Thursday 11^th August 2016.

Up at 6 o’clock! What, I thought she got up early on her days off but this is the middle of the night! She sets off for work at 8 and needs her breakfast to err “leave” her before then. Ah.. gotcha! After breakfast, two eggs on one slice of Burgen, she only has 1 unit of NovoRapid as one slice of Burgen is only 11 grms of carbs and we have a 3 mile walk to work. What! I’ve got blisters on my blisters! She does this come rain or shine and has done for getting on 20 years. She hates waiting for buses and her and Mr Eggy are a one car family and his car parking is free, whereas she would have to pay £5 a day! It’s her thinking time she said and it helps keep her BGs down.  It’s a 50 minute walk normally but as she is doing 1 million steps for Diabetes UK, she is setting off 30 minutes earlier and going the long way round! Oh no, someone please rescue me!

We arrive at her place of work at 8.50am after a Tour De Carlisle, although it was pouring with rain Eggy still insisted on going the long way, it was interesting though, she took me to Carlisle Castle. Mary Queen of Scots was held in the dungeons there. 

Then we went under the subway where the Millenium Stone is, some locals think it has cursed the City, as Carlisle has been flooded, really badly, in the last 10 years. It is still recovering 9 months on. She made me sit on it , I hope it hasn’t cursed me, Eggy said it hasn’t, only she is allowed to do that! 

She’s always first in, she switches on all the computers, uncovers the optical equipment and the most important task, puts on the kettle, gotta have a cuppa before you start, she says. The practice is an independent one, with one optometrist, two dispensing opticians, who job share, and two receptionists, who also job share. Today the locum is in, as the owner/optom is on holiday. It is a very busy practice and they are always busy, so I am not to get in the way!

Busy morning with patients, none of whom are diabetic. They do get a lot of diabetic patients, Type 2 in the main, and usually over 50. They are entitled to a free eye test once a year, regardless of age or type and unlike the free prescription rule, they don’t need to be on medication to qualify, they have to give their GP details though as the NHS can check. This is because diabetes can affect your eyes if BGs run constantly high, a good optom can pick up on these sort of things and refer the patient to the relevant medical departments. So it is VERY important to keep up with your check ups at the opticians aswell as the annual retinal screening offered by the NHS.

Eggy and I go for dinner at 12 o’clock, I thought she might take me to the local hostelry next door, but oh no, those damned walking shoes are on again and off we go! 45 minutes pounding the city streets, when we got back she checked her FitBit and she had done 13,500 steps so far today. It’s blooming good, I must admit. A tuna sandwich and packet of cheese and onion for dinner, she bolused 4 units, that should do it, she said.  When the optometrist is on his break,  Eggy lets me have a look in the room where it all goes on.

I sit in the seat, I keep expecting Magnus Magnusson to pop in and ask me a question!

We have a quieter afternoon as they aren’t testing, so I just mess about really, reading some literature about how diabetes can affect the eyes and generally trying on the specs. Got my eye on a natty pair of RayBans.  About 3ish Eggy feels her eyes going blurry and feels thirsty and tired, checks BGs over 10! She started on 5.5! What’s going on she demands, I really couldn’t tell her, she’s fed up, but it’s all a learning curve. No crisps tomorrow!

5.30pm, time to go home, it’s our last evening together! Ahhh!! I’m filling up! After tea we sit on the sofa and Eggy asks me what I have learnt whilst staying with her. Well, I tell her she is an absolute walking machine and Mr Eggy talks to his grapes every morning. Apparently she meant regarding diabetes. Here goes, not all diabetic people are the same,  have I mentioned Eggy is a weird one! The pancreas does a lot more than produce insulin (or not in some cases), that you can lead a perfectly normal and full life with only a little bit of pancreas, Eggy is testament to that. It is very important to look after your feet and your eyes when you’re a person with diabetes. Don’t drink too much Devil’s Juice. Exercise is important to help keep you healthy and your BGs stable (ish). Education is the key, never stop learning about your diabetes, ask questions, try different ways and means, and most importantly never give up.

