u/dotdotdotidk

Hi all! I am in desperate need of some advice. I will obviously consult my endo with these same questions, but I'm really hoping to hear from other Diabetics with a similar experience.

I am currently an Omnipod 5 and Dexcom G7 (10-day) user. I have been having consistent issues with Omnipod, including leakage, insulin buildup, and malfunctioning adhesive. I feel like I waste so much insulin thanks to the amount of leaking I experience, despite consistent site rotations and use of overpatches and/or tegaderm.

Next summer, I (from the US) am planning on visiting my boyfriend who lives in Germany. I will be spending a fair amount of time there (~1 month), so I am already beginning to think about how much medicine I should bring. The past two summers, travelling with Omnipod was pretty terrifying. Although the company is pretty great about sending replacement products, the rate of faulty products that I receive always makes me wary about the dependability of my supply. Additionally, being out of town outside of the USA makes it unlikely (to my knowledge) that I'd be able to easily obtain replacement products.

Currently, my idea is to switch to insulin pens while traveling next summer. It seems like a more dependable measure of my supply. It also seems like something that would be easier (and more affordable) to get ahold of in Germany if my Omnipods all fail me.

Do any of you guys switch to pens while traveling? Do you feel safe traveling with Omnipod? Alternatively, is there another pump that you feel safer traveling with?

Hey everyone!

I'm having a pretty hard time. Last year was the most difficult year of my life. My BPD and bipolar disorder were flaring up, and I couldn't figure out what was going on because I wasn't on medication or in therapy. I impulsively broke up with my ex-partner of 4 years and ghosted several of my friends right after my 21st birthday. I impulsively changed my relationship with my best friend, causing a rocky few months to follow. I really had no idea what the hell was wrong with me, but it felt like I couldn't stop moving.

Ever since then, the friendships that I regained feel unsteady. I think this is understandable, as I know I haven't always been the best friend the past few years. I've been trying really hard to re-earn my friends' trust and prove to them that I am someone they should be proud to be friends with.

I'm having a hard time because right now, one of my best friends of nearly 10 years is ignoring me. She saw that I went to a party with a few other friends at a mutual friend's house. I decided to stop by since a member of my family was there. I felt bad that she wasn't invited, but I figured it wouldn't be a big deal since she had already cancelled plans on me that day to hang out with her boyfriend. Looking back, I should've communicated much better than I did. I also should've thought harder about going. I only really thought about myself since some shitty stuff is going on back home and I really wanted a reason to forget about it, even if only for an hour or so while I stopped by.

She has never ignored me like this, but I know I ignored her before and made her feel unwanted during my episodes before I was being treated. Much against my typical DBT work might've wanted me to do, I sent her an impulsive and lengthy apology yesterday morning. She's still ignoring me, and even though it really hurts I am trying to respect the space and prepare myself in case she doesn't want to be friends after this.

I hate that I am so egregiously bad at relationships. I am great at socializing a lot of the time. When it comes to close relationships, though, I always feel like I'm walking on a tightrope. In the past, I haven't been considerate of my friends' needs. I've been inconsistent, flaky, and selfish. I've hurt people all while thinking I'm the best friend in the world and nobody loves their friends like I love mine.

I'm extra frustrated with myself because I thought that I was finally getting better. I've been in therapy and on consistent medication for a few months now. Still, I'm making these big, shitty mistakes. I guess it's all a wake-up call, though. I'm learning from these experiences, even if i'm not proud of myself. I just wish I wasn't hurting people I love in the process, and I hope I don't need too many more learning experiences and friendship losses to figure myself out.

trying to build a surplus and although i know these pods have issues, they are still something. will i be in trouble if i try to hold onto a few of them?

Hi all!

I am a 21 year old with a helix on my left ear that was originally pierced in January. Healing has been going okay, but after some persistent piercing bumps my piercer decided to switch me to a 16g hoop today (both jewelry pieces have been sterling silver, same size). I never went for a traditional downsize since at the time of my appointment, my piercer thought I could use more time with the long bar. She thinks that the jewelry is a major reason for the irritation I am facing.

Today when she changed to a hoop, she was impressed by how perfectly healed the hole of my piercing is. It’s a perfect pinhole, and the only trouble seems to come from where the earring had been resting outside of the piercing hole itself. I originally had a flat-back stud.

Throughout healing I have definitely made some mistakes, but I have been pretty consistent about saline spray (Walgreens wound wash) these past few days. I am also trying to be diligent about not sleeping on that side, though I tend to toss and turn. There hasn’t been anything too ridiculous that would severely impact the healing process, though.

