My inspiration for this topic came to me as I was listening to the radio and brushing my teeth one morning. The “new norm” phrase was used continuously throughout the news period. However, I don’t believe the “new norm” is really new to us with diabetes. I suspect the “new norm” for us came the day we were told we had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Our“new norm” meant we had to make several changes in our lifestyle. These changes include such things as blood glucose monitoring, making food choices, injecting insulin, finding a way to cover the costs of medication and needed supplies. All of us have had challenges with managing diabetes and I suspect this will be continuous throughout our lifetime.
One question I often ask myself is this: what would I do if I had a day with no diabetes? I wonder if I would eat everything in sight, especially sweets, or would I not eat anything? Sometimes, for me, eating does become a chore, but we are not given the choice. Do you ever think of questions about what you would do or where you would be or go if you didn’t have diabetes? I must admit I have not let diabetes upset my goals and activities, but just the same it requires extra planning. Spontaneity doesn’t play a big part in the life of diabetics.
Fall is my favorite time of year, I love the colors, the cooler air and the bright sunny days. Fall is also a time for reflection, to look back and review what has happened over the past 9 months and think about where I want to concentrate my skills and effort in the upcoming cold, dark and dreary days known as winter. Last winter I did a little snowshoeing so I hope to engage in that activity again this winter.
COVID-19 has upset our normal routines and what we thought were challenges initially are now the “norm” such as wearing masks, hand washing and hoping a vaccine will be developed and shown to be safe. It always surprises me how quick we can adapt to change.
The regular “flu” season is ahead of us and I encourage all of you to consider receiving the vaccination. Depending on your age you may want to consider the vaccine against shingles, pneumonia and even whooping cough. Many of us are lax about our vaccination history so be sure to ask your health care team before any product is administered. Keep in mind that in some diseases if you are taking certain medications then vaccinations could require specific timing to be most effective (ie.cancer treatments).
Is there a relationship between COVID-19 and Diabetes as reported in some media? Diabetes Canada discussed this in an article which can be found on their website. Any type of infection can raise blood glucose so if you were to have COVID-19 your sugars may rise even though you have not been previously diagnosed with diabetes or you were already a type 2 patient but did not know. The Canadian Statistics suggest that as many as 1.5 million people may have type 2 diabetes and not know it. Once you return to a healthy state your blood sugar may return to normal, however it might be a warning sign that diabetes could be in the future. It would be wise to know the diabetes symptoms or use an on-line tool to access the likelihood of diabetes. Diabetes Canada summarizes the information saying more research is needed to understand this potential two-way relationship.
As we look toward the future, I feel strongly that we will see more Digital Care (virtual e-visits) being used to help us with our diabetes management or any other chronic disease. Most of us like technology and fewer and fewer jobs offer people paid time for a medical appointment so this would certainly be a benefit. Just think you could talk to your health care team on your lunch break or from home without worrying about parking, waiting for hours in the emergency room or finding a baby sitter for your children. An appointment that requires you to drive a distance is costly and especially worrisome during the winter months, so Digital Care could help to solve this problem. There are still many questions and concerns about virtual care but Canada has set up a Virtual Care Task Force in conjunction with the Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as well as the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Stay tuned as this Task Force researches the options and answer the questions on its practicability and concerns.
Thanksgiving is this weekend in Canada. I want to wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY and hope you are able to enjoy family and friends. Be careful, wear a mask, wash hands and keep the 6 meter distance. This is a serious disease for humans but also devastating to our economy. If you have a turkey wishbone, let’s all wish for a vaccine coming to the market soon and for people to follow the guidelines as told to us by health experts.
Please consider subscribing to my blog and feel free to make suggestions for topics you would like to have discussed.
This blog does not replace medical advice from your health-care team.
References:
Diabetes Canada- accessed on line October 3rd,2020
Diabetes Canada- accessed on line October 5th,2020
Comments