RILEY BUCHAN

A Cycle of a Diabetic Low

Growing up as a type one diabetic was different from a normal lifestyle.

Diagnosed at the age of seven with type one diabetes, my work, A Cycle of a Diabetic Low explores the ritual of testing, adjusting and leveling as a never ending cyclical experience.

Using micro point pens, I've drawn images that represent different areas of a diabetic low, these images symbolise the cycle that my body goes through to get to a normal state. The brain in a storm represents headaches, a symptom of going low, it's the start and end of the cycle as it is the symptom that lasts the longest and can change depending on the actions done before going low.

The Mulberry depicts pins and needles, a symptom of low blood sugar, with the hand with blood dripping represents the action of pricking my finger and squeezing blood out, into the blood sugar checker.

The waterfall symbolises going low and the feeling of blood sugar levels dropping and the feeling of falling and feeling dizzy.

Lollies, juice and honey restore blood sugar levels to normal, with the vertical bloodstream showing elevating levels, back to a normal state.

The needles and needles in jars represent the amount used overtime and how they add up overtime, which makes the idea of bragging about how many needles I've had in the 4000’s, (365x 4 a day x11 years = a lot).