of the blood. These are the effects of the body’s inability to produce insulin for the proper management of glucose in the body.

Dizziness and blurred vision are symptoms of both short term and long term blood glucose problems leading to diabetes. These two symptoms are a result of hyperglycemia, which is one of the general consequences of diabetes. This is a result of having too little or inadequate insulin in the body. Another cause is despite the presence of insulin, the body is unable to metabolize the hormone.

If you experience blurriness in vision at any given time especially after a meal, it would mean that there is too much glucose in the bloodstream. Conversely, there is too little insulin present to regulate this problem as the liver goes on overdrive to process the extra glucose. This can be easily remedied by taking insulin intravenously or antidiabetes medication.

On the other hand, if you experience dizziness when you stand up, difficulty in breathing or even sudden unconsciousness, you have been carrying a very high glucose level for quite sometime. This is a very dangerous situation because the liver and pancreas has been unable to regulate the amount of glucose in the body and the major organs are already feeling the crush of diabetes.

What Should Be Done if these Symptoms are Experienced

Here are the steps to do when you suddenly have blurred vision or sudden dizziness.

• Do have your blood sugar level checked. Even if the results come out normal, you may be at the pre-diabetic stage so you need to have your blood checked by ketones and glucose. The presence of ketones, you may be experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis.
• Manage your diet and avoid high sugar content food and beverages. This would help lower the glucose levels in the body by decreasing the amount of sugar and carbohydrate intake.
• Medicate properly. Double check with your physician as to the timing and dosage of your medication as this affects one’s glucose levels.
• Make exercise part of your lifestyle. This is the most natural way to reduce blood sugar but you would need proper advice from your doctor if you have diabetic ketoacidosis.

So if you suddenly feel dizzy when getting up or have blurred vision after a meal, immediately go to the doctor for a check-up. This is the best move you would probably make in the determination if you are a diabetic and if the dizziness and blurred vision is a symptom of the pernicious disease called diabetes.

Red spots on the feet are common in diabetes sufferers. Diabetes is a serious disease resulting from the body’s inability to metabolize insulin as needed by the body to regulate the body’s blood glucose levels. The pancreas produces the insulin that helps the cell use glucose as fuel and maintains glucose levels in the bloodstream. There are two types of diabetes. The first being Type I diabetes or juvenile diabetes. In this case, the body is unable to produce the required insulin for the body. The second is called Type II diabetes or diabetes mellitus. In this case, the body, the body is unable to produce the requisite insulin to process the glucose in the body.

Diabetes results in cellular degeneration. This is because the cells do not have the insulin to process the necessary to turn glucose into the requisite fuel for the body. Also, the hormone insulin helps the body regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. Insulin helps the liver in excreting the excess glucose in the body. If the glucose levels were not regulated properly, then the body would result in a lot of problems. These are some of the health issues that occur when an individual has diabetes.

• Neuropathy develops in diabetes sufferers. Neuropathy develops as the diabetic cellular degeneration affects the body’s nerves. The first symptom is insensitivity or a loss of the ability to feel pain, heat and cold. Thus, the diabetic can suffer from neuropathy and unable to feel anything minor cuts, scrapes, blisters or pressure sores. These minor injuries, if left untreated would result in complications exacerbated by diabetes.
• Diabetes results in further complications in the body’s vascular system. One of the consequences of diabetes is that there is poor oxygen intake and nutrition in the cells of the body. These include narrowing of the arteries resulting in poor circulation leading towards the feet. When this happens, this leads to swelling and dryness of the feet. What is important is to keep circulation going in order to keep the healing process going and without it the feet can suffer from ulcers, infections and serious foot problems.

The Illnesses Resulting from Red Spots on the Feet

The first sign of blood circulation problems is the occurrence of red spots on the feet. These, when left unattended and unmanaged, would result in any of the following illnesses to attack the feet.

