Ep. 13 - Type 1 in Adulthoood - Martine - almost 12 months post-diagnosis

A continuation from Episode 5 with Martine after a shock diagnosis of T1D in her early 40's, Martine shares a bit about her journey. Not without some laughs & going off on a bit of tangent about how diabetes can impact on intimacy with your partner, Jaimee & Martine talk about how carb counting & learning more about diabetes can help enhance flexibility in life. A nice short & sweet episode as we talk a little about DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) which is a course Martine has just started to help her with her diabetes management. Send us a message, rate us, share this with friends who could use a reminder that we are all in this together. Martine will be a regular & she's happy to share her story - very raw & honest, we are so grateful!

DAFNE course (Victoria, Aust)
https://www.dafne.org.au/dafne_home

Our podcast Email: diabetesintheraw@gmail.com

Transcript

Jaimee 0:15

hey. Hey. Welcome back to another episode of Diabetes in the Roar. We're a bit, we're a bit lucky. We've got a guest returning for a second episode. So, Martine Hot Lips is back, and if you haven't listened to her first episode with us, it was back in August. Can you believe that Marty?

Martine 0:31

Wow. No, not at all. That's crazy.

Jaimee 0:34

2022. I looked at her episode five. So go back, have a listen if you want to, but otherwise we'll give you a bit of background on her in this episode and we're gonna see what's happened. So adulthood type one diabetes diagnosis and um, we are just gonna crack on we're we are both a bit loose. It's eight 30 on a Tuesday night after a very long day.

Martine 0:54

Of being moms and running empires and type one diabetes.

Jaimee 0:58

That's right. That's right. Um, so we're just gonna crack on and can you remember when you were diagnosed, I guess it's not a date you forget.

Martine 1:08

Well, you know, it, it's funny you should say that because I always remember it's, uh, exactly a month after my birthday, so 12th of June. Anyone that wants to send me gifts feel free. Um, but when it was the 12th of May, um, just the other day I was like, oh my God, 10 months. Like, are you like fed him serious? Like that kind of.

Jaimee 1:29

anniversary.

Martine 1:30

It's nearly my anniversary. And it's funny that you mentioned about the podcast cuz I actually, I myself did go back and listen to our podcast only a couple of days ago and listening to myself then that I, I was only like five weeks diagnosed and Wow. Now.

Jaimee 1:49

did you, yeah.

Martine 1:50

Yeah, it was, it was quite interesting. It was raw, you know, and it was, is how, how, how you felt. But, um, it just, Makes you realize how far you've come, you know, and how much there, there is to, to keep going. And, and the people that need the support around it is just mind blowing. So, you know what? Here we go.

Jaimee 2:14

Here we go. And we were saying just before we started recording, it doesn't matter if it hits one person, 10 people, a hundred people, a thousand people. We're here to help one person, aren't we? You know, like we hope it helps more, but

Martine 2:27

Yeah. And, and the main thing is, you know what, it helps us too because just to have someone to talk about it and for someone to go, yeah. I, I really get that. And I understand that it's, um, it's nice. And look, I, I have to say to you as well that over these last 10 months, the amount of times that I've called on you for something that I'm totally stressed out about, my levels are really high. I'm feeling like this, and you know what? You got me through. So, you know, like I just have to say thank you so much and please, you keep doing what you do. You know?

Jaimee 3:02

give this up mate. This is, I feel like as you say, it's like you've gotta take the good from something. And when I was diagnosed over 25 years ago now, who would've known that this is where I would end up. But it's, it's led me down this path and you know, now I flick you messages going absolute crappy day. And then you are like, yep, I, you know, you know what to do cuz this is your job and you've lived this for so long, but you still get crappy days and a hundred percent. It's nice to share it with you too and get that support so,

