Eight Sips Theory

I love blogging. It's helped alot to blog about having diabetes. Surprisingly alot. It's taken me a while to find some other blogs about diabetes that I like. But now I am and it's truly comforting to find other people who are living with the strange routines and little games that make up life with diabetes. Take low blood sugars. I found this wonderful entry about one person's technique of dealing with the inevitable lows that we live with on a site called six until me. The entry is called "oh so slightly OCD" and it talks about how 8 gulps of cranberry juice is the perfect way to treat her low blood sugars:

"It’s been after many years of treating my own reactions that I’ve come to the Eight Sips Theory. If my bloodsugar is anywhere under 55 mg/dl, I fill a glass with juice and gulp down Eight Sips. Never more. But I’ll refill the glass if there isn’t enough for eight. It’s enough to bring me back. Every time.

“One … two … three … four…” I count in my head as I swallow. Reaching “…eight,” I promptly put the glass down and sit. It’s still within reach, but it’s not lying comfortingly in my hand. Eight Sips. They calm the panic enough for me to breathe evenly. My eyes languidly scope the room, but I know that I will come up enough from whatever the low is with Eight Sips. Seven is not enough. Ten is too many.

Eight.

There’s a comfort found in this routine. It makes me feel safe. Protected.

And oh so slightly OCD."

I can so relate! The pursuit of the perfect way to treat the adrenaline filled, panicky rush of a low blood sugar. Right now I'm finding that a 5 minute suspension of my pump and a handful of Planet Harmony "fruit bears"

or 2 Newman's Own "ginger-o's"

or 1 "s'more" Luna Bar

all seem to do the trick in a pretty low fat, "tasty" kind of way. They're all around 15-20 grams of carbohydrate, and they seem to work fairly fast so I'm not usually inclined to over eat in the time it takes for the shakiness to recede as my blood sugar rises.

I also have found in my journey through the diabetes blogsphere, that many people have referred to life with diabetes as one of acquired "OCD". I've never thought of it this way but it does make sense. All the routines and rituals that diabetes requires, can lead to a life of patterns and internalized habits. I do worry about this factor of chronic illness, the tightrope we walk as we try to honor what the disease requires while minimizing the expense it exacts on the quality of life. It's easy to get a bit obsessive about doing diabetes perfectly. There's a lot to balance and manage and there is a lot at stake. And it is unrelenting. Everything counts. Every thing you eat. Every unit of insulin. Every minute of exercise. It all has impact.

I can't say how much it is helping to find others who are living with this challenge. I don't feel so alone and a best of all, I can learn from other peoples journey's too. In the immediate future, I'm going to try the Eight Sips Theory as another option for low bloodsugars. Of course, I'll try it with a Luna Bar close by, just as backup. You can never be too careful, right?

Comments

[Kerri.]

Thanks for the mention on your blog, and for linking me.

About the OCD bit, I stick by the Eight Sip Theory. My dear boyfriend and my close friends can attest to the fact that it works every time.

Thanks for reading Six Until Me. I hope you stop by again soon.

Kerri.

[birdie]

My pleasure mentioning your blog. I think you are doing a wonderful job bringing diabetes to life in a warm and honest way. You are a great writer and I have no doubt will realize your dream of becoming an author. In the meantime, you are providing a authentic and affirming resource for people with diabetes. You have already helped me immensly by doing six until me. Thanks go to you. And don't worry, I will be back to your blog! Wouldn't miss it for the world! Birdie