Goodbye 2015.

Hello 2015,

It's almost time to say goodbye. Our time together is nearly over. Those 365 days I got to spend with you this year were absolutely incredible and I can't thank you enough for most of them. We had our ups and downs but hey who hasn't? Someone told me it's not really a healthy relationship when you don't have your disagreements or less good moments. I guess so. 

When December 2014 came to an end I was really excited to meet you and couldn't wait for all the adventures you had in store for me. My excitement was well placed as you were amazing. I also prepared a list of goals for us, hoping I would reach them and I did. Most of them anyway. For example I watched Big Hero 6 AND hugged a Baymax (evidence on your right), I went abroad (multiple times), I completed the 25 km walk, proceeded to the 2nd year of University, ate a lot of ice cream, went to a festival AND multiple concerts, slept outside in a tent and I went swimming. A big thanks to you for helping me achieve those things.

You helped me improve my taste in music as well, you introduced me to Halsey, Biffy Clyro, Panic! at the Disco, Walk The Moon and Twenty One Pilots, got me more into Troye Sivan, Chef'Special, Jeffrey Lewis, Fall Out Boy, The 1975 and All Time Low. Yeah, regarding music this year was incredible, I feel really satisfied with my current taste in music yet I hope 2016 can introduce me to even more incredible artists. 2015 you were not only great with music you were also great with art as in during my time with you I visited the Rijksmuseum, one of Holland's most famous museums. The Rijksmuseum was really amazing, so many different artists, styles of arts, centuries of art. It felt great just roaming it's hallways taking good looks at all the pieces of art everywhere and the marvellous architectural structure of the building itself. 
 









Then there was travelling. 2014 and 2013 helped me spend a lot of money on travelling some big plans were made for 2016 as well so with you I had to slow down on the spending money for travelling bit. Thankfully you understood my wish and helped me find the ultimate holiday destination, Domaine de Puylagorge. A Dutch campsite in France known for being a great holiday destination for families with one or more children with a disability. The work I got to do there was great, so great even I decided to go back in 2016. These were two great weeks for a low budget traveller like me this year. However our travelling didn't stop there, hell no. A few weeks after France I went to The Hague with my mum, dad and sister for a couple of days where we visited a Food Marked and went to see Billy Elliot which was amazing. Somewhere in April or May you pushed me and my friend to buy tickets for TATINOF (The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire) in Brighton, UK. Possibly the best purchase of the year so thanks for that mate! This meant we head to go to Brighton as well so on October 30 we boarded a plane and went to Brighton for a weekend. Brighton was everything I could have wished for and more, it was practically the best weekend of my life. Even after Brighton you thought I needed another travelling thing so you gave me that last push to say yes to my friend who asked me to go to Disneyland Paris during New Year's eve. 
So when it comes to travelling you have been more than great for me and I could never thank you enough for the amazing chances you have given me!

 

Besides all the good stuff we went through there were some less good times too. In August my granddad nearly died but thankfully he's a very brave and strong man and I'm so grateful to still have him by my side. Then there were those times where my moods just dropped and the void became stronger again and of course the many times my anxiety tried to ruin my day. Thankfully you were a great companion and showed me how amazing my friends are and that I actually can trust them and am allowed to tell them when I'm struggling with myself.

2015 you have been so patient with me. You taught me so many things this year, sometimes I picked them up quickly and other times you had to pick me up from the floor a thousand times or give me that last push a couple of times before it struck me. You were a massive part in me growing stronger and finding out more about myself, who I am and who I want to become. You taught me that I can do anything as long as I keep fighting for it and keep approaching it in a positive way. Positivity is key is what you always say just as you can't stop saying everything will be fine in the end. Now the end is here, or our end at least and wow you were right. Everything is fine and I have you thank for it.

2015 I'll tell you one last time, THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH, for everything you've done with and for me this year. I will never forget you!

Love you lots,
ThatDutchGirl96

Diabetes vs. Christmas.

Hey there!

In a blog I published a little while ago I told you I am diabetic. Well I have diabetes, my diabetes doesn't define me as a person it's just something that is a (pretty big) part of my life. Now I don't want to spend a lot of time on my diabetes on this blog as it is not what I have started this blog for. However, since it is such a big part of my life, why not share my opinions, experiences and some of my personal tips and tricks with the world. 

