They are, in no particular order:
Sleepy: A character that needs no introduction to any one in this day and age. Life is frantic, full of things to do, people to see, YouTube videos to watch... Who can honestly say they consistently get their recommended 8 hours of shut eye? People with T1, and their families, often get less sleep than most - blood sugars need to be tested during the night. It is easier now that TD wears the CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) because at 2am all I have to do is hold the sensor to her arm and check she is "in the zone" (see previous post), correct if low, ignore if a little high, and waddle back to bed to sleep a bit more. Before the CGM days, TD had to wake up, prick her finger, do the blood test and then proceed with the next steps. CGM for the win!
Grumpy: Following straight on from Sleepy, we have Grumpy. It can be hard to function optimally on disturbed sleep, and grumpiness is often a by product of tiredness.
Dopey: This is another effect that Sleepy has on us. If it has been a long night, I sometimes walk round in a fug of forgetfulness. I know there is stuff to remember, but I just can't figure out what it is I am forgetting. The extra testing kit? Buying more Super Cs? Changing the needles on the pens? Luckily most of that has become habit now, and the things I forget are less important...like where I left my glasses or how many cups of tea I have consumed...
Sneezy: Do you also sneeze when you are tired? It seems to be quite common. TD takes Allergex nightly to alleviate the symptons....if she forgets, her eyes water, her throat itches and she sneezes.
Bashful: There are only a few situations where TD prefers not to inject insulin in public spaces. Mostly she has this Bashful thing under control. Of course, dresses, dungarees and other clothing that make injecting into the stomach for fast acting insulin impossible, are a problem, and TD excuses herself to inject. (Never inject through clothing, in case micro fibres are pushed under the skin, leading to possible infection....)
Doc: Every T1 family's favourite of the Dwarfs. It is so important to have a good medical team to partner with. TD has great people on her help list : the endocrinologist is great, the GP is wonderful and most other medical practitioners are kind and understanding. Quite frankly, if they are not, it is time to move on. Trust is a huge Doc issue. We have been very fortunate in the people who help TD.
Happy: Sometimes the challenges are overwhelming, but it is important to allow ourselves to be Happy. Not all the time, obviously. Adversity is a great teacher, but happiness is a state that I need around me. I am happy to be able to share my life with the people I love. I am not happy that TD has diabetes, but I am happy that she is TD, and that seems to include diabetes, so that is just how we roll.
Fairy tales are flawed. Snow White is not a particularly positive role model for children today. I reread the story to refresh the details in my mind, and the whole beauty fixation/role of females/ being saved by a handsome prince sticks in the throat a lot. But, seeing as we are all flawed too, perhaps it is important to retell these tales to our children and embrace the notion of happy ever after. Stories give us a chance to explore villains and heroes, right and wrong, real and fantastic. The 7 dwarfs are an odd bunch, but rather relatable don't you think!
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| The Seven Diabetic Dwarfs |
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