Okay, now that we've gotten the absolutes out of the way, let's go for the subjective.
Books! There are books out there. Some are good, some are adequate, some are a matter of opinion. I'm not going to slag any book off, but I will share some of the books that I think should be in every person with T1D's library.
We are ultimately in charge of the vast majority of our own care.
Think Like a Pancreas by Gary ScheinerIf you've been recently diagnosed, this book tells you everything that your endocrinologist and specialist nurse didn't have time to cover in your appointment. You walk out, your head swimming with information and (if you had the wherewithal to remember to do so) hastily scribbled notes that make no sense to you right now.
This book explains so much of what you need to know about how insulin works, what it does, what it doesn't do, and how to interpret the data that now seems to rule your life.
The best part about this book is the accessibility. If you are recently diagnosed, there will be things in here that make no sense - yet. But the information that you can take away even at the start will help you in your diabetic management. Once you've got a few months or a year under your belt, go back for a re-read. That stuff that didn't make sense is all of a sudden applicable to your life.
I read this at least once a year. I'm about due for a re-read.
Sugar Surfing by Stephen W. Ponder1. This book relies heavily on the use of a Continuous Glucose Monitor or Flash Glucose Monitor.
2. It's a bit repetitive.
Even with those two things, I suggest it. Why? A lot of times, when we PWD are given or self-fund a CGM, we're excited! More information! Data points! Fewer finger pricks! All of these are good things... But what happens when you look at that data and think 'okay, now what?'
This book helps you with the 'now what' question. What is it that your Dexcom or Medtronic or Libre is telling you? How do you put that data to practical use?
We're told 'pre-bolus, except when eating out because sometimes food takes a long time to come to the table or it's more than you expected, or...' But then comes the questions... How far in advance? Do I pre-bolus differently for different foods? What about my carb ratios?
Like so much in the life of a PWD, there's not a one-size-fits-all answer. (Aside from take your insulin and carry hypo treatments. Those two are always.) What Sugar Surfing does is give you more tools for your T1D toolkit on how to utilise that data to best manage your T1D.
Diabetes and Wellbeing by Jen NashThis is not a 'read it and you're cured!' book. And if any book dealing with T1D and the emotional strain therein tells you that it's going to, save your money.
This book is based off of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) techniques in order for you to enlarge your toolbox (I use this term a lot. I was in therapy. It works for me.) in order to cope and engage in the self-care that is necessary when dealing with the wearing nature of a chronic condition.
One of the things that CBT covers is 'mindfulness'. It's a way of checking in with yourself and figuring out what it is that you can do things about. And then moving into action and resolution if possible.
We all know those relentlessly positive PWD. They've got it all dialed in, a perfect A1C, and nothing causes a blip. Or so they tell us on social media. And for some people, that's what it is. For the vast majority of PWD, there are more ups and downs than an overcorrected hypo. Having the tools to cope with the stressors that go hand in hand with this condition is helpful and can prevent or delay burnout.
If you only have the time/money/inclination to buy one, get Think Like a Pancreas.
Do you have any 'must have' books associated with T1D? Let me know in the comments!
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