Interview with a Type Awesome

Please forgive the blurriness, computers have a mind of their own.

Last month my husband was me for one day.  He monitored my blood sugars with both my meter and my CGM.  He counted carbs, he bolused, he treated a low and a high.  He did almost all of it.  I interviewed him last night to get his take on how it went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interviewer:  Let's start with some basic questions.  How long has your wife (Yes.. I know that's me, but go with me on this one) had diabetes?

Hubby:  I believe it is around nine years.  I know it was right at her birthday when she was diagnosed.

I:  How does she treat it?  With a pump or MDI? 

Hubby:  She uses a pump.  Freeda is it's/her name.

I:  How long has she had her pump?

Hubby:  Three years twelve days.

I:  Does she use a CGM and if yes how long has she had it? 

Hubby:  She does, and I think she's had him for close to a year and a half.

I:  Has she named that too?

Hubby:  Oh yeah.  This one is named O.D.  Her first one was George and her second was Darryl.  O.D. is short for "Other Darryl".

I:  What made you decide to be her for a day?

Hubby:  I wanted a better understanding of what she deals with every day and thought this would be a good way to get that.

I:  What all did you do?

Hubby:  I filled a cartridge for her pump and changed the infusion site.  I did all the carb calculating and bolusing for meals.  I treated both lows and highs.  Monitored her CGM and took care of alarms.. most of the time.  She let me sleep the first night.  She said she felt guilty waking me.  That list doesn't sound like much, but I will say this, there is a WHOLE LOT MORE to it that what it sounds like.

I:  Did anything surprise you?

Hubby:  Yeah.  The amount of calculating of carbs for blousing.  It was INSANE!  I was also surprised that she actually tested with her meter that often too.  I thought she was just being a hoarder when she pushed her insurance for 10 strips each day.  I was also surprised at how fast a high, or especially a low, can hit.  It's like she was fine one minute and then I turn around and she's right there saying, "I don't feel good". 

I:  What did you learn that you never knew before?

Hubby:  I never understood why she would get so frustrated sometimes when trying to bolus or a when a low hit.  Just how it truly effects her, and subsequently my, entire life.  There is so much to do to prepare to do anything; grocery shopping, hiking, going to church, or anything.  She always just seems to have it all ready so I never realized how much work it truly is.

I:  What did you take away from this experience that will help you to support her?

Hubby:  The realization of just how it is so intertwined and how it affects her every day being.

I:  Would you ever consider doing this again?  Why or Why not?

Hubby:  I would, yes.  Because it would be a holiday for her.  Then again, it may be more work for her to have to babysit me through it.  I just want to do what I can to take some of the load off of her sometimes.  Also, to better understand what is going on so I know better how and when to help.

I:  Would you recommend other 'type awesomes' to do a day for their loved one?

Hubby:  Absolutely!!

I:  Any final comments?

Hubby:  As a kid I watched diabetes kill my dad.  He had ulcers on his feet, amputations, and developed congestive heart failure, so when she was diagnosed, it was horrible.  I thought I would have to go through that again.  As a kid I didn't know what all was going on, but I still had the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.  It is not that way now.  I don't have those feelings, especially after doing this for a day.  It's a lot of work but I don't feel helpless anymore.

I:  Any final words for your wife?

Hubby:   Too many to put down, I wouldn't know where to start.  I'll just say, "I love you and I'm proud of you.  After doing this for just one day I can honestly say Holy Crap!!  You're a trouper!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there you have it, a spouse's adventure in T1D management.  I believe he did a wonderful job and I am totally going to take him up on the offer of doing it again.