Martine 3:31

Yeah. And, and look, I, some days you don't think about it. Other days you just, you are in, uh, robot mode where it just all happens and then other days it just hits you and it's, um, I, I was having a bit of a lull there for a little while and I was like, why wasn't anyone asking? Why isn't my family members asking me about my diabetes? You know, because I didn't talk about it, but I was struggling and I left it, and I left it and, and then just recently I had a chat with my partner and I was like, no. Trying to be real and go, you know, like I'm trying to tell you how I'm feeling. Like nobody asks how my diabetes is going. And you know, and, and he looked at me and he goes, look, I'm really sorry. He goes, but you have to see it from our point of view. He goes, myself and the kids, he goes, you don't see your face and your body language. He said, we, we look at you and we know that you are struggling. It affects you. You can tell by your, your, your body, your face. And he said, you know, sometimes you're not really approachable. It was, but

Jaimee 4:36

Yeah, I

Martine 4:37

light bulb. It was a light bulb moment for me thinking that, you know, here again, I think it was my ego that kind of kicked in and went, oh, nobody's really checking on me. And you know, like, don't they know I've got diabetes and I inject, well, you know, That communication around, we we're seeing and, and we, we see what it does to you and it breaks our heart.

Jaimee 4:59

It makes a difference, but you know. You know, being married and that I'm the same, it's kind of like had a bad low today and bad can mean a lot of things. And I'm not talking about, oh, hit the ones or the twos or numbers. It's just that hangover effect for hours on end and your brain fog where you can't function and you can't find your words and you know you're not functioning where you should be at work. And that hangover effect with the headache and trying to get the kids to bed and you know, like just. Just trying to explain that look on your face is a lot, whole lot of emotional and physical pain sometimes, so it's still okay to want people to ask, but they look talking from experience, they kind of just stop because it's what you do every day

Martine 5:44

Yeah.

Jaimee 5:45

they think you get used to it and that it gets easier. But we're here to tell you it's still crappy and you can still ask us how we are and.

Martine 5:52

Yes. Yes. You know what? Correct. That's exactly right. And but that's all just around communication. So that's why

Jaimee 5:59

not my strong point.

Martine 6:00

like, like us talking about it and people listening, they would be thinking the exact same thing. You know, like it's just, it, it is how it is, but. Yeah, it, that was a bit of a, a, you know, you know, you step back and you just go, well, Martin, you do just have to do, you know,

Jaimee 6:18

that's the thing.

Martine 6:19

you, you've gotta look after yourself. Cause no one else is going to unfortunately, you know, like, and just take it in your stride and just keep going.

Jaimee 6:28

And I hope you don't mind me saying I can edit anything out, but I'm sure you won't mind, but there's been a few things that, you know, you wanna talk to just anyone about with diabetes. Has there like things in the bedroom and stuff and we're

Martine 6:39

Oh no.

Jaimee 6:39

like sending funny memes and going Yeah, a hundred percent. Like.

Martine 6:43

and you know what, like I'm not afraid to, to talk about it at all because it's real. Like I have messaged you many a times and gone, you know, there's nothing better than finally being alone with your partner, and all of a sudden your sense is going, beep beep. And you know what, you might push that sensor out three times, but in the end you're like, I've gotta have a glucose too. But that's being real. Like that

Jaimee 7:06

for all. Yeah.

Martine 7:07

you know, like that's just, if you don't smile about it, you know what? You're gonna get upset. So, you know what, like sugar it because it's real

Jaimee 7:15

yeah. Yeah. And I feel for people in the dating scene and that going through this, cuz I know it was an absolute nightmare. So I'm, you know, we are in stable relationships and that now when we can share all that. But

Martine 7:26

good.

Jaimee 7:26

think we should, maybe, I'm a bit shy about all this stuff, but down the track I'd love to do, uh, a bit more of a focus on, uh, you know, the intimacy relationship side of stuff and today, yeah.