• Acanthosis Nigricans is a condition that results in darkening and thickening of the skin. This appears as patches of tan or brown skin that appear on the sides of the neck, armpits and groin area, or even the hands, elbows and knees. This is one of the signs of pre-diabetes in the individual.
• Atherosclerosis is the condition that narrows the blood vessels by the thickening of the vessel walls. These walls thicken because of the lack of oxygen, which is a result of diabetes cellular degeneration.
• Bacterial infections risks are increased when an individual has diabetes. The body’s recuperative powers are severely hampered. These infections include styes, boils, carbuncles and other parts of the skin. Since the cells become dry because the cells cannot properly metabolize the fuel needed for its recuperation.
• Diabetes Blisters or bullosis diabeticorum are blisters that occur on diabetics. These blisters look similar to burn blisters and they present themselves on the fingers, hands, toes, feet, legs or forearms. Usually these blisters are painless and heal on their own. This results from diabetic neuropathy and this can be held under control by managing the blood glucose level in the body.
• Digital sclerosis is the condition that skin on the toes, fingers and hands become thick waxy and tight. The treatment for this is maintaining blood glucose levels and having lotions moisturizers to soften the skin.
• Eruptive Xanthomasis occurs when glucose levels in the blood are too high and these results in firm, yellow pea-like bumps on the skin. The bumps are surrounded by red halos and itchy and are found on the arms, legs, buttocks and backs of the hands.
• Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum is caused by changes in the blood vessels and generally affects the lower legs. The affected areas become raised, yellow and waxy in appearance with a purple border. It is itchy and painful and if the sores break open, there is a need for immediate medical attention.
• Vitiligo affects skin coloration as the skin color pigment cells are destroyed resulting in discolored skin. This happens normally with Type I diabetes and sadly, there is no specific treatment for vitiligo.

The Way to Prevent Red Spots from Diabetes

The very first manner in diabetes management is an awareness of the effects of the disease in the lower extremities. This is because the neuropathy first occurs in the area and the vasculitis, due to gravity the build up occurs in the feet. Here are some of the proper steps to be undertaken for diabetics regarding red spots from diabetes.

1. When you observe color changes in the feet, then you must immediately seek medical attention. Paleness or bluishness of the toes means there is a decrease of circulation. If there is black skin on the feet, it means there is dead tissue and redness with streaks is a result of infection.
2. If there is abnormal swelling, then there may be an infection or poor circulation. Other symptoms include extreme tenderness and an unnatural increase in foot size.
3. If the feet or extremities are warm to the touch, it means that an infection has commenced. On the other extreme, coolness means a decrease in circulation from the inability to pump blood into the area.
4. When the feet are prone to sensations of pins and needles, numbness, tingling, burning or the lack of overall feeling, then nerve damage may be occurring which is a result of neuropathy due to diabetes.
5. When there is dryness of the skin’s feet and skin, and pressure occurs on the feet, the most common result would be ulceration of the diabetic foot or attack of infectious bacteria on the area.

These are but some of the illnesses that may occur from simple red spots at the feet. The most important things are the maintenance of blood glucose levels and proper hygiene to forestall the complications brought about by diabetes.

The central aspect of diabetes medication and management is controlling blood sugar levels in the body. In keeping the blood sugar levels low for a diabetic, this can help manage the cell and organ degeneration that accompanies diabetes as it ravages the body.

Even with diet control and exercise, the body’s blood sugar still rises because of the body’s autonomic responses. These are some of the instances that blood sugar spikes occur in the body.

1.      The Food You Eat. One of the most effective ways to manage diabetes is by having the proper diet specially suited for diabetics. But what you eat is not the complete story as how much you eat and the time you eat is also a factor in the increase of blood sugar in the body. Here are some of the factors that come into play as a result of the food you eat and its consequent blood sugar spikes.

·         The amount of food you eat is major consideration as the more food you eat, the higher the blood sugar levels would be. This is because so much more glucose is extracted from the food and ends up in the bloodstream.

·         The blood sugar level is highest an hour after you eat as this is the amount of time that the glucose is extracted from the body. This time is also the time you feel drowsy after a heavy meal as the body focuses on the processing of the glucose as a full time job.

·         Eating too many carbohydrates would surely result in a blood pressure spike. So keeping carbohydrate intake at an even keel would definitely keep your blood sugar levels the same throughout the day. When digested, carbohydrates become glucose and excessive carbohydrate intake results in spikes in the blood sugar levels.

·         The amount of food and the intake of medication also is a factor to consider in blood glucose levels. Too little food may lead to hypoglycemia while too much food would result in hyperglycemia. So to be able to properly manage the blood sugar levels, eating properly in the right amounts is the key to keep blood glucose levels balanced.

2.      Exercise also affects blood sugar levels. As you exercise, the demand for glucose as an energy source increases throughout the body. Thus by working out, the glucose level on the body is burned up and thus insulin levels need not be too high to maintain the proper and healthy glucose levels. But the problem is that even if the exercise regimen is done, the blood sugar levels are high since there is no insulin to taper down the glucose levels from workout mode to regular mode. This results in the increase of the glucose levels in the bloodstream.

