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Off to College: My first year away
By Allison Blass
Last fall, I started my higher education at the University of Oregon, a mere hundred miles away from where I was born and raised. Moving away from home was the biggest adjustment I have made thus far in life and there were many things I learned through trial-and-error.
My biggest fault was not testing enough in school. Towards the end of the year, my average was 3 times a day. Between early classes, a random meal plan and exercise that was anything but consistent, testing was the last thing on my mind. But it is by far the most important thing (well, next to taking insulin.... which should never be skipped). I had a few bad habits I carried with me to college and it resulted in a December 2003 A1c of 9.1, my highest to date. So, the moral to the story is: test test test! And then test again!
Another crucial part of being anywhere on your own is carrying food or glucose tabs. I usually a bottle of glucose tabs or honey sticks in my room, and when I was away I either had glucose tabs or a dollar for the vending machine. However, I had a few “oops, I forgot” moments . Luckily, I had a couple friends who were willing to run down and grab me a soda. Be safe! Carry sugar! Trust me, it’s embarrassing to say “Yeah, I’ve had diabetes for 10 years” and not be able to take care of yourself.
I also learned the importance of visiting the health center. Guidance from UO’s diabetes educator was very valuable. Between running between classes (a college campus is much bigger than a high school), the freedom (and subsequent abuse) of having a dining area open until 2 o’clock in the morning, and meeting new people and trying to find where you belong, stress does a number to the blood sugar. Having assistance from people with experience is valuable. My number three recommendation is to visit the health center as soon as you can. You can also do this while living at home. If there is a change in your lifestyle and your blood sugars are erratic, call you endocrinologist or diabetes educator and ask them your questions. That is what they’re there for!
I always considered myself to be a fairly independent diabetic when I was in high school. When I went away to college, I realized how much my parents influenced my life and how I felt I could finally “get away” with some diabetic no-no’s. Diabetes is very personal disease. Treatment and reactions depend on the individual, and there is no one system or guide that will work for everyone but hopefully my experiences have helped. Remember, knowledge is power. Learn all you can about yourself and never be afraid to ask questions.
Peace, love & hope for a cure,
Allison
Childrens Diabetes Seminars published the above story from Allison Blass, Manager of Youth Programming at Diabetes Portal, who has been assisting for some time with CDS&SN events. They interviewed Allison after she wrote the essay above.
mjc: Allison, you're now working your way through college while taking care of your diabetes. How long have you had diabetes?
AB: I have had diabetes for ten and a half years. I was diagnosed when I was eight and a half years old.
mjc: So you don't let the challenge of managing your blood sugars get in the way of doing other things?
AB: I don't believe in letting your diabetes control your life. Although much of my life does revolve around diabetes because of my advocacy work, I chose to focus on my diabetes and talk about it excessively because I thought it would be beneficial to other people. The challenge of diabetes care is a part of my life, but there is more to a person than just their health.
mjc: Living away from home means taking responsibility for many decisions about keeping things on an even keel. How long have you been taking responsibility for your diabetes?
AB: I was independent through most of high school. It probably started when I began learning to drive. My parents used to quiz me when I was at home. For example, I would test at dinner time and I would be, say, 240. I would then tell my parents what I would do, either eat less or take more insulin. My parents would either agree with me and my parents would have more confidence in my ability to take care of myself, or I would be wrong and my parents would explain what I would need to do and why. It made the learning process easier because I was more connected to my care. I wasn't a passenger.
mjc: So you feel pretty confident about your ability to handle whatever comes along?
AB: Yes, definitely. So far, I haven't had any problems and I know that if I do, there are doctors and specialists around the country that will be able to answer my questions. I also trust my friends to help me out if there is an emergency. Everyone I have met has been very understanding about my condition and I feel comfortable talking about it. I think my comfort in my life as a person with diabetes helps make other people more comfortable. I try to stay as relaxed as I can because stress usually makes it harder!
mjc: I've been told that you and a friend have set up a monitored blog for transitioning young people to share experiences?
AB: Well, there several things I do, a blog being one of them. First, I host an online chat for teens with diabetes once a week at www.diabetesstation.com. It's called Teen Talk and the goal is to provide a place for teens to meet and connect with each other and also learn about their diabetes from experts, like nutritionists, psychologists, endocrinologists and certified diabetes educators. Teen Talk also has a website, which is at www.diabetesportal.com/teentalk. At that website, there is information about the chat, links to websites, a pen pal board, and three active diaries, or what most people call blogs. I have one, and there are two others, one by Mollie Singer and another by Noah Moore.
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