Martine 7:38

You know what? Yeah, just, sorry, I don't mean to cut you off, but I was about to say Yeah, it, it really does. And can I just make a, a point by saying I can't understand? Well, I couldn't really understand why I'd, I'd kind of tuned out a little bit and I just become a little bit in my, in. Inwards. And the other day I was thinking about it and my partner come up and he touched my arm and he touched my sensor. He went over my sensor and that just made me feel, it didn't make me feel good,

Jaimee 8:08

Yeah.

Martine 8:08

you know? And I thought, oh my God, he's just felt my sensor.

Jaimee 8:11

Yeah,

Martine 8:12

And that whole, that whole mood just, just cuts it there and then, and it's just, you know, or if they go to touch your, your tummy, put, put their arm around and touch your tummy, it's like, oh man, I've got the worst BR in your head. Like, oh my God, I injected in there. I've got the worst bruise from three days ago. And I just get a little bit funny about that. Hold on.

Jaimee 8:32

And I wear my sensors and pump sites and that and my backside and, you know, it's just, it's, it can stick out in your jeans and yeah, it's just, if just not, not always something that makes you feel good or,

Martine 8:46

No, no. You know what? Correct, correct. But you know what, like definitely let's have a, you know, like we'll have a chat about all that stuff. Another times. I think that's really interesting. And, and it's normal,

Jaimee 8:56

Yeah, very, very normal and just not, not really talked about. I know in diabetes clinics we don't talk about it enough, and I imagine that the teenagers probably don't wanna, but they might wanna listen to a podcast of two, two old farts. We're not that old people, but. We do have wisdom to share. Hey, so jumping back to, you know how you said, you messaged me on that, about being high and not knowing what to do. So yeah, me working in pediatrics for many, many, many years and, um, adulthood as well, but more peds, I guess. I was talking last episode about how we cover so many different topics and before you leave hospital, you know what to do in certain situations, whereas you were in, was it one night you were stayed in hospital?

Martine 9:40

Uh, I'd found out, I think it was like seven o'clock in the morning that I had type one diabetes, and then I was out of there by 12 o'clock.

Jaimee 9:49

cry. Okay, so even,

Martine 9:51

a, with a sit down with someone for like two and a half, maybe three hours trying to explain everything to me, and I'm, yeah, a bit overwhelmed, so,

Jaimee 10:00

it was literally survival skills. This is how you test your level. This is how you do insulin, but. Nothing around carb counting, which we often do at diagnosis for pediatrics, and nothing around what to do if you're high and all of that. So I guess give us a rundown of what the last, what, so the 10 months has kind of looked like for you.

Martine 10:22

Look, it's been a little bit all over the shot, but once I, I think I spoke to you at five weeks, so there was a little while there were where they were. I was having too much insulin. They, they had given, they had sent me hi only after being diagnosed for four or five hours, they'd sent me home with the amount of insulin, rapid insulin, and long lasting that I should be having at every meal Now. To give you a bit of an idea, I think it was, um, four, four for breakfast, six for lunch, and six for dinner, and maybe 12 on the long lasting. And that made me really, really have terrible hypos. And as it sits now, I'm on one unit for breakfast, and if I have lunch, I have two units. And if I have a really big dinner, I have three units for dinner.

Jaimee 11:15

Wow.

Martine 11:16

And my long lasting is now down to eight units. So they have,

Jaimee 11:20

like you're in that honeymoon period, as we call it, where your pancreas is producing some insulin. Again, eventually you're gonna end up on higher doses, but that's a horrible way to start off with so many hypos because. It's probably one of the scariest parts of Type one diabetes for most people, I reckon.

Martine 11:39

Yeah, that, that feeling that just comes over your body, that you just, you just can't explain it. You might feel it in your shins first or your knees go, but you feel it, and yeah, it, it's not nice. So, and, and also too, thank you for the sensor as well, like the, the sensor. It helps you, it keeps you out of a hypo. It's not always accurate. But you know what? When your day could just be going so smoothly and you, you get that beep on your, on your, on your phone or on your watch, you know, you pull up the reins and you go, woo, woo, woo woo. We're dropping. All right, let's, let's do something about it. And, um, apresso change, you know, like, keep going for the rest of the day.

