I'm right their with you Tobi. I only change the lancet when it stops poking well enough to get a good blood drop.
Used to be able to just use 2 or 3 a year, but they make them thinner and cheaper now and they only last a couple months. =)
LOL love this thread. I am soooo bad at changing my lancet - in fact, I can't remember when I last did! Also, I occasionally forget a bolus. I'm also guilty of the "gee, I feel like my blood sugar is xxxx. Guess I'll eat and bolus xxx for now" move once in a while. Sigh**
To comment on some of the more serious posts on the thread, I agree with Jennagrant. T1 is definitely NOT black and white. While A1Cs can give us an idea of how we're doing - it's definitely a flawed system. Studies have shown that things like daily exercise or tighter control (even if the numbers are elevated) can be better than a "good" A1C and reduce complications later in life. So it's really hard to say who is a good diabetic and who's a bad diabetic. There are so many variables. Another point I want to make is that motivation is different for everyone. Of course I want to gain control for my loved ones but ultimately I want to do it for myself. Doing things that I others want of me doesn't give me lasting motivation. The same goes for general goal achievements IMO. You really and truly have to want it to get it.
Threads like these are a great way to let go of some guilt that we, as human beings, all have. None of us are perfect to my knowledge (if you are I applaud you and hope to meet you some day). They're also great ways for us to think about what we might do that we shouldn't and maybe think twice about doing next time.
To Scott - so glad you have found your motivation and have been successful at gaining control.
My naughtiest thing is carb guessing instead of carb counting. My doctor doesn't like it I know. He keeps trying to get me to measure food some just to get a better idea what's what. But I still haven't.
I also don't change lancets as often as I should.
I also agree with jennagrant in that while lower BS helps avoid long term complications, there is also luck involved. The first 13 years or so I had D I didn't have a blood tester as they weren't available and only took NPH and drank a lot of beer, so heaven only knows what kind of control I had then. Here I am now in my mid 50s and so far at least (knock on wood) I'm not really having any to speak of.
Well as a new person joining this group I have to say how refreshing it was to hear that you are not all perfect with managing your disease! I struggle constantly and have been guilty of letting my reservoir go to zero and not changing in the middle of the night because quite frankly I am exhausted and can’t get myself to do it!
Test strips falling out everywhere made me laugh so hard and was delighted to know that I am not alone!
Although reading about the unfortunate heart attack was tough to hear, it reminds me to try to keep my sugars in control.
Thank you all for your honesty as it truly helps me cope living with diabetes!
I mostly lurk on here, don’t post much. But wow, this thread has it all! First I was amused and relieved to see that other people forget to change lancets, neglect to throw test strips away, and accidentally load pumps with enough to last four days instead of three, just to stretch supplies (wait, maybe that’s just me). Then I was reminded, by someone who really understands, how important and serious it is to be diligent with my care. And then I read through many comments by people being understanding and caring of the need to express all of these pieces of diabetes. Glad I lurked on over here!
I’m glad you lurked on over here too @StacyM!
I do the majority of things mentioned here. I also have “f€k it syndrome". As in "your blood is 220 but a coworker brought in cupcakes? F€k it–hand me a cupcake!” I have serious problems turning down most sweets.
Also, I broke the never-change-your-lancet cycle by always changing mine when I open a new bottle of strips. So I can safely say I only use each lancet 50 times! LOL
I intentionally stay up later sometimes when i know i have “been bad” so my bedtime reading is hopefully leveled off.
And errant used strips, needles, etc. I just throw it all in the trash in no container, including at work, wherever i happen to be, when I eventually get around to throwing them out at all…
This is a great group, just discovered it. Most of my bad behaviors were in my teen/college days, when I was just trying to be “normal”. Now there’s a word for running myself at 180-200 because I liked how slender I was - “diabulimia”. I beat myself up at times for that crazy stuff, but I take heart that I have been living with this for 31 years now, and only recently have seen some beginnings of complications. I still have a lot of life in me! I have to periodically refocus on maintaining tight control, because I’ll go on auto-pilot for weeks at a time and just correct my BG’s instead of analyzing for patterns. I have an active and social life, which I realize is a trade off for perfect control. I love good food, and have found a balanced way of at least enjoying small amounts of decadent stuff. I do community theatre, which wreaks havoc with my schedule, but I would not trade my life. It’s all about balance for me.
oh, i LOVE this topic. My husband has told me on multiple occasions, jokingly, that I am the worst diabetic he has ever met (I’m the only diabetic he has ever met). Here is a “short list” of the “bad things” I, or have done at least once in the last 21 years:
- wearing an infusion set for 6 days or longer, just refilling the reservoir. When I have a good spot, I HATE removing it, especially if my numbers are spot on.
- I change the batteries in my smoke detector more frequently than I chance my lancet
- I eat candy a LOT
- I usually bolus for said candy, but not always
- I reuse injection needles (although, this is a less frequent occurrence since I am on a pump now)
- I don’t always do a finger test when bolusing a correction (rely on the sensor only)
- I just throw used test strips on the ground…doesn’t matter where I am.
- I guestimate carbs ALL the time (unless the food is pre-packaged and has a carb amount on it).
- I wait til the last minute to refill prescriptions and then have to ask my T1 friends to let me “borrow” some (that I wont give back)
- My favorite low treatment is chocolate frosting
- I don’t follow a meal plan, exchange list or daily carb limit.
- I eat too many carbs…both complex and simple carbs.
I am sure there are more things that I’ve done, but that’s what comes to mind. All that being said though, I am in the best “diabetes health” I have ever been right now.
I am on MDI and change the needles for both lantus and novalog maybe once a week. Lancets are even worse. Sometimes If I will use a couple shots of wiskey as a correction to by BG rather than novalog 
Good day to every one on the forum!!!
Though this is the very old topic, but I found it highly interesting to share few things here.
Basically these days I have been reading the stuff on the forums as to get more & more inspiration beside getting knowledge from some very excellent & knowledgeable guys over here, who by virtue of their own practical experiences of diabetic life regardless of good or bad experience, act as an institution for the beginner or learner.
Whatsoever had been said & commented under this topic have tremendous guidelines & lessons for the beginners, learners, unaware persons & also for me. After going through the entire responses & comments, one thing is very obivious that every one whether controlling well or playing something causal with diabetes, at least have an absolute clarity regarding what should be done? or what shouldn’t be done?
which is a great thing, as many had shared that few years back they were used to be not so much serious as they are now, which may reflect that they were knew it (becuase of awareness), that they are doing some wrongs & finally they had started doing well & succeeded remarkably in their efforts.
Another important thing which is reflected from the discussion is that no body can be good & perfect at all times, which may give a slight margin to everyone to feel either no guilty or at least feel less guilty for being committed the crime of not following the diabetic rules religiously at times.
Good Luck to all in their efforts!!!
Kind Regards,
Munir Nara.
(Lahore 31C, humidity 48% , 2111 Hours)