The Diabetes OC Website

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 22-26, Post #1

2010-11-23T21:36:00.002-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 22-26
Allison Blass, Lemonade Life

Post #1

Gratitude

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 8, I was not happy. Gratitude toward diabetes was the furthest thing from my mind. I hated diabetes. It was annoying. It hurt. It stressed me out. It stressed my parents out. It made me do things I didn't like. I couldn't eat or drink the same things that my little brother could. It was horrible.

As I grew up, my attitude toward diabetes did begin to change. The catalyst for that change was diabetes camp. I attended a diabetes camp called Gales Creek Camp, located in the forests of Oregon. It is beautiful. There is a swimming pool, a big field to play games, plenty of forest to go hiking, and a literal Gales Creek. Our camp counselors were hilarious and fun, and some of them even had type 1 diabetes too! They totally "got" diabetes. I met lots of kids with diabetes, and I even joined a little "clique" called the Camo Crew, which was made up of 7 of us, 4 girls and 3 guys. We gave ourselves our own "camp" nicknames (all our counselors went by nicknames, and we all wanted to be counselors someday). I was Angel. We ate together, stood in line to get our blood sugar checked together, and we always had our bunks near each other. There was a sense of family with the Camo Crew, a familiarity that I have never had with any other group of friends.

When we weren't in camp, we kept in touch through the phone, email and Instant Messenger. We sometimes saw each other at other diabetes events around town. I lived near a couple others, so we would sometimes see a movie together or just hang out at each other's houses. One guy from the Camo Crew was even my prom date! Like most groups of hormonal teenagers, we had our ups and downs. We fell in love, we broke up. We shared stories and secrets. We trusted each other, and sometimes, because people are stupid, that trust was broken. I learned a lot about myself, both as a person and as a person with diabetes, from the Camo Crew. Perhaps I would have found that experience through another group, but I think that the emotional bond and instinctive honesty that came with sharing a chronic illness made the Camo Crew exceptional.

Nowadays, we don't keep in touch as often. Nothing gold can stay, right? Through the miracle of Facebook, I still have some idea of what everyone is doing. Two are married, one of us (me) is engaged. Another has two kids. Two of us live on the East Coast now, while the rest are still in Oregon. It certainly isn't the same as the reunions at camp. Luckily, I feel like I have joined a new Camo Crew - and it's called the Diabetes O.C. Even though I don't see most of the people in the D.O.C., we share that same familiarity and bond that I had when I was a teenager going to camp. We "get" each other in a way no one else can, and I am incredibly grateful for that.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 8-12, Post #2

2010-11-12T19:06:00.003-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 8-12
Moira McCarthy, Parent of a child with type 1 diabetes

Post #2

I see real truth in the statement, “sometimes you’ve just gotta laugh.” Life with the ‘slin on board is no different. In fact, I might argue that when you are on the front lines of battling a cruel enemy who is (for the time being) completely refusing to retreat, laughter is not just a good idea: it’s a necessity.

So today I’ve decided to use this blog to share with you some of the funnier moments in my family’s 13+ years with diabetes on board. Some (who are not on this front line) may see it as gallows humor. I don’t. Because . . sometimes you just gotta laugh. Read on and I encourage you to share your own funny diabetes stories in the comment area at the end.

Here’s what’s made me laugh:
• The time I was standing at the sign in desk at my daughter’s elementary school with some other mom’s I don’t really know and a teacher who also understood it’s important to laugh walked by, pointed at me and said to the aid signing us in, “Be careful! She carries a 504 and she’s sooooo not afraid to use it!” The other moms were quiet for a moment as I laughed and the teacher laughed. Then one mom politely said, “My husband is into firearms too. But only for hunting.” God Bless her naïve soul.

• The time my daughter’s swim team was counting on her relay team to seal the deal for the team win and everyone was wondering: where the heck is the 10 and under relay team? It was not unusual at our swim club for the kids to go into the showers as a group and run hot water over their heads for just about forever, so I assumed they were there. I stuck my head in the locker room and yelled “Hurry up girls!” but heard no shower. Out they came, parading to the blocks (that they dive off of) . . . each at every one of them, along with the 12 and under girls as well, with a quick set infusion set inserted into their left front thigh. OMG were they proud, showing solidarity to their teammate like that. Some parents smiled; others freaked out (could they get aids? Seriously . . some thought that) I of course was laughing my butt of trying to imagine how I was going to convince insurance why I needed more of the “sites” that delivered the life sustaining insulin to my daughter’s body. It was one of the funniest, cutest, most touching things I’ve ever seen. I even enjoyed the parents freaking out.

• The time I was at the stable watching my daughter horseback riding and she was thrown. Only the tubing to her insulin pump caught on the horn thing on the saddle (obviously she rides and I don’t) and she was dangling by her pump tubing. (!!!) I ran over and said, “Are you okay?” to which she replied, “man, this tubing is durable!” I think she was seven. Tubing. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

• The time on the sidelines of the youth soccer game when my daughter had just rub back on the field after a quick blood check and insulin bolus and a mom I did not know pronounced loudy – to me and to everyone – “Did you know there are pills you can take for that?” The funny part was – I kid you not – it was like the entire field of players and parents watching all stopped leaned in and waited for my response, which they knew would be snarky and comical. But darn, I don’t remember what I said. I do know my sister still howls about it. As she said, “Every single person there could not WAIT for you to respond.”

• The time we got to the end of the JDRF Walk to Cure and my friend's son, who was walking with diabetes for the first time said, "So, I'm cured now, right? We just walked to cure, right?" Adorable . . and tragically funny.

• The time we attended a baseball game with a bunch of DC staffers (back in the days when they could take such gifts) to sway them to care about diabetes and my daughter, newly on the pump, was able for the first time in a long time to eat ANYTHING she wanted. My husband kept ordering her things and pushing the buttons on the pump with glee. I was horrified because the staffers did not get it at all ("I thought kids with diabetes could not have treats?") I was concerned but there was no stopping my husband. At least Pedro struck out 14 that day.

• The many times in the supermarket or in the halls at school or in the mall when we’ve gotten strange looks when someone has overheard me saying to my daughter “You’re high again? Isn’t that like the third time today?” Ha! Why explain and ruin their shock?

So let’s have it. What are your funny moments?

The Diabetes Dad, Six Diabetes Things

2010-11-09T23:00:00.003-05:00

Featured Blogger: November 9
Tom Karlya, Diabetes Dad

My Diabetes Six in recognition of D-Blog Day 2010

1. Don’t Do Nothing. I have been saying it for years. More people need to be involved in causes against diabetes. Whatever it may be that will get you going; raising money for a cure; educating the so many who need it, whatever is important to you but do not sit idly by and wait for someone else. Get involved today. Diabetes is a 24/7/365 battle, no one went to war for 3 weeks and went home. We have to battle for as long as it takes. I know; everyone is busy. Everyone has to take care of their child, pay bills, and live life. Ask yourself, “How is it that so many important people are involved in diabetes causes?” The answer; they did not find the time, they made the time. No one wrote a book or did a story about someone who was ‘going’ to do something. How about you?

2. Kids with diabetes are just kids. To the school personnel, the relatives, the reps, the insurance companies, the drug stores, the Docs, the CDEs, those who are funding sources, and yes even us parents; our kids are amazing in how they deal with their diabetes. Their childhoods stolen, they do everything they can to get back to what they were used to. Diabetes will not allow them all the way back but it seems there is a row of people who also get in their way as they try. Yes there is much help needed during their journey but always remember…..they are still kids. (Having a problem with that?---beg, borrow, or steal your way to get to the CWD FFL conference every year in Florida. www.Childrenwithdiabetes.com )

3. Wherever you spend your time supporting; never stop asking questions and never stop making sure they know why they are in existence and more important; why they were started. We’re at the Diabetes Research Institute (www.diabetesresearch.org ) because the science and the way we go about it, is an open book to anyone who is involved. Our volunteers challenge us daily and we either are; or we are not. If we were not, there would be a whole list of people moving somewhere else. But this is where we have decided to be; if you have no place; I would suggest here. If you are active with another organization, that’s GREAT! You are involved; always challenge your organization to stay the course of its mission, whatever it is. You have the right, ask questions. We will all win.

4. I will burn out when my children have that luxury. I’m amazed at the number of people who were involved in so many areas of diabetes (education, raising funds etc.) when their children were young but as they grew up they drifted away. There are always reasons but quite frankly, “I’m burned out” does not make the list. When the job is done, are our marching orders as parents and relatives in the name of those we love.

5. Respect people who do not go about ‘it’ (whatever it means) the same way you do. Different is not necessarily wrong and the way you choose to do ‘it’ may not be the only way.

6. Last, but certainly not least is to those who have diabetes. If you think the world is collapsing because you have diabetes, I cannot answer as if I had it because I don’t. I can tell you that the choices you make and the daily battles you have inspire me to try to change this world, for you. You amaze me with your drive to get back to what it was like when you did not have this disease. That drive is doing what you can to feel good so you can face another day. Don’t let anyone compare your disease to anyone else’s because everyone has to face what they have. I don’t have it but if giving it to me would have stopped just one young person from getting it; I would take it in an instant, because you mean that much to me. Please do not give up on you. I have the faith that you can change the world with a loud bang or with a steady and quiet approach. The change can be the world around you or living a life that has you in the best control because you will feel better. We, who do not have it, will never completely understand what it is like to have it but as our children; we do know the desire to take it on ourselves. Why? Because we love you. You are everything to us as parents. You are our heroes. We know we can be a pain in the ass to each other sometimes; we could do that even without diabetes. And when it just gets too much sometimes; all we can do is hold you and encourage you and look for that one day that our work has paid off and it has been reversed. I swear to you; we will only stop—when you can.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 8-12, Post #1

2010-11-07T19:44:00.007-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Nov. 8-12
Moira McCarthy, Parent of a child with type 1 diabetes

Post #1

On August 25^th I did the strangest thing I’ve done since diabetes entered our lives 13 years ago: I dropped it off at a door and drove away.

Sure, I made sure it was comfortable first. My daughter was starting her college life at George Mason University and I made durn sure she had everything she and diabetes needed. Cute comforter: check. Desk lamp: check. Awesome posters and decorations: check. Enough insulin to treat every single diabetes patient within a hundred mile radius: check. The only think I could not leave there was me. And as my husband and I took on the 11-hour drive home (thank you New Jersey Turnpike) I had plenty of time to ponder that.

For almost exactly 13 year’s I’d been the warrior diabetes mom. When she was little, my job was to truly be her pancreas. I counted every carb, noted every moment of activity, weighed out foods and measured impossibly small amounts of insulin into a syringe until she switched to pumping. Okay, so I didn’t give a lot of shots. (She likes to remind me of the very first one I gave her in the hospital. I pretty much wound up and smacked her with it. “Good job!” the training nurse cooed, “but next time, gentle.” My girl never let me near her with a needle again). But other than that, I owned her diabetes. And somehow, it made me feel empowered at times. I could be her protector! (And anyone who knows me and how stingy I am with exclamation point use knows I absolutely shouted that decree).

And then when she moved into the tween years, I became the worrier and nagger. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve said ‘Did you check,” “Did you bolus” “Are you high? And “Are you low?” I could fund the entire NIH Type 1 research program. But I’m here mom, so I did it. Diabetes seeped into every moment of my life. I became an uber volunteer, raising funds, running programs, chairing national government movements, doing national media appearances, waging my war any way I could. And somehow, that made me feel empowered even though I could feel my control slipping. She could try to rebel but I, diabetes warrior, would fight even harder.

Then she became a teen. A very busy, independent (and sometimes stubborn) teen. But even as she zipped off to sports and student council and dates and parties, her diabetes was right under my nose. It took up two huge drawers in our newly remodeled kitchen. It turned my daughter into a kind of Linda Blair at times (always lashing out at the mother, alas). I begged it to cooperate with her more. I begged her to lasso it in. It tore me to almost to pieces some days; left me speechless on others. I volunteered more; studied treatments and possible cures more and worried 29 hours a day about it (yes, it did feel like more than 24). I was starting to feel like William Wallace toward the end of the war, but gosh darn it, I was still battling the bad guy. This was my purpose.

And then she became a college girl. She knew a lot time ago she wanted to go to Washington DC, and I knew a long time ago I was going to have to let her. I stressed and panicked and planned and feared. I tried to come up with ideas (would she bond with one of my other diabetes warrior moms close to her college? Could they nag and beg and coerce her to wrangle in the diabetes?) I battled with her endo (who felt I should not let her go so far away). I literally had nightmares about how it would go (the kind that make you sit straight up, heart pounding at 3 a.m.) But deep down I knew something: I had to – for better or for worse – let her live her life.

It was really not that much different than my older daughter (who does not have diabetes). She was so shy, when we dropped her off at her college dorm five years ago I was worried sick. And she didn’t do well at first. (now of course shyness does not kill you in your sleep after a frat party . . . but still). Still – It was a challenge settling her into her college life, and in the end she thrived. But with my daughter and diabetes, I wondered how I would manage to do all the worrying and begging and pleading and nagging from a great distance?

Then as we drove away from that beautiful campus I realized how: I wouldn’t. For the first time in the 13 years since diabetes entered our lives I realized a great truth: It is my daughter’s diabetes and hers alone.

I feel guilty about this now – the break I have from the constant, well I guess it’s okay to call it despair even though we diabetes parents put a good face on it, right? I don’t really know first hand any more if my daughter is doing the right thing. And . . . as terrible as this sounds: It’s a wee bit freeing. I feel so guilty about that. Because I know it still grips my daughter’s every moment. I know she has older more experienced Type 1 friends teaching her the tricks of drinking (wouldn’t it be nice to just worry about what flavor you like and not the way different kinds screw up your blood sugars?) I know she is struggling with how to eat dorm food and not gain weight and still try to have some kind of decent a1c. I know she still hates everything about living her life with diabetes. I know the first weeks she kind of threw it all up in the air (thank God that ended well). But I only know this when she shares it with me. And even then, I can hang up the phone, go on with my day and not lurk around the corner to spy on her meter results.

I wanted to take it away from both of us by now. I swore I would not give up until she is cured and I will not. I wanted to shoulder every worry, every sadness, every moment of frustration for her until a cure was found. But the reality is, I cannot do that. I’ll be there for her when she calls and when she needs me. I still volunteer, I still raise money, I still work for awareness. But diabetes has given me a time out.

When will my daughter get hers?

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 25-29, Post #2

2010-10-27T21:43:00.004-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 25-29
Elizabeth Edelmen, Diabetes Daily
Post #2

There is nothing more disappointing than going to a party and everything served there will surely skyrocket your blood sugars. This dip is delicious, healthy, and kind of scary looking- perfect for Halloween and your blood sugar levels. I serve it with loads of fresh veggies and pita chips.

2 15-oz cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pesto
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 large acorn squash

Veggies for dipping:
Cut bell peppers
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Cucumber sticks

Squash Cauldron
Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Cut the top third of the squash off and remove the seeds with a spoon. Place the squash cut-side down on the baking dish and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Remove From the oven and cool completely. Trim the bottom of the squash so it stands upright and place the dip inside of the cool squash. Arrange the veggies under the squash on a plate and serve.

Dip
Puree the beans in a food processor until smooth. Combine the beans with the pesto and the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Servings: 6

Amount per Serving
Calories: 246
Carbohydrates: 15g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Sugars: 2g
Fat: 18g
Saturated: 3g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 373 mg
Protein: 4g

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 25-29, Post #1

2010-10-25T22:13:00.002-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 25-29
Elizabeth Edelmen, Diabetes Daily
Post #1

I have had type 1 diabetes since February 2005. When I first found out, I had absolutely no idea that diabetes was even something I could get. I figured since I was 23 at the time, I was too old to get "juvenile" diabetes. I didn't even go to the doctor thinking something was wrong. I felt fine. I went to my gynecologist for my regular annual visit and found out I was diabetic.
Right before my diagnosis I was on top of the world. I was 23, single, finishing college, had a lot of great friends, and was thinner than I had been since high school. I attributed my weight loss to stress. I had broken up with an ex-boyfriend , and I was a few months from graduating college. I was living in Denver, Colorado at the time and I thought that my extreme thirst was due to the altitude. Which in hindsight made no sense as I lived there for six years. My friends all thought I had an eating disorder because I weighed around 85lbs. I realized I was skinny, but I never weighed myself until I went to the doctor and found out I was diabetic.
I had a gynecologist appointment a few weeks before my graduation. I was finishing up my graduate project and as usual, was running out of time. I was going to cancel my appointment, but I figured I would just go and get it out of the way. When I got there, I gave her all my information. She took my blood, weighed me, and took a urine sample. She came back and asked me if I was on the Atkins diet. I was answered no. In fact, I had been eating whatever I wanted and was losing weight! She told me I was spilling ketones in my urine and was concerned. My doctor starting asking me all sorts of questions. "Have you lost a dramatic amount of weight lately" Yes. "Have you been thirsty lately?" Yes. "Have you been unusually tired lately" Yes. Finally she asked if I had a family history of diabetes in my family. I said yes. (My aunt has type 1, too.) She said "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you probably have diabetes. I am going to take some blood and I will get back to you with the results." I was in shock. Who goes to the gynecologist and gets diagnosed with diabetes?
I went home in shock. My best friend, Candice, was at my house when I got home. I just broke down and started crying. If she wasn't there, I would have fallen apart. We just stood there hugging and crying together. She told me that I had to call my mom. My mom, like me, was in shock. She handled it pretty well. I tried to not think about it. I just kept telling myself to wait until we got the blood work back. That was one of the most difficult nights I have ever had.
The next day, I woke up feeling great. I didn't have diabetes. Not me. I was healthy. I went out and ran errands. I got a venti white chocolate mocha at Starbucks. I came home and had tiramisu for breakfast. Then my doctor called. She told me that I had to go to the ER. My blood sugar was over 600. I asked what the normal range was. "Between 70 and 120." I got scared. I was all by myself. My roomate was babysitting and wouldn't be home for a week. Candice was at work. I called my mom. She booked the next flight out. My mom called my aunt who is a nurse. She called me and told me what usually happens for people when they have severly elevated blood sugar. She told me that I was at a risk for falling into a coma. Funny thing is, I felt fine. She told me to expect to be admitted into the hospital. Pack a bag. Find someone to feed your cat. Expect to be gone for a few days at least. My friend Ashlee came and got me. For the first time in my life I was going to the Emergency Room.
Once I got to the Emergency Room I sat for what felt like an eternity and finally was admitted. They gave me a bag of fluids, with insulin, and sent me home after several hours. Along with a prescription for Metformin and a note saying to not eat sugar. They also recommended I follow up with the Barbara Davis Center in Denver, which is the best thing I could have done.
Once my mom arrived, we made an appointment there. They got me right in and started me on insulin immediately. I worked with my team of endocrinologists, nurses and a very intelligent dietician who got me on the right track.
After graduation, I moved back to Ohio where I met David. We started Diabetes Daily to share what I was learning as a new diabetic. It was one of the best things I've ever did as I have met some of the most wonderful people who know what life is like when you live with diabetes. Never in a million years did I think that this is how my life would turn out. But you know, it was one of the best things to happen to me.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 18-22, Post #2

2010-10-23T23:58:00.003-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 18-22
Heidi, The D-Log Cabin
Post #2

You Say Diabetic, I Say PWD

Once upon a time, in a hospital far-far-far away, there resided a newly diagnosed teenager.

She didn’t know diddly-squat about diabetes, but there was no shortage of conflicting information coming

her way.

…you can’t be in the military…

...you can have a successful pregnancy…

…you’ll have this forever…

…you’ll feel so much better after your blood sugar stabilizes…

...severe hypos are likely, and can lead to coma/death…

All of this left left the teenager dazed and confused, and not quite sure what to believe. She soon learned that the only way to have control lay in taking control, doctors don’t know everything, and diabetes is not a “by the book” disease.

However, the blame game continued, everything was about “diabetic’s can’t do this” and “diabetic’s can’t do that” and “you’re a bad diabetic” leaving the teenager so over that label, in any context. She simply wanted the freedom to be an adult & manage the disease, without the guilt trip, dire warnings, and inaccurate information. Eventually, that teenager grew up, and became a functioning member of society. The label “diabetic” still leaves an incredibly distasteful taste in her mouth, but she no longer goes on long verbal rants (short blogging rants, yes,but its gotten better).

Diabetic and Person With Diabetes are not the same. (At least in the minds of those who choose to call themselves PWD) And I wish you could understand, that when you call me diabetic you are labeling me, you are defining me with all the fallacies out there. I respect others opinions, & whatever they choose to identify themselves as…& if they wish to call themselves diabetics, that doesn’t detract from who they are/their hopes,dreams, and accomplishments. It’s sort of like calling a person of short stature a “dwarf” (while that may be a word that could describe them, it’s not a complimentary term). I view the word “diabetic” (as a noun) in much the same way, it’s not a word I’d use to describe myself. I have diabetes, it is part of me, but it doesn’t define who I am. I hope that whichever side of the fence you may fall on, you can respect others of the opposite opinion.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 18-22, Post #1

2010-10-20T10:33:00.003-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 18-22
Heidi, The D-Log Cabin
Post #1

Scars

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

A friend, a coworker, a family member…all asking what they perceive to be such an innocent, simple question. They refer, of course, to the outward rituals surround my disease: lancing a finger for the gluco meter, stabbing my flesh with what must look like the world’s largest needle, the thwwwack of the CGM insertion device against bare skin. It’s a morbid mix of fascination combined with admiration for managing such a difficult disease. (little do they know, diabetes is not fully “manageable”, but still, I give it my best shot)

“No,” I reply. Because truth is, it stopped hurting in that way long ago…round about the thousandth fingerprick, the 4^th infusion set gusher, the 8^th I.V. I am a hardened veteran of the diabetes wars, and most of the time, it feels like most natural thing in the world to do the medical tasks associated with the disease. Physical pain fades,it ceases to be a novel event. It is my normal.

