Living with diabetes
Diabetes is becoming more and more common in our society;  almost everyone knows at least several people who have this disease.
It’s difficult to live with diabetes;  to check your blood glucose frequently, to see the various doctors who share in your care, like endocrinologists, ophthalmologists, nephrologists, etc.   It’s also stressful to live with a loved one with diabetes;  worries about low blood sugars during the night and will-I-be-called-upon-in-a-low-blood
sugar-emergency are chronic concerns.
As someone who has lived with a brittle (i.e., someone whose blood sugar levels can skyrocket or plummet without warning) Type 1 diabetic for 40 years, I can make some suggestions that may help reduce the stress of living with this illness.

—In medical care, seek out the best.  Maggie Billbrough is an excellent ophthalmologist who practices in Crum Lynne, across Chester Pike from Wal-Mart.  Steve Sinclair is a superb retinal specialist.  He limits his practice to people with retinal disease and he has recently moved his office to my building.
Stan Schwartz at Presbyterian Hospital is part of the University of Pennsylvania health system and is generally recognized as one of the very top endocrinologists in the city.    He treats a huge number of diabetics in his practice.
I recommend all three of these doctors without reservation.

—Keep glucagon in your home.  When non-diabetics have falling blood sugar levels, we send an internal signal to our livers, which release glucose into our bloodstream.  This is a very good thing, since glucose is the one fuel our brains can use (it’s also a reason that diabetics can act irrational, combative, and generally fuzzy-headed when their blood glucose levels are low).
What do you do when the diabetic in your house is unresponsive because of low blood sugar levels and can’t eat or drink a source of glucose? An injection of glucagon (available by prescription) can jumpstart the liver to release glucose and restore brain function in a matter of a few minutes.
Please keep this stuff on hand and take it with you when you travel.  It’s literally a life-saver.

—Insulin pumps have been around for years, and their technology keeps advancing.  These compact computers can be programmed to release small quantities of insulin into your body as needed, and may help to more accurately control your blood glucose levels than injections can.

—Continuous Glucose Monitoring systems (CGMs) are electronic devices that can give you a constant reading of your blood glucose level.  A small non-metallic glucose sensor goes under your skin and transmits information wirelessly to a portable microcomputer.  You can set the computer to notify you (alarm and/or vibrate) if your blood glucose goes above or below a level that you custom-set.  The device can even tell you if your glucose level is stable, dropping slowly, dropping quickly, going up slowly, or skyrocketing.
These devices are especially useful if your blood sugar varies rapidly and/or if you are not aware of approaching hypoglycemia.