Now where am I off to? I hope it’s somewhere warmer and dryer than Cumbria! Eggy said that’s why it’s so green up here and we have lakes. Fair enough! Bye and thanks Eggy, even though I have blisters on my blisters on my blisters!  DF xx

Wednesday 10^th August 2016.

Today’s the day Eggy goes to the Diabetes Specialist Dietician. She’s quite excited, she said I could go but I had to stay out of sight and keep my mouth shut! She’s still in a mood with me. We parked at Eggy’s daughter’s house which is a 20 minute walk from the hospital. Not more walking! She told me to shut up, we need the exercise. We set off 40 minutes before her appointment. Eh? It’s so we can go the long way round to earn more steps. 

We, eventually, get there, although Eggy has been to the hospital more times than she cares to remember, she’s on their Christmas card list, she has never seen anyone here regarding her diabetes. She doesn’t have to wait long and is shown into a room and introduced to Emma.  After about an hour, yes a whole hour, Eggy has learnt such a lot. She comes out knowing about corrections, splitting her basal (oh that sounds painful!) when and when not to inject, how much etc. She’s given a carbs and cals book, a diary to record her insulin/carb intake and an appointment for a months time. She’s a very happy lady, I even think she’s forgiven me for mashed potatogate! We then walk, again, back to her daughter’s and thankfully, get in the car, firstly of course checking her BGs, and off we go home. A very good day.

Tomorrow she’s taking me to work, Eggy is a receptionist in an opticians, she is going to show me why it is important to have regular eye tests when you are diabetic. Night DF x x

Tuesday 9^th August 2016.

Morning! Eggy not at work today or babysitting or having a colour, so she has decided she will do housework! Yawn! But first, breakfast, 2 slices of Burgen,  toasted with Whole Earth Crunchy Peanut Butter and a cup of tea of course! She checks her BGs on the Libre and then checks on her standard meter. That’s because Mr Eggy just plugged her into a new sensor last night and she wants to check that they read the same or as near as dammit. Well, what do you know, exactly spot on. That makes her feel  reassured as some folks do seem to have big discrepancies between the Libre and their blood readings. She is on the Freestyle Libre Facebook page and it gives her good tips and shares other diabetics experiences. She has nothing but praise for her Libre, she is on her fourth sensor  and they have all lasted the full two weeks, in fact she finds it hard to remove them!

Later on today she is going to download the information off the Libre onto the computer and print off the charts because tomorrow we are going to the hospital to see the Diabetes Specialist Dietician. This is to assess if Eggy is suitable to go on some sort of carb counting/insulin course. Since she started on insulin 2 years ago she has just been left  to her own  devices, given a kwik pen some needles and off you go. Now she is on MDI she feels she needs some sort of guidance. Hopefully, I will report back tomorrow on a positive result. In the 6 years she had been diagnosed she has never once been to the Diabetes Clinic or even seen a GP about her condition, she just sees a DSN, who really doesn’t know how to deal with her weird diabetes! 

Right breakfast over, quick tidy up…..whoo Eggy, she’s just flown up the stairs faster than Usain Bolt (see what I did there? Topical as well as being funny) She is away for a while, when she emerges she looks quite pale and muttering something about Daddy’s ear and  not enough ruddy Creon! Eh? Me neither! Well, it turns out the peanut butter triggered a gastric dumping, this makes her quite exhausted and sometimes she has to lie down for 10 minutes, luckily it doesn’t happen too often. Mr Eggy calls them “ her funny turns”. Eggy said there’s nothing remotely funny about them  and can be damned embarrassing if she’s not at home.  She has been known to pass out, not pleasant for anyone with her, she had a “funny turn ”at work a few weeks ago and her colleague Donna thought she had had a heart attack as she was so pale and her lips were blue. She’s had cameras, up and down, MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasound scans, endoscopic ultrasound scans. You name a scan and she’s had it! Because she’s had a lot of surgery and has a knackered (her words, not mine, far too refined for that sort of language) pancreas, her digestive system will never be normal, just like her! Who wants to be normal? That’s so passé.