“It really doesn’t.”

But if I were to be perfectly honest, on the inside, it never stops hurting. I hurt for everyone who died too young(from the complications of this disease), who never got the chance to be a doctor or a lawyer or a ballerina. I hurt for the thousands in Third World countries who can’t even afford insulin,& even if they can acquire it, have to ration it in such a manner as to eventually die from complications. I hurt for the many who don’t get understand that going on insulin is not a failure, insulin is life. I hurt for every parent of a child with diabetes, who was told there would be a cure in five years. I hurt that so much false information is out there, and even someone with the best of intentions may be led astray by snake oil salesmen. I hurt for everyone, everywhere, who has been affected by this disease.

And because I am human, I hurt for myself. I hurt for the worry & fear I must cause my loved ones, on a daily basis. I hurt that severe hypoglycemia is an ever-present threat. I hurt for a thousand sleepless nights, dealing with an errant blood sugar. I hurt with guilt. (some deserved, some not)

The scars of diabetes run deep, on both the inside and the outside. People who do not live with diabetes cannot grasp the magnitude of the inner scars…& though physical complications of diabetes grab “center stage”, it is the psychological ones that leave the biggest impact.

My hope is that one day, there will be a cure & both the physical and emotional scars can start to heal.

To read more blog posts by Heidi, visit The D-Log Cabin blog

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15, Post #3

2010-10-15T23:50:00.004-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15
Kim, Texting My Pancreas
Post #3

Last night, I was reminiscing. While I was cleaning the kitchen, I had one of the Music Choice channels on TV, and the song "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel came on. (I can't help it; I'm a fan of 80's music. It makes me happy. So much so, that, dare I admit? Dancing happened. Good thing no one else was home!) As I glanced at the screen, I saw that the song was released in 1986 - which is the same year I was diagnosed with diabetes.

Wow, Peter Gabriel's face has a lot of carbs.

As ol' Petey sang on about bumper cars and feeding rhythms, I began thinking back to my childhood. More specifically, I thought about my childhood with diabetes. Being diagnosed at six years old, I don't have many strong memories of Before. That's not to say that my childhood memories can only be viewed through my diabetes - I have many fond memories that don't have a smidge of diabetes in them. But, I thought I'd share some of the diabetes-related things I remember with you guys.

Everyone have their slap bracelets and t-shirt clips on? Righteous. Let's do this.

I have a memory of being in my newborn brother's room while my Mom was changing his diaper. I can remember her telling me, through tears, that I might have diabetes, and what that would mean, but that everything would be "okay". (And, guess what? She was right.)

I remember the playroom/meeting room at the hospital I was diagnosed in. This is where the support groups met and where my parents and I first learned to do injections into dolls and oranges. I also have a faint memory of the hospital room I stayed in after diagnosis. And I remember getting flowers!

Back when exchange diets were the way to go, candy didn't really fit into that. It wasn't like things are now - count the carbs, take insulin for it - where your diet can be flexible. The hospital gave us one of those forest green ADA booklets to take home; the one that explained what exchanges were, and had pictures of what one "exchange" of certain foods looked like. Because of the food restrictions I had, one of our neighbors at the end of the street I grew up on would always have RoseArt colored pencils or markers for me when I stopped at their house on Halloween. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. (Well, that and my She-Ra costume.)

There was a pleather hospital bed in the room in the back of the nurse's office at my elementary school, where I'd lay down after shotgunning a can of juice. Those naps were never long enough.

Fanny packs were an ingenius invention for someone like me. There was so much d-stuff to carry around (and meters were so much bigger then), and I was too young to be carrying a huge purse. When these became popular, carrying all that stuff didn't look quite so out of place.

A trip to the pediatric endocrinologist meant getting to walk past the NICU unit at the hospital (they were down the hall from each other). Aww.

The worst part about having a low blood sugar away from home was having to eat those nasty old BD glucose tabs. Remember those? They were square, white, chalky, and came in a foil punch-out two pack. And they came in one flavor - "Yuck".

All of my testing equipment, syringes, and associated accessories lived in a clear, rectangular plastic Tupperware container on the kitchen counter. No matter what house we lived in throughout my childhood, that container always had a home there.

One Easter morning, I awoke to paramedics in my room. I am told that when my Dad had come to check on me first thing in the morning, as he always did, my eyes were open, but I was unresponsive. Paramedics were called, glucagon was administered, and I came out of it just as they arrived. I remember feeling embarrassed that strangers were standing in my room while I was still in bed with pajamas on. (What a weird thing, of all things, to be worried about at that particular moment.) This happened to me twice, though paramedics didn't have to be called the first time. Unfortunately, this series of events lead to my next memory...

As a child and tween, I had to sleep with one of those urine-detecting bed mats under my bed sheets. It was probably 2' by 3', and it wasn't all that comfortable because it would make very loud crinkly sounds whenever I'd move around. It had wires embedded in it that would detect moisture, thus triggering a very loud alarm for my parents if I ever passed out from extreme hypoglycemia again. This bed accessory became especially embarrassing the first time I had a boy over, because I had forgotten to remove it before he sat down. THANK GOD HE SAT ON THE OTHER SIDE. Once I realized the potential horrificness of this situation, I quickly said "Um, maybe we should go watch TV in the living room. Okay??" He obliged. Crisis averted.

Rotation of your finger sticks and injection sites is important to avoid a build-up of scar tissue, so my parents and I devised a system. In my log book, we'd assign each scheduled blood test a finger - L1 for my left thumb, R4 for my right ring finger, etc. Injections were more memorable, so I guess we didn't need a system for those (or I don't remember what that system was).

I loved, loved the Babysitter's Club series. One of the four main characters, Stacey McGill, had type 1 diabetes, which made the books that much more relatable for me. A popular children's book had a character with the same condition as me - it was reassuring.

I can remember when JDRF was just JDF.

The meter I had as a kid was the One Touch II. It was huge by today's standards, the typical beige color all meters came in, and it came in a matching plastic snap-shut case. (Thanks to Sara for the picture link!)

Fundraising as a child for the annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes was always something I - well - dreaded. It was never a very enjoyable task to walk around my neighborhood and ask people for money, but I did it. Did I use the guilt trip? You bet I did. My mom wrote out a script for me, which went something like, "Hi, I'm Kim, I'm ___ years old, and I have juvenile diabetes. I will be doing the JDF Walk for a Cure on ____, and I was wondering if you would donate some money to my walk." How could you turn that down?

At the end of sixth grade, a classmate had a pool party and invited everyone in our grade. Towards the end, this kid Michael decided it would be really funny to grab my towel and throw it in the pool. Unfortunately he did this when I was sitting by the side of the pool, trying to recover from a bad low. (Swimming lowers my BG very quickly.) Somehow, in my confused and hypoglycemic mind, I thought that the longer the towel was in the pool, the more wet it would get. Which, you know, totally makes sense, right? So what did I do? Dove in after it, and retrieved it from the bottom of the deep end.

Speaking of grade school, I really missing skating parties. You can't beat strapping on some old school roller skates, proudly wearing your fanny pack and friendship bracelets, and rolling along to "Ghostbusters".

Diabetes was a part of my childhood, but that never made it an unhappy one - just a little different than it might have otherwise been. I still got to do everything I wanted to: take dance classes, play piano, try (and fail) at soccer and softball, go to slumber parties, and be a "normal kid". It just took a few extra steps to make it happen.

Kim can be found blogging at textingmypancreas.blogspot.com, tweeting @txtngmypancreas, and posting on Juvenation.org

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15, Post #2

2010-10-13T16:36:00.002-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15
Kim, Texting My Pancreas
Post #2

Staying Motivated.

I’m a little obsessive about blood testing. The amount of finger sticks I do each day varies, but it can be up to 22 per day. My average, the last time I looked, was 16.

It’s not that I enjoy the feel of sticking a shard of metal into one of my fingers every hour. I don’t particularly relish in the sight of my own blood, though it doesn’t bother me. My calloused fingertips aren’t big fans of this behavior, either.

I’ve had several fellow PWD (people with diabetes) ask me over the past year how I do it. How am I so motivated to test that often, and how do I keep up that motivation? I’m not claiming to have a magical one-size-fits-all answer for this, and I’m certainly not an expert (though, I like to think of myself as a “veteran” – 24 years with type 1, no major complications, and going strong) – I’m just going to share what works for me.

Some people are motivated by fear – of complications, of overnight lows they won’t wake up from, of a family on the horizon. While those things certainly are motivating for me, they’ve always been there for me, every minute of those 24 years. It’s only in the last year or so that I have really gotten serious, borderline obsessed, about this – so what changed?

The key for me can be divided into three parts: attention, accountability, and acceptance.

Attention.

Back in January of this year, I started using a continuous glucose monitor. (I named it “Jim”.) I could go on and on about why I love my CGM – it helps me learn from my mistakes, and alerts me when something has gone terribly wrong. Two days into using it, I felt like I had learned more about my body’s glucose patterns than I ever had in the previous two decades with finger sticks alone. A blood test gives you a snapshot of where you are right then, with no clues as to where you’ve been prior to that, or where you’re headed. It’s the difference between a photograph and a video. Finally, I could start to connect the dots.

While CGM usage has given me many great things, it also brought with it a heightened sense of awareness. On finger sticks alone, I could forget about diabetes in the time between blood tests. It was easy to not worry about it unless I chose to. With a CGM giving me a new reading every 5 minutes, and beeping VERY LOUDLY when I fall out of the target range I’ve specified, it’s pretty hard to ignore diabetes. In fact, over time it becomes hard to not check the CGM receiver every time I think there might be a new reading. Because the CGM can, but will not always, have fluctuation in accuracy (due, in part, to the fact that it takes readings from the interstitial fluid in your body, not blood), I find myself constantly second-guessing the results – and doing a blood test to verify. Some people might find this stream of information irritating or annoying, but I find it fascinating. Having so much data available causes me to want even more of it.

Accountability.

It began with a diabetes patient blog I stumbled upon, which then led to many others. I found diabetes online communities I bonded with. I was searching for answers; for friendship; for support. The diabetes online community (DOC) as a whole has been a wonderful gift to find. Reading the successes and failures of others helps me feel less alone in this fight, and more inspired to try my very best at wrangling this beast every day. The achievements of others give me the courage to reach for such goals myself. When I see others posting their BG readings online, I am motivated to test and do the same. And, when all else fails, I make a game out of it – Can I stay under 200 mg/dL today? Can I get myself to test every 2 hours, exactly? Can I eat that previously troublesome meal, and see if I can rock it BG-wise this time around?

Sometimes a long road looks too daunting – but that shouldn’t stop you from taking even the smallest steps down it. It’s easier to do when you have someone to hold your hand and keep you pointed in the right direction.

Acceptance.

The third component has involved coming to terms with this state of living. It’s taken a long, long time to get there, but I feel like I’m in that last stage of coping with the death of my beta cells – Acceptance. This doesn’t mean I’ve given up hope, or feel resigned to the fact that I’m somehow a broken body. I’ve had my denial, plenty of anger, and a large heaping spoonful of depression. I wallowed around in self-pity for far longer than was acceptable. I was spiteful and bitter. (And although I still feel this negativity at times, it’s no longer for as long, or in such large doses.)

What it means is that I understand and respect the gravity of the situation I’m in. I know what I need to do, and why I need to do it. I’ve also realized that life is too damn short to feel sorry for myself all of the time. It’s a fruitless use of my energy.

For as long as I get to stay in the ring, I’m going to keep throwing punches.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15, Post #1

2010-10-10T18:06:00.009-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 11-15
Kim, Texting My Pancreas
Post #1

My Bad Romance… With Adhesive.

I love the technology that helps me stay healthy. I use an Animas insulin pump, and a Dexcom Seven Plus continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and I’m certainly thankful that I have these tools on my Diabetes Utility Belt, so to speak. They assist and allow me to take the best possible care I can of my diabetes. I’ve never been as healthy, diabetically speaking, than I am right now.

But sometimes I feel like my gear is taking a cue from Lady Gaga.

What I mean by that is, most of the stuff she wears is… fragile. She’s usually wearing something breakable, easily torn, strategically placed, or something that most people wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone sit down, in. I imagine that if she turned around too quickly, or moved the wrong way, some part of her get-up would pop or fall apart. (Bubble dress, anyone?)

It’s a lot like how some of the adhesive on my diabetes equipment makes me feel.

The first few hours of a new CGM sensor feel pretty weird to me. I’m very aware of the sensor on my body, yet I need to leave it alone so it can marinate in my interstitial fluid to be ready for calibration after two hours. The adhesive needs some time to “set” as well, so in other words, I’m trying to not move around a lot. Those CGM sensors are expensive little suckers, and disturbing a brand new one is a sure-fire way to get me from zero to Incredible Hulk Angry in about two seconds.

Similarly, an insulin pump infusion site will sometimes need reinforcements. My tape of choice is Smith & Nephew’s IV3000 iHand, and while it works pretty well for me most of the time, it’s still an imperfect solution. While it stretches a little bit, I still feel like I’m wearing tape. If it’s on my stomach, I get paranoid about twisting and bending, for fear that it won’t twist or bend with me. If it’s on my hip or thigh, I’m struggling to not catch any clothing on it when I’m changing clothes or doing some bathroom business. (Speaking of bathroom business, how the heck does Lady Gaga use a restroom in those outfits? At least she has assistants, probably – I have to do pump tubing yoga on my own, if I want to avoid accidentally ripping out an infusion site.)

Like most of the technology we have available to us for diabetes management, it’s not ideal, the technology and accuracy is imperfect, and I’m looking forward to the next thing that comes along. But, it’s pretty amazing that it even exists, it’s better than previous technology and options, and I’m thankful for it.

The next time I have to send in tape reinforcements, I’m indulging my imagination a bit. Next time, I’m pretending I’m sporting some sort of bandage dress, and it’s fabulous. Who cares that my get-up is hard to move around in? It’s my look, and I’m rocking it.

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10, Post #3

2010-10-08T00:05:00.005-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10
Crystal Lane, Randomly capitalizeD
Post #3

Hey all! Last post as the Featured Blogger here on The Diabetes OC. I have been debating all week on what to write about. Do I write about Diabetes? Me? Randomness? Bring up an old post, start anew?

I went with old, with some adjustments. One of my favorites. Enjoy and thanks for having me, Gina!

I am, I have

I am . . . .

Human.
Woman.
Daughter.
Sister.
Cousin.
Friend.
Aunt.
Advocate.
Volunteer.
Blogger.

I have . . . .

a love for life, for laughter, for SIRSY.
two tattoos that remind me of something Very special I've lost.
some questionable addictions.
zillions of pictures (non digital) I should organize.
many elephants figurines I don't want to part with.
way too many pairs of jammy pants.
family and Amazing friends that care about me, love me.
this love/hate relationship with feelings that spawns my poetry.
two boxes of crayons and four coloring books.
a sense of humor that edges on simple wrongness in every way.

I just happen to live with Type 1 Diabetes.
It is not who I am.
It is not what I am.

It is but it's also what it can and will be.

I am. I have. I can. I will. I do.

To keep stalking, err, following Crystal Lane's antics, check out Randomly capitalizeD and/or her tweepage seepage.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10, Post #2

2010-10-06T00:05:00.001-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10
Crystal Lane, Randomly capitalizeD
Post #2

There it is

A glimmer
It shines brightly
but not blindingly
It beckons; asks to be followed
It leads with a soft reminder
It lingers, waiting to be found
I know it's there
I see it out of the corner
From behind the shadows
I am afraid
I know my past, not my future
It has not stopped me before
But now I am hesitant
I am unsure; oh so unsure
I am drawn to it
Always have been
I want it to be a part of my life
I am scared
I know it exists
Can exist for me

Read more poems by Crystal Lane at Randomly capitalizeD. Poems are her favorite way to express what she is feeling. Crystal has a love for words offering imagery that may be interrupted to suit each reader. Take it for what it is and adapt, for, it is what it is.

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10, Post #1

2010-10-04T00:15:00.002-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Oct. 3-10
Crystal Lane, Randomly capitalizeD
Post #1

Hey, D-OC! Check out the new look for The Diabetes Online Community! Gina did a fantastic job. I am honored she asked me to kick off the month of October as the Featured Blogger of the Week here on The Diabetes OC. Take a look around and see what the site has to offer.

Now enough about you all, ha! I kid. I've been living with and managing my Type 1 Diabetes for over 25 years. I was diagnosed at 6 years old in 1985. An estimation between my parents and I, we figure I was testing my blood glucose via urine on test strips, cut in thirds by my Dad, to get a range of blood glucose for about five years. Joy.

Possibly in 1990 I started using a very large Accu-Chek meter. It took about five minutes to read a digit. We're still unsure on that meter but a Huge and welcome change. No more "pee-cup" on the back of the toilet in the One bathroom for a family of five.

I recall diagnosis by my Pediatrician, getting labs done in the local Hospital, visiting Joslin in Boston. I remember practicing on an orange. I remember my first plunge into my right thigh, my first sleep over, many school birthdays where my snack was specific and certainly not cake or cupcakes. I will never forget getting caught buying chocolaty snacks at lunch. I was never picked on in school about my Diabetes. If I did, I don't recall. All my years in school I was required to go to the Nurse's Office to test my blood glucose, eat a snack if low or dose for a high. I was happy to have freedom in College, testing and shooting up wherever necessary. I did have to tell each Professor that I carry food and I may need to eat during class; deal with it.

Through all that I have very fond memories of my childhood. It was not all about Diabetes. I had many interests; jumping in leaf piles, animals, kickball, go-carting down the hill on our street, forts in trees, swinging on branches, riding my bike, sledding in the winter, building snow forts, watching my Dad spray water on a ramp in the winter to make it faster, trying skateboarding and leaving it to my brother, enjoying horses with my sister then meeting my best friend through some horse shows, gymnastics...... it was a full childhood. Most of it were those memories, with a few important Diabetes moments that shaped me forever sprinkled in.

I give my parents loads of credit for letting me be myself, more importantly they let me be a kid. Every holiday it was a debate between my Dad and Mom about the size of dessert I would receive. Back then "cheating" was as common as "Not me." My Mom never won, sorry Mom, I was Daddy's little girl and he slid me some extras. They let me find my way with my interests. They let me create my path with education and my future interests. They supported me, encouraged me and loved me. My Mom played a pivotal role when I was a teenager and angry about having to take a shot before I ate. Testing my blood glucose was not the issue, the issue was I wanted cookies and then to be left alone. She told me the consequences and left saying, "You know what you need to do and why." That moment changed me forever. I thank my parents often for how they raised me.

In college I had more freedom and it scared me a bit. I was not tempted by most "typical" college experiences. I managed best I could and took one day at a time. I was there to learn and get on with my life.

My first job after college woke me up to a reality that I did not want to live in but knew I had no choice. This was the first time, in 15 years, that I started to deal with some adverse reactions to my Diabetes. "But you look fine." "You were drinking last night just like every young person out there." "What could possibly be wrong now?"

I struggled for a couple years then moved back home, but for different reasons. Through the past ten years I've dealt with the worst and the best of every situation that came my way. Three years ago I decided to find a job first, worry about benefits later. I do not regret my decision. Those with a chronic illness are not left with many choices; find a job with benefits or marry someone with that job. Two options were not my style. So I made a third. Yes, it's been hard. But I Knew it would be. I knew I would struggle with income and needs.

Out of 10 years of anger towards the world in general but never giving up, I found the D-OC and a way to advocate. Finding, interacting and finally meeting other people with Diabetes has changed my life forever. I'm grateful for what the D-OC is and continues to become. I'm also grateful for my Boss; she has never given up on me during some really tough struggles the past three years.

We each choose our path. We make our decisions. They are ours. I have no regrets with my journey of 32 years thus far. I also very much look forward to the rest of the journey.

Thank you, D-OC. I love you all, sincerely.

To learn more about Crystal Lane, check out her blog, Randomly capitalizeD. She also tweets and takes photos. She is a very opinionated and loud voice amongst the D-OC. She has no plans to stop.

Diabetes OC Special Events

2010-10-01T22:54:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

I hope you like the new look of The Diabetes OC website! Equipped with a new logo! Whaddayathink? We are super excited about it and looking forward to hearing your feedback. Also, a new feature we added was the D-OC special events calendar on the top right of the page, which will tell you when there is a featured blogger, birthday, diaversary, blogaversary or whatever special event you want us to add!

All you have to do is send an email to us at diabetesoc(at)gmail.com and put DOC Event in the subject line. That simple!

Anyway, hope you will all contribute and don't forget if you want to be a featured blogger fill out the form on the Want to be Featured link at the top of the page! We are currently filled up for October and taking submissions for November.

Talk to you all soon!

