diabetes - its one big experiment

no matter what type of diabetes you have, the treatment you receive is all basically one big experiment, they try one thing and if that doesn't work they try something else or change the dosage..... 

in type 1 you change the background dose or basal rates, you change the insulin to carb ratio, you might switch to a pump or switch from 2 injections to 4 injections a day....

in type 2 theres a whole range of treatments and dosages. they put you on one tablet, up the dose till your at the maximum, add another tablet to the mix, up that dose and then they change you on to a different tablet if it doesn't work.... then when none of the tablets are doing their job properly they shove you on insulin or other injectable treatments until they finally find what works for you.

the problem with diabetes is that it varies soo much from person to person so there cant be one set treatment to deal with it. but that then means the diabetic is on the end of alot of different trials, alot of different routines and dealing with varying sugar levels in the mix of it. 

its not very fun to say the least.

so yet again I'm in the middle of my consultant trying things out again on me, as i don't have a 'normal' type of diabetes and don't really fit nicely into a box, they have problems deciding on my treatment. 

i tried lots of different tablets last year before finally being given insulin last Sept to actually get my numbers into the range they are meant to be (4-7mmols) rather than constantly between 10-29mmols as they were last summer. 

now, for most people being put on insulin is a bad thing, but i was sooo happy to get my numbers into range that i don't really mind injecting every day, its just become part of my routine. my consultant however, has told me that injecting is just a hassle for me, and i would have a 'better quality of life' on tablets (I'm not so sure). but with tablets come side effects.... and the tablets I'm on give some particularly nasty ones :( and then they aren't keeping my levels anywhere near as controlled as i was on insulin. as my levels are running higher it means I'm tired and grumpy so I'm not enjoying my summer as much as i should now that Ive finished exams...

so now Ive got to fight the professionals again, Ive got to fight to return to the insulin that i want, Ive got to fight to get my life back and start feeling better. i hate fighting, i hate that since diagnosis at 16yrs old i have to argue with doctors just to get the treatment i need so i can prevent the complications later on in life. 

but thats what life with diabetes has become for me, its one big battle, one big experiment and its exhausting and never ending.