Life as we know it

It's not about syringes, or pricking your fingers or having an insulin pump attached to your body. That's not the hardest part. I have come to terms with counting carbs and having to drag along all the supplies whenever I leave the house. There's more to it. Think job interviews.. Do you tell your possibly new employer that you are a diabetic? When do you tell your colleagues? Can one refuse you the job, because of your medical condition?

I'm pretty open about my diabetes. People around me know I carry an insulin pump and I try to teach them about diabetes, hyperglycaemia and hypos. Do they understand? Probably not. Do they care? I don't know, some will and others won't. It is pretty difficult to grasp it, if it's not part of your life. It is my life though, and it's the life I know.

Diabetes doesn't come in handy, if your car is stuffed with children and you feel your blood sugars drop. That's when you curse the whole thing. It's no joy if you cannot go to work, because your body is sick because you had ketones the night before. We have to prove ourselves even more than other co-workers, because just once too often, your employer is afraid you will be an extra cost for him. They are not looking forward to having an employee that needs doctor's visits every now and then. Ever had a hypo while talking on the phone with an important client? Do you think they will realize what you are going through, no longer finding your words and getting all sweaty and shaky and confused? If you're lucky, you will have a colleague take over. Of course you work overtime without hesitation, because you were out half an hour, due to a severe hypo.. Does that go for your colleague as well, who calls her mother for half an hour twice a day, in between meetings and business calls? No, because that is accepted on the work floor.. hypos aren't..

One day, your diabetes management is great. The next day, it can be the complete opposite. Diabetes is very unpredictable. You never know in advance what your sugars will do. You learn new things about your body on a daily basis. I remember my diagnosis and the thoughts I had that day: okay, I have diabetes. I'll take my insulin and in no time, I'll have great management! Not.. That was a true disillusion.. I had to learn to be less perfectionist overnight..

It's not always drama, luckily. I'm a pretty normal person, you know. Nobody can tell I have diabetes. I have my pump in my pocket or way back in my bra. There are no outer signs. It's not written on my forehead. It's just part of me. Me and my diabetes..