The following can be very costly if you are a woman with diabetes. I know they are mistakes because I’ve personally committed each and every one of them and suffered the consequences.
1. Forgetting to check blood sugar.
Find a way to remember to check at least 5 times a day for two weeks and it will be ingrained as a habit and something you are unlikely to forget. I bought a watch with alarms that went off every hour. Every time the alarm went off it triggered me to ask myself, “do I need to check my blood sugar?” It worked great during my pregnancy.
2. Guessing as to what blood sugar levels are instead of checking and knowing what they are.
No matter how sure you are that you know what your blood sugar is by feeling it, you will sometimes be wrong. This often leads to a severe low or high-one that can be avoided by just taking 10 seconds to check blood sugar.
3. Not rotating insulin shot or pump infusion sites.
I have so much scar tissue from not having rotated my pump infusion and injection sites which in turn impedes insulin absorption. Oh and it also makes my arms seem thicker-something we women do NOT appreciate at all.
4. Eating too much on the insulin pump just because it is so easy to hit those buttons.
I gained weight when I switched to the insulin pump after 7 years of using simple syringes. 7 years later I switched back to shots and lost weight. If you get too tempted to snack because giving insulin is so convenient, think twice about staying on the pump. Extra weight hurts us diabetics in more ways than one.
5. Skipping yearly doctor visits.
Do make sure you get your eyes checked each year as well as your feet. Also get your blood tested for the A1c and have your lipid profile, liver, and kidney functions tested.
6. Being envious of non-diabetics.
Since this hurts more than helps you, try to limit to 5 seconds and then move on. Feel grateful for insulin and the technologies which created the pump and the meter and be happy to be alive. A hundred years ago your story would have been very different.
7. Eating too many carbs.
This complicates your ability to control blood sugar. If you are a type 2 diabetic, carbs are your worst enemy. Try reducing the amount of carbs you eat by a small amount every week so you don’t feel the change so drastically. Read more about why low carb is best for diabetics.
Like I said, I have been there, done that. By avoiding the mistakes on this list I quickly lost weight, greatly improved my A1c, and made my life easier and much happier in general.
You can, too!
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