Perseverance
by IDS Director of Intensive Diabetes Management, Tavia Vital
100%, 65%, 52%, 83%, 42%, 96% Time in Range.
Number of alerts per day. Number of units per day. Number of grams of carbs per day.
Last A1C. Bruising. The pokes. The work. The fatigue. The frustration.
Living with T1D can be tough.
Making it through each day with T1D along for the ride can often be difficult. In fact, I am sure anyone reading this who lives with Type 1 Diabetes or lives with someone who lives with T1D can think of at least a few colorful descriptive words to describe some of the challenges.
While not every minute of every day is solely focused on the numbers we are measuring and tracking, it can be a LOT when someone does stop and take note of the number of details that reflect our day-to-day life with T1D.
I like math. There, I said it. I like math. I like problem-solving.
I like learning about a problem, working through the root causes, and identifying what makes a problem such a challenge. For example, I like walking through a dosing adjustment calculation to see what the insulin dose adjustment will change a dose to and to calculate how much impact that one adjustment may make.
I like talking through diabetes technology options, the pros and cons of the options, and discussing the details with clients. Will a certain automated insulin delivery system help reduce the diabetes burden or help support a person who is taking on specific life goals or challenges? Will a specific smart insulin pen help someone with dosing accuracy or deciding if it is too soon to take an extra correction dose? I consider it a good day if there is a strategy to try or a calculation to execute that may make a specific problem less problematic.
What if the solution is not so linear? What if, even despite all the calculations and adjustments we make, our glucose levels still vary more than we want them to? THAT is reality some days. When this happens, it often helps me to reach out to other people and make a connection. Talking through the challenges with a close friend, family member, or a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, if we are talking about diabetes-related challenges, can make all the difference in the world.
I believe making it through the crap-diabetes-numbers-days gives us strength. It builds resilience. Things that bring other people to their knees hardly phase some of us. We have perseverance. We have the ability to push forward, even if we are not, or were recently not, feeling well. We work harder (and hopefully at least sometimes smarter!). We make it through the hard times and hard days (weeks, months, years) and keep pushing forward. We learn how to let challenges we face only take up part of the room in our heads and hearts.
I won't go so far as to say having T1D is super great, don't worry! I will say it does come with some benefits over the years. I know I am a stronger, smarter, harder-working, more driven, more resilient individual than I may otherwise have been.
Because of living with T1D for over 40 years, I know I can persevere, and I know you can, too.
You do not have to do this alone! In fact, if you don't yet know it, #YouAreNotAlone
