Authenticity with Diabetes?

[Keechi Kid]

I was diagnosed as being a Type 1 diabetic yesterday. I was wondering if there was anyone else who was able to participate in EFUBU events with this problem. My main concern is trying to figure out how to carry my insulin while keeping it cool. Anyone with any thoughts and experience in this would be much appreciated.

[Spinster]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

While a Type II Diabetic, and with somewhat different considerations as to medical control, first I'll say that I just came off a 7 day moving event in 100 degree heat. Except for one occassion, the heat and dietary challenges made me no more stupid than the next person. I eventually had to go out overnight, but was also dealing with hemmoraging and drainage with pulled out stitches from a recent incision.

For the typical 36 hour event, especially one where you have a knapsack available, the use of a small, medical grade, thick walled, styro cooler with a thin wooden shell may give your the cooling you need. Depending on the temperature, either frozen gel packs or a bit of dry ice should give you adequate temperature control for insulin. You may even be able to make use of an insulated bag with similar coolant--again the temperature range of the event will have a great deal influence here. Your meter is small and can be used discretely. Poke bags are your friend.

For me, dietary control is vital, and I was dealing with two challenges--first, as a 'refugee' I was with the train on sufferance, and did not draw a ration, unlike the majority of the wagoners and assistant wagoners. When soldiers threw uncooked food out on the road, I scrambled and picked it up. When others offered me the end of a cook pot, I grabbed at it. Not that I was being utterly stupid on this---I'd made up the majority of the rations for the trip, I knew the exchange amounts and portions, and knew what I could eat. The bottom of my earlier-in-the-century-shooting-bag-turned-haversack held a number of packaged items to eat should I find myself in trouble, along with the full week of medications.

When the wagon train was broken by terrain or other difficulties, I should have made sure that my meter was also in my haversack, instead of in its normal place in my snapsack. Like everybody else though, I'd taken opportunity to stow things in the wagon for In The Van that I carried in hand for Bummers. That was foolish on my part, and I won't make that mistake again.

Vital to this plan though, is that folks around you realize your difficulty and can alert you or others as need be. Long before I was diagnosed, a friend had appointed himself my "guard dog" at events, and looked to my welfare, especially when I was having trouble walking. In this case, he was quick to point out that I was not speaking in complete sentences. I sat down immediately, and two other folks moved quickly to help me remedy the problem--quickly eating an ear of corn, raw, solved it within five minutes. If you are 'compliant' when your blood sugar is off, great---if your reaction is 'hostile', then your friends must be prepared to deal with that too.

Finally, realize that all these events have 'support staff'. If you get one of those battery powered coolers in your vehicle for your insulin, depending on timeing and event structure, some events may be able to resupply you when a water drop is made. But you'll have to realize that things can and do go wrong in event timelines constantly, and make sure that you have plenty of wiggle room in that resupply timeline. What you don't want to be is a danger to yourself and a hindrance to others---and its incumbent on you to choose your events based on your honest assessement of your own limitations.

[Spinster]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

Part II

Yeah, there had to be more.

Pretty quickly, the folks teaching you how to deal with this will start hammering on foot care. They will look at you like you dropped from the MOON when you tell them what you do for fun, and in bad shoes.

If you do not have good brogans, its time to start on that process. If you need an orthotic support, that needs to get made and included in your custom fitting process. Interestingly, the same finely knitted, all wool, no elastic or manmades, socks needed for reenacting are also the sorts of sock recommended for diabetic feet. I see Uncle Tom Yearby is your friend. He can point the way here for the right shoes and socks.

If you don't know the basics of military foot care, its time to learn them and employ them every day. Your feet will be slow to heal when injured, and easily infected. Moleskin will be your constant friend, and well trimmed toenails are vital. Its not against the law for a guy to get a pedicure.

Insect control--find what works for you and use it agressively. Your insect bites will take more than double the time to heal than it will for others, and will be much more subject to becoming infected.

Finally---know yourself and your patterns. Thirst for you may mean something different than it means for others in your company. Others may be quite happy that they are are properly hydrated because they are "peeing enough" at an event---for you, that may be your first sign that your blood sugar is dangerously high.

You are a young man. Treatment has changed radically for Type I's since my childhood, when it was a virtual death sentence--and within months. The exercise and fitness level required for a military portrayal on the cutting edge of this end of the hobby will also do a great deal of good for your general level of health. Full, daily attention to all aspects of this will allow you to take on any challenge, with proper planning.

[AndrewGrim]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

I have type II Diabetes. I would agree with all that Mrs. Lawson said. One thing to remember is your glucose meter is not made for campaigning, my meter died on day two of Into the Piney Woods.

[Spinster]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

Andrew,

I'm curious here---how old was your meter and when were the batteries changed?

My snapsack is nothing more than a wool bag with a linen lining--hardly protection in an unsprung wagon. On a shorter events, my meter rides in the bottom of a dress pocket in its little kit bag, inside one of Troy Groves's Most Magnificent Sanitary Commission Poke Sacks (Its orange, I can find it in the dark). Heck, its been in creek water for short periods to no real harm that I could see--it still gave a reading.

What's amazing to me is how easy it is to work the system and get a free meter (albeit the test strips cost out the wazoo), especially the itsy bitsy little slim line ones. I keep one in the 18th century gear, one in the 19th century gear, and one in my modern purse, so there's no question. For those actually adjusting medication on the fly, based on readings, I'd think a second meter would be vital to be able to get to.

I can pretty well tell though by how I feel, and I adjust food intake, not meds.

So--for some folks this will mean getting clear communication from an organizer at a 'flat haversack' event, as to what is going in those haversacks, and when------and packing the minimum you need anyway, with a strong eye towards the fact that it can be done 'in period', though not always 'army issue'.

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

If I may--sister is a brittle Type I.
Meters aren't that hard to come by, as you say, and having multiples is a good idea. A lot of them are VERY small these days. The brand name escapes me, but there's one that can be loaded with a wheel of test strips so there's no separate container to carry, and another that doesn't use strips at all (costs some itself, but might be useful.) Also, Wally World in our area carries a vial of test strips and lancets with a disposable pre-calibrated meter on top. It runs about $20 and allows alternate testing sites, which might be handy when you're out where you really don't want a lot of cuts on your hands. Ah--found it--it's a Side Kick All-In-One. There was one negative review, but the rest were very positive.

From what we've learned in her 20 years of having diabetes, I'd advise anyone newly diagnosed and on insulin to do a dry run before a major event. Sleep rough, eat what you'd eat there, etc. in your own back yard, with a meter you know works, and see what that level of activity and kind of food does. It's actually easier to regulate around food with insulin than with oral antidiabetic agents. The bigger danger for you will likely be crashes under stress. If you carry glucose tablets, you can take them out of the container and carry them in a poke sack as if they were throat pastilles and suchlike. They're largish, fruit-flavored lozenges about the size of four or five Necco wafers stacked up, and they can give you a quick glucose hit when you need it, although you still need your backup plan.

[AndrewGrim]

Re: Authenticity with Diabetes?

It was the change from the desert of California to the hills of Louisiana; it had condensation on the screen. It did not even come back after it got home, and it dried out.
I can adjust through food, and have a tendency to misbehave with my diet. I also loose my appetite when I’m hiking.