Before we continue let me just drop some facts about Type 1 Diabetes Melitus. 
- Type 1 diabetes is the less common type of diabetes, 1 out of 10 people with diabetes has type 1 diabetes. 
- When you have type 1 diabetes you are completely insulin-dependent, your pancreas doesn't make any more insulin for you.
- You can get type 1 diabetes due to your own immune system destroying your pancreas but it's also a genetic disease. 
- When you have type 1 diabetes you need to either inject insulin for the rest of your life or use an insulin pump to satisfy your insulin needs. 
- As a type 1 diabetic you can't just eat whatever you like.

There you go, just a couple of facts about type 1 diabetes. You will find more information about Diabetes (type 1 and 2) on websites such as www.endocrine.com, www.diabetes.org and for the Dutch diabetics out there: www.dvn.nl and www.sugarkids.nl.

Now all that is done we can continue on with the real purpose of this blog. When you have diabetes, no matter what type, holidays like Christmas where a lot of food and irregular eating is involved are always a struggle. This Christmas is my fourth Christmas as a diabetic and so far I haven't found the golden trick to keeping my sugar levels on a decent level throughout Christmas. As I mentioned before, Diabetes and food relate to each other really closely. Us diabetics have a lack of the hormone insulin, the hormone that handles the glucose in your body. During Christmas the consumption of lots of sweets, Christmas dinner and other foods that contain high levels of glucose are everyday business. 
Just as any other a diabetic loves to join in the Christmas madness and consume a lot of chocolates or candy canes or eat way too much during the family dinner. This however is where the struggle starts. The other part is the length of the family dinner and when and how many glucose you will eat during this dinner.
Will you drink alcohol or a hot chocolate? Will you go crazy on the dessert?  How much time will pass between courses? Will the alarm of my insulin pump go off telling me it needs to be replaced? Will I go to a quiet place to inject my insulin? Is there enough space on the table for me to put my sugar level checking device or do I need to put it on my lap or somewhere else completely?

These are some of the questions I (used to) ask myself during Christmas dinner. I found an answer for some of them. Personally I'm not an alcohol drinker and during things like Christmas dinner I tend to drink (sparkling) water, sugar free lemonade or tea. When it comes to the amount of glucose I eat during Christmas dinner I usually check out the courses before the dinner starts. This to estimate the amount of glucose every course holds and to see if it's really crucial to inject insulin for like the soup or if I'm going to wait with injecting the insulin until the main course comes on. When it comes to dessert well lets say I'm not the greatest example of keeping the amounts of consumed glucose low. 

During my first Christmas dinner as a diabetic I got asked a lot of questions. Nowadays I'm still asked questions as siblings and cousins get girlfriends/boyfriends who barely know anything about it or are just curious as to why I handle my diabetes a certain way or how I deal with my diabetes during times like Christmas. For me the best way to deal with these  questions is to take a few breaths and realise not everyone is a walking diabetes encyclopaedia and then answer all their questions honestly. When it comes to my diabetes I'm pretty much an open book. I have learned that this works better than keeping it a secret because talking about it and informing others on your state of health allows them to help you when needed. 

As for my sugar levels. I don't think there's one golden secret to keeping your sugar levels under control. Give yourself time to count the amount of glucose you have eaten/ are going to eat and to calculate the amount of insulin you need. Don't wait too long with giving yourself the insulin as this will only result in high sugar levels. On that note however don't give yourself all the insulin before you've eaten the glucose holding meals as this will result in low sugar levels which make you want to eat more and end in high sugar levels. (trust me I know). 

All I'm left with is wishing you all a very merry Christmas! I hope you have a good one (all of you)! For all the people with diabetes out there or relatives of someone suffering from diabetes, I hope the information I've given you is of use. If you have some tips and/or tricks of your own don't be shy and please share them in the comments below. Together we can help one another in keeping our blood sugar levels stable.

I wish you all the best!
ThatDutchGirl96

(source: www.facebook.com/jongmetdiabetes)