Has anyone else had luck with resolving piercing bumps using a stud, or do you think that my piercer’s decision was premature?

hi all!

i am a t1d living in america but in a relationship with someone who lives within the EU. i am currently preparing my graduate school applications and am seriously considering ways to leave the country. i know it may be ambitious, but i am really hoping that i can somehow turn my academic career into a life outside of the US.

are there other countries that are especially accommodating towards us? from my perspective, the US seems pretty easy to beat.

hi all!

i am 21 and diagnosed with bipolar, bpd, and ocd. i have noticed that despite being medicated, i react very strongly to even a few nights of sleeplessness.

my first ever manic episode pre-medication was strongly influenced (if not onset) by continually going to sleep late and waking up remarkably early, resulting in only around 3 hours of sleep each night. i didn’t know my symptoms then, and things snowballed from there.

now, despite being medicated, i notice that sleeplessness remains to be a major indicator for my wellbeing. for example, i went to a concert that caused me to stay out late and woke up extremely early the next morning for work. since that concert, sleep has been more difficult and i have noticed a significant uptick in my manic tendencies, including an increased susceptibility to paranoia and partial hallucinations.

i am wondering: how does sleep impact you guys and your presentation of symptoms? how do you manage a late night out?

Hey all!

I am studying lit and I want to preface by saying that what you suggest does not need to be a "good" book. I am a firm believer that slop is a wonderful form of literature and that is sort of what I'm craving here. This is a no-holds-barred really earnest request sort of scenario.

I need a book with insanely devastating character relationships. They can be happy or bittersweet, but the important part is that the characters in this book have an insane dynamic that racks your brain. The dynamic can be romantic, platonic, familial, or something else entirely. I'm actually not really looking for standard romances, but I will be open-minded.

Admittedly, I have read altogether too much fanfiction in my life and I get really into stories that center around friend groups. Marauders are kind of exemplary here, I like the weird complex bond thing. Another off-the-wall sort of one would be The Secret History by Donna Tartt (famously not a fanfiction). The character dynamics in that book are kind of awful and terrible but simultaneously fascinating and weirdly jealousy-inducing and it's really a wonderful read as a result.

In terms of similar TV shows, I can cite "Fleabag" or "Misfits" as good examples here. "Fleabag" is much more literary and has a wonderful plot structure as well as devastating relationships, but "Misfits" is obviously less of an elaborately constructed plot (from what i remember, it has been a minute). The key here is character dynamics above all else.

I sense that I will get a lot of fantasy recs (thank you Tolkein, big big fan of Frodo)... but since I am such a Tolkein fan I have trouble reading literally any other fantasy because I just really badly want it to be Tolkein instead. Although I will humor a fantasy rec, it is not really what I'm looking for here.

Also, bonus points if queerness is thrown in there somewhere! Even if it is just queerbait. Maybe especially if it is queerbait. I tend to find a lot of queer dynamics that are not intentionally queer to be really compelling, I think because they explore the complexity of what it means to be in love with someone without the pressure of defining it as romantic in the way that romantic pursuit tends to be founded on. Idk it feels really authentic to me

Thank you pals, I look forward to hearing from you.

Hi all! For context, I am a 21 y/o bipolar and BPD patient and am medicated with mood stabilizers.

I have noticed such a major life improvement thanks to my medication, and have had significant symptom reduction since I found the right dose. That being said, I have a sneaking suspicion that I am currently experiencing a breakthrough episode.

I have a few classic tells. I typically drive around aimlessly and spend money with much less caution than I'd typically exercise, but the worst part is how it impacts my thoughts and social interactions.

I think about EVERYTHING. My thoughts interweave and connect with themselves in an overwhelming/euphoric way, and I find myself exploring concepts over and over again. In combination with my BPD, I become compelled to tell everyone about my realizations (especially my FP). I feel more likely to make bold decisions, and my stance on people I care about starts to shift with intense rapidity.

(As a brief aside, it is interesting to note that the shifts I experience because of my bipolar feels very different from the shifts I experience in my BPD. Although they are inherently interconnected, I do feel that it is noteworthy to mention that there is a distinction between the baseline BPD symptoms I experience versus the BPD acting in tandem with a manic flare-up.)

On one hand, I am really thankful that my medication has been working enough for me to be mindful of these symptoms. On the other hand, I am wondering how to better handle these moments of hypomania.

I think I am getting better at harm reduction. Although I felt compelled to go out, I made myself spend money on a gift card instead of paying with my debit. Although I recorded a million voice memos, I found the strength to delete them and put my phone away. Although I could've driven around for hours, I took a short spin around the neighborhood and escorted myself home. One could argue that this is-- to some degree-- control.

The one thing that, is there a way to better control my thoughts? I get trapped in these loops when I get like this. All I want to do is think and repeat myself. I find it hard to distract myself because I am not as interested in anything else as I am interested in my own brain. I'd like to think of something else-- a TV show or a character that I am fond of. It is finals season, so God knows I should be thinking about my coursework... But it all comes back to me, my relationships, and the things I did the last time I was manic.

I guess the answer is to look into mental regulation tips beyond just physical regulation, but I am wondering if any of you have any pointers?