Jaimee 12:18

So you are on the Libra 2 cents, aren't you?

Martine 12:20

That's correct,

Jaimee 12:21

Yeah. Yeah. So that's a game changer. How many finger pricks do you do these days? Being on the Libra? Do you have to do many?

Martine 12:27

Um, I still probably do maybe six a week. Cause I like to, sometimes when my, uh, the sensor goes off, I, I'm kind of feeling, okay, so then you'll do it and it could be out by three units, you know, and it's

Jaimee 12:43

miles. Yeah, that's, that's exactly, yeah. Yeah. That's, and that's perfect. So hopefully you are educated on that, or maybe you're just sensible and you, you always trust your body over what technology's telling you.

Martine 12:55

I've got a good friend called Jamie Drew who teaches me he, sorry. Ah, yeah, no, no. Learnt that through our friend. Um, but um, yeah, that's the, the sensors are, are fantastic, you know, and I also have a brother with type one diabetes. His name's Corey. And, um, uh, he's been in and outta hospital and they've given him a sensor. And mind you, he's had it for over 23 years. And, there's all this confusion around it at the moment because some of his paperwork states that he's a type two diabetic.

Jaimee 13:26

Yeah.

Martine 13:27

When he is really type one, so, you know, like he still finger pricks every time. I ended up giving him one of my senses at Christmas. I'm like, you gotta try this. You know, like it's a game changer. He loved it. But when he went back to try and get a script from the doctor, they're like, no, it's showing up here that you are type two. So,

Jaimee 13:44

So they need to do some blood tests to confirm, you know, which, diabetes

Martine 13:49

He's, and he goes, and I've had it for so long, he goes, I've always been type one. But now, yeah. So, you know, and just watching him, he actually ended up in, hospital just through, uh, over the years of finger pricking. He ended up with like an infection in his finger.

Jaimee 14:03

Yeah, crazy.

Martine 14:05

Y you know, like, it's just, yeah. So, you know, that's, that's the point of the, the, the story was, you know, he's still finger pricks,

Jaimee 14:14

Yes. And lots of people do. Lots of people do. You know, um, and that's why I was sort of asking you because I think, a lot of us who have had diabetes for a long time, who didn't have sensors for so long. Have found it hard to trust a sensor. You know, like I'm on the Dexcom G six and you don't have to finger prick at all technically, but we, we would always do what you do and confirm with a finger prick if you're not sure, or you know, just to double check if there's times you need to do a key tone check. You can't do that any other way. Um, so it's, it's not an obsolete skill in diabetes and it's still important to have your glucose monitor with you and do all that stuff, but there's plenty of people that. You know, especially diagnosed in an adulthood, you just don't get that exposure to what's available, how to get it. Um, I deal with a lot of pregnant women who have never worn a sensor and how important it is during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy. So if you're listening to this and you haven't tried a sensor, get in touch with your diabetes educator or your team, and hopefully they can organize you a trial, but it will depend on whether you've got type one or two as to whether you are eligible in Australia via. And DSS and government funding to get it for free.

Martine 15:25

But yeah, look, yeah, game changer. And also too, the data that we use for our free, uh, Libra fee freestyle too, is that, you know, you scan and then you've got the opportunity to write in their finger prick was da, da, da, da. So all that data then goes back to them.

Jaimee 15:43

And then I, I, I can jump on and have a look cuz you've granted me access to you. I mean, we should note that I'm not your diabetes educator either. You've, you've been through the public health service in your area and you know, you've had that team as well. So I've, it's a bit tricky when you got that actually, cuz it's like, I wanna leave it to them. But I also want you to learn this and.

Martine 16:02

Yeah.

Jaimee 16:02

but that's good. That's good. Should we jump to your most recent education and that, and kind of how that's gone when you've been not really even knowing what carbohydrates are to where you are now, how that's looked?