~Gina

Featured Blogger of the Week: Sept. 13-20, Post #3

2009-09-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Sept. 13-20
Riva Greenberg , Diabetes Stories
Post # 3

One of the things I do is talk to fellow patients mostly at a support groups and health fairs. I help them learn healthier habits that make diabetes easier to manage and I also dispel the fear and confusion people have about using insulin. But I’m here to tell you about something interesting that happened when I gave my presentation one time.

I was speaking in Buffalo, N.Y. to about 40 patients and for the first time I was double-billed with a diabetes educator. I am not a medical person. The CDE’s speech preceded mine so I leaned back and listened. I heard a solid forty-five minutes of A1cs, blood pressures, weight control, exercise, portion control, and carb-counting…in short, numbers, zones, and target ranges up the wazoo. Where is the humanity in this, I thought? Where is the patient in this? Where is the acknowledgement of the work we do and energy we spend slogging through each day? I saw my purpose was to put it back in our diabetes and talk about how we hold diabetes in our lives.

Taking the stage I shared my own shock and fear upon diagnosis, my subsequent denial, and my early complications. The room quieted. I was, they saw, like them: a soldier in the trenches. I saw the landscape they saw; I tramp through the same dark forest; I look for cover when diabetes rains down upon me or drains me out.

“When you’re so busy testing every day,” I said, “reading labels, counting carbs, and calculating, do you stop to think why you’re doing all this work? Isn’t it to see the grandkids grow up, start that second career, create the best vegetable garden in town, contribute something to the world, or have another million days with your spouse?” Heads nodded and people leaned forward, people actually smiled and eyes lit up. Someone had understood and acknowledged this piece of living with diabetes where their heart resides along with their struggle.

People are dying–literally–to hear their healthcare providers address the emotional issues of living with diabetes. But doctors and CDEs don’t know the experience of living with diabetes if they don’t have it and they haven’t been trained to deal with the psychosocial aspects of chronic illness.

We, however, are in the business of chronic illness. We have life adjustments to make, and we have precious little help to make them. So here are my recommendations: Learn all you can. Appreciate what you hold dear. Pace your efforts and forgive your mistakes. Keep the vision of your ‘best life’ ever-present. And spend more time doing what you love. While we’re living with diabetes, let’s not short-change the “living” part.

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com

Featured Blogger of the Week - Sept. 13- 20, Post #2

2009-09-17T20:33:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Sept. 13-20

Riva Greenberg , Diabetes Stories
Post # 2

Viktor Frankl is a psychiatrist who spent years in a concentration camp. While interned he wondered, 'What does it take to persevere and come through such a monumental, tragic experience?' Can there be happiness in the overwhelming miasma of suffering?’ His landmark book, Man's Search for Meaning, answers these questions. Many of Frankl’s insights I find can be translated to living with diabetes. By the way Frankl’s answer is, Yes, we can get through suffering with meaning in our lives.

Of the more than 130 people who have diabetes whom I've interviewed, many actually see diabetes as a gift: an opportunity to become fitter and healthier, to help others and to appreciate what they have in their life. They see diabetes as a wake-up call that reminds them life is short, precious, and comes with no warranty and it’s time to put their dream into play or spend more time enjoying where they are.

One person wrote this to me, “Riva, Two years ago, at age 68, I had a heart attack, a triple bypass and was diagnosed with diabetes all within one week. I'm doing well, have changed my diet and take exercise seriously now. It hasn't been lost on me that I got a second chance at life and believe me I'm not about to squander it. Someone once told me, if you want to live a long life, get yourself a chronic disease to take care of. I didn't think of diabetes as much of a "gift" but you are right, it can be. I'm in better shape now than I have ever been. We all should look at diabetes as a gift − a nuisance and a pain in the neck sometimes, but it really is a gift.”

I figure you can see your diabetes in two ways: 1. Geez, I hate this. It’s not fair. Damn x%$!!! Or, 2. Hmmm…O.K., I’m going to lose those 20 pounds and feel good! What do I really care about? It’s time to make it happen. Wow, I’m smokin’!

After losing my job at 48 I searched for a way to contribute to the world. Step by step that urge created my road to here, helping others with diabetes. Today I’m excited waking every day to add new strokes to this canvas I'm painting – my new diabetes life. I have a deep-seated happiness, and an even deeper desire to be healthy and enjoy the whole ride.

Frankl found that camp survivors who persevered, who looked forward to finding their families again and creating their next great work, were the ones to survive. Being in service to others or a cause, loving someone or something and turning tragedy into triumph are ways to live a meaningful life. So see your diabetes as something to inspire you to get and stay healthy. You may find it will keep you healthier than you ever would have been if you’d never gotten it.

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com

Featured Blogger of the Week - Sept. 13- 20, Post #1

2009-09-14T01:34:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: Sept. 13-20

Riva Greenberg , Diabetes Stories

Post # 1

Five years ago I was in a Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) event and heard a shocking thing. Dr. Bill Polonsky, noted diabetes educator and psychologist, was leading a “Coping with Diabetes” workshop and he asked the 80 or so of us sitting there, “How many of you think diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney disease, heart attack and amputation?” Well, of course, hands flew up across the entire room. “You’re wrong,” he said, “Poorly controlled diabetes is.”

With those words a weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders for three decades believing these complications would inevitably be my fate fell off. And, I had an awakening: What I do matters. I can affect my future health by how I manage my diabetes. From that moment my management got better: I became more diligent in my diet, made a promise to myself to walk every day that I keep every day and test more and correct more. Because I know now it matters.

This awakening also sowed the seeds for the book new in bookstores and online that I just wrote, "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It.” I changed my diabetes management discovering a myth was not true, you owe it to yourself, and your loved ones, to see if you’ve got all the facts straight.

These are the top five myths for many patients:

1) Eating sugar causes diabetes
2) There is one diabetes diet to follow
3) Type 1 diabetes is more serious than type 2
4) If I have to take insulin it’s the beginning of the end or I’ve failed
5) If my diabetes is under control, there’s no need to see my doctor

And here are a few for those of us who think we know everything:

1) I’ve just been diagnosed, I can’t have complications yet!
2) Insulin makes you gain weight
3) I have to lose a lot of weight for my diabetes to improve
4) I can’t ever take a break from dealing with diabetes
5) There is no cure for diabetes

It seems boastful to tell you to go get my book, yet criminal not to because it offers so much value. The book is written from a patient’s point of view, I’m not a medical person, yet 21 outstanding diabetes specialists consulted with me. It contains actionable steps, tips and many stories and “lessons learned” from fellow patients and you can dip in and out wherever you like. We must all be our own health care providers every day – you deserve to know the truth.

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 31 - July 6, Post #3

2009-07-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 31 - July 6

Rachel Baumgartel, Tales of my 30's & Diabetes Daily

Post # 3

A few random thoughts to conclude the week…

Now that it has been four years since my T2 diagnosis, things come a little easier. I know what I should eat and how much I should exercise. I don’t need to test as much as long as trends look promising on my meter. I suppose you could call it a maintenance phase. No signs of complications, A1C levels under 6.0%, and otherwise healthy.

I know that I’ve created positive change in our household. Without my insistence on healthier eating and exercising, my husband might not have become as vigilant as he has been with his own T1 routine since his hypoglycemic seizure in November 2004.

Watching my husband manage his T1 reminds me that I still need to be active in my own diabetes care. It’s not that I’m scared of possible progression of my type 2 in the future, it’s that I want to be in control of my diabetes destiny. If things start to get out of control, I want to nip that in the bud, whether that means medication again or if that means insulin.

I do hope that I can stay in this so-called maintenance phase for quite some time, though.

I feel terribly when I see someone who doesn’t manage his or her diabetes well. I wish I could walk up to them and shake some sense into them. But I don’t. We’ve all had experiences with unsolicited advice and this is one of the worst offenses of the sort.

I can’t change people; I can only help myself (and in some sense, my husband). Of course, if someone reaches out for my help, I would be more than willing to assist. That’s why I blog, that’s why I advocate for people with diabetes.

We talk about cures for our respective conditions, though not very often. While hope is a good thing, we both tend to be more realistic and perhaps more pessimistic. He’s generally at peace with his diabetes, which encourages and allows me to be the same with mine.

Besides, who’s to say that the diseases haven’t already managed to play havoc in our bodies that can’t be reversed in spite of a cure? If there is a cure, who decides who gets it first? These are the questions we ask each other when the discussion turns to the idea of cures. Why, yes, we do wax philosophically…

If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 31- July 6, Post #2

2009-07-09T00:02:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 31 - July 6

Rachel Baumgartel, Tales of my 30's & Diabetes Daily

Post #2

I don’t follow one way or another of eating for diabetes. I’ve experimented with low carb (under 80 g) and it didn’t work for me – I was tired all the time and didn’t exercise nearly enough. In fact, I ended up with my highest A1C ever as well as higher triglycerides after this little experiment.

Some would have you believe that low carb is gospel. That’s great – if it works for them. But if you’re like me, you may not thrive on such a diet. And that’s okay – there are other ways.

I guess my way of eating is a hybrid between lower carb and lower fat – the good stuff all in moderation. I practice portion control and consume 100-150 g carb per day. Exercising 4 or 5 days a week is also part of my diabetes and heart health plan. There is a family history of early heart disease in the absence of diabetes that I don’t wish to repeat. I find exercise along with limited dairy plays an integral role in reining in cholesterol levels.

I listen to what my body tells me. One week, I may not eat red meat - the next, completely vegetarian. Along with all this, I allow myself to enjoy a treat now and then. Sometimes it’s a cupcake, sometimes it’s the bread I learned to create and bake alongside my dad, sometimes it’s ice cream. I’d go bonkers if I restricted these from my diet permanently.

So this is how I take control of my T2 diabetes. I suppose it’s a form of intuitive eating.

I don’t expect everyone to do it my way. There’s Bernstein, there’s Atkins, there’s vegetarian/vegan, there’s raw food, and there’s intuitive eating, of course. I’ve heard of people meeting success lowering their blood sugars all of these ways. Wow – people getting healthy in spite of their diabetes – I love to hear it!

If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 31- July 6, Post #1

2009-07-06T12:32:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 31 - July 6

Rachel Baumgartel, Tales of my 30's

Post #1

You may already know me from Diabetes Daily and/or Tales of my Thirties. I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in March 2005, shortly before my 29^th birthday and after living with a pre-diabetic warning of sorts since 2001. My husband just happens to have T1 diabetes, diagnosed way back in March 1986 at age eleven. We marked seven years of marriage in April and will be celebrating thirteen years of long-distance dating, then “roommates with benefits”, then engagement, and now marriage.

Other than that, just how much do you know?

Did you know…? Well before I met my T1 husband in 1996, I had an elementary school friend with the condition. Her mom would give presentations at the beginning of each school year for the kids in M’s class so that we’d know what to do if M became hypoglycemic. That came in handy in fifth grade when I was witness to a seizure she had due to a low blood sugar in the school’s hallway. One classmate ran and got a teacher, while I made sure she wasn’t in danger of being hurt. Anyhow, the knowledge I gained from knowing M has been useful at times with Greg, though treatment of T1 is so vastly different than back in the mid-80’s.

Did you know…? It wasn’t until I graduated college and kept living the same life as a college student that I gained a lot of weight. I didn’t keep my activity level up as it had been, but I was eating the same kind of convenience foods from the college days. There may have been an underactive thyroid involved, too – I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a couple months before diabetes. I still haven’t been able to get my weight down to where I was in college, but I’m not sure I’d want to be underweight again, anyways.

Did you know…? T2 has made me forget all the horrible experiences of gym class. I love walking, hiking, and swimming as well as using my trusty elliptical and balance ball. I’d love to do a triathlon if I can get my dorky swimming under control, along with being more comfortable on a bike. I know it would please my dad to see me take golf lessons, too. Oh, and if there’s a game of kickball at the company picnic, I’m in.

Did you know…? Finding the OC was very instrumental in getting me writing again. Although I’d been blogging for a while, it gave me purpose. I’ve expanded into food blogging and have been thinking about a plot for an intelligent chick lit novel. (Let’s not forget the amateur feline photographer I’ve become!) It’s unfortunate that it had to be T2 that brought me back around to writing after a long absence, but I needed something to write about.

There you go. Four things I either haven’t blogged about or haven’t blogged enough about over the years.

If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 21 -27, Post #3

2009-06-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 21 - 27

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

Post #3

Care for a trip in the way-back machine? After my job thankfully transitioned me away from the harsh realities of living out of a suitcase, I welcomed my transition to sitting behind a desk. I began resuming my vigorous weight lifting routine, started eating health....ier, and overall took my Diabetes management more seriously than I had in the previous couple of years. Yes, years.

Jump Cut to New Years Eve/Day. The ball drop was meh. Celebrated with friends, but didn't really celebrate it. Not to say that I was depressed or anything, but I wasn't feeling too jovial. Actually I was far from it, I needed something to happen, something to fill a void. What is that quote from Ghandi? "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Maybe change in the world is too tall a task, but I needed a change.

After spending some time alternating blank stares at my keyboard and monitor, I committed to starting a blog. Something to get my frustrations out in the open. A way to voice my complaints, my fears, my desires, (almost) everything. The inherent anonymity of the Internet offers a level of comfort that can yield a surprising amount of honesty if you are willing to commit to it. But first things first, my blog needed a title.

Just like everyone knows a Cowboy Needs a Horse, a blog needs a catchy title. I wish I had kept notes of the different titles I had crossed off before settling on 'A Consequence of Hypoglycemia' but I knew I wanted something that stood out, and involved a common word or phrase used among Diabetics. If the search results that have led to my blog are any indicator, I have chosen...wisely. Now my eager-readers might say "But Chris, what about the actual link to your blog? What's the deal with 'tobesugarfree'?"

Well I'm glad you asked. SugarFree was one of my unofficial nicknames after diagnosis. It was catchy, and I ran with it. My usernames on gaming websites, my Xbox Live gamertag and PSN ID are all variants of 'SugarFree' (btw, hit me up if you are looking to game Su6arFr33 on XBL and PSN). So 'tobesugarfree' was born, and let's be honest: who would want to type out 'aconsequenceofhypoglycemia.com'? Exactly.

So 'A Consequence of Hypoglycemia' was born. Admittedly I didn't tell anyone about it for the first 2 weeks. Not my family, not my friends, not even twitter. I wanted to make sure that I could commit to posting frequently and honestly. I did not want to just be another flash in the pan blog for a month or so and then abandon it for the next shinny object that came my way. Apparently commitment (to this blog) is not a problem with me, posting every weekday since the start of 2009 has been a life changing experience for me. Blogging has connected me with some truly amazing and inspiring people and I can happily say my life is better because of it.

Thankfully, this is only the beginning.

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 21 -27, Post #2

2009-06-24T13:15:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 21 - 27

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

Post #2

We all have those stories that would qualify for America's Funniest Home Videos: D-Edition. The ones that only we could laugh at. The ones that, despite the scare at the moment, can be laughed at with enough time, experience and perspective. I have my submission when Bob Saget (or whoever is hosting) comes calling.

While managing my Diabetic supplies in Blacksburg, mail order was the only way to go. Early on in adjusting to the proper procedure, one of the key concepts was understanding lead time in ordering refills. (to self) "ok, I have ___ units of Humalog left in my last pen, that will last me approximately until ___, So I'll need to order a refill no later than ___." Of course, this is college, procrastination was my second major. But 99% of the time I was on point with my refills.

As mentioned, I base my reorder of my insulin pens based on the amount of insulin left. Since I use a pretty consistent amount each day, I can predict when I'm going to run out with some significant accuracy. Before lunch one day, I ran the dial on my last pen to the last possible number to see what was remaining. I then proceeded to give myself my injection before lunch. Of course, it would have been helpful to dial the proper amount of insulin before the injection.

Normally I use 4 units of Humalog for lunch, that lucky day it was 31.

Oops.

Once I had realized what I had done, panic came over me. I called my dad to figure out what I should do 1) about the insulin OD and b) about the insulin pen refill. A few minutes later my dad called back saying that he asked my endocrinologist to fill a prescription at the local Walgreens and he said that I had to eat to balance the insulin. Um, so all I have to do is eat? Piece of cake...yea, I said it.

We drove to Subway, I had regular soda for the first time in years, ate a footlong sub, and had 3 chocolate chip cookies. I remember a feeling very full along with an impending upset stomach, but I believe I made it through the day. I think I had a refill on the regular Pepsi, and took another cookie home to be safe. But I'm here today talking about it, so I survived.

Looking at the big picture, I suppose it wasn't unreasonable to have something like that happen. My moment of focus might have been interrupted by Jake or Nate offering a funny quip or remark. "hahaha, that's funny ((injection)) whoops." Like I said, looking back, it's a a funny story to tell. Of course overdosing on insulin is not a laughing matter, but if i lived to tell the story then it is one worth telling right?

Do you have a submission for America's Funniest Home Videos: D-Edition?

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week = June 21- 27

2009-06-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 21 - 27

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

Post #1

I'm a son. Hi Mom, Hi Dad.

I'm a brother. (waves to sister). I pester because I care. I am her biggest supporter and fiercest advocate. And even though she's enrolled in a Graduate Program at the University of Maryland (see below), I know she is on her way to BIG THINGS. Watch Out World.

I'm a Hokie. I have an 'Alumni' License Plate Frame. I have a Virginia Tech sticker for my rear windshield. I have a Hokie Bird sticker for part of the rear window that doesn't roll down. I have a Hokie Bird Headcover for my Nike SQ Sumo 5000. I look GREAT in Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange. I know that you do not come into my house and expect to win on a Thursday Night when ESPN stops by. Metallica's "Enter Sandman" stimulates my calf muscles (at least through the intro) into a jumping frenzy.

I'm a Blogger. I've only been doing this for half a year, but posting every week day has given me a special kind of purpose. I've connected with so many people through my thoughts and words. I think I almost have a faithful audience now. I still get *those looks* when I mention that I have a blog. But I feel fairly certain that those that visit my blog for the first time are quickly converted into true believers. I'm not the best, but I learning. Everyone has a voice worth hearing, I've chosen to use the Internet to host mine.

I'm a Writer. What once was a weekly diversion into gaming has now become a featured article on TalkingAboutGames(.com). I'm not looking for a Pulitzer or anything, but I think at this point it's safe to say that I've upgraded from blogging to writing. Which, considering my academic career, is one of life's greatest ironies. No chance Mr. Kraner would have expected any of this from me. But he was kind of a dick.

I'm a Podcaster. It's a new endeavor, part of my evolution from blogger to writer. Being a part of the TalkingAboutGames(.com) Community Team has opened a door to new and exciting possibilities as I develop my voice, both in text and now in speech.

I'm a Gamer. I go way back. NES, SEGA Genesis, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii. Even various forms of the GameBoy, PSP, and my iPod Touch for mobile use. I will be a gamer until my thumbs fall off, as morbid as that sounds. Even as Grandpa Chris, don't think I'll be holding back in Call of Duty 16 just because we're family. If you pick up the sticks, you better be ready to do work.

I'm a tad bit obsessive. Those of you that know me know that I demand order and organization. My clothes are arranged per the Rainbow's Roy G. Biv setup, my DVDs are arranged alphabetically, as are my Blu-Rays my (yes) HD-DVDs, and all of my video games. All of my MP3s (acquired legally) have a specific naming scheme that must be applied before being transferred to my iPod.

On rare occasions, I'm a Golfer. For at least one shot per round, I know what I'm doing out there on the golf course. That one shot brings me back for another round of golf. That one shot somehow convinces me that I might know what I'm doing. If only I could start to string together multiple "shots", then we're talking.

Funny, not one of those "I'm a" mentioned Diabetes, eh? As much as this thing is a part of me, it's not the only part of me. Diabetes is not the defining characteristic of my core. Diabetes is not the first thing out of my mouth when I introduce myself to someone new. Diabetes is important, but it shares the spotlight with my other defining traits, both good and bad.

We all talk about not letting Diabetes win. We talk about having lives outside of Diabetes. We talk about not getting caught up in the day-to-day grind that we have lived with for days, weeks, years, decades, lifetimes. It is important to remember that there is more to life than Diabetes, even though remembering Diabetes is important to our lives.

Christopher Snider, A Consequence of Hypoglycemia

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 7 -13, Post #3

2009-06-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 7 - 13

Nan Sojka, My Pump Gear Blog

Post #3

Our Diabetes Community (Expanded)

C was diagnosed on December 29, 2003. A diabetes community? We were it. We knew no one else who had type 1 diabetes. Our family and closest friends were as supportive as could be, but they, too, had no idea what this disease would mean for our family. It felt as if we were placed inside a maze. The only thing we could do was move forward.

Hospital. Education. Prayer. Sleepless nights. I remember being discharged from the hospital on a Friday. We had to be on our own until Monday morning when we were set to be at CHLA (Childrens Hospital Los Angeles), where the doctor assured us that we’d be taken care of. But we had to get to Monday. I was so scared. Injections? All on our own? I had dropped out of the nursing program in college because of this. The perfect irony.

I used the doctor’s cell phone number several times that weekend. But we did get to Monday. There we were at CHLA, learning soooo much. My head ached. We were given a gigantic notebook full of diabetes stuff – carbohydrate counting, scheduling, the different insulins, injection sites, etc.. And, that’s when we first met those wonderful people at CHLA…Dr. K and the dear, sweet nurses. How we clutched to them for our daughter's very life.

