If you’ve ever met a person with T1D, you’ve probably realized that we kinda have our own language. (Like, seriously. It took ages before I could turn to my friends and casually say “I’m high” without getting weird looks.) But if y’all are gonna be reading my blog, then I guess it would probably be good to give you a crash course in T1D slang. Some of these words are basic T1D things, and others are quirky terms that I’ve heard from other folks with T1. Enjoy! (And feel free to comment below if I missed any!)
Cured:
Said in frustration when the most precise carb counting leads to a completely unexplainable low, as though my body somehow started making its own insulin again.
“How am I still below 60? I must be cured.”
Dex:
Short for Dexcom, my continuous glucose monitor (CGM). I was going to come up with an actual name for her, but in addition to lack of insulin, I apparently suffer from a chronic lack of creativity, so she’s Dex.
“Dex is beeping again. I must be going low.”
Diabeedus:
Usually said in the most mocking or sarcastic tone possible, this word is used to make fun of the frustrating misconceptions of T1D, and the people who insist on promoting them.
*sarcastically* “I can’t eat any sugar because I have Diabeedus. I need to try one of those miracle cures, like cinnamon or diet pills!”
Diabuddy:
A friend who also happens to have T1D. Diabuddies often meet through the DOC, although they do occasionally find each other in the wild. No matter their differences, diabuddies share an unbreakable bond.
“My diabuddies are my best friends, even though I haven’t met some of them face-to-face.”
Dia- (prefix):
Applied to any word when diabetes impacts said word. Examples include “diafail” and “diawin”.
“I completely forgot to dose for that cupcake. Diafail!”
Do a check:
Another way of saying “check blood sugar”. This term tends to be used in reference to manual blood sugar checks (rather than a CGM), but it can be used for either.
“I’m not feeling great. I should probably do a check.”
DOC:
Short for Diabetes Online Community. A group of several websites and blogs (like this one!) where PWD can talk and share their struggles and triumphs.
“When I’m having a bad blood sugar day, there’s always someone in the DOC to make me feel better.”
Double Down:
When the arrow on my CGM indicates that I’m dropping very, very quickly (more than 100 mg/dl in half an hour). Usually cause for alarm.
“Oh boy, I’m 86 double down. Better get something to eat!”
Double Up:
When the arrow on my CGM indicates that I’m going up very, very quickly (more than 100 mg/dl in half an hour). Similar to Double Down. Also usually cause for alarm.
“I forgot to dose for dinner and now I’m 226 double up. Yeesh.”
Free food:
Food that doesn’t have any carbohydrates (or a very small amount), so I can eat it without taking any insulin. Examples include meat, cheese, and most vegetables.
“I’m super hungry but I don’t feel like doing insulin, so I’m grabbing some free food.”
Gummies:
My personal favorite fix for low blood sugar. Usually Welch’s fruit snacks. If my mom texts me the word “gummies”, I know it means Dex is dropping and I need to eat.
“I couldn’t get above 60 last night… I had 3 packs of gummies and it still wouldn’t go up!”
Gusher:
When a finger prick (see Old-Fashioned) results in a geyser of blood rather than just one drop.
“Grab a paper towel--we’ve got a gusher!”
Hangover:
The headache, light sensitivity, and general icky feeling that I get in the morning after an overnight low. Hangovers can occur at any time during the day if the low is severe enough, but they’re most common in the morning.
“Do you have any Tylenol? I have such a hangover from last night’s 47.”
MDIs:
Short for Multiple Daily Injections. While some PWD wear insulin pumps, others, like myself, choose to take insulin through MDIs.
“I was on MDIs for years before I started on OmniPod.”
Number:
Blood glucose level. The word “number” no longer has any other meaning. Seriously.
“Hey, can I get your number?” “97 and dropping.”
Old-Fashioned:
Using a lancet and glucometer to check blood sugar manually, rather than using Dex.
“Dex kept giving me a signal loss error, so I had to check the old-fashioned way.”
Poker:
The needle used for old-fashioned glucose checks.
“Ugh, I dropped my poker and now I need to change the lancet.”
PWD:
Person/people With Diabetes. I only ever use this to refer to folks with Type 1, but it can be used for T2.
“Every PWD is different, but we’re all frigging awesome.”
Rebound:
Overtreating a low or high reading often leads to a spike in the opposite direction. Rebounds are the bane of my existence.
“From 279 to 53 in one hour… I hate rebounds.”
Roller Coaster:
One of those days when no matter how hard I try, my blood sugar won’t cooperate, resulting in a graph that looks like it belongs at Six Flags.
“I’ve had 2 lows and 4 highs today. What a roller coaster.”
Sideways Down:
When the arrow on my CGM indicates that I’m going up or down slowly (50 mg/dl in half an hour).
“182 sideways down. Not too bad.”
SWAG:
Short for Scientific Wildly Accurate Guess. All PWD are familiar with these--although not all of us are very good at them.
“I have no idea how many carbs are in that pizza. Oh well, guess I’ll SWAG it.”
Tsunami:
Rather than treating a low with a rational portion of fast-acting carbs, sometimes I just sorta eat everything in my vicinity. This leads to a tsunami, or a severe rebound high.
“I ate an entire pizza when I was low, and now I’ve got a tsunami of 293.”
Twilight Zone High:
When my blood sugar goes high for no reason. Like, literally no reason.
“I haven’t eaten all day and I’m at 251! Now that’s what I call a twilight zone high.”
Unicorn:
Those rare, glorious days when the Dexcom graph stays inside the lines (no highs or lows). When a PWD says they’re “chasing a unicorn”, it means they haven’t had any high or low numbers yet that day. Also called a no-hitter.
“It’s 4:00 and I haven’t gone out of range yet! I’m chasing a unicorn!”
YDMV:
Short for Your Diabetes May Vary. Something one PWD says to another when giving advice or sharing experience.
“Pretzels always make me go high, but YDMV.”