Martine 16:16

Yeah. Yeah. Well I've just look, I started the Daphne course probably about, so maybe four months ago I went and bought myself some scales. Cause at this stage I still had no, I've seen a dietician, but still had no idea. It's funny, my mind works different. It takes different strategies or scenarios for me to, to get it. Went and bought some scars and tried to teach myself how to carb breed a little bit to understand, you know, how much, but look, that lasted a little while and I thought. I'm just gonna eat what I know my insulin will do.

Jaimee 16:45

yeah.

Martine 16:46

Much insulin to give myself, but I've just started the Daphne course in Melbourne. We've just opened up a new office. Listen to me.

Jaimee 16:53

I'm doing a, I'm doing a naughty Google to see what DAPHNE stands for cuz I do know, but, um, I can't think of what the acronym Oh, dose adjustment for normal eating. So, Daphne's an acronym.

Martine 17:04

Yeah. So, yeah. And look, did my fir I'm doing a five week course every Wednesday over five weeks. And it does take a little bit to wrap your head around it, but the, the strategies that they give you and the confidence that they give you that it'll be okay. We're gonna smash it out.

Jaimee 17:24

It looks really interesting. I'll put the link in the show notes for people, this is for me, this is your missing link to make your life much more flexible and hopefully a little more, I'm gonna do normal, um, inverted coms because, you know, it's as close to. As you can get with the flexibility of being able to dose for what you want to eat as opposed to eating the same thing because it's easier or, you know, feeling so

Martine 17:51

days it's like that. Some days it's like that because you know what? You don't even wanna inject. But you know, you have to, I'll do that. That's how much, that's how many units I'll need. And, and, and look, the, the, probably the nicest thing about the course is going in there and meeting, uh, it was a group of eight people. You know, I would say at rage range from the age of maybe 75 to 22. So, you know, and, uh, a couple of people in the course, they've had diabetes for over 25 years, so they've never learned how to carb count.

Jaimee 18:24

Yeah.

Martine 18:25

so they're in there learning it now and they're going to me. How long have you had it? I go 10 months. I go, how lucky are you?

Jaimee 18:31

Yeah. And you know, and

Martine 18:33

You know what? I really lucky.

Jaimee 18:35

a hundred percent and, but then I look at, at the families that, you know, I've dealt with and I go, they learn it in the first week or two. And so I look at you and I go 10 months without it, and that's huge. But yeah, I've got a neighbor probably in his seventies who did it. Um, a couple of months ago he mentioned how he did it. So it's, there's still plenty of adults out there, which is why we wanted you to come on and share your story and we're so grateful because the missing links can be the difference between quality of life, you know, like between being able to go to the party and enjoy yourself and not, and, you know, I know you've done some travel and it's just hard when you don't have all that information that you need.

Martine 19:18

But I have this belief in myself now that everything's gonna be okay. Keep myself, keep myself out. Just check. Always check. You know what, if you do go a little bit high, it's okay.

Jaimee 19:31

Mm. It's,

Martine 19:32

what? Like if you see that orange on your scanner or you even see it go like, like yellow and then the darker orange, it's okay. Don't, don't stress out about it. Cause I spent so long beating myself up about it, oh my God, what have I eaten? What, you know, what did that food do? And at the end of the day, a lot of it was actually caused through stress as well. And being aware of my hormones too. Like just going, are you serious? How would it be like that? So now I'm more like a little bit chilled with it. I really, it's like, it's okay Martine, because Jamie taught you that you know how to do a correction if you ever got really high. That's okay.

Jaimee 20:12

Yeah, and you are confident doing that yourself now, aren't you? As well like,

Martine 20:16

Not a hesitation, you know? And some days I can, you know, 98% of the time I'm really good and I look after myself. But some days, like everyone, I go, ah, to hell with everything. I'm just eating this, this, and this. And you know what I'll. I'll bolster for it. You know, like, I'm not sure that's a proper term for it, but I'll give

Jaimee 20:36

use it. Yeah.