So, now, it was us, close family and friends, the CHLA nurses and Dr. K...our diabetes community. It was scary. It was lonely. Because, really, when we came home, and we weren't on the phone with the nurses, and Dan went back to work, and the boys were in school...it was just us...C & me.

Family and friends surrounded our little family with meals and help with the boys. But when it came to the diabetes stuff…I was it. I remember thinking “I did not sign up for this.” But as you all know, the job was mine, applied for or not.

On the phone with nurses constantly...I can still hear their calming voices, helping me to gather my senses enough at 3 in the morning to measure and give an injection of 1/8 of a unit of insulin to my baby.

During one of those first weeks after diagnosis, I had to get my wits about me in order to pick up my oldest (then, in 1st grade). As I wheeled C’s stroller past the classrooms, someone came walking right up to me...gave me the biggest hug with tears in her eyes. “My name is K, and I know exactly what you're going through.” She handed me a bag, over-flowing with goodies for C...cute band-aids, Crystal Light mix, small bags of snacks (clearly marked with carb counts), stickers, small toys, a wonderful purple teddy bear...and her phone number. She said “diabetes is so difficult. Call me whenever you want.” Come to find out, her daughter was a second grader that year and had been diagnosed when she was just 3 years old.

So...now it was us, friends & family, CHLA staff, and now...K & her family. I can't tell you what a comforting thing it was to hear her say that diabetes is terrible...it's so difficult. In a strange way, that eased the burden slightly. Because, finally, someone else felt it too. I wasn't alone. To this day, when someone tells me something like "Oh diabetes?...Well, at least it's manageable." Oooooh...I just want to scream! It’s hard, people! And, no, sometimes it’s not manageable at all.

Well, time has passed. It’s been over five years of learning, failing, trying… In those five years, we have met 3 other families in our immediate city with type 1. I have passed on the goodie bag to another family I heard about through a friend. We’ve met a newly diagnosed toddler and family at a neighborhood park to talk to and encourage in all this crazy stuff. We’ve been welcomed with open arms to a JDRF walk team and have joined them for the last 3 years. We’ve spent time at Family Camps through CHLA talking with dozens of other families with stories so similar to ours.

So…now it was us, friends & family, CHLA staff, K & her family, 3 other families, our walk team and…

Enter the DOC.

Like the #1 post stated, I’ve been a lurker for years now. It started with searches about diabetes, the pump, a 504 plan, etc. And then, I came across a blog about real life with type 1 diabetes. This was a young woman’s life, out there, nearly every day for me to peer into, and learn, and laugh. Her writing encouraged me so much. Here was this lady, living a full and eventful life…with diabetes. Her writing was so rich, so vibrant, so full of humor! What hope I found at her site, sixuntilme.com.

Kerri’s blog pointed me to others. I couldn’t believe the wealth of diabetes knowledge I found…not from medical people, per se, but patients themselves. These were real people living wonderful lives, despite diabetes.

So…now it was us, friends & family, CHLA staff, K & her family, 3 other families, our walk team and “just the tip” of the DOC.

And, then there's Twitter! Another extension of the DOC...supportive, inviting and encouraging. And I haven’t yet mentioned sites like tudiabetes and type1parents. There are some great things growing out there. I have been truly touched by this community. Support is just one mouse click away.

Thank you DOC! Keep doing what you’re doing! And, thank you, Gina, for the privelege of posting here!

You can find us on Twitter (@mypumpgear); on Facebook ; on our blog; or on our site mypumpgear.com

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 7 -13, Post #2

2009-06-11T01:10:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 7 - 13

Nan Sojka, My Pump Gear Blog

Post #2

All Freaky on Mr. Frito-Lay

Okay. I must admit that this diabetes thing has really made the inner monster in me come out ferociously at times.

I was asked just recently about the early days of C's diagnosis. No warm, fuzzy memories. Fear, consumption, the unknown...that's what comes to mind. But, here's a memory that I can look back on, and if not laugh at, at least rustle up a little chuckle.

It was in the very first days at home after the hospital stay and after we got "all educated" on this crazy new way of life. It has to do with the counting of carbohydrates. Now, this is, for me, one of the great annoyances of this disease. No longer can we just put a bowl of chips out for all to munch from, but we need to count each one and know exactly what our little 2 year old (at the time) would be eating. Talk about irritating. But all you parents out there who go through this, day in and day out, can certainly relate. Well...I wonder if you can relate to my inner monster that slipped right out of me as I wrestled with this new routine. (If you can relate, I'd love to know...so I won't feel so alone in this area!)

Anyway...we were having Frito Corn Chips...nothing abnormal about that. But I was still learning about carb-counting and nutrition guides and grams and so on. I turned the bag over, and for the life of me, could not figure out what the guide was telling me. Half of this confusion was due to the new-ness of diabetes. But the other half stemmed from the tremedous lack of sleep I was experiencing.

Clearly, it was written at the top of the nutrition guide: Serving Size 1 oz. (28g/32 chips). But then, down the guide it read: Total Carbohydrate 15 g. Ug...28 grams or 15 grams? Which one was it? Through my clouded eyeballs I could not get a grasp of this. My little one wanted fritos and I was bound and determined to let her have them, diabetes or not. So…I decided to call Frito-Lay. I got the 800 number off the back of the bag. After the initial punching of millions of buttons in order to talk with a live person, there he was, Mr. Frito-Lay, himself.
“Hello. My name is [Mr. Frito-Lay]. May I help you?”

“Yes. Hello. I have some questions regarding the nutrition guide on a bag of Fritos.”

“Yes ma’am. What seems to be the problem?” (Grrrr at the word “ma’am”)

“Well, I’m confused about the grams. At the top of the guide, it says a serving size is one ounce at 28 grams for 32 chips.”

“Yes, ma’am, that’s correct.”

“But then down at the Total Carbohydrates it says 15 grams.”

“Yyyyes, that’s correct.” His tone was beginning to sound patronizing.

“Okay. But I don’t understand. 28 or 15…which is it?” My voice began to quiver.

“Ma’am, I can see that this issue is very important to you, but I can assure you that the information on the nutrition guide is correct.”

I began to sweat. In the background, C was beginning to fuss.

“Okay…You don’t understand!” My voice started rising and my eyes were filling with tears. Then, I let it all go.

“I don’t know what to do! My baby! She wants fritos and I don’t know what to do! Is it 15 grams or 28?! I need to give her a shot! I don’t understand this! She’s diabetic and I don’t know what to do!” By this time, I'm sobbing.

“Okay, ma’am? Calm down, please calm down?”

Sniff, sniff, “yes,” I squeeked.

“Okay, ma’am, you hold on and I’ll go ask someone about all this. Now, hold on, okay?”

“Okay,” sniff.

I sat there, head down over the high chair tray, holding the fritos bag. C was content playing with my hair. As I grabbed a tissue and blew, a voice came back on the phone.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes.”

“I’m now understanding a bit more clearly about what you’re asking. You need to focus on the 15 grams of carbohydrates. The serving size of one ounce is about 32 chips and it should weigh 28 grams…that’s the weight. One of my co-workers, here, knows a little bit about diabetes and explained it to me. I hope this helps.” There was no patronizing tone now.

Big breath…”Yes…yes. Thank you.”

“Well, thank you for calling Frito-Lay. And if there’s anything else we can help you with, please call again.” Click.
_______________________

I’m a grown woman. College-educated. Masters degree even. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking clearly. There I sat. I slowly counted out 32 chips for my daughter. As she happily munched away on them, I prepared her injection.

(Sorry Mr. Frito-Lay. I didn’t mean to get all freaky on you.)

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If you would like to be a featured blogger please send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - June 7 -13, Post #1

2009-06-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: June 7 - 13

Nan Sojka, My Pump Gear Blog

Post #1

Hey There, DOC!

How best to introduce myself? My name is Nan. I am 44 and not ashamed of that. I have earned every single wrinkle that I have. But gray hair? I have an appointment to see my hair lady next week.

In short I am a: Christian, wife, mom, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, friend, teacher, business owner, chef, chauffeur, medical insurance investigator, nurse, diabetes advocate & educator, cheerleader, short-order cook, personal shopper, tutor, editor, housekeeper, activities director, breast cancer advocate, tired, and...a cancer survivor!

I am thrilled to be the featured blogger this week on the DOC. Although, I don't feel worthy to be here. And I don't expect I can live up to the wonderful posts I've read on here recently. We are super new to blogging (and by "we," I mean "I"). Admittedly, I have been a lurker for years now. After my 22 month old was diagnosed in 2003, I began searching the internet for answers, support...anything to help me grapple with this new life that was thrown at us. A couple months ago, I decided to de-lurk myself. And I have found a real sense of calm & purpose after writing. Our blog is pretty much dedicated to diabetes-related issues. It continues to amaze me that I really never run out of ideas for posts about this disease. It will be wonderful if, one day, we could all truly say "hey, that's it...nothing else to say on the subject!"

I feel the best thing to do is to re-post about my daughter's diagnosis. If not to anyone else, it at least proves to me that it's okay to be here. So, here goes...

Diagnosis Day

“So, how did you know she had diabetes?”

Inevitably, if enough information about my family is exchanged in an introduction, a new friend will come up with that question. I don’t ever want to give a pat answer. I judge the amount of time left for my response and decide which road I’ll take…

#1 answer…(not much time)…She was very, very ill with flu symptoms and ended up in the hospital. We are fortunate that it was diagnosed. Or...

#2 answer…(longer version)…

It was December 2003—all the usual hustle and bustle for the holidays. We would be hosting Dan's side of the family. I convinced him that we would need to paint nearly the entire interior of our home, add a patio cover and heat outside. So, the race was on! We would be using every waking moment (+ a few moments when we should have been asleep!) Juggling 3 young kids in and around all the commotion was a difficult task. Although, we were exhausted by the time our family Christmas gathering date arrived, it was a great time.

However, I remember the morning of the party…Claire seemed out of sorts…you know…kind of cranky, small appetite. I thought…maybe she’s coming down with a bug…but…the show must go on! She was asking for a drink of milk quite often, lifting her sipper cup up to the fridge with a “mmmm." I thought not much about it at the time. At least she’s getting some calories in her, I thought.

After our festive evening, things wound down. As we tucked the kids in for the night, we noticed Claire’s face flushed with fever and sure enough it registered on the thermometer as low-grade. She was asking for more to drink. So, a cup of juice, then off to bed. It would make sense to keep liquids in her…she had a fever.

The fever went on for a couple days, so off to the doctor we went. After a short exam--flu. You know the routine...rest and lots of fluids. Several more days went by...still feverish, drinking furiously, and now there were middle-of-the-night diaper changes. There was noticeable weight loss. That was probably one of the first nerve pings I got. This is more than a flu bug, I thought. Off to the doctor, again. Quick check...ears, nose, throat. I got a "look" from the doc--"Lady, the flu is going around." I shrank, scooped up my baby and went back home. A couple more days of the same. But now, there was vomitting (one of the great tests of motherhood, in my book). But this was not your normal "vomit several times and then get better." She would vomit and then not for a whole day, but then do it again. It just didn't make sense. Another call to the doctor. "Rest and plenty of fluids." Somewhere between doctor visits, Christmas day came and went. Dan and Claire stayed home. I took the boys out to my sister's house to celebrate with the rest of the family. And I remember calling home to see how she was doing. Dan said she had seemed really hungry and ate a bunch of scrambled eggs and seemed better and happy! (In hind sight, we know why...)

Four days after Christmas found me visiting at my sister's house. I got a call from home. Claire had woken up from her nap, vomitted, looked glassy-eyed and Dan was concerned. Some kind of nerve sensation hit me like lightning and I raced home. It was the weekend, so I grabbed the diaper bag and Claire and headed off to Urgent Care. When the "on-call" doc saw us, she checked her out and mentioned something about not having the right equipment in the office to check for this or that or "diabetes"...Our instructions were to take her to the Emergency Room across the street if she seemed any worse later that night. Around 11 pm, I peeked in to check on the kids. Both boys were sound asleep. When I entered Claire's room, her eyes were open, but glazed over. Her breathing was so shallow and rapid, almost as a panting dog. It was as if God simply took over my actions and made me pick her up, get the diaper bag and head to the E.R..

With juice in sipper, we arrived about 11:30 pm. It was packed! They checked her vitals and then, we waited. She had her blankey. We waited. She drank more juice. We waited. I changed her diaper several times. We waited. Out of drink...nearly out of diapers, I wanted so badly to go home. We almost did. I sincerely believe God took over and made me stay. Thank you! By 4:30 am, we were finally called back. I explained things as best as I could to each nurse and attendant that came by our little curtained off spot. I mentioned to the main nurse that the urgent care doctor had mentioned something about "diabetes" in a list of other issues. It was not even 5 minutes later when he came back, opened her diaper (which was on the verge of rupture!), held some kind of strip down into the moisture and said some number under his breath, something in the 500's. From that moment on...it seemed as if I was physically moved - shoved out of the way while 8-10 people converged onto Claire's bed...doing what?...I did not even know. I just knew this was serious stuff and I lost it!

I called Dan. "We're being admitted. I think she may have diabetes," I said. I cried it. I didn't even know why I was crying. I knew nothing about this disease...except maybe the sensationalism of it in the movies...losing limbs...going blind...my baby!

Suffice it to say, we were admitted to the hospital and up in a room on the Intensive Care Pediactric floor by 6:00 am. My little girl and me. I.V. hook-up. Finger pokes. Toe pokes. Blood drawn. Crying. Screaming.

Doctor entered our room. He was a kind, older man. He explained to me that Claire seems to have type 1 diabetes and that she will need to begin with insulin in her I.V. as soon as possible.

Insulin? All I ever had heard about insulin was that once a person starts on it, that's it...a lifetime. No, I didn't want that. I needed to talk with someone...someone who knows about this but who loves us too. But, there wasn't time.

The doctor was kind, but very stearn. He took me by the shoulders. "If we do not start her on insulin, she...will...die." I nearly collapsed. I sank down into the chair next to the cold, metal hospital crib. I stared at Claire's innocent little face. She was finally sleeping now. I nodded my head slowly and signed all the papers the nurse was holding.

She scurried out of the room and was back in seconds. She fiddled with the I.V., and said "there, she'll start feeling a lot better now." She turned to face me and gave me a long hug. "I'm so glad you brought her into the E.R.. You did good, mom."

So...how did we know she had diabetes? We didn't. God did.

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Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6, Post #3

2009-06-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6

Tim McClintock, Urock Today

Post #3

How many times have you . . .

Gone for a checkup, hoping for a good A1c test, and come away disappointed, discouraged, and basically feeling like, "Why bother"?

How many times have you . . .
Miscounted the carbs in a meal, only to be shocked when your meter shows you to be at toasty 307?

How many times have you . . .
Forgotten to bolus altogether before eating, and then remembered while you were not in a position to do anything about it?

How many times have you . . .
Found yourself startled from your sleep to find yourself covered in sweat, your heart pounding, your ears ringing, barely able to think straight? Simply because you took too much insulin, or you didn't eat enough. And then found yourself 'panic-eating' yourself to a rebound that would make the NBA interested in your technique?

How many times have you . . .

Left the house without your supplies?
Been tempted by that all too familiar 'starchy-off the glycemic-index chart' munchy thing . . . and given in?
Found yourself too exhausted to exercise, or too tired to participate in an activity, only to feel like a failure?

OR [insert your own life-scenario here]

How many times? Like a failure?
You, my friend, are SO NOT a failure! Let me say that again. You DID NOT FAIL! You are human. It happens.

Years ago, when I was just starting college, one day my mom sent me a newspaper clipping. Of the many, many things my mom did that I can now look back on and say, "Wow, I'm SO glad she did that", this was one of them. Basically here is what it said.

Everyday, you are gonna get up, and no matter what you do, stuff is gonna happen to you. Some of it may be good, some of it may even be great, and some of it may fall into that category I call 'major suckage'. What determines which category it falls into? You do.

See, you, and you alone are going to be the one who ultimately decides how you are going to view all of the things that will happen to you during your day. You, and you alone. Oh, other people will try to tell you how you should feel, and even how you should act and react to all of these things. But ultimately, it's up to you. It's that inner voice we all hear in our head all day long. Not voices, that's quite another thing. Me? I talk to all of those voices, all day long. :-)

I'm talking about your own self dialoging. My thought is this; if ultimately, you are the only one who can decide how you feel about something, that also means that you are also the only one who can and will ultimately decide if that something your inner voice is talking to you about is a failure or not! It's all about attitude! It's not about the attitude, the words, the feelings, and the 'they meant well but were SO misguided' statements of those around us. It's what you think, and what you feel about 'the stuff' that matters.

What is your inner voice telling you? Because it's talking to you. ALL DAY LONG. What is it saying? It's all about attitude. I mentioned in my last post that I tend to see things from a fairly optimistic point of view. And my attitude? I try my best to see the 'junk' as things I hope to improve on, IF, it's something that I can control to any significant amount. Most of the time I see many many things that I go through that didn't work out as I may have hoped for as an opportunity. Sometimes it's an opportunity for growth. Sometimes for a do-over. And sometimes, simply as a life lesson of something to avoid. But as a diabetic, I DO NOT see all of the above-mentioned things as failures. It's simply part of the package. The package of being human. And of being a person with diabetes.

There are some things that I do consider to be things that I can and do fail at. No need to spell them out here. Just know that I, like you, do fail. It happens. We're human.

I do not see any of the above-mentioned items all by itself as a failure. But taken as a whole, collectively, they do add up to give me an indication of where I am at any given moment in my D-Life. And regarding my D-Life as a whole, Failure is SO NOT An Option! BUT, what does it mean to fail in the life of a diabetic? And WHO is the one that gets to consider ANYTHING that we go through other than US a failure?

YOU are the only one that gets to decide that. You. And you ALONE!
Not the Dr.
Not the Nurse
Not the "You can't eat that" 'food police'
Not the 'bolus checker'
Not the don-D friend.

And even, not the D-friend. And certainly not me.

So now that you have somewhat of an understanding of my view of the word 'fail', I can ask this question. What are you going to do if you fall? What are you going to do if you fall/fail more than once? How about 3 times. How about 5? Or 10, or . . . 100 times?

Ultimate failure for me is SO NOT an option. So for me, I keep going. I try again. I TRY AGAIN! Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. And I get a bit discouraged. So I deal with that, and then, I try again. Over and over and over and over and over . . . Even if I never, ever make it, it won't matter. For me, what matters is to keep going, and to NEVER, EVER stop trying.

I am not saying that is what you should do. I only offer it as an example of what I try to do. And I offer it in an effort to be an encouragement.

All over the planet, right now, D's are finding themselves dealing with "the stuff'. The 'baggage'. And 'the voice'.

What is your voice saying to you?

Watch this video, and I think you will be moved. And in a good way. All I can say is I was, and am, humbled. And encouraged!

I think we can all learn something from Nick Vujicic. Nick was born without arms or legs. On top of that, no Dr. has been able to provide a medical reason for his condition. Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, he has found the strength to surmount what others might call impossible. Along with that, he has an unquenchable passion to share that with people all over the planet.

If you want to now more about him, you can find it here.

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Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6, Post # 2

2009-06-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6

Tim McClintock, Urock Today

Post #2

My First Low

(Attention K-Mart shoppers, orange juice is on sale over on aisle 6. In addition, stay tuned to the very end on this one. That is all)

Lows, from the latin: LOZ, meaning to suck. Used as a noun: suckage. We all have them. Lows. Hypoglycemia. It goes by a hundred different names, and we all experience them in different ways. The D-tang knows this. That's why it does it. It makes it that much the harder to treat.

This picture shows me 6-7 months before onset.

No matter what the cause; too much insulin, not enough food, (can someone please tell me the difference here???) too much exercise or activity, (especially the activity from 3 days ago that is just now manifesting itself in my body. Jeez!), stress, incorrect carb count, on and on. No matter what the cause is, it happens. I've had them. You've most likely had them. But what I'd like to do is tell you about my very first low.

I'm including a few pictures from those days so long ago. Two of them were taken in the year before my symptoms began to appear. One was taken fairly soon after diagnosis, and then the final two show me progressing to a more stable condition in the year or so afterwards. It's amazing what diabetes can do to your body, but even more amazing is the body's ability to deal with it. My pancreas was no longer functioning, but I felt like the rest of my body did amazingly well after an initial period of adjustment.

The picture to the left was taken just a few months before onset. I was 17, felt great, and was having an awesome senior year of high school. Little did I know what was just ahead.

My first low occurred shortly after I had been admitted to the hospital following my initial diagnoses. After being there for several hours, visiting hours were over, and my parents kissed me goodbye and headed for home. They wanted to stay, but the hospital rules wouldn't allow it.

A little while later, I was given my first shot of insulin. (BTW, by a rough estimate, that was way over 45,000 shots ago. I've been on the pump now for right around 6 months, and I LOVE IT!)

Anyway, I was given my first shot of insulin, not really told anything except "you'll feel better now", and left alone in the room. Well, not only did I experience my first shot, after a little while, I began experiencing my first "low". Except I had no idea what was going on. It must have been a very good one (is there really any such thing?) I started to sweat, my heart began to race, my ears were ringing, and for some unknown reason all I could think about were the candy machines I had seen up on the top floor by the observation deck of the hospital.

