Hello Hello Everyone!

[JouJou]

Hi folks!

Just joined the forum so I am having a look around at all the different questions/statements and there are so many...all interesting!

A quick bio:
Type 1 since 1993 (I was 1 year old when diagnosed...), on CSII Medtronic 640G since 2009,o started on CGM Guardian sensors just recently - I am still trying to get used to it....

Went through diabetes distress recently and was obsessed with perfect control... I am still a bit shaken by it, but I'm definitely better and am trying my best everyday!

Also, I am a nurse and I thought to try to be a Diabetes Specialist Nurse defo not for me, but I hold all DSNs in high regards!

Hope to talk with a lot of you soon!

 

[Ljc]

Hello @JouJou welcome to the forum. I am glad that you managed to conquer the grip of attempting perfect control. No matter how hard we try that diabetes fairy come along and throws a spanner in the works , all we can do is try our best.

I know what you mean about DSNs, I hold them in high regard too. Though I have T2 , in the area I lived all those newly dx were under the care of the diabetes clinic , I was under the care of that clinic for around two years , that was back in the early 90s and wow I was and still am impressed with the care and support I received there.

We have a pumpers forum on here , not sure if you have found it yet, I will post a link in as mo

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/forums/pumping.20/

People will be only too glad to try and help with any queries or problems you may have

 

[Northerner]

Hi JouJou, welcome to the forum 🙂 It can be hard at times, we are told to aim for such a narrow range and (some!) healthcare professionals don't help by admonishing us if we are a little bit too high ('work harder at it!') or a little bit too low ('too many hypos, stop it!'). It's a tightrope, for sure, but we have to find a workable balance so it doesn't impact too heavily of our day-to-day lives - I'm glad to hear that you have found your balance 🙂

 

[Flower]

Hello @JouJou and welcome, glad you've joined us 🙂

How are you finding the Guardian 3 sensors? I swapped to them a couple of months back after using the Enlite sensors for years and I've found them very accurate so far.

Good to hear you've found a better place with it all. It's very hard to keep a realistic balance sometimes with all the rest of stuff life throws at us. I can remember a poster I saw in the diabetes clinic in 1978 shortly after I was diagnosed with a person on a tightrope - I thought it was telling me to take up gymnastics! - I slowly realised the tightrope was diabetes 🙄 and I've been lurching from one side to the other over the years. As the technology has developed it has most definitely improved things.🙂

 

[KARNAK]

Hello @JouJou welcome to the forum.🙂

 

[SB2015]

Welcome @JouJou.
I understand that pressure of looking for perfection all too well. I am glad that you are realising the impossibility of this with regard to D.

A useful exercise I did with a counsellor (when I let this desire for perfection to take over), was to write a list of all the things that impact our BG levels. I then sorted them into two lists, those that were
- in my control (carb counting, adjusting ratios, ...)
- beyond my control (the weather, seasonal changes, Sod’s law, ...)
There were some that kind of hovered between the two.
I then looked at those in my control to see if I could do anything to improve them,
and learnt acknowledge those that were beyond my control and had to accept that perfection is impossible.

Conclusion: I was, and still am, ‘doing my best’. That is all that we can do, as we need a life.

 

[CathyB]

Hi and welcome

 

[Lisa66]

Hello @JouJou, welcome along.

I toddled along for years without any great thought, just doing what I had to do every day. Hospital team always pretty happy with levels. I had heard of burn out and to be honest didn’t give it much thought. Then I joined the forum and I got a Libre sensor, which I find a brilliant addition to my “kit” ...not sure how I ever managed without it...Hba1c improved. I’ve learnt a lot from others on the forum and love the suppprt and understanding of the condition here... but...I also then saw that people were getting better control than me, spending more time in the target area than me, little hints and tips that would sort out a spike didn’t work for me and so I started to wonder why I couldn’t do better...even though team were still saying I was doing well, I began to over think lots of things and then I realised the Libre (I still love it) could at times have me over thinking any low or high and I realised I could be heading for the stress / burnout I’d read about.

I realised I was trying for perfection and this was taking over too much of my life, my thinking. I was starting to cut things out of my diet that I really didn’t need to and maybe not taking part in things in case it sent me high or low...I was starting to miss out on things.

I remember the tightrope poster that @Flower mentions and I’ve taken on board previous very interesting and helpful posts from @SB2015 regarding what we can and can’t control....if someone wearing odd socks in Australia sneezes when the the wind blowing from the east, it could easily cause me a spike and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it😉. What works for me for a couple of days then may not....ah well.

I did say to my consultant at my last appointment that other people seem to have perfect control. Her reply was, no they probably don’t and don’t you just want to tell them to s** off! Well yes actually

I’ve realised how easy it is to wander down the path to stress. All we can do is our best, get on with it and get on with living and enjoying our lives.

Good to read that you’re feeling better and look forward to hearing more from you🙂.
(I really need to work out how not to ramble).