Martine 20:39

We're gonna make sure that we're right. So having that confidence actually brings everything down and everything's gonna be okay.

Jaimee 20:45

Yeah, and that's where the knowledge brings the confidence because. You know, how can you give a correction if you've never been told how it works or roughly what dose you might need? And that that's gonna change, that's gonna change for you because you know, obviously your pancreas is still kicking out some insulin at this point in time. And at one point you're gonna be on much bigger doses and you are gonna freak out and think, how could I be on one or two units then, and now I'm on 10, 15, 20 units? You know, like, That could happen. So as you and I were saying before, we are both still learning is it's not an exact science. So many factors can impact.

Martine 21:25

correct. And, and also another thing that after speaking with these wonderful people in this course and looking actually forward to going see him tomorrow, that, you know what my story is like a, a, a movie. Some people haven't had it. Quite as easy as how mine's been diagnosed and what I've been through

Jaimee 21:45

The good thing for you is you weren't super sick when you got diagnosed. Like you, you weren't in the diabetic ketoacidosis and yeah,

Martine 21:53

yeah, and to hear those stories, you just go, wow,

Jaimee 21:57

you're a glass half full girl. Which is, which is great. Absolutely great. And then there's me there going, I know you are so positive, but I still could have made this so much easier for you if. You know, if I had have just jumped in earlier and not trusted that you would get the education you need in the first month or two, but

Martine 22:16

But where would I be without you? And you know, just for everyone listening as well, I message Jamie all the time and tell her how much I love her and just where would I be without you randomly,

Jaimee 22:27

she does. It's beautiful. More, probably more than my husband. No, my husband does it too.

Martine 22:32

But you know what this is, this is, you know, when I say to you, keep doing what you are doing, and just anyone that can get on board and wanna just put anything in like

Jaimee 22:43

Marty, you'll, you'll be excited by this one. We've got a guest coming on in the, in the next few episodes, hopefully. The next one who's who I went to primary school with and he was diagnosed with Type one diabetes at 18 months old. And, um, he's now in his early forties, so he's gonna share his experience and he said he's an open book. So if anyone's listening and has any questions for him, flick us a message on social media or email, whatever works. And, I'll put all that in the show notes, but we'll get you back on, we'll get him on, we'll try and get some more, you know, guests on with different experiences. And then people who are listening will know that we're not alone. There's no perfect science. You can have all the knowledge in the world and still have crappy days, crappy weeks, crappy months. We're here for the long haul. Literally.

Martine 23:32

you know what? And we're all standing behind each other, you know, going shoulders back, chin up, you know, it is a terrible, terrible thing. But we got this.

Jaimee 23:43

We do have this. We do have this. Thank you so much for coming on. You need

Martine 23:48

Oh, no worries.

Jaimee 23:49

uh, Kraken into bed before another early morning, and so your course is, uh, tomorrow, your week two.

Martine 23:55

Yep. Week two. So tomorrow we're gonna learn about, or they're gonna educate us on, um, corrections and, um, yeah, the formula that they gave us in regards to carb counting, putting that to you, putting that to the test and yeah, very exciting.

Jaimee 24:12

It is good. And you are big on your exercise and it looks like I'm just reading some of their notes. It looks like they cover that as well. So that's gonna be really beneficial for you as well. So, um, we'll, we'll get you back on after you've done the full course and we'll, and we'll just see how it's changed life for you and, yeah.

Martine 24:29

Awesome. Thank you so much for the chat. You know, you keep doing what you're doing, both you and Hailey, you know, like

Jaimee 24:35

Yeah, Haley's actually back in the UK and was gonna jump on and a computer died on her. So next time we get you on, she will definitely come on. I know she's dying to meet you.

Martine 24:45

Yeah, no worries. And listen all the best and I'll be listening, so keep'em coming.

Jaimee 24:49

Thanks so much Mari.

Martine 24:50

worries. See you

Jaimee 24:52

See you mate. Bye.

Martine 24:53

Bye.