I called for the nurse on the intercom, but no one came. I called again . . . and again . . . and again . . . but no one came. I thought I surely must be dying! I opened the door, looked out into the empty hallway, and called out, seeking a nurse . . . a friendly face . . . or anyone who could help me. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I did know 3 things.

(1) I knew I felt like I hadn't eaten for months, (2) I knew where those candy machines were and (3) my wonderful dad had left me with some money for "Just in case". (thanks Dad!!!)

I vaguely remember a lady dressed in white wearing a funny hat calling my name as I screamed past her somewhere near the 2nd set of elevators. My feet may have even touched the floor, but really kind of doubt it. And even now, over 32 years later, I can still remember thinking that surely nothing had ever tasted as good as those 3 . . . well maybe it was 5 . . . Ok Ok, it was probably closer to 10 candy bars I literally shoved down my throat.

Here I am some months afterwards, proudly showing off not one but two medic alert necklaces (why?), 3 chest-hairs, and one TOTALLY less than hip belt buckle. Lisa and Bev, why oh why on earth didn't you run? ha ha

(But getting back to the hospital; please cue the dream-like harp glissando) . . . . And so it was, a bit later, after listening to those 'way off in the distance sirens' turn into the voice of one panic-stricken nurse calling my name over the hospital intercom, as I slowly made it back to my room, my happy face now covered in after-low chocolate goo and peanut butter filling, that I also experienced my first after-low crash. I hadn't felt that tired since, well, ever! And yes, the nurse was shocked when she checked my BS, only to find it incredibly higher than when I had been admitted. I think I remember hearing her exclaim, "Jeez!" But the peanut buttered chocolate covered smile on my face said it all. And at that moment, I didn't care. It was time for my very first self-induced after-low 'coma nap'. And sleep I did. With a smile on my face. And now you know . . . the rest of the story.

What's yours?

on the road to recovery

I realize I've attempted to make this a bit humorous, simply in an effort to keep your attention. But the reality is, lows are neither funny nor something to be taken lightly. They really suck. Big time. And they can be frightening. And even more unfortunately, they can be deadly. Never turn your back on a low. 'Cause as soon as you do, that's when it's gonna get ya.

The majority of my posts will never end on a down note. But sorry gang, this time I sucker-punched you. I brought you this far into the post with a bit of humor, and some grainy pictures of a formerly studly young man turned outrageously studly (in his own mind) 30 year old. You remember that's how old I feel in my head, right?

I did all of that to bring to this moment. I seriously thought about trying to capture myself on video during a low, and believe me, during the writing of this post, I've unfortunately experienced a few of them. I just couldn't pull it off. But my good friend George (@ninjabetic) recently did. And with his permission, I'd like you to experience what I can only say is for me, one of the suckiest, most awful sucky parts of being a diabetic. The Low. Watch this, and then feel free to share your experiences in the comments. We can only learn from each other what we share with each other.

tMac

Here is my good friend George.

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Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6

2009-05-31T23:40:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 31-June 6

Tim McClintock, Urock Today

Post #1

Gomer Says Hey

A Diabetes OC EXCLUSIVE Video made by Tim. (Awesome Video)

Hey everyone. My name is Tim McClintock. I'm also (@timmcclintock) on twitter. I’m a diabetic. I was diagnosed when I was 17. That was 32 years ago. You do the math. That makes me older than some of you, not as old as some. I’m ok with that. In my mind, I’m around 30. The jury is still out on whether that’s a good thing or not.

Personally, I think it is. For me, it’s all about attitude. Well, it's really about a lot of things, but I’ve always felt that as a man, as a human, as a person living on this planet, and living with diabetes, my attitude, and where it comes from, was and is one of my best weapons in surviving, and even thriving. In addition, I like to have fun. Lots of it. And the ‘betes thing? Sure, it can come along for the ride if it wants to.

I have a wife, and two daughters. They are 15 and 17. ‘Nuff said. They love to dance. They keep me grounded. Boy, do they keep me grounded. But we have fun. Lots of fun.

So this is my blog. Since this post is a bit of an iontroduction, it will be a bit longer than many of my posts will be.

What will it contain? What is my “style”? Let me get back to you on that. Still figuring that one out, and expect I will be for a good while. No worries. I still "got’s me the D", and as far as I know, you do too. Or someone you care about does. So we have some time to figure it all out.

What will I post here? Different kinds of things. But mostly things meant to encourage. Things to make you think

Things meant to make you laugh.

And sometimes even cry.

Things meant to encourage and embolden you. For example, if i were to say to you, "Stand Firm! Make this your daily mental picture! Every day we must stand firm and strong against this storm called diabetes. Think of each day as a single wave crashing against a lighthouse, which because of it's firm foundation, refuses to be moved. It stands strong and firm. So must we!

The next time you feel rocked by another wave, remember this picture, and stand firm! Be encouraged!

Original large image here

I will talk about things that are meant to take you from one place to another, emotionally. And maybe even physically. And if I can make you smile for even 1 minute, I will have considered my work done for the day, and my mission accomplished.

I’m a visual guy. I love images. And I like to think of myself as a bit of a storyteller. Sometimes I tell stories with words. Sometimes with still images. And sometimes with video. When I have the time, I use all of it.

The stories I want to tell here are the stories of encouragement, the stories of seriousness and of laughter, and of the silly and sometimes awe-inspiring things we do to help us manage and cope with this sucky thing we like to call the D.

I’ll share stories from my own experiences, and hopefully some from yours. Some of our stories are pretty funny. At least to me. Some of them are tragic. I’ll never pretend that diabetes isn’t a sucky, life-robbing disease. It is.

I’m reminded of what Eleanor Roosevelt once said. “No one can make you feel bad about yourself, unless you let them.” That’s how I feel about diabetes. It will NEVER, EVER be able to make me feel bad about myself, and the things you and I go through each day, unless I let it.

Sure, I have bad days, just like everyone else. It happens. But see, in my mind and my heart, I’ve already won. My body is just a bit slow in learning that fact. I’m ok with that. But I tend to be a bit of an optimist, so what you’re likely to find here are stories that come from that point of view. You’ll let me know what you think. And we’ll figure the rest out together.

The DOC

I spent a lot of time in the last 32 years hiding my diabetes. And then I discovered the DOC. And everything changed. EVERYTHING.

I have already made many friends in the DOC. And I hope to make even more. I often travel for my work, and hope to have lots of meetups with as many of you as possible. Recently, I was in Los Angeles. George (@ninjabetic) and Jaimie (@JaimieH) and I were able to get together and hang for a bit. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.

Here’s the scene:

In & Out Burger. In a location we’re not so sure is exactly the ‘safest’ for us to be in. I’m there a few minutes early. My cell phone rings. It’s Jaimie. “Just wondering where you are”. Me, “I’m in the restaurant”. Have you been there long? About 10 minutes. Really, we’ve been sitting here in the parking lot for 10 minutes. OK, I’ll be right out. No we’re coming in. No it’s ok, I’m on my way . . .” And then, there we were. Face to face. The moment of truth.

We sat down at a table. Jaimie, was (and is) awesome. It felt like I’d know her all of my life. Because in a way, I have. And the same is definitely true for George. When we first sat down, I looked at George. He looked at me. I stared at George, he stared at me. We locked eyes in what I thought was about to turn into a “first one to blink buys the burgers moment”. This lasted for about 20 seconds, and then we both busted out laughing! 4 hours later, we were all still laughing. Hysterically! And telling stories. And just sharing. And caring. Why? ‘Cause that’s what we do. We care.

What I hope to share here are those stories, plus a zillion more. All in an effort to be an encouragement. Why? Because I care. And why do I care? Well, why is anyone part of the DOC? Basically, because I’m with you, and you are with me. And yes, we have known each other all of our D lives. We share a lot of stuff, you and I.

I do plan on being upbeat, for the most part, ‘cuz that’s just me. But just like in the video you watched, sometimes we start out with where we are, and then move to where we all want to be.

So, let me be an encouragement to you, if I can. And know that you have already been that for me. A gazillion times over.

tMac

btw, the next video I want to make will be comprised of pictures of you. Everyone who wants to participate. Please post a link with your name, and where I can find a picture or 10 of you. Anything you want to share. Funny, silly, happy sad, good, bad, whatever. It all happens to us, so let’s use it. I’ll try to make it something worth watching.

You may wonder why I posted two different versions of the same video. Bottom line, the power of diabetes. My original plan was to create a single compilation from these two, taking the best parts from each one. Plan? da 'betes don't care 'bout no stinkin' plan! A series of lows, and being wiped out left me with no energy and ultimately no time before Gina needed this post. btw, thanks Gina for this opportunity! U ROCK!

I am choosing rest and health over powering through, and making myself sick. The compilation will happen in a day or two. Until then, enjoy these. A small example of version 2 is also pasted in below, in case your connection has trouble with the larger versions.

Version 1

Version 2

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Featured Blogger of the Week - May 24-30 Post #3

2009-05-30T10:33:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 24-30

Bob Hawkinson, The Joy of Diabetes Blog

Post #3

Recently I was watching the news and they brought up the newest Supreme Court justice nomination and the fact that she was a type 1 diabetic since she was 8 years old.

They made mention how there is potential for a short term served as she had diabetes and that it may affect her longevity…..jeessshhh!!! I thought as I sat there with my wife and kids. At first, I was a bit taken aback and a little offended. You would think I would be over it after 45 years, but sometimes it still gets to you…..especially in front of the ones you love.

O.K., let me think about this…..I guess as we all know, our odds are not as good as the rest of the population for a long and uninterrupted life. Ok, I accept that, I just don’t like watching
It on television I guess. I could go into the obligatory…hey wait a minute…we really can …and the new technologies and approaches are improving our numbers and all that but I want to
come at this as unbiased.

So let me think about it…..If I was gonna be on the Supreme Court as a diabetic, and make decisions that impact “The World”…what would I have to do to make sure that I was always at the top of my game and not allowing my decisions to be impacted by my disease. I know that in my life as I look back, I have made some really, really bad decisions when I was having hypoglycemic episodes.

I think about how when I was a kid, I would get into arguments when my sugar was obviously low and my ability to manage my temper was affected. I think about the times that I might have
said things that were not very insightful or accurate. I think about how even now my ability to crunch numbers and follow logical arguments to conclusion are negatively affected during low blood sugar episodes.

I think that if we as the diabetic community stick our head in the sand and just want it to happen because she is like us, we aren’t being fair to those who will be impacted by her decisions. So if I think about it, could I have the wherewithal to guarantee that I could make the right decisions because 100% of the time I was in control, I would say that I’m lying. Could I be in the right mindset most of the time……absolutely.

But as the Supreme Law in the land, this Justice will require intense diabetes management all of the time that she is in the process of making decisions….I would expect a CGMS as a minimum(Continual Glucose Monitoring system) and possibly a personal physician or Endo who is always close at hand…..and a glucose monitor on her body at all times.

The Supreme Court does not get the easy decisions. They impact at a high level and she owes it to us and the world to NEVER allow her diabetes to affect her decision process. EVER……….Can she promise that? Wow, that’s a tough one. Is it possible,?..Probably. Is it a given..? I just don’t know…….But the world will have to hold her to a standard of excellence just like everyone else….

So as a type 1 diabetic, I would wish her success. As a citizen, I would require she manage her disease perfectly, ALWAYS…….I hope she can…..It’s something I have never been able to do perfectly….ALWAYS.

Keep Going……………..Peace, Bob

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Featured Blogger of the Week - May 24-30 Post #2

2009-05-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 24-30

Bob Hawkinson, The Joy of Diabetes Blog

Post #2

The day after Memorial Day weekend…………………….ahhhhh Peace and quiet.

Hmmmm let’s recap. Got home from work Friday afternoon. Our Friday tradition…Pizza and a movie with the wife and kids (one with which I have struggled for years…thin pizza is about all I can figure out or tolerate the carbs/fat on but of course…no one else in the family really wants thin…dang-it).

Saturday…up and at ‘em. Some work around the house. Heavy rains came….helloooo TIVO. Saturday afternoon I made dinner, a grilling masterpiece along with all the accoutrements. Ok, time for a little relaxa…..huh, what?..You guys wanna go night fishing…um, Ok I guess we can.. So here we go…Go find the rods, re-rig a couple of them….Wait, no bait…gotta go to Wal-Mart. Go get bait, come back 30 minutes later, and head down the dock. Rods out, now just sit and relax with 2 of my sons. Whammm!!! One rod about goes in the water…My teenage son grabs the rod and starts fighting. I thought it might have been a Gator as it kept coming to the surface thrashing around….and whatever it was, it was big. The rod is bent in half and I’m thinking we may not get this thing up to the dock. A few minutes later, my teenager finally horses a massive cat fish up next to the dock. Net!...get the net. Where is it….? It’s in the dock box, watch out for the kayaks ..don’t fall in the water! My teenage son and I stumble about in the darkness/litness of the boat house…Dang..where’s the net, I don’t think we can get it up on the dock….that thing is BIG! A minute later, we see my 9 year old son horse what appears to be about a 10 to 12 pound fish up onto the dock by himself….Huh….my teenager and I are still in a state of disbelief…
The next morning……Pancakes……my daughter and I make Swedish Pancakes (crapes) for the next 45 minutes after waking up.(Another one of those “Love ‘em….just can’t hardly eat ‘em things). After everyone finally wakes up, The great Doctors Lake monster catfish story starts to take shape…..as it is told and retold to my wife, daughter, and my other teenage son.
A little more work around the home and we get a call…”Hey, we are gonna go up to the school and do a skills practice for the upcoming 3v3 soccer tournament….can you guys come…It’s in 15 minutes…..Um, OK…we’ll be there.”

Off to the school…..an hour or so of soccer practice, and we’re ready to go home. A quick stop at the grocery store, and I can grill another culinary delight….Ok, where’s my wallet. Dang-it …its at the house.

Head home….Well maybe we’ll just all fend for ourselves….OK? OK!

As I grab the television remote and envision myself getting all settled in, “Hey Dad, let’s go fishing!”….UMMM…O.K. “Let’s use more rods…..” Ok, so I re-rig a few more…..
Down the dock….rods in……nothing.. a little later, nothing…..

Out comes the flash light…. The obligatory “Shining for gators commences”…..Dad, Look, over there…there’s one.

Wait, he’s gone….. over there, there’s one, ohhhh he’s gone…. There he is, he’s closer now. As it continued for another 60 minutes.

No fish were had that night but time spent with kids was the best catch of the evening.

Memorial day…..”Ok lets go down to the water front in Green Cove Springs….small town America Memorial Day celebration…..Hey Honey, ya wanna take the boat?” my wife asks …..UMMMM O.K.

Off we go getting the boat ready for the 45 minute trip down the river to the park. Coolers made, chairs, food, drinks, toys, life vests….and all the usual stuff.

Ok, everyone in…..woo hoo…..a beautiful ride with the people I love.

As we got to the dock after a great trip, we tied up and my Father met us coming down the dock. We had called them earlier and he and my Mother were already under the most spectacular Live Oak tree on the hill at the creek side with the blanket and chairs already set. The bands played, local kids performed dance and karate demonstrations, small town singers and dancers had their moment in the spotlight while all there realized that this was a beautiful place and time to enjoy.

Football passing, baseball hitting, swimming and laughing. Wow, I love this little town…..
Ok, a beautiful day at the park draws to an end…..we head back , and about 25 minutes from the house…..”Daddy, can we go kneeboarding…huh, can we?...Ummmmm O.K.

The next hour was a great time watching my daughter and sons get better at a sport I have always loved. Whoaaaa…was that lightening…Ok, parties over, outta the pool.

As we trudge back to the dock and unload and pack everything away, my oldest son returns from working at the marina. What are we doing for dinner? Wanna go out…asks my wife Melissa…..Ummmm O.K.

The next hour spent at IHOP watching my sons and daughters eat like I remember I did as a kid was endearing. The “Let me have some of your fries……Let me have some of your water…..Let me have some of your pancakes” banter between the kids warmed my heart.

Hey Dad, can we go to Sonic and get some ice cream…….? Ummmm O.K. so off we go …….

“Alright, small stuff only”….aww Dad, Mom…cant we have something bigger. No, you really can’t . Allright…..I wanna push the button, no I do, no, let me do it.

Thirty minutes later as we sat outside and watched the sky light up from a beautiful pretty intense storm, I realized a few things as we were about to leave.

There are a few reasons that I was able to enjoy such a wonderful weekend with the people I love.

1. The veterans who paid the price for my freedoms, and the freedoms of my loved ones.
2. I was able to stay in control of my diabetes in a lot of changing situations and circumstances.
3. I said “Yes” or maybe UMMM O.K. to a lot of things. My mother taught me that when raising my kids try to figure out how to say “Yes”. Good things happen after “Yes”

So here I am at work this morning…ready to take on the world, relaxing more than I did this weekend, and missing my family that makes me better than I am by myself.

Keep Going……………………………………………….Peace, Bob

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Featured Blogger of the Week - May 24-30 Post #1

2009-05-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: May 24-30

Bob Hawkinson, The Joy of Diabetes Blog

Post #1

Hello fellow D’s and those who love ‘em. My name is Bob Hawkinson and I have been a lifelong Type 1 diabetic…..or juvenile diabetic as we used to call it waaaaayyy back when. I was diagnosed in January 1964 at the age of 13 months old. I am now 46. I have been lucky enough to enjoy life for over 4 and a half decades of life as a diabetic. I have been on an insulin pump for about 16 years, and have been using a Dexcom CGMS Continual Glucose Monitoring System for about 3 years.

I was blessed to be born to really good parents who took me to a very caring pediatrician. At the time he did a write up in the medical journals about me as I was diagnosed so young. My parents were very aggressive in their management of the disease, and taught me to be aware of my “shadow”, but to not be afraid of it. They taught me that I could still accomplish anything I wanted, I just had to make preparations beforehand and had to always be aware of my disease….and to accommodate it.

I never really knew any other diabetics as a kid other than those I met when I went to Diabetic camp when I was 9. It was at that time that I learned to take my own injections and be responsible for my own control. I learned that I could have a good time doing all kinds of physical things (if I just stopped for a snack of graham crackers and enjoyed eating from their 10 lb metal cans of peanut butter every few hours).
I was and have always been very active in life and strive to enjoy life to its fullest. If you have been a type 1 very long, you learn to understand that every day is a gift. It doesn’t take more than a few times of being woken up from unconsciousness by an EMT or relative with a glucagon needle in hand to understand that control is crucial and life is fragile.

I never have really let D get in my way. I have always accommodated and just moved on. It is what it is…….whining and complaining do nothing positive to improve my life. It was this inward belief that led me to author The Joy of Diabetes book last year. I realized that there are a lot of D folks out there who are frustrated or striving to cope with this disease, and I thought that I could help.

I have since met so many other incredible diabetics and their family members online and have also drawn inspiration from them…..Scotty, Manny, Gina, Kevin, Amy, Kerri, Linda, David, Richard, Rachael,…and many more.

I never realized how so many folks are so touched not only physically, but mentally by this disease. I have never seen so many helpful folks who were willing to encourage and help others and a guy like me whom they had never met.

It has been through this spirit of helping and supporting that I have been motivated to give presentations called “Living Out Loud with Diabetes” to help educate, motivate, and encourage other D’s to just…….Keep Going.

You may have seen some of my humor videos on Youtube or around the net. I am one of the top followed diabetic twitterers (that sounds so weird I know)…under the names LiveOutLoudwd and joyofdiabetes.

I perform improv comedy with some local performers, and am always looking for the humor in situations. Many of my blog posts come from that approach as I believe humor is great medicine.

This led me to develop “Whiskers Brimley” the talking Diabetic cat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7bGLdtqgvo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQUhMUx18UI

and some of the Adventures of Lil’ Johnny videos relating to CGMS alarms….sometimes life is just funny stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-AaZBiO_4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lwLAV5Zykg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDan1752ors

I am honored that Gina has asked me to be a guest blogger this week and hope that I can help bring some interesting and enjoyable thoughts and ideas about living with diabetes.

Thanks for your time and interest. All are welcome (O.K. encouraged) to send checks, money orders, credit cards, cattle, land deeds, lakefront property, boat titles, private aircraft,…… and any adulation cards …oh yeah, we take cash too….cash is good….No seriously….J

Keep Going…………………………………..Peace, Bob

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Featured Blogger of the Week:: April 22-May 2: Post #2

2009-04-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 22-May 2

Windy Cobourne, The Diabetic Domestic Diva

Post #2

This is what my CGM screen looked like this morning on my 9 hour trend screen. It began at about 80, climbed to almost 400 and crashed back down to 45ish. It looked like a perfect little triangular pyramid.... NOT what we diabetics like to see when wearing such awesome technology such as this.... It is partly my own fault, because I am positive that the CGM did it's normal BEEEEEP!!!! once I hit 200 to let me know I was out of range, but I probably ignored it and pressed the button while enjoying my dreams about dreaming. (Yes... us over tired moms dream about blissful sleep) This would later turn out to bite me in the you know what, as I awoke feeling sick as a dog, complete with 100 lb. extremities and pounding heart in my chest. As diabetics, we prefer this image instead..... The beautiful flat line that resembles the Great Plains. Steady, sexy, stable lines right in between the 80-120 mg marks. I have a feeling I know exactly how this pyramid night happened. It has to do with a little, sinful snack I had that starts with a B and ends with AGEL. Ahhhh... always a problem food for me.... but constantly beckoning my name along with it's evil friend, Pineapple Cream Cheese from the refrigerator. Tonight I was a little nicer to my body, enjoying a huge grilled chicken salad and brown rice for dinner. =) Here's to lots of flat lines for all of us!!!!