3.      Other Illnesses influence the blood sugar levels. When there is an infection in other parts of the body, the body reacts by producing hormones to help in combating the infection and recuperation of the body. These hormones raise your blood sugar level by negating the effect of insulin on the level of blood sugar level. Though there is a path towards healing, but affects the diabetes management regimen in the long run.

4.      Alcohol Ingestion. The liver stores excess glucose in the bloodstream. When the body’s blood sugar level decreases to low levels, the liver releases the stored glucose. So when your body has to metabolise the alcohol in the bloodstream, the liver has to release the stored glucose thus causing the blood sugar levels to spike dramatically.

5.      Stress increases blood sugar levels. When stress overwhelms the individual, the individual would tend to exercise less, eat with abandon or even ingest greater amounts of alcohol. These unhealthy practices results in hormonal imbalance in the body leading to increased sugar levels in the blood.

6.      The Dawn Phenomena. This is a natural bodily phenomenon that occurs in the body while one is asleep. When in deep sleep, the body does not require insulin to regulate and metabolise glucose in the blood. Then, by the time you are about to awake for the new day, the body floods the body with stored glucose to be used during the day. It is also at this time that insulin inhibitors are produced to negate the effect of insulin on the body. Thus, the dawn phenomena are the body’s own way of increasing glucose in preparation for the day ahead.

7.      The Somogyi Effect. This is also called rebound hyperglycemia. Like the Dawn Phenomena, high blood sugar levels are caused by high carbohydrate intake the night before. This is mainly due to the activities prior to bedtime, such as eating before bedtime or not having much to eat at bedtime. In both cases, the body floods the system with insulin to counteract the increased glucose in the body prior to bedtime. This results in low blood sugar while at rest and then the dawn phenomena kicks in. On the other hand, too little to eat inhibits the presence of insulin making for the higher and more significant spike in the blood sugar levels at the onset of the Dawn Phenomena.

The Rise and Fall of Blood Sugar Levels

As can be seen, the blood sugar level rises and falls due to many factors. Some are caused by the diabetic’s own actions or the body’s autonomic functions. So what can be done to keep blood sugar levels from rising or spiking? Only those causes that are actively performed can be controlled. These include eating right, regular blood glucose level checks and avoiding alcohol. Other externalities such as stress and infection need also be managed properly to prevent blood sugar spiking. As for the Dawn Phenomenon, immediate checking of the blood sugar level upon waking up can help in keeping the blood sugar spike in check. As for the Somogyi effect, you would need to review what you eat before going to bed to keep the danger of blood sugar increases from occurring. 

The most crippling effect of diabetes, literally is foot ulceration. This may lead to one of the debilitating effects of diabetes, which is amputation of a foot or leg. This is the final step in the fight with the disease resulting in poor circulation, reduction of sensory perception and dry skin. Another effect of diabetes is the susceptibility of the individual to yeast and other fungal infections as there is a compromised immune system and slower healing process compared to non-diabetics.

Proper Foot Care and Hygiene

These problems may seem minor enough during the early stages of the diabetic condition. The first sign that there is a problem is when a wound fails to heal properly after some time. The best way to avoid this simple problem to add on as a complicated condition is by improving personal hygiene. These include proper foot and skin care, even proper dental hygiene is important in the prevention, identification and proper treatment of diabetes. There are seven basic tips to include in a diabetic’s routine to prevent the occurrence of skin disease leading to ulcers.

• Keep yourself dry. Towel dry as thoroughly as possible after baths and washing, paying special attention to the space between one’s toes. Also, changing socks and shoes also helps prevent the proliferation of fungus in the foot region. Another area that needs to be kept dry is where skin touches skin as these areas are prone to fungal growth.
• Examine your feet daily. Check your feet for redness, fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, nail conditions, cut, scratches, sores and calluses. It is best to examine them before you wear shoes for the first time each day to be able to take the necessary steps to prevent complications on these foot problems.
• Take care of your skin. The use of creams for the feet help in the prevention of calluses and sore spots. These keep moisture in to prevent the skin from becoming dry, much like what the commercials say. The best time for this regimen of foot care would be after you shower or bathe.
• Feet care is a must. You need to take care of your feet but when taking a pedicure, remind your manicurist as to your diabetic condition. This allows them to be more careful as to foot care and they would observe any unhealthy changes as to the condition of your feet. Also, ask them to cut nails straight to avoid the occurrence of ingrown nails and prevent calluses from building up.
• Wear the right shoes. Making the choice of comfort over style as to shoes is the best way to manage diabetes. Shoes that rub, pinch or cause blisters or calluses are the sure fire ways of complicating matters for diabetics. Also, socks help in protecting the feet from the pounding of the shoes.
• Avoid scratching. Scratching on dry skin or mosquito bites will result in skin breaking and wounding. Break the habit of scratching what itches because if you do, you can open a wound, cause an infection resulting in an ulcer.
• Seek immediate treatment. If you are a diabetic, the smallest scratch or wound or swelling needs to be treated immediately to avoid complications from occurring. Apply antibiotic cream on open wounds and cover it to avoid further irritation. Use antifungal cream at the first sign of an infection. If there is redness on your feet due to friction, identify it right away to prevent it from becoming a wound.

