Today we’re talking about living on your own with type 1 diabetes. We covered a lot of things in the episodes about college, but more often than not, in college you’re living with roommates. After college is when it’s way more likely that you’re actually on your own, and that carries some different risks and benefits than living with roommates.
In this episode, we cover these “living on your own” topics:
- Pre-planning before you move
- Things to do every day
- Emergencies
- Mental & emotional health
- Insurance & suppliers
- Self-sufficiency, including finances, exercising alone, and buying food for one
- Support team
Wins & Fails
Colleen’s Win: My 30-day average total daily dose of insulin is down to 20.38 units. I’ve been on an elimination diet for about a month, and it’s driving down my insulin use, my blood sugars are much more stable, and I’m losing weight again.
Jessie’s Fail: Jessie was underprepared for her trip to visit colleges in that she didn’t re-pack her diabetes travel kit, so she ended up running uncomfortably low on insulin while on her trip.
Tip of the Week
Get a bedside organizer to stash low snacks, your meter kit, and other things you might need in the middle of the night if you go low or high.
Diabetes Spotlight
The spotlight this week is on a study looking at the impact of lockdown on glycemic control in type 1 diabetics.
The study concluded that glycemic control of T1D patients has worsened mainly due to non availability of insulin/glucostrips during lockdown period. There is a need for preparedness in future so that complications can be minimised.
It’s good that this study brought this information to light because not only were we not prepared for a pandemic, we were and it appears we still aren’t prepared to handle our diabetes under these strange new circumstances.
Now It's Your Turn...
Do you live alone with diabetes? What are your hacks, tips, and advice for T1Ds nervous to take the step to live on their own?
Mentioned in This Episode
- Support the blog & podcast by buying us a coffee through Ko-fi!
- Diabetes.org SAFETY Acronym
- JDRF Video on Living Alone with T1D
- Living Alone with Type 1 Diabetes (Diabetes.co.uk)
- Safely Living Alone with Diabetes (Diabetes Forecast)
- The Loner T1D (BeyondType1)
- Living Alone & Living Well with Diabetes (Diabetes Self Management
- Diabetes Alert Dogs
- Insurance
- You Need a Budget (Referral: try free for 34 days and then get 1 month free if you sign up for a subscription!)
Community & Social
- Join us in the Half-Dead Pancreas Club, our private Discord community for people with T1D.
- Follow us on Instagram @thisistype1pod, @jj_crystalkat, & @type1ravenclaw
- Follow us on Facebook
Choose Where to Listen
Credits
Our music is by Joseph McDade. Check out his website here!
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