5th week of school and still going strong with little incident. Keyword: little.
Last week I tried changing my Omnipod and also had to change my insulin bottle for the first time here. I went into my mini-fridge for one but could not find any of them. I feared the worst, thinking that some passerby or friend of my roommate (as we leave our door open 95% of the time) perhaps mistook the little injector bottles for something more illicit and pocketed them for their own use. At this point I was freaking out, as the usage of insulin on non-Diabetics (especially in great quantities) was once used before electro-convulsion therapy with effects such as shock, coma and occasionally death.
Luckily, I had forgotten that prior to this I had hidden them in a hidden compartment of a small black bag, also in the fridge. Perhaps I had the exact concern and made the necessary preparation.
Other than that, things have been going smoothly. It's all a matter of ensuring that your glucose level is within range and that you have sugar on hand at all times. I don't have classes around meal times, though at night my glucose occasionally drops. The dining area (which is just outside my dorm) is open until 1 AM each day, so there is no need to worry.
As a student with a pretty busy class and study schedule, I did notice the first few days that my blood sugars remained consistently on the higher side (180 - 220 mg/dL) due to sedentary lifestyle. I don't have time to wait in line to do anything at the consistently-filled gym, so I find time to jog around campus and do push-ups and sit-ups between classes. Also, I have found most of the vegetarian options in the dining area very unsavory, so I have been sticking to salads, tofu, hemp protein and vegan multivitamin supplements. This is great in the sense that these foods offer just enough carbohydrates to keep blood sugars in range without having to give insulin boluses. Really, the only insulin expenditures these days are basal insulin, certain occasions when I can eat out (Wednesday nights and weekends) and correcting higher blood sugars. I think I have gotten the hang of it all for the most part.
I am attending my first endocrinology appointment alone this Friday with a parent note. Just makes me realize how little time I have left as a carefree teen. Keep posted.
-Patrick
