Dating & Diabetes

Dating & Diabetes

A personal topic for today's post, this is a topic I have been wanting to do in the last few weeks. I find dating incredibly hard sometimes, I am always upfront and honest about my Diabetes. For some Men they can not handle a Woman with a medical condition let alone a strong Woman. 

I think it is important to be upfront about with your date that you do have a medical condition, whether it be Diabetes or any allergic reactions you have. Also say to your date "Do you have any questions?", I always leave space for any questions that a date may want to ask.

Not everyone knows about Diabetes whether you are Type 1 or Type 2, there will be people out there that may not know anything about our conditions however you may cross paths with someone that knows a little about Diabetes. I believe you need to be prepared to educate your date if they don't know anything about Diabetes.

I believe it is important to be discreet in front of your date when taking your blood glucose level, doing an injection of insulin, using your pump. My personal feeling is when I am on a date, I sit my blood glucose meter on my lap and take my level. In that aspect I feel my date can't really see my meter or me taking my level because the table is hiding it all, also I am on a insulin pump and again the table hides it. Within saying all this if you are happy to put your meter on the table and take your level and your date is happy then go for it.

I believe intimacy is a big deal whether you are dating or are in a relationship, however let us focus on the dating side of things. I say be upfront about any concerns you may have when being intimate especially if you are on a insulin pump. Is the person you are seeing going to be okay seeing your site? if not that is their problem not yours. I personally feel that intimacy is a tricky topic, however intimacy should not be a problem or an issue for anybody. 

I have covered three main points when it comes to Dating and Diabetes;

1. Be upfront and honest about any medical conditions that you have
2. Be discreet when on a date or do what makes you feel comfortable
3. Be honest about any concerns you and your date may have when it comes to intimacy

Dating is not easy by any means especially when you have Diabetes or any medical conditions. I do believe that there is someone for everyone regardless of your sexuality.

Please leave me a comment, tell me about your experiences with Dating.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend, as always please subscribe if you have a Google Plus account and check out the Facebook Page Type One and Life.

Until next time

Jenna

Hello Everyone

Hello

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. I wanted to do a small blog post just to say hello and there will be a new blog post up on Sunday, it will be about Dating and Diabetes. If there is anything you would like to mention in the blog post for Sunday please leave me a comment or contact me through the Facebook Page Type One Diabetes & Life.

As always please feel free to subscribe to the blog if you have a Google Plus account, I am in the process of trying to set up an email subscription so the blog can be more accessible. There is also the Facebook Page please feel free to check it out, I will leave it here tonight and the new blog post will be up on Sunday.

Until next time

Jenna

Short Break

Hello

Hello everyone, I just wanted to do a quick post and let you know I am taking a short break. I am not well at the moment, however I hope to be back up and running in no time, I hope to have a new blog post up by the end of the week.

Until next time

Jenna

Election Promises

Election Promises

Will the Election Promises be kept? I certainly hope so, The Australian Federal Election is happening on July 2 2016 and the Liberal Party and Labor Party have made election promises towards Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices and Type One Diabetes. The question is depending on which party gets into the government will they keep the promise? Let's take a look on what the Liberal and Labor Party's have promised.

The Liberal Party announced on the 15th May 2016 they would provide $54 Million towards Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices for children and young adults under the age of 21 should the Liberal Party get re-elected. The Liberal Party has said on their website that there is around 13,600 children and young people under the age of 21 with Type One Diabetes, now I do not doubt this one bit but the $54 Million will only cover 4000 children and young people under the age of 21.

The Labor Party announced on Wednesday 15th June 2016 they would provide $83.4 Million for a full subside for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices for people under the age of 21, pregnant women and for people over the age of 21 with severe low blood glucose levels. Labor has said that more than 6000 people with Type One will benefit from the policy based on Diabetes Australia analysis. Also with this money $4 Million will be used for expanding subsidised access to insulin pumps, that will be $1 Million a year. This all hinges on if Labor is elected to be the government.

This is my opinion and I do hope that the Labor Party gets elected, they are offering more for people with Type One Diabetes than what the Liberal Party is. Neither Party is perfect, they both have their flaws. All I care for is the election promises that has been made for people with Type One Diabetes.

My information about the Liberal Party I got from their website which is www.liberal.org.au and the Labor Party information I got from Nine News www.9news.com.au and the JDRF Newsletter.

I will say it again this is just my opinion and my views and I am not trying to influence anyone or your votes come election time. This is a topic that interested me and I hope that this topic may interest you.

Please head over to the Facebook Page and check it out and feel free to subscribe to the blog if you have a google plus account. I am trying to sort out an email subscription so stay tuned for that one.

Until next time

Jenna

Employment and a Medical Condition

You Have Employment

First of all that is awesome, now depending on your job title your Diabetes should not be affected.When you do gain employment I think it is important that you communicate with your employer about your Diabetes and the needs that you have such as a lunch break. 