The Medical Causes for Diabetic Ulcers

Diabetes, be it onset or juvenile, results from the lack of or improper production of insulin in the body. Insulin is the hormone that regulates the amount of and use of blood glucose levels in the body. The lack or of improper management of blood glucose levels result in damage to nerves, kidneys, eyes and the blood vessels. This also results in the impairment of the body’s immune system. And when the extremities are attacked by fungal infections that left unattended may result in serious infections.

Another part of the body that are impaired by diabetes is the nervous system. The sweat and oil production of the extremities are impaired, resulting in the lack of lubrication on the skin. This makes for skin dryness and with the normal wear and tear of the feet, breakage occurs that may result in sores and ulcers.

The body’s blood vessels are also impaired with diabetes, and this taken together with the compromised immune system makes the sore very difficult to manage and heal. The open skin allows for bacterial infection to occur. When this happens, the connective tissue, muscles and bone infections would soon follow. This can develop into gangrene because of the poor blood flow and the lowered immune system. Antibiotics cannot reach the affected area resulting in the spreading of the gangrene all over the foot. This would lead to the medical decision of whether to amputate the foot or not to prevent the further spread of the infection throughout the body via the bloodstream.

The Habits for Diabetics and Foot Care

The proper care for the feet of diabetics requires a special regimen. This is because of the special condition that the diabetic undergo. Here are some of the tips that can be used at the end of the day for the diabetic.

• Wash your feet with warm and not hot water. One of  the problems with diabetes is the condition known as peripheral neuropathy or the inability to feel sensations in the arms and legs or sharp pains in your feet, making it too sensitive even to the slightest touch and pain ensues. The warm water helps the nerves become sensitive and also kills the bacteria that may inhabit in the area.
• Avoid going barefoot. Skin exposed makes for the risk of wounding and abrasion is heightened by being barefoot. Wearing thick socks and allowing the feet to breathe after a day of being kept allows for better feet care.
• Do low impact exercises. Many exercises result in increased stress on the feet, and this can be a graver problem for diabetics. Turn to other low foot impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, yoga or tai chi for your exercise needs to relieve the stress on the feet.

Glucose is the fuel of the body. This is metabolized from the ingestion of food, especially carbohydrates. The glucose is then absorbed by the body and is carried by the blood throughout the body. In order to unlock the energy properties of glucose for the cells, the hormone insulin is needed. Special cells in the pancreas called beta cells produce this hormone. This is what happens in a normal person but this is not what happens with a diabetic. In a diabetic, the pancreas does not or is unable to produce the hormone insulin for the regulation of blood glucose. This causes many problems for the body, which happens in a diabetes sufferer.

The blood glucose level normally increases after one eats a meal. This increase triggers the pancreas to produce the hormone insulin to help in the regulation of the blood sugar level and assist in the use of glucose as fuel for the cells. In diabetics, there is no or an insufficient amount of insulin produced thus making the amount of glucose in the blood too high. Too high a blood glucose level in the body makes the blood thicker, taxing the heart to pump the blood throughout the body. Also, too much blood glucose in the blood makes for the inability of the blood to carry other important chemicals such as oxygen and other nutrients. The kidneys and liver are also overworked since the insulin helps in the easier excretion of the glucose from the bloodstream. Without insulin, these organs degenerate since there is no fuel to work with and the glucose becomes thick in the excretory organs. This is not a one-time deal like a heart attack or stroke. Diabetes wears away the organs abilities slowly, thus building up to organ failure in the long run. So for diabetes sufferers, it is important that blood glucose is monitored in order to avoid grave complications to occur in the long run.

How Blood Glucose Monitoring is Done

There are simple ways to do blood glucose monitoring and there are the laboratory ways. Here are some of the sample blood glucose monitoring techniques in use today.

