Halloween and Diabetes - A Trick or a Treat?

'Halloween is coming and the goose is getting fat;
Please put a penny in the old mans hat,
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'peeny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
then God bless you'

The old rhyme that used to get me sweets (candy's for American readers) when I went out round the neighbours on Halloween night - never heard it?  Maybe not, these days its more Trick or Treat.

Is Halloween a Trick or Treat for people with diabetes? For me being diagnosed at 16 meant I had already fully enjoyed the dressing up and knocking on neighbours doors weighed down with nuts, clementines, money and sweets..lets not forget the sweets...! But there are so many children with Type 1 who will do something similar, but won;t be able to do it carefree.

And...do parents struggle with the idea of their wee ones with diabetes heading out on Halloween night and getting gifts of sweets? Ok, we know that we can bolus for sweets, but Halloween night seems to be an explosion of sweetness, including the one thing I haven't had since I was diagnosed and still look at fondly now, toffee apples, i know I could carb count, but that's the fun in just trying a toffee apple gone.

Does Halloween mean a loss of fun for People with Diabetes? I hope not, but it does come with difficulties.

If you are a Type 2, do you buy things in to give the children who will call at your door, but do you buy too much and then the temptation is there in the next few nights to gorge? Or maybe you only give money now, rather than encourage wee ones to grow up with a sweet tooth and maybe a combination of that sweet tooth and a lack of exercise will lead to an eventual Type 2 diagnosis for that happy-go-luck trick or treater.

And lets not forget the excitement that comes with Halloween - the parties, the fireworks, the dressing up - stress and excitement have an impact on blood sugars, and if you're dressing up and happen to have a pump, you have to get a costume that accommodates that, or just sod it, wear it on a clip and let it look out of place? Were do you put your blood sugar meter, what about the emergency hypo supplies...well its Halloween, hopefully there should be plenty of hypo supplies about!

Halloween is for me the start of winter, longer nights, warm fires and staying in..whatever you're doing have a safe one..and enjoy!

Loss

Been a couple of months since I put some thoughts in a blog, but this thought has been with me since a meeting of my diabetes support group on Monday the 13th of June.

I'd arranged the speaker way back in September 2012, a psychologist member of the clinical team from my local Health Trust, Dr Graham, a very accommodating Dr who was more than willing to engage with patients.

One of the issues for people with diabetes that Dr Graham raised was 'loss' and it really made me stop and think, one of the things diabetes creates is LOSS.

What kind of loss?

Loss of Control? Loss of Freedom? Loss of Life?

Control - Diabetes creates a control culture - we have to learn to control a condition, but on top of that, if you're on med's that control the level of glucose in your blood, well then there's a whole new loss of control you have to learn to live with, and that loss is pretty damn frightening, everyone can experience a low blood sugar, its a natural thing, but no-one without diabetes will experience the impact of hypoglycemia brought about by medication.

A hypoglycemic incident is one of the most terrifying things in the world to experience, more frightening than any roller-coaster ride, you lose all sense of you, in the most severe cases you become useless, you have total loss of control.

Freedom - The treatment of diabetes as a condition has changed remarkably over the years, there is much more chance for those on insulin to live a 'normal' life, but the reality is diabetes will impact on your ability to drive, your employment prospects and even something as simple as going out for dinner, drinks and a night out...its not that you can't...its simply that you have to programme in so many different equations...what will the carbs be in my meal choice?...what if they have no diet mixer for my drink?..what will drinking do to my blood glucose?

Life - Yes, diabetes is that serious...with all the other loss this is the one that those without diabetes don't think will happen..sure its only not eating sugar, diabetes isn't that serious...well sorry no, and excuse the pun...its bloody serious...every day is a challenge...every day is coping with loss and trying to achieve control whilst doing our best to enjoy freedom....and if we don't get the balance right...well then life ends.....