For those of you who haven’t discovered this yet: the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation launched a so-called Blogger Round Table back in January. It’s organized by Allison Blass with two members of the JDRF communications team. Participants are: me, Kerri, Bernard Farrell, Scott Johnson, Allie Beatty, Manny Hernandez, Scott Strumello, Sandra Miller, and Gina Capone.
Each month, we get a set of questions on a certain diabetes topic du juor, and our answers are parsed out 
on the site.
Round 1 was an intro, all about making connections through blogging.
Round 2 was a discussion on insulin pumps: who uses them, who doesn’t, and why.
Round 3 was all about travel with diabetes. Criminy, I’m bad at it. More on that later.
Round 4 got hot and heavy, talking about romantic relationships and intimate moments. I’m not sure that one’s been posted yet.
This month, we were asked to give our input on nutrition, our “food philosophy” and what kinds of foods we avoid or prefer: low-carb, high-protein, vegetarian, no-sweets, some-sweets, some random combination, etc. Basically it’s to get a sense of how us vocal PWDs deal with food in real life.
I’ve had a lot of fun being brutally honest for this forum. I’ve also noticed they pick and choose bloggers’ answers, since it would be too cumbersome for each of us to answer all six questions each month. So in the spirit of enjoying some clips off the cutting room floor, I thought I might share some of my answers that never saw the light of day:
What’s your story behind deciding to go on an insulin pump?
Three years of frustration — never getting very precise BG control. Still, I wouldn’t be on the pump today if it weren’t for the OmniPod. I just couldn’t do tubing.
What is your favorite part about being on an insulin pump?
Not having to mess with screwing little needles on my insulin pen every time I want to eat. And being able to just “push a button” any time I need a little more insulin.
Was there a time when the insulin pump came in handy in a particular way?
Family road trip vacations used to be a huge drag. When I would drive my kids down to Disneyland, for example, I had to stop the car to give myself injections. Now I can test BG and deliver insulin without stopping anything.
When flying, what kind of experience do you usually have with airport security? Have you ever had an issue with your medical supplies?
I go by the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule. Even though I wear an insulin pod on my body (OmniPod system), and carry lots of syringes, etc., I’ve never been interrogated about anything diabetes-related. Dumb luck?
If you’ve been on a long-term (2 weeks or longer) trip, how do you manage all the supplies you need?
We travel to Europe for a whole month every summer. I usually make my husband carry some of my backup supplies, because apparently he doesn’t need as many shoes and outfits as I do. It’s a pain lugging all that stuff along, but I’ve learned that you really never know when you might need it. Better safe than sorry.
With your current relationship, how did you tell your partner about your diabetes? How did they react?
He is my very best friend in the world, and we had already been together “forever” when I was diagnosed in 2003. He was extremely supportive. I don’t think it ever occurred to him that he would “lose me” over this. It was just another one of life’s major obstacles we would face together.
Have you ever been rejected or afraid of being rejected because of your diabetes? How did you overcome that?
I’ve been very “fortunate” in that being diagnosed at age 37, I had absolutely zero self-confidence issues about being diabetic. It’s just a crappy thing that happened to me, but it isn’t “me.” If anyone is negative about it, the first thing that comes to mind is: Be happy. Thank your lucky stars that YOU don’t have to live with this chronic and exasperating illness.
– end clip –
I always get the “you need to remove your cell” when they see the black or brown something hanging from my waistline (I use the clip type pump cases). And I always reply “It is not a cell, it is an insulin pump.”
Sometimes the reaction is simply a weird look, sometimes it is a simple “oh sorry.” Going through the DC airport I got about 6 sorries from the woman security guard. I kept telling her it was quite alright, it is ok, stop apologizing. But at the same time, it was kind of nice, ya know.
Ahhh the joy of growing up with Type 1 and first hiding it from “friends” at age 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 …… then dealing with coaches while trying to be apart of a sports team when you need to stop and eat during a practice. Totally made me lose my sense of joy about the whole thing. Then making jokes in high school about shooting up. Then just doing my thing in college and avoiding parties. All the while letting a boyfriend know the deal and hope their immaturity did not drive me nuts. Then always telling an employer Up Front and Center the deal. (never did me any good but I stuck with my beliefs every time)
Then dealing with a long relationship where (in my such luck) the guy thought he knew what was best, every time. Gets old really quick. I never had a bad reaction to telling anyone. It was the first time the beau saw me in low state that started the downfall of the relationship. And so far, it has not failed me either. Sad really. Hence why I am alone. Oh well. This is me, take it or leave it. Can’t handle it then get to walkin’. I don’t have time for games or unnecessary and stupid expectations.
Thanks for the insight and post Amy. Good stuff. Hope your vacation is going well!
Yes, I do pick and choose answers for two reasons. The first, as you said, to have nine bloggers answering six to ten questions each month would have people reading for hours! I tend to choose answers that 1) are either unique or detailed (a few bloggers have given one word or one sentence answers, so those tend to not be included unless they are pure gold) and 2) the bloggers often have very similar answers, so having two or three people saying basically the same message is just repetitive.
Most round tables – most anything actually – that is in print is edited to some degree. I try to leave the answers that I do pick completely alone. I don’t typically edit answers except for grammar.
Anyway, the “they” in your post is actually me and I think I have a pretty good understanding of what people with diabetes need to hear.
Thanks for including your “outtakes.” I think all the bloggers should do that.
Well, I’m about to take my first airplane flight with my MiniMed Paradigm 522 attached. (Last year I was using the OmniPod, and it was hidden.) I have a doctor’s prescription saying that I need to travel with “pump attached,” among other things.
I can relate to CALPUMPER in terms of being alone. Diabetes has turned off a few guys, despite the fact that I never had a hypo. reaction in front of them. They were just put off by the testing, testing, testing of BG’s. Now I’m wearing a CGM – maybe I should start looking for a guy again!
Amy, I’m so glad for you that you were diagnosed so late in life, and that your husband (obviously) is very supportive of your having the big “D”.
Regarding airport security: When returning from Canada last year we put my son’s backpack (crammed with d-supplies) set off an alarm on the security conveyor belt. The guard rummaged through bags of syringes and vials of insulin, then held up the offending object…..the can of Sprite we’d stashed in there in case of lows.
He confiscated the Sprite, then waved us through without another word.
I don’t have diabetes I am looking into the health care profession and was looking around to find out more about it, cuz I don’t know anything about it.
Makes me a bit nervous that one person doesn’t have to stop the car on his road trip to administer insulin; however, it does sound like insulin pumps are the way to go. My 7 year old isn’t quite there yet, but he’s very much into “gadgets” so the OmniPod just might be enticing enough. Thanks for this blog. I hope to start one soon about my family, to include how we’re living with Type 1.
I am using a pump now and have gone through airport security many times. The guards have never noticed it, but one time a guy in back of me told me I had to remove my “pager.” When I told him it was an insulin pump and wasn’t coming off he looked very embarrassed.
Way back, when I was using syringes I went to Europe. This was during the psychedelic era when young kids like me where automatically assumed to be drug smugglers. I had notes from Doctors. I was prepared. Not once did any security people say anything about my syringes.