The_Type_1_Diabetic_Vlog_Episode_6
This Vlog is for type 1’s like me. Its called the “Type 1 Experience” (T1E) I started out doing it for myself, to allow myself to talk through things, but it has recently turned into something for my entire diabetic community. Enjoy! And expect more soon!
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t know about the early Egyptian and Greek history. You never gave the dog’s name, though (Marjorie)!
I watched a little bit of your episode on being sick with diabetes, too. I laughed at the part about diabetic tussin. I took it for the first time when I was in college. I remember sitting on the floor of my dorm room with a spoonful of the stuff and then, well… The way I remember it I started convulsing on the floor of my room after tasting it. That’s how bad it was. I tried mixing it with apple juice after that - I remembered my mom mixing medicines with apple and/or prune juice when I was a kid - but that didn’t help at all. And, unfortunately, it was the wrong kind of medicine for my cough. It turned my dry hack into a mucous-y mess and made me even more miserable than I already was. I never took it again.
I’ve always turned to writing whenever I needed help coping. I dug up the note I wrote about my experience with diabetic tussin on Facebook back in 2006. I was so mad back then. Now I think it’s pretty funny.
"I feel bad about ranting forever about how sick I was and never writing a follow up (and it’s about 1/2 an hour until dinner and I don’t want to work on my homework right now), so here it is. I feel that a sequal is called for.
So during the last note, I had just developed a fever? Well, I’m better now (2 months later). The fever went away pretty quickly. That wasn’t the problem. I went to health services on Sunday and was told that it was probably viral and I would just have to wait it out. The nurse practitioner suggested that I take guaifenisin for my cough (dextromethorphan would have been better, but she said that I shouldn’t take it because I’m diabetic), so I went with my grandparents, who’d come to celebrate my birthday, to pick some up. I ended up with DiabeticTussin. The Robitussin for Diabetics. It’s:
"SAFE!
SUGAR FREE
ALCOHOL FREE
SODIUM FREE
FRUCTOSE FREE
SORBITOL FREE
CODEIN FREE
DYE FREE"
They removed everything from this stuff that ever made ANYTHING taste good. I actually shuddered when I tasted it. No, worse. Convulsed. And to kick a girl while she’s down, it made the cough worse. I’m never taking cough syrup again.
So the next day, Monday, Sep. 11th, my 20th birthday, I went back to health services and this time was told that it was probably bacterial. They tested me for strep and prescribed zithromax again, even though I told them that it made me sick. So Monday, rather than resting, I went to my three lectures, to health services, and to the pharmacy twice. By the end of the day, I had a terrible headache and was experiencing dizzy spells about every half hour. I just wanted to go to bed, but my friends had planned a party for me that was supposed to start at 9. I managed to stay alive until 10:30. I’m sorry, everybody. I really appreciated the thought and really wish that I’d had enough energy to enjoy the party, but I really wasn’t up for it.
Tuesday, I went back to health services and told them about the dizzy spells. I knew that I was tired. They thought I was anemic. I had apparently become anemic in the three weeks since I’d arrived in Northampton. They wanted to test my glycohemoglobin A1C (my average blood sugar) too, while they were at it. I explained to them that I’d seen my endocrinologist about a month ago and had had my blood tested and was fine, but they insisted, so I let them draw the 4 tubes of blood they needed (By the way, the phlebotomist at the clinic I go to only needs 1 little drop. So why does health services need 4 tubes?). They called me a couple of days later to tell me that my A1C was very good for a diabetic. Of course, they were very pleased with themselves for figuring that out. I thought: “Thank you so much for telling me something I already know. Now what about the important stuff?” I said: “Ok. Thank you. Is there anything else I should do?” They told me that if I wasn’t better in a week to come back. A month later I was still coughing but refused to go back to health services. I’m never going back there for another check up. I’d just like to note that the zythromax seemed to have little to no effect on my condition, which means it probably was viral (my throat culture did come up negative after all) and that I took a very powerful antibiotic for absolutely no reason. I repeat: I’m never going back to health services for a check-up again.
I did eventually start to get better and scheduled a flu shot (at health services) for mid October. But again with the aweful timing, I came down with a new cold. This one wasn’t nearly as bad as the last few; your standard stuffy nose and post-nasal drip. But I still had to postpone the flu shot and this one took its sweet time going away too. Eventually, health services e-mailed me to remind me to reschedule my apointment. I called, and was told that they weren’t taking appointments, they never were. I was like, “The hell you’re weren’t!” Is that what I said? No. What I said was “What about for high risk patients. I’m diabetic, had an appointment and had to cancel because I’d gotten sick. I really need this vaccine.” Thankfully, the sweet little girl approach worked. It’s a good thing it usually does in the end, 'cause otherwise I’d never get anywhere in life. It’s now mid-November, my nose isn’t stuffy anymore, and I’ve finally gotten my flu shot.
In summary: being sick for 2 months straight really bites, someone could make a lot of money making high quality meds for diabetics, I’ve made a few vows that will probably come back to bite me later on, and the nurses at Health Services are completely incompetent."
I never did go back to health services for anything other than a flu shot. This note was the 2nd in a 3 part series about how often I got sick and how bad my timing was. It was written in November. A month later the third installment just says: “I’m sick again. Finals start tomorrow. Enough said.”