Sweet and Sour- The Type 1 Diabetes Rollercoaster

I walked into a local yoga studio with some apprehension. Would I still be able to "do" yoga? What if the other students were judging how stiff I am, despite being the youngest person in the room? "Leave your bags in the desk over here". The desk is on the other side of the room. What if I go low and have to walk across the room to get my things mid practice? I lay my mat on the floor in my allocated spot at the front. Naturally I've put it down the wrong way. "Ah, nerves" the instructor said with a smile. "That obvious huh?" I ease into the practice and slowly get used to the instructor adjusting every one of my postures. "Are you a dancer?" I don't quite know whether to be proud or offended as she studies my foot position. Don't dancers have notoriously dreadful feet? "For a while. I took up tap dancing again a few years back" "I knew it" she laughs, moving my foot inward from its turnou...

Long time no blog! December is always a busy time of year but I wanted to take a minute to stop and think about the year. I don't take much notice of specific New Year's Resolutions because I think we set them so high that we inevitably don't meet them. I know I won't drink 8 cups of water every day or exercise every day or weigh every gram of carbs I eat. So instead I like to look back and see what I did manage this year. I made a post at the beginning of the year, so I thought it would be nice to reflect. I started the year with a camping trip, which at the time was a huge deal because it involved exercise. Exercise meant low blood sugars, so I was really afraid of that. I hadn't started my CGM (continuous blood sugar sensor) yet but managed to do some long walks... not to mention go on an aqua trike. Then I got my CGM ! It was a 21st birthday present and I hated it for a good month or two. Constant errors and failed sensors made it a burden. But now I wo...

Welcome back to T1 Talk, a series of conversations between Frank and I about all things Type 1. Today is World Diabetes Day and we're discussing diabetes awareness both on a large scale and in our day to day lives. You can find Part 1 over on Frank's blog here. Let's pick up where we left off! I think we’ve both find it difficult to stomach some of the negative consequences of diabetes promoted in awareness campaigns. So what does your ideal diabetes awareness campaign look like? Bec: I’ve said it many times: as a person with diabetes, complications don’t sell. They don’t help, they generate fear and they add to many of the misconceptions that already exist in the general public. My ideal diabetes awareness campaign is one that makes diabetes more visible, which is a lot closer to what’s happening this year! Make it normal, like wearing glasses. We know the signs to let us know when to see an optometrist. We know what glasses are for. We pass no judgem...

As it's mental health month and today is focused on anxiety I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about anxiety specifically. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Check out Beyond Blue for information  https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/what-causes-anxiety Anxiety disorders are so often written off as ridiculous. Stop worrying. Stop over thinking. My personal favourite? Don't stress. Yeah look, if it were that easy I wouldn't have been paying for 6 years of treatment. We all experience anxiety. That rush of adrenaline, that worry about a big job interview. But it becomes a problem when you're anxious chronically, with no particular trigger, and your anxiety is impacting your day to day functioning. I have an anxiety disorder that's a mix of many characteristics of different things. Over the years it's presented in different ways. As a kid I was so perfectionistic I would cry if I couldn't do somet...

"How are you?" This morning I felt like my limbs were made of cement which made it really hard to get up, my sugar's high now, I'm tired all the time and would like to be in bed right now. Fan-flippin-tastic. I smile widely "I'm good thanks, how are you?" "Good thanks!" We chat for a moment, it's pleasant. "Well I'm heading off, nice to see you" "You too" I smile and wave. Again with the smiling. What am I, a Cheshire cat? Did I put them off in that conversation? I hope I didn't say something stupid. I was awkward wasn't I? I'm such an idiot. They're not thinking about this at all... stop thinking Bec. I walk to my car. I dropped everything off earlier so have nothing in my hands. Stand up straight. Honestly why is this so hard for you? What am I supposed to do with my hands? I have nothing to hold on to. It's mildly impressive I manage to make walking look uncoordinated. I get in, pu...

Last Sunday I attended the first Australian Type 1 Diabetes Summit. It was an event bringing together experts in t1 to discuss research, technology, emotional wellbeing and general management. But more than that, it was an event bringing together people with type 1 and their families. Three main highlights from the outset: 1) There were talks for all ages. It feels like everything t1 related is for young kids and adolescents, so it was a nice change to have an adult focus. 2) It was in Parramatta! Good old Western Sydney finally getting a turn for the big events. 3) It was affordable. $15 for a ticket was reasonable for what I got out of the day. Not exactly Sydney Harbour- but Parra River doesn't look too shabby. I went to the summit alone, which for me was a pretty big deal! Yes, I spent the first 45 minutes shaking and texting my friend "WHAT WAS I THINKING I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MINGLE WITH STRANGERS WHO DIDN'T COME ALONE". It was pretty weird to be i...