"Death by Numbers" a game of awarness

At work I have a type 2 diabetic and myself a T1 and as I have been writing this blog I have been trying to educate as best as I can what T1D is and what there is to expect. One thing that I was unsure of was working out how to get people in my direct team to recognize if there is a problem. When I say problem if I was having a Hypo of Hyper. Even the most aware and well controlled diabetic can have a hypo sneak up and attack without warning. So with all of this in mind I set out trying to work out the best way of getting people to look for the signs.




I came up with a game called "Death by Numbers" the reason for the name has a number of purposes.




1. In my work we deal a lot with numbers so asking the team to look or consider more could mean death.




2. For people to understand when  Hypo is raging then their awareness could mean less risk of death (I know a little dramatic but sometimes dramatic helps make a point)




Now for the game itself. It is simple really I send an email with a basic blurb as to what a normal BSL is and what range you could expect from a T1 and T2 diabetic. Each person then has the ability to ask questions as to what a previous test was, what food had been consumed and when we last ate, and any other question (other than what is your BSL?) that they feel they can use to make an estimate on what the current BSL is.




Once the questions have been asked they reply to the email with their guess as to what the BSL is.


After all entries are in then the test is done. The person with the closest guess is the winner of a prize of exponential value....... a choice of a mini chocolate bar ;-).




Since beginning this game the awareness across the team has grown exponentially. The guesses are getting closer and closer and the questions are getting more and more refined.




On a selfish note to do something like this helps me to feel that if something goes wrong and help is needed then there is a team of people that can not only help but also recognize when things are not right.




Find a way to educate and make it fun... It is amazing to see the reaction from people who previously had no concept of what is required to manage this disease to now be people who understand and can make a difference.




Education is the key!