When I started looking for a job and going for job interviews I was always upfront about my Diabetes and I was met with no objections from the potential employers. I feel lucky with my employer that they have been so understanding with my Diabetes. I always tell people if you have any questions about Diabetes please ask, I happy to answer any questions that people in the workplace may have. I would rather answer questions and give people the right information than have people make assumptions.

I feel there is a lot of assumptions about Type One and all we can do is educate people, there is no point getting flustered because it will cause problems. It is important to have an open line of communication between you and your employer otherwise your employer may not understand you and your needs regarding your medical condition.

Here are a few short tips for handling employment when you have a medical condition 

• Don't be afraid to tell your employer about your Diabetes, your employer should know so they can provide you with the regular meal breaks that you need.
• Make sure you eat regularly to avoid unstable glucose levels
• If you feel you are being discriminated against please speak up and if you feel you are not being heard contact Diabetes Australia www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/contactus
• I believe in keeping an open mind when people ask questions, people don't always realise that the questions they ask can be insulting and/or rude.

This is only my point of view and I hope that talking my experiences gives someone a little bit of hope and know that you are not alone when it comes to life experiences such as having a job. Life is hard enough having Diabetes, your job should accommodate your Diabetes.

I will leave it here, this blog post is a bit short tonight. Please head over to the Facebook page and give it a like. Also if you have a google plus account feel free to subscribe to the blog.

Until next time

Jenna

  

Tired

Feeling Tired

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week. I would normally do my blog post on Sunday but I wanted to get it done early as my internet is playing up at the moment and I don't know if I would be able to post on Sunday and so here I am.

I wanted to write about feeling tired, lately I have been feeling tired and just plain exhausted. It is not really Diabetes related, it is mainly work and lack of sleep. I feel I am constantly on the go, I rarely stop and it would be nice to just stop for a moment and breathe.

I admit that my tiredness is sometimes Diabetes related,with the activities I do my blood glucose levels can be like a rollercoaster. However I try to keep my Diabetes under control as best as I can and I utilise my insulin pump settings.

Feeling constantly tired can be draining, I find at times I don't want to do anything even though there is plenty of things I could be doing. That example can be linked to lack of motivation.

Here are some tips that might help if you are experiencing tiredness, I believe to try and combat the tiredness it is important to

•  Have an early night, go to bed early
•  Try to get at least 8 hours sleep
•  Use a sleep spray, I use The Body Shop Quiet Night Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist
•  Use a sleep mask to block out any light

Here are some tips that might help if you are lacking motivation

• Have a to-do list, if you have a lot of things to get done a to do list may help
• Listen to music something upbeat to get you moving
• Take up an exercise activity such as walking, it is a great way to get moving
• Have something in your life to look forward to, whether it be going for a coffee with a friend or having a date with your partner. Having those things should give you the motivation to get out and about

I will leave it here, tell me do you experience tiredness? whether it be Diabetes related or just plain tired. Please leave me a comment and if there is anything you would like me to blog about just let me know.

Don't forget I have setup a Facebook Page Type One Diabetes & Life

Until next time

Jenna

Type One Diabetes & Life Facebook Page

New Facebook Page

Good Evening everybody,

I wanted to let you know that I have set up a new Facebook Page for the blog. The Facebook Page is Type One Diabetes & Life, please go and check it out. Of course it will take time to build the page up just like the blog will take time to build up, I will keep this post short and sweet tonight.

I just wanted to let you guys know that the Facebook Page is up and running, as I said the page name is Type One Diabetes & Life.

Until next time

Jenna

Support Systems

My Support System

When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes I very quickly learnt who my friends were and I was heavily relying on my Mum. Naturally when you are diagnosed in Paediatrics you have an entire team helping you with your Diabetes and I am forever grateful to them.

Overtime I feel I have built my support system from the ground up. I would not be in anywhere in life without my Mum, she has been my biggest supporter and my best friend. My medical team is also amazing for helping me get through my problems big or small and having friends always helps.

Having my support system I feel I can do anything, nothing should hold me back. I feel I can be myself and not be ashamed about my chronic condition.

People are not always understanding when you have a chronic condition, I have found this to be true when it comes to dating. This is why it is important to have a support system, someone to talk to when you are having a bad day, someone to have your back at the end of the day.

It can be hard when people don't understand what I go through on a daily basis. Those people are not understanding or choose not to understand and that is on them not me. This is one of the many things I have learnt over the last eleven years with the support of my Mum.

It is important to have a support system, having a chronic medical condition is hard enough and you should not have to deal with it on your own. 

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend and has a lovely week, please tell me about your support system. I would love to hear your stories.

I will also be starting a Facebook page very soon and I will update you all when the page is up and running.

Until next time

Jenna