She’s ok now and has set up the ironing board in front of the telly. Can of diet coke and two squares of 85% chocolate. It’s the law she said, when you iron you must consume these items and watch something you recorded that Mr Eggy won’t watch. Must be some sort of Cumbrian bylaw, strange, but hey I’m happy to watch the TV. What? No TV for me she said, she’s watching some  drama set in the eighties about naughty lingerie parties and she thinks I’m far too young to watch. She says she only watches because of the sound track and she likes to see the clothes and hairstyles because it reminds her of the time she was carefree and not bogged down with children, grandchildren and diabetes! Oh dear, I’m going for a nap! (She asked me  to say she loves her kids and grandkids and doesn’t regret having them one bit! Although she regrets having diabetes!)  

After dinner, Eggy decides it’s time to go for a walk, she needs to keep her steps up. This woman is relentless! She shoves me in that bloomin’ rucksack again!

Phew! Back home at last, she’s had me everywhere, down rivers, through parks, although we did stop for a cuppa at her sister-in –laws which was a nice break from the relentless street pounding! No pain, no gain, she says. It’s all pain if you ask me!

She starts to prepare the tea when we get in, chicken casserole and creamy, buttery mash potatoes, oh I am drooling already. Normally, Eggy avoids mash potato like the plague as it is the worst thing in the world (she says) for spiking her, but she misses them so much, but now she’s on NovoRapid she’s going to have a go! BGs pre mash 6.4, perfect, 1hour 20 mins later 15.7 and rising. Boy was I in trouble! She was livid, thought she was going to blow a gasket. She went to bed without tucking me in! Night, DF xx

Saturday 6^th August 2016.

 Well, I’m finally here in the Eggyg household in Carlisle, Cumbria. I can’t believe there wasn’t anyone to greet me on Friday. I had to go back to the GPO with Mr Eggy’s new toy. BT superfast broadband box. They picked me up this morning thank goodness. Although another parcel came today which Eggy was more excited about opening. It was a sensor for her Freestyle Libre, I know all about it ‘cos Matt Cycle has one as well, so I wasn’t quite as impressed when she was extolling it’s virtues. Although I was quite impressed when she told me how it had helped her DSN decide to change her insulin regime to MDI. It has showed how much she spikes after what I would consider quite normal healthy food. She said it’s a work in progress and I will get to see her results as the week goes on.  

   

She didn’t make me sleep in the coal bunker as she threatened, she let me borrow her 3 year old granddaughter’s bunk bed. Do you like the princess bedcovers? I bet she got them in especially for me. (eggyg: I didn’t!)

   

Night DF x

Sunday 7^th August 2016.

Eggy said we are having a quiet day today ‘cos she’s shattered! Last Monday she said she was on her daughter’s “Hen Do” at Ladies’ day at Carlisle Races. She showed me some photos, I couldn’t see any chickens and I defiantly didn’t see any ladies! She told me it was only the second time she had had to inject in public since starting MDI, and it wasn’t easy! She had to do it in a toilet cubicle! Yuk! She had on her posh frock and as she usually injects in her thighs she didn’t feel she could have lifted her dress up. But she has since learnt from the lovely forum members that she can inject in her upper arms, and Northerner kindly posted a picture to show her where. 

While she was there she drank some devil’s juice, also known as Pinot Grigio, she was obviously allergic to it because it made her sick that night and all the next day. Poor Eggy! She said she doesn’t really drink much of this juice because she’s trying to look after the little bit of pancreas she has left. What? She’s only got a little bit of pancreas, so that’s why she’s diabetic, I see now, she‘s one of those weird diabetics, I mean people with weird diabetes! 

She had to have a very serious operation in December 2007, she spent Christmas and New Year in a hospital a 120 mile round trip away from home. That’s awful, how would Santa know where to go? She told me Santa was the last thing on her mind. Her operation was a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, her scars are fab! Her children say her stomach looks like a hot cross bun, that’s because she had another ectomy a few years previous and they cross over! 

Luckily the tumour they removed along with the body and tail of her pancreas was pre cancerous, she feels very lucky that all she has is diabetes resulting from that, oh and gastric dumping syndrome! That sounds revolting. So that’s why she tries to look after her pancreas by not drinking much devil’s juice and trying to keep her BGs at an acceptable level. She doesn’t know which is the hardest to do!

