What would Grumps Do?

It’s the final day for the 2016 #DBlogWeek and I have so loved reading what people have shared about the terrific topics for this year. A huge thanks to Karen Graffeo – who not only organises the week, but sorts through heaps of suggestions (including a suggestion from a certain person who may or may not be quoted in this blog today who was, apparently, hoping for naked blogging) for the community before deciding the topics. I have been averaging five hours of sleep a night reading all the terrific posts. Big sleep-ins and afternoon naps for me this weekend!

Today’s prompt: Let’s round out the week by sharing our best diabetes tips and diabetes tricks. From how you organize supplies to how you manage gear on the go/vacation (beach, or skiing, or whatever). From how you keep track of prescription numbers to how you remember to get your orders refilled. How about any “unconventional” diabetes practices, or ways to make diabetes work for YOU (not necessarily how the doctors say to do it!). There’s always something we can learn from each other. (Remember though, please no medical advice or dangerous suggestions.)

I frequently write about diabetes tips and tricks. In fact, this post from a couple of years ago shared some ideas that still help me get through the myriad diabetes tasks required on any given day.

So for today, I thought I would go to someone else who might be able to provide some ideas that are different to mine.

Many of you will be familiar with The Grumpy Pumper. I’m lucky enough to have met him a few times in person and chat with him regularly and he would like me to describe him as a grumpy bastard. So to keep him happy (grumpy-happy), I will. He also also wants people to think he doesn’t smile (there may be evidence to the contrary…). He generally looks like this:

It’s possible I had consumed a lot of bubbles when this pic was taken.

But he has a very Zen quality that may come as a surprise to many. He has an attitude of not sweating the small stuff and just getting on with diabetes. He also has an uncanny ability to make lights flicker from across the other side of the world, and turn skies grey when he is arriving in a new country. (These superpowers are quite terrifying and probably could have been the subject matter for an episode of X-Files.)

Anyway, I asked him ‘What are Grumpy’s tips for dealing with diabetes crap’ and he told me he makes lists. The lists are:

The world according to Grumps.

I really love this attitude because it completely and utterly flies in the face of how I usually deal with things. I find that I get far too stressed about the things I can’t change or influence – both in my diabetes life and the rest of my life.

So tomorrow, I am going to go and buy a fuck it bucket and start to fill it up.

Not sure that my preferred fuck it bucket is exactly what Grumps was talking about…