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Featured Blogger of the Week:: April 22-May 2: Post #1

2009-04-23T15:44:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 22-May 2

Windy Cobourne, The Diabetic Domestic Diva

Post #1

An Analogy Gone Bad....

I wear many hats... wife, daughter, sister, friend, piano teacher, worship leader, chef, housekeeper, ... the list goes on and on. One of my favorites, is "Mommy." As the mother of a 4 year old and 20 month old I hear it often, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" They always need something. Milk, snacks, diaper changes, play mate, a kiss for their boo boo, and often a referee. I LOVE being a Mom, and I am blessed that I get to spend a lot of time with my kids, despite the fact that sometimes it's exhausting.

Last night something incredible happened. They both slept all night. No one had a bad dream. No one wet the bed. No one needed a 3 am sippee cup. We spent the whole day at the beach and just wore them out silly with the swimming, sandcastle building, and burying each other in the sand.

But alas... I was still awoken.

Ah, diabetes. The third child I never wanted. Like a little pre schooler who constantly tells me in a high-pitched whiny voice, "Feed me. Change your infusion set. Charge your Dexcom. BEEEEEEEEEEP!!! Test! Pick up your prescription. Schedule your check up. Ketones? Drink water! BEEEEEEEEP!!" Get the picture? I was so ticked.

Diabetes really is like a third child... only not the kind you whole heartedly adore. Maybe I shouldn't even compare it to a child since they are so precious and lovable... and diabetes is not. Maybe diabetes is more like the annoying yippee dog that vies for your attention and pees on your carpet? No... dogs are still lovable deep down, when they lay at your feet and give you good company. Maybe diabetes is more like termites. An annoying uninvited pest that destroys your home. But termites don't keep you up at night.... well I guess they could if you knew they were there. That's kinda creepy....

Ya know what? It's been a long day. Good night D-peeps.

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Featured Blogger of the Week:: April 12-21: Post #3

2009-04-22T03:20:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 12-21

Kelly Kunik, Diabetesaliciousness

Post #3

FRECKLED FINGERTIPS

My fingers tips are freckled with dots.
Dots that rest on calluses
Calluses caused by continually pricking them with a lance
Which pierces my fingertips for a blood drop
A blood drop that is placed on a strip
A strip that is placed in a machine
A machine that's a quick study
5 seconds later a number appears
If the number is high, I feel tired and guilty
I bolus accordingly
If the number is low…
I already know before it appears,
I shake, sweat, and feel light headed
My appetite is insatiable
Quickly I grab the juice box
And I try my best to remember the rule
15 carbs at a time to treat a low blood sugar - yeah right!
If it's in the golden range of Blood Sugar Nirvana
I'm proud and relieved
Until the cycle starts all over again
It never ends
I find test strips everywhere
In places they were never meant to be
The type 3's in my life yell at me regarding my test strip trail
I will never be a hand model...But that's…OK.

Life is sweet and I go with the flow.

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Featured Blogger of the Week:: April 12-21: Post #2

2009-04-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 12-21

Kelly Kunik, Diabetesaliciousness

Post #2

Infusion Set Nirvana.

So sometimes I experience what I like to call, “Infusion Set Nirvana.”

Infusion Set Nirvana is when my infusion set is totally, and absolutely perfect. And by perfect I mean I don’t even realize it’s there. I’m obviously receiving my insulin, my blood sugars are more than good, and the site doesn’t hurt or turn red and bumpy. Somehow, the site has managed to avoid any and all doorknobs that get in its way.

True Infusion Set Nirvana even withstands the occasional bungee pumping (getting up to quick with the pump in my lap, and it bungee dives a foot away from the floor) and still continues to sucks up the insulin no problem!

Infusion Set Nirvana brings me great joy because I’m oblivious to all my infusion sets “idiosyncrasies.”

On the 3rd day of Infusion Set Nirvana, I know it’s time to change my site, and start a new reservoir.

BUT, and now is the time for honesty…. I don’t always change the set. I know I should, I know it’s wrong that I don’t, but sometimes, I keep the infusion set in place for one more day anyway.

Am I being a rebel?? I don’t know about that, but some out there in the Land of D would say, ‘Yeah, Kel, you are.”

Maybe it’s just my way of rebelling against Diabetes. I’d rather rebel with the occasional prolonging of Infusion Set Nirvana than doing something like skipping insulin or refusing to take my blood sugars – I’ve never wanted to be that rebellious or crazy stupid with my diabetes.

I will say that the minute my infusion set gives me any trouble, be it redness, muscle pain, or itchiness – it’s gone and I start a new one immediately, I don’t care if I just changed the site a few hours earlier. There have been days when I’ve gone through two or three infusion sets due to all of the above. Other days I’ve been in such a rush, my infusions sets have gotten caught on my Emergency brake (I’m totally serious) or a doorknob and have ripped right out. I carry spare infusion sets on me all the time, because I know I go through them like, dare I say…candy?

So maybe I’m just a cautiously optimistic rebel who’s just to damn lazy to change her set. Or maybe I decided to write about a different kind of Nirvana, one with a diabetes twist!

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Featured Blogger of the Week:: April 12-21: Post #1

2009-04-15T02:50:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 12-21

Kelly Kunik, Diabetesaliciousness

Post #1

31 years with diabetes and my glass is still half full. I’ve had diabetes for almost my whole life. Seriously, I don’t remember too much of what my world was like before diagnoses. Faint memories of ice-cold green bottles of Sprite for $0.35 from an antique blue Pepsi machine after dance class, the occasional Pixie Stick (I was more of a Funn Dipp girl myself,) and eating popsicls on the beach (and playing cut the cake with the stick aftwards) dance in my head from time to time, but life in general before diagnoses is fuzzy to say the least.

Life after DX was…. different, and much more vivid in my mind, but my parents made me forge on and move ahead and different become my normal.
I tested urine back in the day (which was disgusting and involved fuzzy blue pills and glass tubes that would burn fingertips) the ADA diet was posted on the wall, right under my seat at the kitchen table. My mother counted grapes in groups of 12 and only bought small bananas and measured low fat milk and juice to the T.

At dinner, we only had baby-baked potatoes, and always had lots of green stuff – much to my dismay.

Needles would be boiled right next to the kettle and every reading was written down in a big red logbook.

But life went on and my parents wouldn’t let it stop. Gymnastics 3 times a week, dance class on Saturday mornings, singing lessons on Monday afternoons, Math Tutor Thursday evenings. I slept over friends houses, was involved in community theater, had birthday parties with real cake (we always had real cake on special occasions) and Easter baskets were filled with books, Trident gum, Star Wars toys and Barbie memorabilia, and a new stuffed animal to love.

I still made the BEST costumes for Halloween and was allowed to put the chocolate candy aside for special occasions.

My parents explained to me what would happen if I didn’t eat my snack in class in great detail. They talked of passing out, going to the hospital, seizures, they sugar coated nothing. My sister showed me those realities at a very young age. I didn’t want go to the hospital, so I ate my snacks everyday – my friends and classmates, for the most part, were great about it. And the one’s who weren’t? Well, I’d learn many years later that it had nothing to do with what was going on in my life, but it had everything to do with what had been going on in theirs.

I made plenty of diabetes mistakes growing up; life for a diabetic was SO different back then. We had urine testing instead of glucose testing; strict diets, no such thing as carb counting and no such thing as insulin pumps. But I lived and I learned from being an imperfect diabetic, and life went on.

I don’t hate my diabetes, because it’s a part of me and I refuse to hate myself. I work with it; own it so it doesn’t own me. Do I get frustrated? YES, I absolutely do. There are days when my blood sugars refuse to go down (or up) and it drives me nuts. But, I acknowledge it (and blog about it) chuckle about it and move on.

My normal is different from yours, yours is different than mine. Nobody’s “normal is the same, and that’s OK. EMBRACE your normal, learn from it, and continue to see the glass half full.

Some days are harder than others, and on occasion, the glass leans more towards the empty line, rather than the full. But never for long, and thanks to the DOC (I’m talking to you friend!) the glass is never ½ empty for long.

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Featured Blogger of the Week - April 5-11 Post #1

2009-04-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: April 5 - 11

Julia , Major Bedhead

Post #1

I'm not sure how much back story is needed here, but my daughter Olivia has had type 1 for over 11 years now. She wasn't quite 3 when she was diagnosed and she's 14 now. She's a good kid, responsible and nice and no more talkative than your average teenager.

She's been on a pump for the last 4 years and it needs to be upgraded. We just got new health insurance and it doesn't cover the whole cost of her pump. We'd have to pay half the cost of the pump, which would be around $3,000. Since we aren't rolling in money, this is sort of beyond our reach. Well, not sort of, it is beyond our reach.

I talked to her about it and she's fine with it. In fact she's kind of wanting to go back on shots. She says she's tired of having the pump on all the time and is sick of the scarring on her stomach. I get it - she's more body-conscious than she used to be and she wants to wear the clothes that her friends wear.

The problem is that we don't have an appointment with an endocrinologist until June. I'm not sure if I can or even should calculate her new dose or if her pediatrician will prescribe Levemir for her. I also worry about her pump breaking. If it does, will it be covered or will we have to pay for repairs? This is all stuff I need to find out about. I've been working on it but it's taking forever to get anyone to call me back.

I just hate this stuff. I worry so much about her health and now I have to worry about all this red tape garbage. I just want it to be sorted out, to not have to think about this aspect of diabetes care but I can't. I have to handle it, I have to make the phone calls again and again and pester and bug and it makes me mad. I should just be worrying about my daughter's health, not about all this other crap.

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Featured Blogger of the Week - March 29 - April 4, Post #3

2009-04-06T00:55:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 29 - April 4

Mike Lawson, What Some Would Call Lies

Post # 3

I sat down to write this third guest post here, and I was writing about being uninsured and having diabetes. The gist of the first draft was: “Diabetes is expensive, and being uninsured sucks.”

I wrote the post, and sat on it for a couple of days. And I couldn’t help but feel that it was way too negative. If you’re reading this, you already know how costly diabetes is, and my rant won’t do anything but send out more negative vibes.

So instead, I’m dedicating this post to the top five reasons why I am thankful I have diabetes. Hopefully you can think of a few more to add to the comments. Well, here’s my list:

1. Now I’m Passionate About Something – Getting diagnosed, and then going through the whole uninsured nonsense has opened my eyes to a huge problem in this country. I could have easily forgotten that I had diabetes (except when I was visiting the toilet twice an hour) because my meds were too costly.

There is a problem when only the wealthy can afford to be healthy. And now I’m passionate about changing this.

2. I’m In Tune With My Body – Before I was diagnosed I was really blind to the very clear messages that my body sends to my brain. And this doesn’t just revolve around blood glucose levels and diet.

Living with diabetes has helped me understand all of the messages. When my body says, “I’m tired” I’ve learned to accept that message and deal with it accordingly (Sugar-Free Red Bull??).

3. I Am Eating What? – I don’t log my food like some diabetics do. But I do pay attention to what is going in my mouth. Pre-diagnosis I would eat whatever the heck I wanted to, paying no attention to nutritional information. And I’ll be honest, I’m not perfect and I will still eat a Girl Scout cookie here and there…but now I mentally log the number of cookies I eat. Now I am a responsible eater.

4. You Love Me – Shots, finger-pricks, an annoying diet, remembering to take medications. Hanging out with me can make some people impatient, but not those that truly love me.

Diabetes has turned into my own litmus test on love. Those that care for me, are concerned about my BGLs and they don’t gloss over a missed test or shot. They want to know more and to help.

5. The Amazing OC – Seriously, I’ve met some of the best people thanks to my diabetes. The online community is so supportive and friendly. And not just about diabetes. I’ve twittered and blogged about mundane problems I’m facing, and received instant support and advice.

No joke…I once tweeted the problem, “Should I tuck this shirt in or leave it untucked?” with a picture, and in ten minutes I had responses from some of my diabetes friends.

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If you want to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject line.

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 29 - April 4, Post # 2

2009-03-29T16:43:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 29 - April 4

Mike Lawson, What Some Would Call Lies

Post # 2

I may have been diagnosed with diabetes earlier if it weren’t for that stupid ventilation fan in my bathroom.

A few years ago I was living in a charming old-fashioned apartment that was less than structurally perfect, but right in my price-range. In early 2007 the motor in the ventilation fan in my bathroom ceiling gave out. I pestered the apartment maintenance man to give it a look, but like with most things, he didn’t get to it right away.

Black mold started to appear in my toilet, and I blamed the gross stuff on the lack of ventilation in the bathroom. In retrospect, I should have realized that it was probably related to urine because mold wasn’t growing in my shower or sink.

For a few months I had to scrub the mold out of my toilet every-other-day, sometimes every day.

And then came the unquenchable thirst. The hourly visits to the men’s room. Is any of this sounding familiar yet?

After explaining what unquenchable thirst feels like to a co-worker – an intense desire to drink, even when your stomach feels full and can’t handle any more liquid – she remembered a friend of hers that went through similar symptoms right before a diagnosis of diabetes.

A different co-worker had a diabetic dad, and said that she’d bring in a blood glucose monitor so we could test my sugar. We all gathered around a table and the co-worker pricked my finger. 600 mg/dl.

“Is that high?” I asked.

She told me that she thought, but wasn’t sure, that it was supposed to be under 200.

“Under 200, and I’m 600? Impossible.”

So we tested everyone around the table. 122. 98. 104. 77.

“Crap,” I thought. “I’ve got diabetes.”

To make this long story short, I’ll skip right to my doctor’s visit. Doc walks in and says, “You’ve got Type II diabetes. She gives me a prescription for Metformin, and tells me to “keep exercising and watch what you eat.”

I was thrown off by the quick diagnosis, so I asked, “Is there anything else that could be the cause of a high blood glucose reading?”

“A tumor,” she said. “But I don’t think that’s the case.”

I received pretty poor care through my HMO. Yes, with a lot of hard work I did bring my average blood glucose numbers down to the mid-200s. Diet does have a huge effect on my numbers, but my C-peptide levels were never measured. And I wasn’t encouraged to see a doctor regularly.

As if a new chronic illness wasn’t enough stress in my life, I then decided to quit my job and move out of California and closer to family in Arizona.

I did find a doctor that, after realizing that Metformin was doing little to nothing for me, tested my C-peptide levels, determining that I actually have Type I diabetes. I started injecting insulin. And my bgl numbers (for the first time since testing) dropped into the normal range.

So moving to Arizona wasn’t all that bad…and I finally got away from that molding toilet.

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Featured Blogger of the Week - March 29 - April 4, Post # 1

2009-03-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 29 - April 4

Mike Lawson, What Some Would Call Lies

Post # 1

When I was in the third grade, my teacher Mrs. Drevlow had all of the class write letters to the newly elected President George H.W. Bush. Before she passed out the paper, Mrs. Drevlow asked the class to brainstorm on questions we’d like to ask the President.

I’ve always enjoyed delivering a good punchline, so I said, “I want to ask if I could spend a night in the White House.” A few kids laughed, and Mrs. Drevlow scolded me.

And that perverse pursuit of the laugh brought me to sharing my life on the Internet. Now, I really hate it when people say, “I’ve been doing [NAME OF ACTIVITY] since before it was cool.” So I should probably avoid saying this…but in all honesty I’ve been “blogging” since I was a teen. Creating webjournals since before there were CMS like Blogger or Wordpress to make the hobby easy.

My first webpage was at GeoCities, and was all hard-coded.

Now I have a personal blog called What Some Would Call Lies. I blog about my life; so you will catch a post or two about my diabetes management – I have Type I diabetes and was diagnosed in 2007.

A few months ago I had this itch to start a diabetes-themed podcast that wasn’t all about new studies and numbers and boring regurgitations of articles everyone has already read in diabetes magazines. So I started chatting with 2 friends named Landileigh Nelson and Jill Proehl, both of whom I met through TuDiabetes.com. And from these conversations came The Sweet Talk Podcast.

When I blog or talk about diabetes, I try to make it fun and light. I’ve written about the Top Ten Reasons I Enjoy Having Diabetes. And I’ve made videos about the dreaded Diabetes Police. And just like in Mrs. Drevlow’s class, I’m hoping that people are laughing with me.

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If you want to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject line.

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 22-28, Post # 3

2009-03-27T10:51:00.001-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 22-28

Karen, Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog

Post # 3

I'm going to make a confession. There's one part of my diabetes life that I don't do so well at. In fact, I almost ignore it. That part is the Exercise Part. I don't like to exercise. Sure, I may have spurts where I'm all into it - logging miles on my treadmill and pumping iron along with my strength training DVDs. But before I know it, the laziness hits and I decide I've earned a day of rest. The next week, I take two days of rest. Soon I'm happily spending my exercise time lounging on the couch knitting. And as much as I've tried, there's no way knitting on the couch counts as a workout.

I think the key in sticking to a workout routine is to find things that feel like fun, not exercise. No matter how lazy I get, I do know I'm guaranteed a 45 minute workout each week. How, you ask?

Ballroom Dancing!! (Please, hold your laughter and hear me out!)

In 2004, when my husband and I were planning our wedding, we decided to take ballroom dancing classes. To our surprise, when the 6-week program was finished, we both liked it so much we decided to continue. The more dance technique we learn, the better the workout is. Obviously, fast dances like my personal favorites, swing and cha-cha, really get the blood pumping. But surprisingly, smooth dances are also a real workout if you do them correctly. (Not that we do - but we're trying.) The rise-and-fall of a good waltz takes a lot of muscle control in your legs and core. Just holding the proper dance frame takes strength - head back and left, shoulders back, chest lifted, back arched (but not arched too much), weight on one foot, and arms extended to open the frame. Then you've got to really reach with your legs to create the big, swoopy movement - which gets your heart-rate pumping as much as a walk on the treadmill. Oh, and do this in four-inch heels without letting any part of that crazy dance frame crumble. Yeah, not so easy!!

Not so easy . . . but so much fun! And so much exercise. My blood sugars following a dance lesson always rock! And when Dancing with the Star hit the air-waves a year after we started our lessons, dancing ballroom became almost cool! So, if you are struggling to get motivated for your workouts, why not think about what activities you can do that feel like fun instead of exercise? It's a sneaky way to trick your body into a workout without even realizing it.

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If you want to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject line.

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 22-28, Post # 2

2009-03-27T09:51:00.001-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 22-28

Karen, Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog

Post # 2

In just a couple of weeks, I'll be marking my one year anniversary of being on an insulin pump.

The fact that I'm pumping at all still amazes me. If I were writing this post a year and a half ago, I would have said that I had no interest in pumping. That the idea completely freaked me out. That since I've been doing injections for so long, they didn't phase me at all. Yes, I would have admitted that I would love to have better control - but that I felt being tethered to a piece of medical equipment 24/7 was not worth the price.

So why am I pumping today? Well, it was a long journey that began when I switched to my current endo about six years ago. He made it clear that he felt being on the pump was the best thing for me. I'm happy to say that he also respected my feelings. Yes, he gently prodded me towards pumping at each visit, but he gave me the time and space to make the decision for myself.

Although I didn't mind the injections, I was getting more and more frustrated with the poor control I had. I started to wonder if I should stop being stubborn and give pumping a try. But the thought of it still completely scared me. I didn't want to be attached to it all the time. I worried about site infections. I was scared that it would suddenly stop working and I would instantly develop ketoacidosis. And I didn't want to walk around with a pump hanging off my hip for all the world to see.

One day, I Googled something like "hide insulin pump" and found something amazing in the results. I found blog posts written by people with diabetes who wore insulin pumps. Suddenly I felt like I wasn't so alone. There were all of these people who had the same fears and concerns as I did. And they were pumping. If they could do it, why couldn't I? That day marked the beginning of a change. I started to seriously consider pumping.

Months later, my husband and I were at a ballroom dancing event. We've been taking lessons since before we got married, and our studio held an informal competition between their three locations. As I watched one of the instructors from the other studio dance, I spied something on the back of his belt. At first I thought it was a microphone pack - until I remember this wasn't exactly "Dancing with the Stars" and the "pros" were not wearing microphones. I realized the clear tubing was not a wire. The little pack was not a microphone. He was wearing an insulin pump with tubing tucked into his waistband. Something about that marked the turning point. Something about seeing an insulin pump in real life, and realizing that someone I had known casually for months was a pumper, took a lot of my fears and reservations away.

A month later, my endo was happily surprised when I announced that I was ready to give pumping a try. I'm not sure either of us ever really believed I'd get to that point. A year later, pumping seems so normal and natural, I can barely believe there was a time that I wasn't pumping. I don't feel tethered to a piece of medical equipment - in fact, I barely even notice that it is there. I haven't had any infections or pump failures. I've sewn little pockets into the inside waistband of all my pants and skirts, and my pump rests comfortably and discreetly there. Best of all, my A1C's over the past year are consistently better than they have ever been.

Would I trade my pump for anything in the world? No, I absolutely wouldn't. Do I wish I had started pumping sooner? No, believe it or not, I don't. I attribute much of my pumping success to the fact that nobody pushed me into it before I was ready. But I am very proud that when the time was right, I had to courage to take that step.