Sunday is cooked breakfast day. Cumberland sausage, the best sausage in the world apparently, bacon, egg and haggis. Haggis? I thought Carlisle was in England, Eggy explained it is, but only just, we could be in Scotland in 10 minutes whilst the nearest lake is 20 minutes away. We won’t have a chance to visit either this week because we will be too busy, oh dear!

PS. I think Eggy is fibbing about not being in Scotland, Mr Eggy has just gone into the garden wearing only his dressing gown, (he’s gone to talk to his grapes, don’t ask!) and when he came back in he said it was a bit breezy around the Trossachs! Night night! DF x

Monday 8^th August 2016.

Today Eggy said we are walking into town because she’s having a “colour”. I must have looked a bit confused so she explained she was getting her hair coloured, I asked if she was getting it to match mine, the look on her face said it all. 

Eggy has signed up to do One Million Steps for Diabetes UK. This entails walking at least 10,000 steps a day from 1^st July to 30^th September. You get people to sponsor you and all monies raised go to help research into diabetes. It also encourages you to walk more and go beyond your comfort zone. Eggy is doing really well, she is in credit with her steps as she quite often does much more than 10K a day. Two weeks ago she walked 60 miles in one week! Wow! That’s amazing. She unfortunately sustained an injury that week and hasn’t done quite as much. What was this injury? Ham string, cartilage gone in her knee, torn metatarsal? No….it was a blister on her left heel! What, is that all? Eggy explained that people with diabetes are more prone to foot problems and it’s very important to look after your feet and wear comfortable and well fitting shoes. Not doing so can lead to some nasty things, she told me to Google it, I see what she means, awful!

We got ready for our walk and Eggy comes down wearing some very professional looking walking shoes and a rucksack. Is this hairdressers on the top of Skiddaw? No she said, she had just explained about footwear and do I never listen? Well that was me told! And the rucksack was because we will be popping into Tesco for some “bits” as daughter number 1 is coming round with R and P for dinner, she means lunch! These northerners, apparently, dinner is tea! 

   

Back from our walk, had her “colour”, just looks the same to me! (Oy I heard that!). Ooops! She has done 12.5k steps and it’s only 12.15! Well done Eggy. 

Everyone arrives for lunch, I mean dinner! P, age 3, grabs me and exclaims “Peppa Pig!” Grrr!

R, age 9, wasn’t interested and went straight onto the computer to go on I Bay or e tunes or Facegram or whatever they do on those things.  Eggy made a frittata as daughter is low carbing - she is getting married in just over 3 weeks and is trying to loose some weight and Eggy tries to keep her BGs down. The kids have a sandwich, made with white bread, sure I saw Eggy drooling, she doesn’t touch white bread once she found out how much sugar it has in,  she has Burgen or Lidl, she’s used to it now. 

We all sat at the table where Eggy proceeded to shovel down a LOT of tablets, hang on I know what they are, that’s Creon, I learnt about those when I visited pottersusan last year, Eggy said she’s the Creon princess to pottersusan’s Queen! Hey, I’m the only princess here! Your pancreas not only produces insulin it produces digestive enzymes, so because Eggy only has the head of her pancreas left and that’s nearly dead, she can’t digest her food properly, so she takes many, many Creon when she eats. They aren’t a drug, they are supplements made from pigs pancreas  so you can’t overdose, but if you take too many they can bung you up. She said she’s a martyr to her bowels!

  

Everyone’s gone home so we are going for a nana/DF nap. DF xx

After yesterday’s all day cycling adventure I was expecting a nice relaxing day today and it was…in the morning.  However, in the afternoon Matt said he wanted to keep his legs turning with a short ride - didn’t he turn them enough times yesterday?  

