Least Sad Option

*Random photo, taken recently, as not sure what to go with this time.

Occasional visitors to this blog may be familiar with the fact that I’m generally a glass half full kind of bloke. Diabetes throws me and my family many challenges but my overall outlook is always trying to ‘look on the bright side’ and appreciate that things could be a lot worse.

And that works. For me. I find it far less stressful to think on the positive side than the reverse; and this beast of a condition can give plenty of options for negatives if we let it. Shall I mention my unbelievable clutzyness and higher than ideal stress levels when I had an expired CGM, empty pump and no blood glucose meter while a couple of hours from home recently?

Before I really get my teeth into my subject of this ramble I also want to say I also struggle with today’s option of only having a single, very strong, point of view on everything. I quite enjoy debate and changing my outlook as I learn more and more about something. So feel free to tell me I’m completely wrong and how I am ridiculously stupid. I might not agree with that today but I might in a while and I’m OK with that.

Modern diabetes is a world apart from where me and, mainly, my parents entered it forty-odd years ago. I’ve got much faster working insulins, the ability to know, fairly accurately, my glucose levels by looking at my phone and a tiny electronic box in my pocket that stops and starts insulin delivery based on what my glucose level is. Totally mind-blowing and something that a lot of people have worked bloody hard to achieve. I also feel incredibly lucky to have access to this kit through the NHS with no costs, apart from general taxation. And the research continues to increase accuracy and automation at a speed that completely amazes me every time I see a new article about something about to he released.

To all the scientists and researchers in the century since insulin has been delivered to people with diabetes, I say thank you very much; you are amazing and my cup of gratitude is overflowing for you.

Can you sense a ‘but’ coming? You can? Well spotted!

Sometimes reality hits. It did for me last week. The reason for the thunderbolt isn’t important but at the time I found it almost disabling and it prompted me to get typing today. Again I'll say this isn't my normal thought on diabetes but I think it's OK to think it sometimes and especially in relation to my advice to other parties below.

Although everything is amazing and technology helps to make diabetes easier; the best tech available is still always the ‘least sad option’. The idea that having to fire a needle into myself every three days, stab my fingers at least twice a day and press buttons whenever I want to eat or exercise isn’t what you’d call ‘great’. The alternatives are other forms of puncturing the skin or an early shuffle off the treadmill of earth. Neither really appeal.

Having diabetes is a massive burden on the people with it and the people around them. When talking with friends, family and even others with the condition we frequently play down how much of our daily headspace it occupies. And how chuffing hard it is sometimes to have to be switched on to our condition so much of the time.

In the coming years we’ve got more tech coming than would be conceivable 20 years ago; Dexcom 7, Medtronic Guardian 4 (then 5), Abbott Freestyle Libre 3, Omnipod 5, and many more, the list is endless. But a little honesty would be nice. Please. These are all things arriving to help make things a little less shit than they are currently are. This is normally missed from the photos of cyclists and dog walkers. To be fair to Medtronic the recent blue balloon campaign came closer than I’ve ever seen before at showing what a drain diabetes is.

*I’ve started now, once I get ranting I can’t stop!

Another line where med-tech finds it hard to resist is the idea of ‘upgrades’ when technology needs replacing. I’ve always found the word a little distasteful. These aren’t mobile phones that we are demanding so that we can take better photos. This is kit built to reduce our diabetes stress; make our lives easier, not easy, just easier. The obligation to feel lucky and grateful to have the stuff that keeps us safest is a little humiliating.

Most people will recognize the phrase “Don’t worry, the cure is only x years away”. I’ve long enjoyed the wry smile it generates on my face. In 2013 I got a t-shirt made that said “It’s OK, the cure is only 10 years away.  © 1979” Perhaps we’re closer now than we ever have been but 10 years isn’t today.

Is it OK to feel like this when only 101 years ago diabetes would have meant a very short and not very healthy life? I’m not sure, as my head struggles with a little guilt at coming across here as massively ungrateful.

We CAN achieve anything and as a group people with diabetes we are magnificent at smiling and carrying on as though it’s not massively impacting on everything we do. And that’s almost OK because there are individuals facing much bigger problems than us, but that doesn’t make it easy or less heavy.

Does your device or insulin manufacturer realise, and hopefully accept, that being the ‘least crap option’ is still the best place to be in your thoughts? They should aim to do this and do so without being upset and having the honesty to embrace it with you.

Don’t worry, Positive Dave will be back again soon, just needed to get this one off my chest. Thanks for reading this far and I’d love to hear if you think I’m right, or if I’m completely bonkers?