 

[JouJou]

Hello @JouJou and welcome, glad you've joined us 🙂

How are you finding the Guardian 3 sensors? I swapped to them a couple of months back after using the Enlite sensors for years and I've found them very accurate so far.

Good to hear you've found a better place with it all. It's very hard to keep a realistic balance sometimes with all the rest of stuff life throws at us. I can remember a poster I saw in the diabetes clinic in 1978 shortly after I was diagnosed with a person on a tightrope - I thought it was telling me to take up gymnastics! - I slowly realised the tightrope was diabetes 🙄 and I've been lurching from one side to the other over the years. As the technology has developed it has most definitely improved things.🙂

Hi Flower, sorry for the delay in replying, my partner and I are in the middle of changing jobs and changing house so it is a super busy period!!
That poster seems interesting! and yes, diabetes can sometimes be like a rope and you are walking on it, trying to balance everything out! I believe it is in our hands (and minds) to decide how to approach our everyday!🙂

Regarding the sensors, I was on the Enlite for a very short period (less than a month) before the sensor broke and I was upgraded to the Guardian. I have to say, I think ir depends by the batch...I had sensors that were dead accurate, like less than 0.5 mM/l different. But I also had others that were completely off - as my capillary blood glucose was 9.0 mM/l, while the sensor was saying it was 15.0 mM/l...But when they are reliable, they are an amazing piece of technology!! I am also trying different areas ans see if some are better than others. For example, the stomac for me is a NO!!
What are your favourite areas? and how are you finding the CGM?

 

[JouJou]

Welcome @JouJou.
I understand that pressure of looking for perfection all too well. I am glad that you are realising the impossibility of this with regard to D.

A useful exercise I did with a counsellor (when I let this desire for perfection to take over), was to write a list of all the things that impact our BG levels. I then sorted them into two lists, those that were
- in my control (carb counting, adjusting ratios, ...)
- beyond my control (the weather, seasonal changes, Sod’s law, ...)
There were some that kind of hovered between the two.
I then looked at those in my control to see if I could do anything to improve them,
and learnt acknowledge those that were beyond my control and had to accept that perfection is impossible.

Conclusion: I was, and still am, ‘doing my best’. That is all that we can do, as we need a life.

Dear SB2015, thank you for your reply.
Your short lists are actually something that I will consider doing myself!
I have to say, when I was in the middle of my diabetes distress and pre-psychotherapist sessions, I was always over analysing my actions blaming myself for a high blood glucose reading. I kept thinking "what did I do wrong?". And most of the times, it was some cause beyond my control.

I then arrived at the point where my rational brain was so exhausted of this overthinking and worrying and I slowly started to come out of that tunnel - I sometimes still have my down moments but who doesn't? 😉

And I am happy to hear you found your balance too, as you said, we are doing our best!🙂🙂

 

[JouJou]

Hello @JouJou, welcome along.

I toddled along for years without any great thought, just doing what I had to do every day. Hospital team always pretty happy with levels. I had heard of burn out and to be honest didn’t give it much thought. Then I joined the forum and I got a Libre sensor, which I find a brilliant addition to my “kit” ...not sure how I ever managed without it...Hba1c improved. I’ve learnt a lot from others on the forum and love the suppprt and understanding of the condition here... but...I also then saw that people were getting better control than me, spending more time in the target area than me, little hints and tips that would sort out a spike didn’t work for me and so I started to wonder why I couldn’t do better...even though team were still saying I was doing well, I began to over think lots of things and then I realised the Libre (I still love it) could at times have me over thinking any low or high and I realised I could be heading for the stress / burnout I’d read about.

I realised I was trying for perfection and this was taking over too much of my life, my thinking. I was starting to cut things out of my diet that I really didn’t need to and maybe not taking part in things in case it sent me high or low...I was starting to miss out on things.

I remember the tightrope poster that @Flower mentions and I’ve taken on board previous very interesting and helpful posts from @SB2015 regarding what we can and can’t control....if someone wearing odd socks in Australia sneezes when the the wind blowing from the east, it could easily cause me a spike and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it😉. What works for me for a couple of days then may not....ah well.

I did say to my consultant at my last appointment that other people seem to have perfect control. Her reply was, no they probably don’t and don’t you just want to tell them to s** off! Well yes actually

I’ve realised how easy it is to wander down the path to stress. All we can do is our best, get on with it and get on with living and enjoying our lives.

Good to read that you’re feeling better and look forward to hearing more from you🙂.
(I really need to work out how not to ramble).

Dear Lisa66, I have to say...I am not surprised of your reaction to Libre!
While working as DSN and consulting a lot of people that were just started on it, I saw a lot lot (help me to say lot..) of them who suddenly developed diabetes distress and burnout. Like, scanning up to 97 times a day and getting worrying to see a raise after a meal. And I have to say, this happens to me too sometimes. Being on a CGM or FGM sometimes give you access to too much information!
What I always used to say to my patients when they were overreacting to the CGM/FGM system was "remember the DAFNE principles!"...sometimes the "wait and watch" technique is the best way to have a better control!

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's nice to know there are others in the same shoes of mine 🙂