Anyway, once again I was tied to the handlebars and Matt had replenished his stocks of gels although he did say he wouldn’t need as many as it would be a much shorter ride.  We set off in the opposite direction to yesterday and straightaway I could see hills…lots of hills.  Matt kept checking his Libre, occasionally whilst we were moving.  He had to stop sometimes for a gel or the energy drink from his bottle.  This could be partly to do with yesterday’s ride and he did say his blood glucose had dropped low during the night.  We carried on up and down these hills until we arrived at a place called Longnor and it was another café and another coffee although no cake this time.  Although I’ve had a great time so far I think I could really, really start to enjoy cycling - well certainly this part of it. 

It was then up and up and up, first from a place called Hollinsclough.

Hills!

Fresh air!

Then towards a place called Flash...

...but as we all know what goes up must come down.  As we headed down the A53 on a very steep bit I got rather scared as the Garmin showed a speed of 49mph!  I got the impression Matt was enjoying going that fast but I can’t say I was.  I would have put my hands over my eyes but unfortunately being tied to the handlebars meant I couldn’t move one of them.  You don’t think he would have done that deliberately do you?

As we arrived back home the Garmin showed we had done just under 34 miles.  Matt said once again he will need to keep a closer eye than normal  on his blood glucose levels considering the cycling both yesterday and today.

Well, I’ve enjoyed myself on the cycling trips in the short time I’ve spent at Matt’s (perhaps not the steep downhill bits!!)  I’ve learned a lot about exercise and diabetes – how enjoyable and beneficial it is but also how much of a challenge it can also be.  However, with a bit of planning especially in the early stages and some preparation each time (and use of the Libre if you can afford one), then everyone with diabetes can take part in some form of exercise and who knows, perhaps you could be part of a professional cycling team.

Now, I wonder where I’ll end up next?  Although I really enjoyed myself at Matt’s I’m hoping next it will be just a little bit more relaxing! DF xx

I know I’ve been a bit quiet recently but I’m back on my travels to see for myself what the diabetics, er, I mean people with diabetes are getting up to.  I arrived at Matt’s house a while ago, I’ve had a nice time settling in but we’re up early today so I wonder what he’s got planned?  Oh I see, it’s a bike ride – this should be fun.  Matt mutters something about… in honour of my presence it’s going to be a long ride.  He’s certainly wearing some strange clothing – stretchy shorts with padded bits, shoes with metal clips (he says they’re called cleats) on the soles, a jersey that says Team Novo Nordisk and a helmet.  He’s stuffed his jersey pockets full of energy gels, flapjack, a banana and malt loaf (not your typical foods for a diabetic) and filled two water bottles but he also has his other essentials (spare tubes, pump, tyre levers, phone and cash) in the saddle bag plus his diabetes things – meter and insulin pen and Libre reader.  Matt has a Libre sensor on as he says it will help him keep track of his levels.

Now, where's the bike?  Oh what's that?  The bike is not a tandem, where am I supposed to sit?  Hmph, that's not very dignified - Matt has tied me to the handlebars!  I suppose I'll get a good view and with my crown on I don't need to wear a hlemet.  Before we set off Matt attaches the Garmin GPS device which will record all the ride details, it's a bit like a car satnav.  

Wooahh, that's a bit scary going down the steep bits, I think I prefer going uphill as it's not as fast.  Even the flat parts are a bit quick for me.  We're soon out of the town and in the countryside and I'm starting to really enjoy the ride.  As we turn off the main road it's very quiet riding through the Cheshire lanes with lots of nice things to see.  Matt stops occasionally to swipe the Libre reader and check what his blood glucose is doing, from time to time topping up with one of the treats from his jersey pockets.  I glance at the Garmin and 30 miles is up already.  We carry on and arrive at a place called Mickle Trafford near Chester - the Garmin is now reading 53 miles.  We carry on through Chester, thankfully not on the busy city roads, we're on a very nice tarmac cycle path heading towards the Welsh border.  We head off the path onto the road to reach the border itself.  The Garmin reads 60 miles.  Rydym yn croesi dros y ffin i Gymru a pharhau am ychydig cyn troi rownd ar gyfer y cartref daith.