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If you want to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject line.

Featured Blogger of the Week - March 22-28, Post #1

2009-03-23T00:06:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 22-28

Karen, Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog

Post # 1

Thirty years. One day in December, I will have had diabetes for thirty years. About 3/4's of my life.

I was diagnosed in 1979, when I was eleven years old. It is so long ago that the few memories I have about the diagnosis and the time leading up to it are cloudy and have the quality of a fading dream. I do remember always being thirsty and always having to use the bathroom. I remember staying home from school a lot and feeling too sick to eat. I remember my mom desperately trying to tempt me with new foods, one of which was grapefruit that we sweetened up with a heap of sugar. I remember my parents bringing me to the hospital on the night of my diagnosis. I vaguely remember drifting in and out of consciousness as the doctors pushed me down the hall to ICU. I've been told that I didn't go into a diabetic coma, but that I was very close to that point. I remember my hospital room, where I stayed for a week with a room-mate who loved to watch Benny Hill. (I had never seen that show before, and I didn't think it was funny.) I remember learning to do injections on an orange. And I remember them bringing my room-mate a cake for her birthday - and that I told the nurse I wouldn't be able to have cake on my birthday anymore. It's funny what stays in your memories.

I was sent home from the hospital with a strict meal plan based on the old Exchange System. It was hung on our refrigerator - the list of things I had to eat and when I had to eat them, whether I was hungry or not. I had cloudy pork insulin that got mixed in a syringe with some clear insulin before my mom injected it into me. (I knew how to do the injections myself, but for a long time I just couldn't do it.) I tested my urine with a little stick that got dipped into the sample I collected in a cup. If memory serves me right, before that it was done in a little test tube thingy with a tablet that bubbled up after getting dropped into the urine sample - but I'm not sure that memory is correct. If you remember that too, please let me know it's not just my overactive imagination dreaming that up.

I remember becoming a teen-ager, and a shy one at that, and feeling like I needed to hide my diabetes from everyone I knew so I wouldn't feel so different. After all, I was the only person with diabetes I knew. There was no Diabetes OC back then - in fact, the inter-net was just being invented! I remember ignoring my diabetes completely in college - taking my insulin on schedule but eating and drinking anything I wanted and not testing my blood. I remember thinking that I probably wouldn't live much past middle age, and that major complications were unavoidable.

But here I am, 40 years old already (how did that happen so fast?) and through some great stroke of luck, practically complication free. I have one tiny leaky vessel in my right eye, which is being monitored every six months and may very well heal up on it's own. The urine tests and exchange system are long gone, and sugar is no longer taboo. My injections have been replaced by a pump. I no longer feel the need to hide my diabetes, and I have tons of friends with diabetes in the vast Diabetes On-line Community. I've even met many of them in "real life". Life is pretty good! But the scars of living with a chronic disease are there, and always will be. I recently found out that my mother still feels guilty that she made me go to school on the day of my diagnosis even though I told her I didn't feel good. And that she never has, and never will, watch the movie "Steel Magnolias". I'll never know which part of my OCD personality comes from managing everything that I need to manage to stay healthy (or heck, even to eat a simple meal) and which part is just ME. But that's okay. After thirty years, diabetes and I have found a way to peacefully co-exists. Most of the time . . .

If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - March 8-13, Post #2

2009-03-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 8-13

Joanie Ritchie, mytypeone.com

Post # 2

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how things were when I was diagnosed, what I was told, what I heard, and what I felt. To take you back, it was 1994 and I was 10 years old. At the time I had no idea what diabetes was nor had I ever heard the word...apparently my mom had....she freaked out. But that's not the point. I'm not here to tell you my life story (that was the last post). What I want to bring up is what I was taught in those first few days as a diabetic. I was told a few things that I still remember to this day: 1. It should take about 2 years to get my sugars "under control" 2. There are many complications that can arise if I don't keep my sugars "controlled" and 3. This is a tough time to be diagnosed because puberty will hit soon and that will make things complicated. What I really heard was "In two years if your sugars aren't controlled (which means at about 100 mg/dl at all times) I will get my feet cut off, go blind, have a heart attack, and die young...oh and in 2 years from now, your numbers will be out of control due to puberty." Basically I heard a death sentence.

Looking back, the most striking part of all of that was how for a good 5 years I obsessed over that concept of two years. I honestly thought that what the doctors meant was that i'd have perfect blood sugars in about two years. I thought all diabetics did. Boy was I wrong and boy did it do a number on my emotions. I would lie in bed at night just thinking about that magical number two, thinking things like, "okay it's been 2 and a half years, I wonder how long it takes to start needing your legs cut off, one extra year? two? five?" By the age of 15 I had almost decided that i'd failed already. Not that I was just struggling, going through a rough patch, or even still just NEW at this whole thing, no...I decided that, at the age of 15, I had FAILED at diabetes and thus at life.

Eventually I did some research, met another diabetic or two (I knew them only briefly), and figured out that I wasn't a failure. I was just misinformed. To this day I still can't help but to feel a little resentment for those first few doctors (who i'm sure were doing the best they could, I couldn't imagine teaching this disease to a 10 year old child). I can't help but wish I had started out on a better foot emotionally. If only those doctors knew the person I was and that I am hard enough on myself as it is. The scare tactic really wasn't necessary.

This is one of the reasons that I appreciate every single other diabetic I know either in person or online. You all keep me grounded, give me support, and most importantly make me feel that I am not a failure. I am simply human. I now know that nobody expects perfection; not doctors, not friends, not parents. My only regret is that I didn't reach out sooner. Human contact and support is the most valuable thing since insulin! ;)

If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - March8-13, Post #1

2009-03-09T19:04:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 8-13

Joanie Ritchie, mytypeone.com

Post # 1

Hi there, I'm Joanie! I'd like to talk a little about what got my blog started. I've actually been wanting to start a diabetes blog for many years now but I was never motivated enough until recently. What finally motivated me? Well, a few things actually. The first (and biggest) motivating factor was being fed up with the loneliness, being so alone in what I like to call "diabetesland". For the most party I live my life day to day, with great friend, a great family, a great job, all things I can share with other people. The problem is that I have never gotten to know any other diabetics. I don't have that feeling that somebody else really understands. This caused me to spend the past year or so digging around on the internet where I have found a TON of great diabetes websites and blogs. This new discovery really gave me a glimmer of hope. I, for the first time, didn't feel alone! I have to admit, it did take me a while to really get into all of what i had found, to read them regularly, to get aquatinted with fellow readers/bloggers, But once I did it was like a whole new world had been opened up to me!

This past year I also started designing/developing the web site for the dance studio I teach at, N~Beyond Dance Company in San Jose, CA....I had no idea it was so incrediby fun!!!! I've released more creative juices by making websites than i have in a long time! One day it dawned on me that I should put two and two together, and make a site for my future diabetes blog that I've been wanting to start, and here we are today. My wish is that my blogging, along with all of the other diabetes blogs, will show other diabetics they they aren't alone in this! I don't want others to feel the loneliness that I felt for almost 15 years of this disease.

Now, a little about my actual blog. I am still a pretty new blogger but I have noticed some trends so far. I tend to blog about the more social and emotional aspects of diabetes. There is a lot of question society, personal and emotional struggles, and just a lot of what it is like being in the shoes of a diabetic. When I was blog hunting this is the sort of thing I was looking for so it feels right for me. I hope you enjoy what you find!

If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - March 1-7, Post # 3

2009-03-08T22:45:00.000-04:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 1-7

Kelly Close, diaTribe

Post # 2

Stem-cell-orama! White House action on Monday and the JDRF...

We are so excited about the stem cell executive order being signed at the White House tomorrow (Monday). We wish it would've happened long before this administration BUT at last we are nearly here - how sweet it is. Larry Soler (type 1 himself and one of the ones really making things happen fast at JDRF these days) will be twittering live from the White House through the day tomorrow- we will be following him and we recommend you do too, whether you are as taken with this subject as we are or whether you are just learning about all the great prospects for stem cells. Any questions on the setup pls send to me at kelly@diaTribe.us. Thank you Gina for all you do and til next time and the chat rooms...

www.twitter.com/jdrfadvocacy

If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 1-7, Post #2

2009-03-07T23:46:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 1-7

Kelly Close, diaTribe

Post # 2

We were excited to read this week about President Obama's plan to organize helathcare forums across the US in the next month to make sure that all Americans and local policymakers are involved as he pushes for healthcare reform. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090306/hl_nm/us_obama_healthcare_13

The Obama administration sounds like it plans to cut costs and expand insurance - we're in favor of both - clearly the money that the US healthcare system is spending can't be sustained and everyone deserves good healthcare. But we hope that in diabetes, the focus will be on cutting complications spending, not spending on the basics that are so important to us. Too often we read complaints about expenses related to blood glucose monitoring or pumps - that is not where the big spending is in diabetes! The big spending is in cardiovascular disease and paying for other long-term complications. This can be avoided with the right tools. We know from trials like EDIC and the UKPDS follow up that heart attacks and strokes can be prevented through better blood glucose control. So we support giving us all the tools to do it! Medicare pays for very limited diabetes education - only two hours a year after the year of diagnosis. This education and a lot of other diabetes education should be expanded. We also support giving us all longer time with our doctors so we can discuss ways of improving our health. We hope everyone will find out more about the forums and go to one close to you to support more diabetes education and toolsfor us all.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama's administration will organize healthcare forums across the United States in the coming weeks to involve Americans and local policy makers in a push for reform, the White House said on Friday.

Obama vowed on Thursday to break the political stalemate that has blocked past efforts and pass a comprehensive plan to cut healthcare costs and expand insurance coverage this year.
The regional meetings, which will take place in California, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina and Vermont in March and early April, are meant to gather ideas from local communities about how to fix the system.

"The forums will bring together diverse groups of people all over the country who have a stake in reforming our health care system and ask them to put forward their best ideas about how we bring down costs and expand coverage for American families," Obama said in a statement.
"The time for reform is now and these regional forums are some of the key first steps toward breaking the stalemate we have been stuck in for far too long."

The events will be hosted by the participating states' governors and will include doctors, elected officials from the Democratic and Republican parties, and "everyday" citizens, the White House said.

If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - March 1- 7, Post # 1

2009-03-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: March 1-7
Kelly Close, diaTribe
Post # 1

We're so happy to be the featured blogger of the month!
I've been diabetic since the mid-1980s when I was a teenager .. I now focus on learning more about new therapies and technologies for people with diabetes and write newsletters based on this.
We write our learnings in a newsletter called diaTribe - we love knowing what is on patients' minds and have learned incredibly from the blogosphere.

I really applaud Gina for all her work in medical technology in particular - I'm a happy CGM wearer for example and have been thrilled that coverage has increased over the past year.
I just got new insurance (Aetna) and knowing this will be covered from the start, was really reeassuring. Thank you so much to Gina for getting so many patients to send their opinions out!
Like many people with diabetes, I get very frustrated by the disease - I've had a lot of bouts of severe hypoglcyemia recently, as one example. We were thrilled to learn through our work that there is a new insulin pump that has been approved in Europe that has a "shut-off" feature if you don't respond to the integrated CGM. GREAT - this was shown in studies just released to reduce hypoglycemia substantially. (If you would like more details, please write me - we'll have an update in the next diaTribe with all the details.) Unfortunately, this will take awhile to reach the US - it's likely up to a couple of years away - because regulatory standards are tighter here.

We're happy to have safety of paramount importance at FDA but hope that innovation won't be slowed -- we heard from many of you who signed a patient petition put together by Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine.com, Manny Hernandez of tuDiabetes.com, and me — thank you! That is at www.HelpTheFDA.org - check it out if you didn't see it. Amy and I are at a conference this week for Avalere Health - we will be taking the signatures and over 1500 comments to FDA this week so if there is anything you'd like to tell them, please let us know!

I'll be back later this week with more learnings on new products on the horizon....

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22, Post # 2

2009-02-26T16:41:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22

Cherise Shockley, Diabeticize
Post # 2

The other day I was talking to a new friend (TuDiabetes.com) and she mentioned her new pump, the Ping. She was very excited about it. I asked how big it was, she said about the size of the small pager. I thought that was pretty cool. She said it is nice and it doesn't bulge out like the Pod...lol I told her a few months ago, if someone would have asked me if I would use a traditional pump, with all the wires, I would have said, "NO". I have to say I would take the "NO" back. Not because I hate the omnipod; I love it. Not because I have had a few Pods stop working; I have been able to have a replacement Pod sent to me and plus, I have never ended up in the hospital because of it. My thought process now is..."If it will help me maintain my diabetes (strings or no strings) then why not?"

If I can walk around proud of my Pod, I could do the same with a traditional pump. I went to the Endo yesterday and I saw the Ping. It was pretty neat. If the Omnipod wasn't around I would give it a try. It's better than doing MDI's. I have realized, diabetes is a give and take disease if you give a little the reward is much better in the end.

Don't let your Physician, CDE or Doctor tell you what pump you should go with; I am glad mines didn't. Do your own research, ask question, and make sure pumping is the right insulin treatment for you. IF you decide on Wires or Wireless you've made the best choice for you.

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - February 22-29, Post #1

2009-02-23T16:25:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22
Cherise Shockley, Diabeticize
Post # 1

Here is my story:

I can't believe I can't get rid of this yeast infection, what's going on. I tried over the counter medication to cure it, the yeast infection never went away. I called my Doctor's office and made an appointment. Judy walked in the room and I told her I had a yeast infection I couldn't get rid of. She checked my glucose levels and the meter read 400. She said I have diabetes and my glucose levels are high that's why I couldn't fight the infection. On June 16, 2004 I was diagnosed with being a diabetic; I was only 23 years old. Judy decided to send me to the lab. The next morning I received the results, fasting blood sugar was 334 and my HgA1C was 14.5. Judy (my nurse) diagnosed me as having Type 2 diabetes. I was initially started on Metformin, which at first worked well to control my blood sugars. Eventually, she decided to send me to a Endo, because my C-peptide levels were low, indicating that I was not making insulin on my own, which is uncommon in patients with Type 2. Also, I wasn't overweight, a more common aspect of type 2 diabetes.

My first visit with Dr. Menon (my Endo) went well. He said he knew I was Type 1.5/LADA, just by looking at me. But, in order for him to confirm his theory, I had to get some blood work done. This was to measure antibodies that are frequently present in Type 1.5/LADA, called GAD-65 (there is also a test called islet-cell antibodies, which can be measured). A week later the results came back, it was confirmed that I have Type 1.5/LADA. My first thought was how did I get this? I don't have a family member with Diabetes. Dr. Menon said, "It is a gene that you have and it could have been triggered by a cold or maybe even stress."

Dr. Menon started me on 5mg of Glipizide and said I would have to be placed on insulin within the next 4 years. He couldn't tell me when my pancreas would completely stop making insulin. That was 4 years ago...

A lot of things have changed since my initial diagnoses! In January of 2008 I was placed on insulin, my honeymoon ended. I am learning how to live as a Type 1. I know some people say there isn't a difference but to me there is a huge difference!!! I had the chance to live on both side of the tracks. If you asked me pills over insulin, I would choose insulin. I was asked if I would rather have Type 1 and 2 over Type 1.5, wouldn't trade being Type 1.5/ LADA for the world. I like being the odd ball.

Be Blessed
Cherise

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - February 15-22, Post #2

2009-02-20T23:16:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22
Hannah McDonald, Dorkabetic
Post # 2

Diabetes: The Invisible Co-Worker

At the end of a frustrating workday, do you ever just throw your pen down on your desk, declare, "That's it! I've had it!", and make a beeline for the door after some quick goodbyes to your associates? I'm sure nearly every working stiff out there has. Even if you're having fun at your job, everything can get overwhelming once in a while. Your boss gave you too many extras on your already full plate. Your co-worker is on vacation so you have a lot of extra slack to pick up. Maybe you just don't like your job. No matter the case, you know you can go home at the end of the day and forget about the stress for a while. You can have an entire weekend dedicated to the good stuff.

Unfortunately, when you have diabetes, there doesn't seem to be that whistle-blowing moment at the end of the day when you can slide down off your Brontosaurus, declare, "Yabba dabba doo!" and speed off for home. (My apologies to Mr. Flintstone.) It's a good blood glucose reading, hopefully followed by another. There is always the constant worry of what's around the corner: a nasty, sickening high? A debilitating low? Scary complications? There are so many little stressful moments, and sometimes you don't get that surprise coffee break to snap you out of it. Diabetes can be bad enough on its own.

But then...

You have to take it to work with you. And what do you do with it once you get there? Do you hide it away in a desk drawer like the good pens you don't want people to steal from the reception area? Do you hang it on the wall with pictures of your pet? To tell your boss or not to tell, that is the question!

Diabetes is one hell of a nagging, nosy co-worker, and I definitely have a few moments to prove it. Diabetes can hang around your desk and make your job difficult sometimes. Other times, it will leave you alone, going about its own job, whatever that may be. (Taunting your non-functioning islet cells and making loan-shark-like threats to your nerves, I'd suppose.)

In my last job, I was going through an experimental period of taking Symlin. Symlin tended to give me a mid-morning low crash that usually came out of nowhere, the worst of which, well, I could barely believe I was functioning. One minute, I was making copies for one of my bosses, the next minute, I'm sitting at my desk and seeing spots. Normally, my lows creep up on me, usually starting with a starving feeling in the pit of my stomach followed by the shakes or a headache. I knew something was not right, so I checked my BG right away. 35 mg/dl had decided it was going to come along and try to ruin my workday for a while. I chomped down a couple of glucose tabs, but decided I needed something more, so I headed for the break room. On the way, every single person I worked for stopped to talk to me, and I was able to easily carry on conversation and collect more work from them. I was completely amazed to be functional with 35 hanging around--35 is not just the co-worker who limits your productivity, he's usually the guy who shuts it down entirely for an hour! Once in the break room, I made myself a cup of coffee with real sugar. I was back to almost normal in 20 minutes, and no one knew the difference.

Diabetes gets me to work late when an unexpected high or an annoying pump infusion site problem keeps me up for too long the night before. Last week, I woke from a dream around 4:30 in the morning, and decided I needed to change sleeping positions. As I was rolling over, somehow my arm got looped under my pump tubing, and I pulled the set straight out. Then I had to do the whole process of telling my husband everything was okay, I just needed to turn on the light for a minute, etc. He sleeps through everything, so my turning on the light is never a problem for him. The next morning, I stumbled out of bed a few minutes too late, so I ended up shuffling into the office about 20 minutes late. Sigh.

Diabetes can just get obnoxious in the workplace. He sends you home on an unexpected early lunch break because you happen to be out of emergency pump supplies at your desk when your infusion set goes bad. He shows his unwanted face when someone brings in cupcakes and you get asked, "Should you be having...?" or "Hey, what kind of MP3 player is that?", or God forbid, "Is that a syringe at your desk? Are you, uh, okay?"

You can't fire Diabetes. You can't take major disciplinary action against Diabetes at work. You can try to ignore Diabetes at all costs, but he's just going to come back and make your life miserable. Diabetes is a horrible co-worker who can constantly test your patience and wear you down, but somewhere along the line, we just learn how to cope with this. What's your secret for dealing with your diabetes at work?

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Nuggets of Wisdom

2009-02-18T00:24:00.000-05:00

Back in November/December Amy T of Diabetesmine had a Holiday Survival Sweepstakes contest each week and she has compiled all of the "nuggets of wisdom" into an e-book designed and published by yours truly!

In case you missed the contest and have no idea what I am talking about, Amy asked people with diabetes across the whole d-community to share some of their best tips about surviving the holiday season with diabetes: on exercise, stress, managing the “diabetes police,” travel, and of course, food.

All of those words of wisdom can now be used as a reference guide throughout the whole year: Nuggets of Wisdom from the Diabetes Community. The booklet can easily be download in PDF format by clicking on the image (right), or by clicking here: diabetesmine-nuggets-ebook_final1.

Enjoy!

~Gina

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22, Post #1

2009-02-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 15-22
Hannah McDonald, Dorkabetic
Post # 1

Bloggin' Awesome, Dude! (Or, "Blog" is Not Actually a Bad Word)

There was a time several years ago when I thought "blog" was a dirty word. I had no particular dislike for blogs, their writers, the various publics they served, or the concept in general. I just hated the word "blog" much as I do not like other words like "eyesore" or "moist". (I can admit, I am a bit quirky, maybe even borderline neurotic, but that's just me. We were talking about blogs here.) I never thought that nearly two years ago, I might end up starting a blog of my own, let alone a blog about my life with diabetes.

Sure, I had various sites and pages where I expressed myself online--a Livejournal, a MySpace page, heck, I was on Facebook before it went public! I have always been a writer, and while I did not specifically study it in college, I certainly have done a lot of it over the years. I worked on my high school's literary magazine staff, I wrote for the college newspaper, I have always been into writing poetry, fiction, and whatever else comes out of my overactive imagination. I don't think blogging occurred to me initally because at first, I thought bloggers were mainly outspoken wannabe political commentators or snarky celeb-gossip hounds. They were savvy mothers. They were probably paid by some website to ramble on about their well-educated opinions, and I embodied NONE of that.