• Observing your body. If a small wound takes more time than usual to heal or if your urine is more yellowish than usual, then there may be something wrong with you. These observations do not automatically mean you have high blood glucose content but are some indications that there may be a problem with your body.
• The blood sugar strip test. This is easily done by having an electronic device that undertakes blood sugar monitoring. By pricking the side of the fingers and having a couple of drops of blood on a special strip to be run through the device, you can have a reading as to the blood sugar level you have. This is not a very accurate measure of the amount of blood glucose but it provides the tester an idea of whether the blood sugar level is very high at any given time.
• The Urine Test. This is one of the laboratory ways in blood glucose monitoring. If one has too high a blood glucose content, the kidneys work doubly hard to disperse the excess levels causing the production of microalbuminuria. When there is the presence of this chemical, the kidneys have reversed their processes. Instead of excreting the excess glucose, vital protein is excreted. This is a positive sign that diabetes is already a condition that needs to be addressed.
• The Hemoglobin A1c test. In this test, a sample of blood is drawn from the vein and by measuring the hemoglobin level and from there one can determine if the condition is present in the sample. A blood level of 7% or less would indicate good glucose control meaning insulin levels are within normal levels. A hemoglobin A1c test result of more than 8% would indicate too high blood glucose levels in the body thus the need for intervention to control it.
• The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test. This is a laboratory test where the subject is required to refrain from eating or drinking anything for at least eight hours. Then, blood is drawn to determine the blood glucose level present. The median for the determination of diabetes is 126 mg/dL. This means there are 126 milligrams of glucose in every deciliter of blood. Anything higher than this means that blood glucose is not properly metabolized by the body and is thus being retained in the blood stream. This is one of the most reliable ways of blood glucose monitoring to determine diabetes.

Blood Glucose Monitoring in your Home

Not everyone has the means or the access to the tests that would surely indicate the level of blood glucose present. For diabetes, this is a crucial aspect of their daily lives. Thus, blood glucose monitoring is essential for diabetics living at home. Here are some steps to help in the overall habit of blood glucose monitoring of a diabetic while at home.

• Watch what you eat. The first step in blood glucose monitoring is in the diet that a diabetic has each day. By limiting the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in the diet, then the blood glucose levels are necessarily limited to low levels.
• Read up on the condition. Knowledge is one of the most effective medications for the diabetes sufferer. Educate those around you as to the condition so that they can easily adjust to the peculiarities of the condition.
• Keep the meter and supplies well stocked and well at hand when at home. By having a blood sugar monitor, an ample amount of strips and lancets for your device, you can be an active blood glucose monitor for yourself or for your loved one.
• Include the monitoring regimen into the daily habit. Make the blood glucose monitoring exercise as part of the daily routine so that the levels are examined thoroughly and regularly.
• Proper execution of the blood glucose monitoring technique. This step is vital to be able to determine with a bit of accuracy as to the blood sugar level of the individual. Pricking the sides of the finger and placing an ample amount of blood on the strip is as important as having a clean device repetitively used. The reading is important to gauge the blood sugar levels of the diabetes sufferer.

This post has been inspired by our member Richard157 who started the orginal thread here:

• You get excited about blood test meters/pumps etc and the different functions that they have
• You say that you feel ‘high’ in public and then wonder why people around you give you weird looks
• You think non diet coke tastes completely disgusting
• You notice a friend has been drinking and peeing a lot and you want to test their BG level as you automatically assume they must be an undiagnosed diabetic
• You know what the terms HbA1C, diabetic ketoacidosis, glucagon, basal/bolus, and endocrinologist mean
• You know the amount of carbohydrates in pretty much every food available
• You have a favorite flavor of glucose tablets
• You get annoyed when you are in a bad mood and someone tells you to test your sugar
• You get fed up of explaining to people that you are allowed to eat things with sugar in as long as you eat them in moderation and correctly bolus for them
• Your parents ask how you’re doing and you tell them your blood sugar
• You find test strips in really random places (how do they get everywhere anyway…I’m sure they have legs )
• You think it’s funny seeing the look on people’s faces when you test or inject in public
• you know your diabetic when your 3 yr old takes a medicine syringe and sits on the couch and “pretends” to give himself his insulin cause he has diabetes like mommy..
• you know your diabetic when your kids know that you have to test before every meal and make a “exit” to the bathroom to insulin up!!
• You know your a diabetic when you have to pack up more supplies in your little cooler than there is junk in your purse…
• You know your diabetic when you are “nagging” at your boyfriend/girlfriend and
  they think it is cause your sugar not cause your serious! lol
• When you go to someones house and consider it torture for them to have a candy dish out full of reese’s peanut butter cups and snickers..