As we pass MIckle Trafford we stop at a very nice cafe.  I seem to be attracting a lot of attention from people at the cafe who are staring at me which I think is a bit rude.  Anyone would think they hadn't seen a pink fairy before!  Matt orders something to eat but says even after 30 years of Type 1 diabetes - exercise, eating and insulin are a tricky combination to get right.  I hope he knows what he's doing as I don't want to be the one pedalling home.

After finishing at the cafe we set off again to carry on back home.  

On the way back Matt tells me there is a professional cycling team of Type 1 diabetics called Team Novo Nordisk.  Cars passing by probably thought it a little strange he was talking to a pink fairy – but what do they know?  I’d noticed Matt’s wearing the team jersey.  Does that mean he’s part of the team?  Mmmm, I’m not so sure about that.  He looks a bit old to me and he doesn’t seem quick enough to be part of a professional cycling team – shhh, don’t tell him I said that.

There are also other professional sportspeople with diabetes including footballers and rugby players.  We all know that exercise is good for everyone but I’ve learned that is particularly true for diabetics although I hope you don’t have to go this far each time you go for a bike ride.

As we head towards Goostrey, me and Matt give a cheer as the Garmin display goes past 100 miles and from what I can remember on the way out we only have about 25 miles left to go although some of that is quite steep uphill.

I’m getting a bit worried because from the sounds he’s making I think Matt is starting to struggle a bit so I offer some words of encouragement.  Well, really….there’s no need for that!  Rude words and blaming me - the diabetes fairy!  He said it was all my flipping fault – although he didn’t use the word flipping.  How can it be my fault? I didn’t ask him to ride all this way.  Oh, erm I see, ….the diabetes.  Well, let’s just call it six of one and half a dozen of the other.  Anyway, I suppose I’ll forgive him as he must be a bit tired - it has been a long day but there’s not far to go now.  We finally arrive back at Matt’s house and the Garmin is stopped on 126 miles – that’s over 200km!!!

Matt’s daughter takes a photo of us on our return. 

Matt then checks the Libre readings for the ride before uploading the all important Garmin data to Strava (a website where athletes record their rides, runs and swims).  Matt has his tea and says he will need to keep a close eye on his blood glucose levels especially through the night and tomorrow and possibly the day after as well because exercise can continue to affect levels for that length of time.  As he uses pens to control his diabetes he will need to adjust both his NovoRapid and Levemir to take account of the exercise.

Well, what a fantastic day I’ve had – all the way from Staffordshire to Wales and back – a total of 126 miles by bike.  I’m impressed - I’ve learned about a professional cycling team and other sportspeople all with Type 1 diabetes.  It shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving what they want to.  Yawnnnnn, excuse me - with all that fresh air and exercise, oh alright then, in my case just the fresh air, I’m starting to feel a little tired now.  I think I’ll sleep well tonight.  I’m not sure what is planned for tomorrow – it can’t be another bike ride can it? DF xxx

We haven’t done much since getting back from Edinburgh, Ally said she was in too much pain and tired from the trip and didn’t want to go anywhere. Today though, she said she was much better and took me to her craft club. They seemed like nice folk but nobody wanted to be photographed with me – must be cos I’m so gorgeous, they’re just jealous. I’m insulted and miffed though, cos I was ignored as they all got on with their knitting and gossiping and joking and not paying attention to me. They made more fuss over Ally’s new lacy scarf than they did over me... Hmmph. The craft club is really busy just now, making more baby clothes for the Highland Malawi Trust as it seems the people out there have nothing and the club sends out donations regularly. Here’s a pic of some of the things that went out in time for Easter.

I got really bored because Ally didn’t want me messing with her crochet again and thought I’d have a look round, I spotted something interesting and climbed the wall to see what it was. It was an Easter mobile thing some of the members had made and in it I found a hoard of chocolate, nom, nom, nom. Now that’s what I like to see. They made it for a special Easter lunch being held for some local pensioners next Tuesday, it’s going to hang over the servery counter as a decoration.

But I didn’t eat all the chocolate, honest. No really, after my sojourn with the green jelly babies, I haven’t room for chocolate too. But that’s a secret, so shhhh. We don’t want Ally to get suspicious... She’s not meant to know what we have planned for her. DF xx