21 February 2022

Diabetes and Me: A Love-Hate Relationship

The title of this blog might be a little baffling. It’s kind of unusual to associate the word “love” with diabetes. I got you with a catchy blog title! But, if our BGs fall between the lines, then sometimes we do experience a feeling of love for our diabetes – an euphoria that’s hard to liken to much else. But beyond that feeling… the love doesn’t often go too far. 

Diabetes comes hand in hand with a lot of challenges and inconveniences which impact the way we go about our everyday lives much more than we’d like. A low or a too high BG (but that pastry was delicious…) and the actions that must come from the numbers we see on the screen are often a sap on our energy. For me, enjoyment is the number one priority. Enjoying the moment when my BGs are in range, enjoying exercise so that my BGs are a little easier to control, but also enjoying my life outside of diabetes too.

My diabetes has made me more focused on enjoying my time here on earth. There’s something about knowing how bad it can be, the good moments feel even more valuable. Diabetes helps you appreciate the good times, the small moments and the big ones. 

Diabetes has brought a lot to my life: in a really positive sense! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting new people, made lots of friends and I feel so much excitement and energy from medical technology. It’s my passion. So where do you get your energy from? What is your moment of happiness? Mine is riding my bike with my BGs on track. And if they’re not, I have a tasty sports bar in my back pocket. I hope this explains a little where my love for my diabetes comes from – I enjoy it to a full 200%! 

My philosophy: Be nice to yourself. Be proud of yourself. You will undoubtedly have days when you are less in control, but hate will not solve anything. 

About Hein

Diabetes Medtech fanatic Hein has had diabetes since 2011 and is part of the marketing team of Kaleido. His biggest diabetes challenge to date was running the Rome Marathon. 30-degree heat, 42 kilometres, trying to keep his BGs on track…

Read more blogs by Hein: Understanding and Misunderstanding diabetes