Things have been a little busy lately. As I work to keep my head on straight and get everything done, I have to remember to keep diabetes management a priority. It’s so easy to let things slide – skip a blood glucose check and just estimate how much insulin you need; forget your pills; opt out of exercise; you know how it goes.
When my kids were very little (they are 17-and-a-half months apart) it was pretty crazy: diapers, teething, crying, napping, not napping, baby food, bottles, etc. I used to say that I would not have another baby because diabetes was my “third child”. I had to pack supplies for diabetes, take care of diabetes, and so on.
What saves me is that I made diabetes management a habit many years ago. I honestly think twice before taking insulin without checking my blood glucose first. In fact, I rarely do that. I don’t ever go to bed or start exercising without knowing what my blood glucose level is. I strongly recommend getting in the habit of making diabetes management a priority. Don’t they say it takes three days to make (or break) a habit? You can do it for three days and then ongoing! When things get busy, try not to let diabetes be the thing that gets overlooked.
Not too long ago I started taking some of my Lantus in the morning, and the rest at night (I had always taken the entire dose at night). It took me quite a while to get in the habit of taking that morning dose, but I’m just about there. I believe in using little tricks to help me along. My trick for the morning Lantus is to put the Lantus bottle right on the counter by my “kit” (blood glucose meter). When I see it there in the morning, I remember to take it. Eventually I won’t need to do this anymore.
What are your (healthy) diabetes habits and how did you establish them?