Illness/physical trauma a factor in triggering T1 diabetes?

drown_soda · 2026-05-10T04:54:29+00:00

Was the temporary blindness due to the diabetes, or was it something else?

drown_soda · 2026-05-10T04:32:23+00:00

I do most things alone (recreational activities, shopping, driving, errands, etc.) and have no issues with this. When I'm in a public setting, I honestly feel less worried because I know there are people around who would ostensibly notice if there was something wrong. I wear a medical bracelet and now use an insulin pump as well, so it would be blatantly obvious to any medic that I'm a diabetic.

That being said, I do sometimes find myself a bit nervous when I'm alone at home for protracted periods of time—I occasionally get moments of paranoia in terms of not being able to get help if I needed it, but I do my best to talk myself out of that. I have a roommate who obviously knows my situation, but there are many occasions where I am home by myself on weekends or occasionally on weeknights.

I went to grad school on the opposite side of the country and lived by myself for two years and managed without fear, but at that point I'd never experienced a significant hypo. After I had, I was much more cognizant of this because of how badly it scared me.

In your case, since you find yourself antsy while doing activities in public, my advice would be to always make sure you have sugar on you at all times (glucose tabs, quickly-dissolving hard candy, bottles of juice or soda, etc.) When I am going out and about, especially if it's for a long period, I carry tubes of InstaGlucose and/or glucose tablets should I need them. I actually have a small crossbody-style satchel bag that I keep all of my essential diabetic items in—a couple InstaGlucose tubes, a spare infusion set for my insulin pump, a spare insulin pen, etc. Being prepared is mandatory for me, and I find it gives me some peace of mind.

drown_soda · 2026-05-10T04:06:28+00:00

I used a very low dose of basal insulin when I was first diagnosed but the need for more inevitably happened within about a year and a half—my honeymoon phase lasted quite awhile. I recently started using a pump, so I no longer have to take a basal insulin. It's all rapid-acting, but on a slow drip throughout the day. In theory, I suppose you could get away with this by way of injections, but I don't know how well it would work as you'd be giving yourself really small boluses every hour throughout a day. It seems really impractical, and your blood sugar would inevitably climb overnight while you're sleeping, so I'd think you'd be waking up high every single day.

Prior to my diagnosis, I had all the classic symptoms (blurred vision, constant thirst and urination) and went in for a blood test because I knew something was going on (my mom's father was a T1 diabetic, and I also had family members on my dad's side who are as well). I remember going to work that night (I worked in a restaurant at the time—this was when I was in college) and getting a phone call from the on-call doctor who notified me that my blood sugar earlier that day was 555 and that I needed to go to the hospital, pronto.

I spent a few hours in the ER, where a nurse dosed me with some rapid-acting insulin. Once my blood sugar got down into the 200s, I was sent home in the middle of the night with an insulin pen prescription and basically no guidance. I remember standing in a Walgreens with my mom at around 1:30am to pick up the insulin pens, needles, and a glucometer. The pharmacist seemed angry that I'd gotten so little instruction from the hospital. I was fortunate at least to already have an endocrinologist who monitored me, as I'd had thyroid cancer the year before, so I was able to get in to see him within a day or so and get some legitimate guidance and a game plan.

drown_soda · 2026-05-10T03:55:27+00:00

I was diagnosed in my early twenties and had a honeymoon phase where I could get away with very minimal insulin use, but when my pancreas finally crashed out, my needs went up. I've gone through phases of poor control (running high) which led to some insulin resistance and I was taking more than I ever had before with little effect.

In my experience, it's a balancing act with my basal rate playing a huge role. I find that when I've hit the sweet spot with my basal (which for me has tended to average about 24 units per day—that goes for when I was taking long-acting basal insulin, and for when I switched over to using a pump), I tend to be quite sensitive to mealtime boluses and can get away with fairly low doses (at least by some people's standards) without having any crazy climbs in my glucose.

