I’m partaking in this year’s Diabetes Blog Week. Each post this week will be based on a pre-determined prompt constructed by Karen over at Bittersweet Diabetes. You can participate by visiting her website.

Diabetes and The Unexpected – Monday 5/15

Diabetes can sometimes seem to play by a rulebook that makes no sense, tossing out unexpected challenges at random.  What are your best tips for being prepared when the unexpected happens?  Or, take this topic another way and tell us about some good things diabetes has brought into your, or your loved one’s, life that you never could have expected?  (Thank you, Heather, for inspiring this topic!)

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We hear the narrative from a variety of sources – Control your diabetes better with XYZ diet. Avoid complications and medications with better control. Your diabetes is out of control. You have great control of your diabetes. Your fetus depends on having the ultimate control of your diabetes.

Of some of the most candid advice that I’ve read in the diabetic online community, what has stuck with me the most was this: “Diabetes, by definition, is not something we can just control. At best, we can only manage it and hope for the best outcome.” So really, diabetes is a cranky toddler.

No, really. In the present moment, there is no better comparison to diabetes than dealing with a toddler who is in serious need of a nap. Have you ever tried to reason with a fussy toddler? It’s damn near impossible.

I mean, I can try to negotiate with diabetes. Just a few more units of insulin will bring you down… No? How about a new infusion set? I can attempt to redirect diabetes. If I go for a walk, maybe I can distract this high blood sugar from escalating. I can punish diabetes. Only a 1 unit correction? No way! Rage bolus, activate! I could also ignore diabetes. Oh. 250 mg/dl? Meh.

The reaction is exhausting and leaves me wanting a nap, or a beer, or both. But deep down, I know that this sleepless, screaming, tantrum-ing reaction is temporary. A phase or blip in the grand scheme of things. Addressing the problem with this mindset often helps bring in some much-needed perspective. My diabetes isn’t always like this and sometimes there is no real reason for the less than perfect blood sugars.

Now, if you want something real crazy, you can have both a toddler and diabetes, like I do. This post inspired by the fact that my kid has skipped her nap for the last two days. Oof.