From my 2022 archive:
The most important thing I can think of to tell people with T1D that now have to deal with cancer is to do your best to get an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) if you don’t already have them (preferably ones that work together as a closed loop, if possible).
Also make sure you have extra supplies and insulin on hand if you can. For me, it was a struggle due to the company that was providing my supplies at the time. Despite calling them to ask them to automate everything for me and explaining about the cancer diagnosis, I had to keep on top of them to get supplies in time. And then switched providers the first chance I got, since who needs extra stress!
Depending on your treatment regimen, you could experience thrombocytopenia, which is a low platelet count. This can make you bleed more and take longer for your blood to clot, which for me affected both my pump and CGM sites, as you can see from these photos. That’s why it is helpful to have some extra supplies on hand in case you have to change sites more often than usual.
One of my biggest frustrations during my cancer journey is the fact that we don’t have more control in deciding what our target blood sugars should be when utilizing the latest and greatest technology. I ended up changing my pump settings to be more aggressive, but I think we should be allowed more autonomy in deciding what is best, within reason. Some small tweaks could help make a big difference in our lives. Rant over (for now)!
Another thing that I noticed, and which seemed counterintuitive, were problems with my sites adhering to my skin. Chemo made my skin super dry which required me to use a thick moisturizer, but I was careful not to get any of it on my abdomen where I normally place my sites. Despite that, nothing seemed to stick as well as it did before chemo, and a few even completely came out (not what you need when trying to manage your sugar while on steroids!). I ordered some skin prep wipes which helped a little bit, but I found that I also had to place a dressing over the sites to make sure they stay put.
I feel like there are a few other things I want to mention that I can’t think of at the moment (chemo and menopause brain is real). I’ll update when I think of those. Hope this helps!
- Despite the challenges with the company that was managing my pump and CGM supplies, I didn’t run out of anything
- I’m lucky to have great health insurance that allows me to have a closed loop insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
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