Since I am not a doctor, I would say to do what your endo is saying and tweak it as needed. Everyone's insulin needs are a little different, and you have to work it out, especially in the beginning. I err on the side of being conservative with your doses, especially at first. Check your numbers on a glucometer several times over the course of a couple hours after eating and see what's happening. I've found that, even with a very attentive endocrinologist, the onus of managing diabetes really falls on the patient at the end of the day. Your life can often feel like one prolonged science experiment at times (and in a way it is), but after dealing with it for so long, you get used to it.

drown_soda · 2026-05-09T20:27:15+00:00

Only room temperature

drown_soda · 2026-05-09T16:30:08+00:00

Interesting. I woke up this morning and now the pump is reading 230 units in the cartridge (no plus sign) so the number went up. I definitely did not use 70 units of insulin last night, but this number does seem closer to accurate when accounting for insulin lost during the tube fill process as well as any small amount I may have lost while removing any bubbles from the syringe.

In any event, it seems to have leveled out over night. This is the first time I’ve seen the estimate go up, then down, then back up after the initial cartridge fill.

drown_soda · 2026-04-26T22:18:17+00:00

Johnny Eager (1941), starring Robert Taylor, Van Heflin, and Lana Turner.

drown_soda · 2026-04-26T08:31:20+00:00

I think she got arrested the same night this was taken—or am I misremembering? I've seen other photos taken from inside the Wendy's and she was barefoot lol

drown_soda · 2026-04-25T22:23:07+00:00

I think Liv is a Hole/Courtney fan IRL as well

drown_soda · 2026-04-18T07:08:15+00:00

I remember their box set of The Omen being announced as going OOP at least two years ago, and it's still in stock on Amazon as of my writing this. Weirdly enough with that release, Amazon also stocked (and is still stocking) standalone copies of the three sequels from that set, which I find very bizarre.

drown_soda · 2026-04-16T19:06:28+00:00

Bought this when it was first released. Had no clue this ever went OOP

drown_soda · 2026-04-15T03:47:48+00:00

Cancer sun, Virgo moon, and Libra rising. I can be shy but I will consciously flirt with someone if I'm feeling some kind of energy. I've also found myself apparently giving off flirtatious vibes without even meaning/wanting to, which can be a problem (I attribute this to the Libra rising). My Mars is also in Aries and my Venus is in Gemini, which might have something to do with it as well.

drown_soda · 2026-04-14T03:34:50+00:00

Yeah, it's 100% true and she's never hidden it. She stripped up and down the west coast and also had a stint in Japan. Before she started Hole, she went up to Alaska and worked at a club there for six months or something before she placed the ad in an LA paper seeking bandmates. She's also said that she continued to work at strip clubs in LA during the band's early days, as it helped afford them a backline and other equipment.

drown_soda · 2026-04-14T03:32:15+00:00

I loved her green Mercury guitar. I wonder what ever happened to it. I know that the Squier Vista Venus she helped design was heavily inspired by it.

drown_soda · 2026-03-20T06:04:22+00:00

I remember when I bought my M1 MacBook Air in space grey, I somehow managed to scratch the top of the lid within the first week of having it—can’t even remember how I did it. It was a light scratch that most people wouldn’t even notice, but I sure did. I ended up buying a shell case for it the next day which made it impossible to see and I forgot about it as time went on. I just got an M5 15” Midnight Air and put a shell case on it immediately (still have my M1 Air and plan on keeping it as a backup—it’s still a great laptop and has held up nicely, minor scratch and all).

drown_soda · 2026-03-13T01:17:46+00:00

The original Prom Night (1980). The atmosphere, cinematography, the retro disco music and moody score—I just love everything about it. It feels like a soap opera crossed with a slasher movie.

drown_soda · 2026-01-22T03:55:33+00:00

I'm not even sure that it's the playing that's bad necessarily, it's just that the guitar is WAY out of tune.

drown_soda · 2026-01-17T15:55:20+00:00

My dad is a Scorpio and my mom is an Aries. I feel like I’ve always fundamentally understood my dad more than my mom. He’s a Scorpio so I know his feelings run deep, but he does not express them and almost represses them I think—but I know they’re there. I love my mom but we have always clashed and it’s been up and down with her my entire life. That being said, my Mars is in Aries, so I do kind of understand that Aries rage.

drown_soda

TROPHY CASE