What was the first thing you thought about when you woke up this morning?
What about whilst you made breakfast? Or as you headed to work?
From the moment my eyes open, I’m wondering what my blood sugar level is.
Insulin regulates blood sugar control by lowering the level of glucose in your blood. Every time you eat or drink anything, it’s insulin that gets the glucose into your cells to give you energy.
Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic, autoimmune condition in which the body destroys the insulin producing cells. Talk about self destructive… As a result, Type 1 Diabetics must manage and control their blood sugar levels through close monitoring of blood glucose levels and manual insulin injections.
For Type 1 Diabetics, the pancreas is like a small child. Every day you must pack it a bag full of sugar, snacks and insulin as well as needles, blood testing strips and finger prickers in order to look after it. No matter how prepared you are, it constantly demands your attention and endless organisation. Despite misconceptions that I ate too much sugar as a child, I can eat anything – as long as I inject for it.
To assume the role of an insulin producing pancreas is a game of habit. The way to win the perfect blood sugar control is to know your exact carbohydrate intake, as well as how your blood sugar will respond to exercise, sleep, mood and body temperature. Piece of cake!
Even when following a regular and consistent routine, this is as unpredictable as the weather- so always be expecting showers (cheesy but true).
“Living with type 1 diabetes means you make around 180 extra decisions each day”
National Diabetes Services Scheme
This September marks 18 years since I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It also marks 8 months since I left the UK to go backpacking. During my travels I have learned so much about being a backpacker with diabetes but also about the condition more generally and my own relationship with it.
Planning travel routes, booking hostels and catching flights has been juggled alongside correcting my insulin doses. I’ve certainly learned my fair share of Diabetic Do’s and Don’ts whilst travelling (the hard way). My current list would look something like this:
✅DO say yes to every opportunity, try out scuba diving and jump out of a plane.
❌DON’T freeze your insulin in India or run out of blood testing strips in Japan (because the Japanese hospitals will not be able to give you more).
(Photo depicts me at an art exhibition in Thailand wearing a glucose monitoring sensor on my arm).
I also have a better understanding of how diabetes has an impact on my body and my mind. My journey over the past 8 months and even the past 18 years has been jam packed with highs, lows, hypos and a LOT of mentos.
I hope that sharing my most mortifying moments and personal discoveries will provide a fresh perspective on living with the condition (don’t worry- it’s not all diabetic disasters). As well as some hope that whatever problems you’re facing, they can always get sorted (eventually).
Here’s to highs, lows, hypos and figuring it out as you go.
Pippa x
Highs, Lows & Hypos 
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