Living with a diabetic: Jayne Tells All

This is Jayne. I kind of love her. She tells her story about living with a diabetic and everything that goes along with it. 

I’d have to say…I’ve learned a lot about Diabetes now that I live with a diabetic.  I was the kid who asked “why” about, well, pretty much EVERYTHING.  So, poor Sarah has had to deal with my never-ending questions.  “Why do you do that?”  “What does that do?”  “Does that hurt?”  I’m glad she’s super patient with me.  My brother has a bleeding disorder, so growing up I would help him when he’d have to give himself medication through an IV.  Those things fascinate me.   Whenever Sarah changes her set, or the insulin in her pump, I love looking on and of course, ask questions.  We’ve had roommate blood sugar checks…with our own needles, of course.  My blood sugar was 92, which was the lowest of the three of us, just have to throw that out there, because I’m competitive and from what Sarah says, 92 is really good.

Sarah and I have lived together for almost a year now, so I’m use to the trash can in our bathroom being filled with Juicy-Juice boxes and finding test strips stuck in the couch.  I know when she gets super talkative that her blood sugar is low.  Or when I come downstairs in the morning and there’s a spoon in the sink, she probably woke up in the middle of the night and ate ice cream straight out of the carton.  When she get’s that glazed over look, she could use a cookie. 

I can spot an insulin pump from a mile away.  Even if I just see the clear tube, I know there’s a pump hiding in their pocket.  I feel like I’m in a secret club or something.  I want to walk up to them and just give them a look and a nod like, “Hey, I know your secret.”  And then we’d do some sort of secret handshake and everyone around us would be super jealous.

Both of my grandfather’s got Type II diabetes when they were older, but, thanks to Sarah and Daley, I know there’s a difference.  And I promise I’ll never be THAT person who acts like it’s the same thing.  I hear that makes a Type I diabetic pretty mad :) Sarah’s great at explaining everything.  I had no idea that our pancreas controls our insulin, or what active insulin is.  Or that you’re born with Type I diabetes and something triggers your body for it to kick in.  It’s crazy to me. 

So there you have it…my life with a diabetic roommate.  Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary.  Just a few good laughs here and test strips hidden in between.