I’ve recently been looking back at where technology was when I was first diagnosed with CF Related Diabetes (CFRD) in middle school. I likely had diabetes for a solid year before actually getting diagnosed. It wasn’t until after I had diabetes that I could then pinpoint and match the symptoms of what I had been feeling for the majority of 6th grade. I had constant headaches, was moody, didn’t want to do anything active, always sleeping and had blurred vision but I was told that was all puberty. At one point in 7th grade, I was put on a steroid called prednisone for a lung infection. Prednisone is known to cause high blood sugars, so I was monitored while using it and then BOOM they found out I was already a diabetic and this dosage of prednisone was making me a super diabetic (my words, not theirs).

To be honest, I don’t remember thinking life sucked when I was officially diagnosed with CFRD in 2007. I remember 2007 more for the fact that the Minnesota Wild were Northwest Division champs, so that explains where my priorities were at back then. I do remember weirdly being thankful that I had diabetes. I was now aware of why I wasn’t feeling good for so long and I was FINALLY able to act on it. 

I basically went to diabetes school after my diagnosis. I was already hospitalized for my lung infection at the time so I had hands on training from nurses on how to prick my finger, how to administer an insulin shot, and I also learned all the ways CFRD is different from type 1 or 2 diabetes.

Now that I was graduated from diabetes school it was time to go about my sugary little life. I started off with a blood checking monitor that required an ungodly amount of blood. I had to murder my fingers to get a blood sugar reading. The monitors were large, bulky and anything but subtle for a self-conscious teenager. Delivering insulin in 2007 meant getting a vile of it from the fridge, measuring out the exact dose of insulin with a syringe and then giving yourself a shot in the stomach with a giant needle from hell. And you'd repeat that process every day. For every meal, for every snack, for every gosh darn beverage that contained 15 or more grams of carbohydrates. One positive thing about CFRD, I am now a pro at my 15 times table due to the good old carb correction scale.

Eventually in high school I was introduced to the insulin quick pens. These beautiful things had a much smaller, finer needle that I could barely feel. My stomach was about to get a break from the green and yellow bruises it had collected and sustained over the years. I no longer had to dial up insulin with a syringe. One insulin pen had over 200 units! That was well over a week's worth of insulin for me. The pens also didn't need to be refrigerated after the first use. Which meant my days of packing insulin on ice when leaving my house were over. I didn't interrupt my classes by leaving early to go to the nurse's office before lunch every day. Life with diabetes had become a little easier and a little more manageable. I always felt like a dog on a leash when I was first diagnosed, only able to go so far before being yanked back for a blood sugar check or insulin shot. But now, these insulin pens were giving me more freedom. I had regained a little more slack in my leash that I thought had been tied off for good.

I've always been a realist when it came to my health. I've always just dealt with whatever came my way. Mainly because complaining wasn't going to solve anything and it is not the Garvey way. Chronic illnesses take a lot of time and effort, so whining about my life didn't fit into my already busy schedule.

I came to terms years ago with the fact I had diabetes and that it was going to be a pain in the butt but life was fine overall. I wasn't heart broken or hopeless. I was just accepting and obedient, almost as if I had tunnel vision. This was just how it was going to be and I was going to deal with it just like every other obstacle I've come across in life. So imagine the surprise when this content little diabetic came across an infomercial for the Omni pod insulin pump! My life was forever changed for the better even though I already was thinking life was pretty great. The Omni pod is a wireless/tubeless non-surgical insulin pump that stays on with adhesive. It provides 3 days worth of insulin before needing to be switched out for a new one. It is water proof and also Martha proof, meaning it stays on when I play hockey, snowboard, bike and paddle! I control my insulin intake with a hand held device that's like a remote control. I tell it where my blood sugar level is at or what I'm going to eat and then it sends a message to the Omni pod that's on my body to deliver the correct amount of insulin. It was absolutely amazing to me when I came across the Omni pod in high school. 

I was always aware of insulin pumps but never was interested in having one due to my active lifestyle and I figured it just wasn't for me. I'll be the first to admit that was a very uneducated teenager's thought process. Months after getting my Omni pod I later found out that Nick Jonas used the Omni pod too so that was all the confirmation I needed that I made a good decision. If it’s good enough for a Jonas brother, it's good enough for me! (I promise I don't make life decisions based off Nick Jonas often).

I've been on the pump for probably 8 years now. I still think it's just as awesome as I did when I was 16. They have even made Omni pods a little smaller now than when I was first using them which is another nice perk! I'm now 24 and as much as I'd love to say that I am a professional when it comes to diabetes, I am not. I still make mistakes in my diet, with my carb corrections, and sometimes my lung infections affect my blood sugars. I had recently have been getting frustrated with my crazy blood sugars. I have had some scary moments of dropping dangerously low at very inconvenient times. One of the biggest things that I think a lot of diabetics can relate to, is the fear. I worry my blood sugar will drop in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping and I won't be able to wake up and fix it. My fear became so bad that I was setting multiple alarms throughout the night to wake me up so I could check my blood sugar to make sure I was okay. 90% of the time I would be perfectly fine and in a normal range but it's those times that I wasn't that made me continue on with this interrupted sleep schedule for years. I’d like to take this moment to apologize to all my college roommates who overheard my lion king ringtone/alarm coming from my room at 1am and 5am. It was the only alarm that could wake me up.

After college I moved back in with my parents. It didn't take long for them to catch on to my fear and unhealthy sleep schedule. I soon found out it was also a worry for them too. I was pretty set on this schedule and just assumed this is what had to be done in order to stay on top of things. Like I said earlier, I was accepting and obedient when it came to my health. 

But then, just like I had come across the Omni pod on tv, I came across actor Derek Theler on Instagram wearing a device called the Dexcom. The Dexcom provides continuous insight into glucose levels throughout the day and night. I have it synced with my phone so I get updates every five minutes as to what my blood sugar is. I have my dexcom programmed to alert for any drastic changes. I get an alarm if my blood sugar is high or if its low. I get a peace of mind and a full nights sleep. I cant explain what that means to me or the positive impact it's had on my life. I've been using the Dexcom for less than a year and I've already been upgraded to a smaller and newer one. It's been an amazing tool and has allowed me to continue to live an active and fun lifestyle!

I'm done being content and accepting of "this is how things are" when it comes to my health. I am optimistic and excited for all the great medical advancements coming my way, for both CF and diabetes. I am a firm believer that medical conditions will become easier to manage over time, I've seen it for myself and I'm truly thankful. Like the late great Tom Petty once said, " There's something good coming just over the hill. Something good coming, I know it will."

 

                                                                                          Help Others Live STRONGER and LONGER- 

                                                                                          

   

 

Martha is currently 24 years old and was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at birth. She is an outdoor recreation educator by day and an aspiring stand-up comedian at night. Martha maintains an active lifestyle by snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and paddling on the beautiful lakes of Minnesota. She is also a former CFLF Recreation Grant Recipient. Follow her adventure on Instagram at @marthagarvey

 

 

 

***Views expressed in the CFLF Blog are those of the bloggers themselves and not necessarily of the Cystic Fibrosis Lifestyle Foundation*** 

***Please speak with your physician before making any changes to your CF management***

 

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