I have always tried to do my very best in school. I imagine it my way of getting the things I want most out of life, college, awesome dream job, and just to know lots of stuff. I get scared at the thought that I could possibly do my very worst at school and fail miserably.
I always push myself and though at times I feel inadequate with all the standards put on me by teachers, parents, other important people in my life I know I can do it. I can do this, I know I can do this, I will do this are words I frequently say to myself when I am given a test that by the end I am in tears and I know I have failed it badly. I have tried hard because I never want to be known as the dumb one the one who just doesn't have it, to have the permission to use my mind for more than just normal stuff. I love to think. So other than completely telling the whole world hat I am an absolute nerd who is better at studying than keeping up with facebook I am also here today to tell about my experience, advice, and lists for surviving high school with type 1 diabetes.
I went to a private school my freshman year, and even though this school had impeccable standards, I wore a uniform and walked in line they had no nurse. I was left to care for my diabetes on my own from 7 to 3:30. No one was ever there to help when my blood sugars were low and I'm pretty sure had I passed out due to low blood sugar I would have died before someone figured out I needed a glucogon.
So in September of my sophomore year we moved and I started at my now high school. They had a nurse, most teachers knew what to do if I were to pass out, and I had a free pass to the bathroom and a locker in the nurses office to keep snacks and at the time I had an insulin pump. I really struggled that year, it was my first year ever in a public school, I knew nobody an I had to jump in a system I was partly behind in and partly ahead in and everyone thought I was either a missionary kid shipped over from a foreign country or from military school. I had to get use to reporting to a nurse and having a busy schedule. Lets just say my diabetes was walking on a tightrope that year my A1c was climbing, my hormones were slightly off balance and I needed some space to grow and stretch out. I live day to day taking for granted everything including my wondrous insulin pump, I guess you could say that this was my ultimate rebellious stage.
So over that summer I decided to go old school and dig it with the shots. I began my junior year with shots and boy that made my diabetes easier to hide but way more unpredictable. I also carried my rebellion into this year and totally gave in to my poor me attitude and struggled with depression form what I later figured out was from very high sugars. Over my Christmas break I landed in the hospital with a virus of some very painful repercussions and the highest A1c ever 13.6. I hated what my diabetes had done to me and how it had made me into this sick person. I left the hospital and slowly began my recovery.
One day I forgot my insulin at home and my sugars skyrocketed at school. I got terribly sick I couldn't even stand and for those of you who have never thrown up from high blood sugars it takes hours and hours of sitting with the feeling of " I am going to throw up any minute" to actually throw up. I went to dance class and felt fine and one my way to drivers ed went down hill quick. I remember looking around for the trash can, and then went to the nurses office for water and a minute to rest because it was a long and exhausting walk to the office. I tried to go to each class and ended up back in the nurses office when eventually against my will called my mom. Yep lets talk about a real crappy day I ended up throwing up in the car waiting on my mom to sign me out and made my brother throw it away (hahahahaha). In the end I went home and swore I would never do that again and keep insulin in the school fridge.
I am going to start my senior year again with out a pump again, I really miss that baby and I am nervous about the stress and the super hard schedule my friends in the registrar department have graced me with I predict my levels going through the roof baby! Yep I am preparing by keeping extra tabs on the bg's and keeping it down low if you know what I mean. So I am anxious but prepared including all things "d" wise
A diabetic high schoolers school list for MDI's and pumpers
two bottles of glucose tablets
Lance 4 pack crackers
gel tubes
Unexpired glucogon
extra insulin ( only if there is an available fridge for pumpers and MDI's)
2 bags of syringes or just a few for pumpers usually ten a bag
extra bottle of testing strips
ketone strip (foil wrapped is best)
extra meter set
lancets
nausea medication (pepto bismal)
pain medication (advil, tylonal)
money to by water or lunch
and any extra medications you take.
This is just a general list and it increases and decreases throughout the year. I would love to know what you or you send with your kids to school. I try to be prepared but I do forget stuff. I try my best not to freak out unless it is insulin :0). The other day I forgot my test strips and there forth I just had to not check at lunch and go with my gut with the high low thing.It worked out fine but I don't like doing that.
And then I got to the part about adjusting to the Real World and I began to wonder if I had at all. Just kidding I think I have adjusted pretty well to society, not to their rules but my own about diabetes, independence, whats right and wrong which is all up for debate. But I don't know about this new real world I will soon be embarking on maybe it will require a whole new adjustment.