LANSING – Most people are surprised when they learn Hillary Coleman has Type 1 diabetes.
"When people find out you're diabetic, they say, 'You're not fat,'" she said.
Coleman, a human resources coordinator who has been living with diabetes for two decades, said that's the most common misconception people have about her condition.
"I just feel like since people can't see it, they don't think you're sick," she said.
Yet the lack of visible symptoms doesn't mean people aren't struggling to manage an illness, she said.
'Back to the basics' 20 years in
Coleman was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 8 years old.She said in the 20 years since her diagnosis, she hasn't "really taken care of it the best," but she's started herself on a routine to get healthier.
Her primary motivation: Staying healthy so she can keep up with hobbies. Coleman is a self-described "plant parent" and works regularly in the vegetable garden she put in behind her home just west of Old Town.
She's started using an insulin pen instead of a pump to help manage her blood sugar level, a move she describes as going back to the basics.
Coleman wakes up with her alarm and checks her blood sugar. She takes her insulin while she's getting ready then eats breakfast once she gets to work, giving the slow-acting version of the medicine time to kick in.
Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal
She'll check her blood sugar again two to three more times throughout the day, adjusting her meal schedule and insulin dosage as necessary to maintain a healthy level.
She said it's harder than most people think to keep on top of managing blood sugar.
"It's hard when you're on the go," Coleman said. "You really have to remind yourself."
That's why Coleman has alarms going off "almost constantly" to remind her to check her blood sugar, eat and more.
She recalled two times her blood sugar dropped when she was younger — once when she was getting ready and tried to pour some orange juice but missed the cup completely and once when she woke up from a nap and fell down the stairs.
She describes it as being "like a zombie."
"Physically, you can't do things," she said.
Sometimes, Coleman wakes up in a cold sweat and knows she has to check her blood pressure and have a bit of juice.
She said high blood sugar has a different effect that starts with what feels like a sinus pressure headache and can eventually make you vomit.
"You can't think straight. You're tired and irritable," she said. "You know what you're doing, but you're just not connecting to your brain."
That makes insulin and test strips and other supplies critical, she said.
Coleman says insulin can get "ridiculously expensive."
She used to be on a fast-acting insulin but switched when she fell off her parent's insurance and learned a month's supply of her dose would cost $900.
Now that she's switched to a slow-acting insulin, it costs her $10 a month with insurance. When she goes back to an insulin pump, that will go up to $23 a month.
Coleman's supplies for her insulin pen and for the meter she uses to test her blood sugar cost another $60 a month.
There are hidden costs to managing diabetes, though, she said.
"Nothing's ever free," Coleman said. "There's always something underlying."
For example, after a recent vision check-up, Coleman was charged $40 because while her insurance covered most the exam because it was preventive, it didn't cover parts of the exam that were added on because of her diabetes.
She said those extra costs are frustrating, because she couldn't control whether she got the condition that causes the extra steps in medical exams.
"Diabetes isn't something we asked for," Coleman said.
https://eu.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2019/11/07/diabetes-type-1-symptoms-insulin-lansing/3844542002/
She said it's harder than most people think to keep on top of managing blood sugar.
"It's hard when you're on the go," Coleman said. "You really have to remind yourself."
That's why Coleman has alarms going off "almost constantly" to remind her to check her blood sugar, eat and more.
'Like a zombie,' tired, irritable
When she isn't on top of doing all those things, it's noticeable, Coleman said, whether her blood sugar drops too low or rockets far above recommended levels.She recalled two times her blood sugar dropped when she was younger — once when she was getting ready and tried to pour some orange juice but missed the cup completely and once when she woke up from a nap and fell down the stairs.
She describes it as being "like a zombie."
"Physically, you can't do things," she said.
Sometimes, Coleman wakes up in a cold sweat and knows she has to check her blood pressure and have a bit of juice.
She said high blood sugar has a different effect that starts with what feels like a sinus pressure headache and can eventually make you vomit.
"You can't think straight. You're tired and irritable," she said. "You know what you're doing, but you're just not connecting to your brain."
That makes insulin and test strips and other supplies critical, she said.
'Always' an underlying price
Those supplies are far from free.Coleman says insulin can get "ridiculously expensive."
She used to be on a fast-acting insulin but switched when she fell off her parent's insurance and learned a month's supply of her dose would cost $900.
Now that she's switched to a slow-acting insulin, it costs her $10 a month with insurance. When she goes back to an insulin pump, that will go up to $23 a month.
Coleman's supplies for her insulin pen and for the meter she uses to test her blood sugar cost another $60 a month.
There are hidden costs to managing diabetes, though, she said.
"Nothing's ever free," Coleman said. "There's always something underlying."
For example, after a recent vision check-up, Coleman was charged $40 because while her insurance covered most the exam because it was preventive, it didn't cover parts of the exam that were added on because of her diabetes.
She said those extra costs are frustrating, because she couldn't control whether she got the condition that causes the extra steps in medical exams.
"Diabetes isn't something we asked for," Coleman said.
https://eu.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2019/11/07/diabetes-type-1-symptoms-insulin-lansing/3844542002/
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