The Big "D"

Let's be honest: diabetes sucks. None of us asked for it to permeate virtually every aspect of our waking (and sleeping) lives, yet it does. We test, adjust, analyze, treat, bolus, inject, prime, and SWAG countless times a day; so many, in fact, that some days we feel robotic, simply going through the motions in our sleep-deprived state of mind. And then we worry; oh do we ever worry... about lows, highs, carb ratios, basal rates, A1cs, and, most importantly, about the future, both immediate and long term.

Throw in crappy winter weather and it's easy to see why diabetes and depression commonly go hand in hand. (Heck, I could live in balmy sunshine 365 days a year and diabetes would still depressing enough on its own). The seemingly never-ending gray of winter adds a whole new dimension to life with D. Seriously, how many days like this can one take?

Vancouver gets an average of 166 rainy days per year and it's not
uncommon for us too see 20 (or more) consecutive days of rain in winter.

We're talking approximately 27 inches of rain between November and March!

Yeah, you're probably thinking, "Holy crap, why would anyone live there?" We tolerate the rain because occasionally winter gives us a reprieve, we get a day of sun, and can hit the snow on our local mountains...

And we all patiently wait, knowing that summer will bring this....

FYI - this view is a 10 minute walk from where FFL Canada 2012 is being held in August...hint, hint, hint :)

By February, it can seem like winter will never end. I assure you, it will, but in the meantime, here are a few tips for surviving the winter blues:

• Take care of yourself - gets enough sleep; eat a balanced diet, rich in nutrients, and limit processed food; exercise, even if it's only a few minutes a day, the endorphins released during exercise are the best combatant to depression.
• Reduce stress - yeah, right... well, we can try anyway. Again exercise is super helpful here; read a book, watch a funny movie (laughter is a great treatment for depression), take a bath.
• Lean on your support network -your friends and family can be the single most helpful tool you have. Vent, talk, release your worries, knowing that they will still love you. And if that's not an option, the DOC is the best support I know. We know how you feel and we have your back.
• Get outta' dodge - when all else fails, a little vacation can work wonders...

This post is my February entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2012/february-dsma-blog-carnival/.