Talking to your friends, roommates, and classmates about diabetes can sometimes be stressful. Further, managing diabetes in social and partying situations can be difficult. This page provides tips and advice for balancing having fun and being involved in life on campus and diabetes. However, it is important to remember everyone's comfort level is different when discussing their diabetes.
What your roommate should know about diabetes:
It is important that you only share what you are comfortable with and the information that will be necessary to keep you safe. Some of this necessary information includes:
How to administer the glucagon emergency injection.
In the event of an extreme low blood sugar, teach your roommate and RA how to administer the glucagon. Tell them where you will be keeping the glucagon so it will be easy to find should they ever have to use it. You can bring an expired glucagon to let them practice on.
Insulin will be stored in the refrigerator
So, if you share are refrigerator with your roommate, make sure they know some of the space will be taken up by your insulin and that if it important that it is not taken out.
CGM Alarms
If you have a CGM, it is possible that the alarm may go off in the middle of the night and wake your roommate. It is best to explain the alarms before anything like this happens to prevent them from being startled or concerned. You should also let them know that if an alarm is going off and you have low blood sugar, they may need to help you find and consume glucose. However, do not feel too bad about alarms going off, they often times save our lives!
It is ok to not share everything about your relationship with your diabetes with your roommate
For most of us, our diabetic journey has been personal with a series of ups and downs. Only share what you feel comfortable with sharing. The most important thing is that you are in a safe environment with people who could help you in the event of an emergency.
How should I tell my friends about diabetes?
Like your roommate, do not feel obligated to open up about your personal history with your diabetes diagnosis. However, it is important that they know you are diabetic for your safety. They should know that your blood sugar may go low and know to help you get sugar if you need it.
It can be daunting to bring up diabetes. Going to
college, it can be easy to feel like diabetes is something that makes you different from everybody else. I know I was afraid to tell my friends about diabetes, but felt a like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders once I did. It was important to me to bring up diabetes in a casual way that did not make it seem like it was anything that made me stand out too much. Usually, this meant going to meals with people and giving myself insulin or testing my blood sugar then explaining why I was doing these things. Afterwards, most people would ask a few questions. When answering questions I always tried to be receptive, explain diabetes as best I could, and stay positive by thanking them for asking questions. This may not work for everyone, but is worked for me!
Further, high or low blood sugar can often times effect our attitude, energy levels, and overall the way we feel on any given day. I have found it to be upfront about if your blood sugar is effecting me in case I am acting differently than usual. This could be as simple as saying: "My blood sugar has been high lately so I'm feeling pretty drained'. Or: "I want to stay in and have a relaxing night because my blood sugar has been stressing me out today."
Partying with diabetes:
You can have fun and participate in regular college activities like everybody else! While it does not have to be, going to parties and drinking is something you may participate in as a college student. If you do not want to, that is normal and ok! Do not feel any peer pressure to take part in anything you do not feel comfortable with. You just have to be responsible and look after your blood sugars to ensure you are safe.
Alcohol lowers your blood sugar
You may notice your blood sugar drop when drinking. It is important to always have sugar to treat low blood sugar on you. Be conscious of if there is sugar in the beverage you are drinking and adjust your insulin needs accordingly.Find out what works best for you and your blood sugars, this is done best by being cautious with the amount you are drinking- especially when trying new beverages.
Safety in moderation
Most importantly, drink responsibly! It is scary to be in dangerous situations. Make sure you know your limits and how alcohol effects your blood sugar before drinking. Peer pressure can make things difficult, but you should never feel bad about prioritizing your health and safety. Friends will understand!
Glucagon does not work when you are drinking
Glucagon is designed to elevate dangerously low blood sugar by sendinga message to the liver to release glucose. However, if you have been drinking and have low blood sugar that requires glucagon administration, it will not work because your liver is preoccupied with processing the alchohol in your system. If you notice your blood sugar dropping lower than you would like when drinking, eat sugar right away to avoid a dangerous situation. It is easy to slip glucose gel or fruit snacks into your pocket if you are not taking a bag out with you. If you feel comfortable asking, you could also ask your friends to put some sugar in their pocket incase you need more than you predicted.
Make sure someone you are going out with knows you are diabetic
In the event of an emergency, it will make all the difference if a friend of somebody you are with knows you have Type 1 and what you may need if your blood sugar is too high or low. They should also know all situations in which you would need them to seek medical assistance for you.
Wear your medical ID
It is always important to wear your medical ID. It is especially important if you are at a party and drinking! Because alcohol can be dangerous with your blood sugar, you need to have identification on you with your medical information in case there is an emergency where someone needs to call 911. It is also useful to have your medical information saved on your phone as most college students tend to have their phones on them at all times.
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