One day in 2006, I was terrified by an A1C of 10.1. I felt like a failure to myself. I felt as though I had let everyone down, but realized that most of my friends had no idea what that number even meant. If I took the time to explain it, would they look at me differently? Would I suddenly become the special sick friend? I had been down that road when diabetes guidelines were more strict. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1990 when I was 8 years old. My friends' parents felt obligated, sometimes even burdened, to keep healthier "Hannah food" in their homes: diet sodas, no-sugar-added ice cream (even though I insisted a half cup of the real stuff was fine, I ate it at home!), some kind of treat for me to have when everyone else was enjoying a slice of birthday cake with frosting. The majority of my youth was before carb counting became the norm. I had friends who refused to let me even have a nibble of chocolate. Some friends, I believed at the time, were even terrified to let me touch sugar.

I really like being different. I take pride in my unconventional nature. Diabetes made me different than my other friends, but I didn't want it to be the one thing setting me apart. That just made me sad inside.

10.1. It rattled around in my head, some Jacob Marley-like figure with chains, the ghost of diabetes past. It was trying to tell me things weren't going to change. Who was I going to talk to? Where would I even find someone who knew what I was talking about when I started rambling about boluses, insulin-to-carb ratios, my fears of complications? I turned to the internet. I don't remember what I searched, but somehow, I stumbled across Amy. ThenKerri. Then so many other bloggers with diabetes who seemed to know the exact headaches and diabetes growing pains I was going through. So I lurked, and I learned.

Then I decided, why not try this for myself? No one is going to really be able to support me in what I'm going through until I speak up. I have never been one to shy away from conversation, especially one that I can write out either on paper or on a keyboard. So on August 3, 2006, Dorkabetic was born. My first post is brief, but when I read it I remember wondering if anyone would ever notice it at all.

Suddenly, "blog" didn't seem like such a terrible word anymore. Post after post, I realized I was becoming an actual blogger, not just a person with some hidden internet diary. Over the past two years, I've found a whole family here on the internet with quite the cast of amusing, smart and inspiring characters. We share so much sometimes, it's hard to believe the one thing that brought us together in the first place is that chronic condition that's called Diabetes. The Diabetes OC can show anyone what a day in the life of a diabetic is like, and that's part of what I love about being a blogger. Those of us with diabetes are not different from your other friends--at least, not until we need to take those few seconds before dinner to test our blood glucose.

I am still struggling to NOT ignore the day-to-day tedium of Type 1 diabetes. My early twenties were spent doing the bare minimum for myself, and I'm still working through that now. I am still a work in progress. My last A1C was far from ideal. I have postponed my 3-month endo checkup for at least 6 months now because I "wasn't ready". I forgot to test before lunch today. I am not perfect, and if you think that just because I write a blog, I must be some model diabetic patient who always does the right thing, you're wrong. My blog is the one place where I can openly express everything regarding the big D. I enjoy sharing the ups and downs of having diabetes, but I cannot forget the importance of sharing the fact that I am a sassy young woman who has a vibrant life, one that doesn't directly involve insulin pumps, test strips, endocrinologist visits or people asking, "Hey, should you be eating that?"

This is why I am a diabetes blogger. Because I want people to know that life with diabetes is just that: LIFE.

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - February 1-7, Post #3

2009-02-07T03:18:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 1-7
Mollie Singer, Curemoll
Post # 3

The Benefits of Blogging

I wanted to write about why I love to blog and how I gave my blog it's name. In 2004, I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. My sister and I had transferred to a new school and the transition was okay and the classes were...well, they were the classes. But I often felt like I was the only one with diabetes out of the hundreds of people there; much like the way I felt when I was diagnosed at age 4, having no one to relate to and talk to about diabetes. Other than the 2 diabetics in school that i never met, the only person who really understood diabetes, beside me, was my twin sister, Jackie. Even though she doesn't have diabetes, she was always there for me and I loved every minute of it. We had every class together. We ate lunch together, we walked to our classes together. What makes Jackie so special and me so lucky is the fact that she knew when something was wrong with my blood sugar and always responded to my needs like the day I was low in geometry class, (but didn't know it) However, in the blink of an eye, Jackie managed to slip a juice bottle on my desk that was already opened with a little tiny note saying, "are you low? do you need juice Moll?" She had a way of covering me in my classes, for example, one day in math class, each student was supposed to read a problem out loud and explain how they solved it. They apparently got to me, I was so low and I didn't know it was my turn. There was no way I was able to read the problem let alone explain my answer. Jackie subtly raised the juice bottle to the teacher and he picked up her signal that my blood sugar was low, and skipped me and went on to another student. To some, this may not be a big deal, but if I had been left to read a problem in that state of mind, let alone answer it, I would have looked like a fool. So having Jackie, as my Diabetic Angel, always supporting me has not only helped me through diabetic emergencies, but on more than one occasion she has saved my dignity.

Jackie, being my sister and guardian angel, always knew when I wasn't quite myself. Her back pack always carried at least three extra snacks and juice bottles than mine; she is always ready. I think I am telling you about Jackie and what she means to me, because when I was having a hard time, Jackie was always there and it's Jackie who encouraged me to start blogging.

I started blogging that year so I would have a means to remember what my life with diabetes was like in my teen years. Furthermore, blogging is and always has been a way for me to vent my feelings and frustrations, as well as a way to help others through my experiences. Not to mention all of the wonderful people I have gotten to know who also have diabetes and realizing there is a whole community of us out there blogging and trying to help each other.

The truth is, yes, I blog for a variety of reasons, but I don't do it alone, as always, we even blog blog together, which is why I titled my blog, "curemoll and jackie too! "

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - February 1-7, Post #2

2009-02-05T00:28:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 1-7
Mollie Singer, Curemoll
Post # 2

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Wrong Site

I am sure we've all had our fair share of insulin pump site sites gone bad. My most recent experience with this all too common diabetic scenario, unfortunately occured at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and I apparently had the wrong site. You see, my pump site located on my left hip, decided to come out during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada in December. There I was, having a good old time at the rodeo as our singing group, Mollie and Jackie MJ2, was the backup for the National Anthem every night of the rodeo, except the closing night, because we were the act booked to sing the National Anthem for that particular night! Any way, I had something to eat and bolused, tested a short time later, because I felt low, and I also felt my pump site poking me in the back (not a good feeling!) I checked the site or used to be site, and to my horror discovered it was out!!! Yikes! I quickly sized up my options. I couldn't leave incase they needed us to sing, so I decided that since most of my insulin was delivered that Diet Coke would be my only meal for the night or at least until I got home and could change the site. The worst part was not only having to test on the hour, but I couldn't stay for the after rodeo show with Crystal Shawanda!!!!

I know this happens to every pump user, and I really would be interested in learning what other diabetics do in these situations. Needless to say, I'm hoping that one of the pump manufacturers will hear my plea and try and resolve this problem; There simply has to be a better way than carrying multiple injection sites, shots, and insulin bottles every time you leave the house. I should add that my situation is a little trickier in that I react to all the tapes and adhesive wipes...hmmmm...what do you think about Super Glue? Just Kidding. Okay, the truth this, my pump works great most of the time and I'm not really feeling very sorry for myself. However, I am concerned for all diabetics because all too often, diabetics don't know when the site has come out and that has great potential to do harm. So, to end on a positive note, I have to say I love my Minimed Medtronic 722 and I am grateful that most of the time it works as well as it does. :)

Any thoughts would be helpful. :)

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week - February 1-7, Post #1

2009-02-02T01:01:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: February 1-7
Mollie Singer, Curemoll
Post # 1

Hey everyone, I wanted to start writing this blog about why almost 11 years ago, my twin sister Jackie and I, along with our mom and aunt, our mom's twin sister, started the Diabetic Angels, let me explain. In 1998, we were faced with a challenging situation that seriously impacted our lives, one that nearly every diabetic has experienced. Ultimately, this demoralizing incident became a blessing in disguise and resulted in the formation of a special group that raises funds and provides education and support for diabetics, their families, and friends...The Diabetic Angels.

At the age of 10, Jackie and I were having the time of our lives, we enjoyed school, had a great group of friends, and were becoming increasingly more involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, life was great...until we found out the hard way how diabetes is painful in more ways than one. The incident to which we are referring began when we had been invited to our friend's 10th birthday party. Ecstatic, we ran home to tell our mom and for the rest of the night, going to the party was all we thought about.

The next day, our friends and us excitedly talked about all the fun things we were going to do at the party. By the time we completed our morning classes, we looked forward to lunch so we could do what we did before school, talk about the party. As usual, all of our friends sat together at the same table, and shortly after we sat down, there was a lull in the conversation as all of us started eating. However, the silence didn't last long when the birthday girl took advantage of the full mouths and made an announcement. The birthday girl looked across the table at us and matter-of-factly said, "Oh, by the way, I have to uninvite you to my birthday party Mollie...because my mom said Diabetics are a hassle...but Jackie you can still come." We were so stunned, we couldn't talk, but worse, I was humiliated and brought to tears, there was nowhere to hide, no where to run. Jackie did her best to console me, but no amount of comforting was going to ease the pain. Somehow, we made it through the rest of the day, we tried to wear a smile and put up a brave front, but it only lasted until we walked off the school grounds and into our mother's car before the two of us just started sobbing. Mom looked at us and let us cry, but when we got home, asked us to tell her why we were crying. Jackie felt the same way as I did, the same pain I felt, Jackie felt, angry and powerless (we thought). However, as it turned out, mom helped us understand that we weren't helpless, and with the clarity we now had of what happened and why it happened, we began to correct the injustice. Later that night, mom contacted the parents of this child and agreed that they had the right to invite whoever they wanted to their child's birthday party, but to tell any diabetic child, and in particular, her child, that she was a hassle because she was a diabetic, was way out of line. Mom went on to explain why I was not a hassle, as I was a well managed diabetic who knew exactly how to take care of myself and whose twin sister also knew how to help me and what to do should there ever be an emergency (which had only happened once when I was 4). Our friend's mother agreed that she didn't know about diabetes, admitting that she had made a mistake and didn't mean to hurt our feelings.

A few days passed and Mom let us feel bad and try to come to terms with our emotions before she sat us down and all of us talked about what happened, why we thought it happened and what, if anything, we could do about it. At first, we didn't think we could do anything to make it better, but the more we talked with mom, the more we realized that maybe there was a way of preventing other young people from experiencing this kind of humiliation and pain. After having talked for hours, mom explained to us that most people weren't intentionally cruel. She told us that she believed the reason people say hurtful things such as, "Diabetics are a hassle," is a direct result of ignorance and fear based on misinformation. All of a sudden, we understood what she had been saying, there was something we could do to stop the ignorance and the fear; that something was to find a way to help all young people who lived with a chronic disease, or who faced additional challenges.

The sadness we had been feeling for days began to diminish, as joy and hope replaced our grief and anger. By the end of the weekend, we were feeling empowered and motivated to take on the challenge of educating everyone that crossed our path about the reality of diabetes. We believed that if we could teach our friends, our peers, and our classmates, they in turn would educate their parents, their friends, and their peers...and so began the concept of the Diabetics Angels.

In the end, mom helped us understand that we couldn't change what had been done to us, but that dwelling on it would only bring about more sadness and accomplish nothing. She told us we needed to take this negative situation and turn it into a positive force, and that in actuality this incident was a blessing in disguise. The truth is that the embarrassment, humiliation and sorrow we felt left a scar, but it is also true that the wound healed when we found hope in the idea of changing the world one friend at a time.

Over the next few months, we mounted an attack on ignorance. We invited our classmates to join us in knowing more about diabetes than most adults (which sounded like a lot of fun at the time!). We asked them to agree to learn the basics of diabetes, what it meant to have normal, low, or high blood sugar, as well as, the symptoms of high or low blood sugar and then how to respond in case of a diabetic emergency. Now, with the help of the internet, the Diabetic Angels have a page called Diabetes 101 (http://diabeticangels.com/notes/Diabetes_101) where diabetics can take a quick refresher course or those who just want to know, can go and learn more about diabetes.

Furthermore, we asked them to agree to become diabetic advocates, which included writing their congressional representatives regarding the funding of diabetes research and technology. The "Diabetic Angels" also raised funds for medical research by asking people to sponsor them, as they joined our Walk Team, "Mollie's Diabetic Angels," in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF's) annual "Walk To Cure Diabetes." Finally, the "Diabetic Angels" joined us when we made public appearances, which in the end turned out to be one of our most enjoyable endeavors.

What started as an initiative with 7 girls quickly grew to become one of the coolest clubs in school. Although learning about diabetes was a serious subject, we realized the importance of making our meetings fun, and with this in mind, we put the fun back in FUNdraising!! For example, we help meetings at the local water park, on a camping trip, as well as, at our house with a sleepover and a pizza party. Our objective was met, we had fun, our friends learned more about diabetes than we ever could have imagined, and in turn, they shared their knowledge with everyone who crossed their paths, one "Angel" even used the knowledge she had gained to save her grandfather's life...that alone made the formation of the "Diabetic Angels" worthwhile.
Since the first meeting in 1998, our lives have changed dramatically, as we watched the "Diabetic Angels" spread to 6 continents and positively impact diabetics, their families, and their friends. Today, we are proud to say that our mission to cure diabetes and teach others about the importance of diabetes awareness, advocacy, education and fundraising is succeeding! And as our story continues, Jackie and I would like to leave you with the meaningful thoughts of two of our heroes who have inspired us and hopefully will also inspire you. Oh, and by the way, since there are two of us writing the story of the "Diabetic Angels" and we couldn't agree on just one quote, Jackie selected Mother Theresa, who once said, "There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through the sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together" which we still do with our friends, both old and new...and I, Mollie, have chosen Albert Schweitzer, whose words taught us that if we, "Do something wonderful, people may imitate it!" We have spent many years imitating the good deeds of people we love and respect and it is our dream not only to cure diabetes, but also that the "Diabetic Angels" become a rippling effect of kindness and giving that spreads around the world.

Now that you have an understanding of why we started the Diabetic Angels, we would appreciate your help in our fight to stop discrimination and advocate for the cure!! If this is something you'd like to do, please become a member of the Diabetic Angels at http://www.diabeticangels.com where together, we will create an unstoppable global movement to cure diabetes!

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 25-31, Post # 2

2009-01-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 25-31
Allison Blass, Lemonade Life
Post # 2

Why I Blog

I started blogging early in college, on a little blog platform called Livejournal. Livejournal was popular among the angsty teenage set, but it didn't give much ability to be creative with backgrounds and you had to be registered in order to comment. After stumbling upon a link to a diabetes blog in 2005 (to this day I can't remember which blog it was), I found about four or five bloggers who were writing about diabetes. Since I ran a website, called Teen Talk at DiabetesStation.com, I thought having a blog would be an easy way to share my thoughts on being a teen-slash-twentysomething (I was just shy of 20 when I started my blog).

I had no idea the Diabetes Online Community was going to take off the way it has! I started this directory back in November 2005, when I only had 25 blogs to look after. Within months, there were dozens more and we were over 100 before we hit the 1 year mark. The Diabetes O.C. is so big now I don't think anyone has any idea how many there are (though this directory certainly helps!).

It's been so fascinating to get to know so many different people - with different backgrounds, beliefs, attitudes, even languages - that are all tied together with one commonality: diabetes. Although I wish I didn't have diabetes, I do feel blessed that I was given the opportunity through diabetes to meet and learn from such great people. I belong to many different kinds of communites, but the diabetes community is definitely one of the friendliest. I have grown up here. The diabetes community, through it's various incarnations across social networks and blogs, has seen me graduate high school and college, move across the country, start my first job, find my first boyfriend. I imagine the diabetes community will watch me when I get married and have my children. I imagine they'll be around for all the ups and downs of my life, perhaps even after this disease is cured (whenever that happens).

Reading and writing a blog has definitely changed my life for the better. I'm excited to see where this community goes and what kind of exciting adventures we all take.

-Allison

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If you would like to be a featured blogger send an email to the diabetesoc@gmail.com and put FEATURED BLOGGER in the subject.

Exclusive Blog Feature: HELP THE FDA HELP US DIABETICS

2009-01-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

HELP THE FDA HELP US DIABETICS

We have just under 3,000 signatures on our petition to the FDA on behalf of people with diabetes and the signatures are moving - ! But there's a long way to go, can you help? At this turning point in history, we're looking to reach 20,000 signatures to ensure that the FDA is aware of the challenges we face. Please go to www.HealTheFDA.com and help the FDA by letting them know how much you care about innovation and patient voice getting to FDA! Safety is the top priority now at the FDA, and that's great and should not be changed – but as we have been saying zero safety risk means zero innovation. That’s unacceptable. If you have diabetes, know anyone with diabetes, or are a taxpayer, you can benefit by making your voice heard.

Check this out - VERY alarming! On the FDA watch (thanks to Scott Strumello) I learned that the US Government Accountability Office has suggested the FDA be added to the category of high risk. On the face of it, since the FDA is meant to protect people with diabetes, that doesn't sound good, does it? We see from the link below that areas have been identified as high risk "due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement..."

The report says that in this 2009 update for the 111th Congress, GAO identifies new high-risk areas that need attention by Congress and the executive branch. Solutions to high-risk problems offer the promise of saving billions of dollars and dramatically improve service to the public ~ we definitely know far less could be spent on diabetes if complications were avoided. We urge you to read the below and if you haven't encouraged the FDA to have a greater voice for people with diabetes and to encourage more innovation, please add your signature to www.HealTheFDA.com.

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-271

Scott says that Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat who holds a key post on the House committee that oversees the FDA and a frequent critic of that agency's mishandling of various issues on food and drug safety, has apparently written a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to avoid naming any current officials of FDA to lead the agency.

Please help and sign our petition! www.HealTheFDA.com
Our summary of our petition is below.

Ask FDA to Better Serve Diabetes Patients Needs - exec summary

We fear that innovation is slowing in diabetes despite the urgent need for new treatments – today, close to half of the 24 million Americans with diabetes do not meet recommended blood sugar goals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s job is to protect the safety of patients and approve innovative medicines.

We are asking the new FDA leadership for two things:

1. To create a council of diabetes patients and healthcare professionals who can help the FDA assess new information and assimilate diverse views, including those of patients.

2. To make the rules reasonable for the sake of the patients, which can be done without sacrificing safety.

Please note: This petition is sponsored by a group of concerned patients, doctors and diabetes educators, not the drug industry.

Thank you for your support. Much appreciation from all of the online co-sponsors including Manny at TuDiabetes, Amy at DiabetesMine, Marsten at SugarStats, Nadia at Diabetes Health, Kerri at SixUntilMe, Allison at Lemonade Life, Gina at The Diabetes Talkfest, Fran at Diabetes Day by Day, Kitty at Diabetes Living Today, David at Diabetes Daily, Bernard at the Diabetes Technology Blog, David at Mendosa, Howard at dLife, and Scott at Scott's Web Log, AND all the many patient advocates and doctors and educators, including Dr. Timothy S. Bailey, Director, AMCR Institute Inc., Jennifer Block, CDE, of Stanford University, Dr. Nancy Bohannon of St. Luke’s Hospital, San Francisco, Dr. Bruce Buckingham of Stanford University, Stead Burwell, head of the Alliance Health Networks, Priscilla Call Essert, Author, My Life As A Pancreas, Dr. Karen Earle, CPMC, San Francisco, Dr. Steve Edelman, UCSF and TCOYD, Bob Hawkinson, Author, Joy of Diabetes, James S. Hirsch, Author, Cheating Destiny, Dr. Irl B. Hirsch, Professor of Medicine, University of Washington, Dr. Lois Jovanovic, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Dr. Francine R. Kaufman, MD, USC and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles; Dr. Neal Kaufman, MD, MPH, Founder, Diabetes Prevention Source, Tom Karlya, Author, Diabetes Dad, Rebecca Killion, Diabetes Advocate, Jenny Ruhl, Author, Blood Sugar 101, Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, Integrated Diabetes Services, Jane Jeffrie Seley, CDE, BC-ADM, Lisa Shenson, Diabetes Parent & Advocate, Virginia Valentine, CNS, BC-ADM, CDE, CEO, Diabetes Network, Inc. Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Gloria Yee, RN, CDE, University of California San Francisco Diabetes Teaching Center.

Featured Blogger of the Week - January 25-31, Post #1

2009-01-27T17:13:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17
Allison Blass, Lemonade Life
Post # 1

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of my diabetes diagnosis.

If popular belief were true, my diabetes would have been cured three times by now. But it's still here.

Yesterday I asked everyone to share something good with me. If you haven't done so yet, I invite you to hop over to the last post and share your something good with me.

When you have diabetes for fifteen years (or heck, if you've had diabetes for fifteen minutes), it's easy to find the something bad.

Waking up at 3 a.m. with a blood sugar of 52 mg/dl. Or waking up at 3 a.m. with a blood sugar of 522 mg/dl.

The gushers, the bruises, the stings. The weakness and disorientation from a low. The nauseau and crankiness from a high. There's sitting down when you want to be running. There's water when you want a milkshake.

The hours reading the same five month old Good Housekeeping at the endocrinologist's office, the diabetes educator's office, the nutritionist's office, the dentist's office, the ophthalmologist's office and the podiatrist's office.

The stares, whispers and outright rude "Are you sure you can eat that?" questions which really translate into "I've never faced my mortality on a day-to-day basis for years on end before but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that." Gee, thanks.

But when I see that inquiry, "Tell me something good," I can't help but smile.

I live in one of the greatest cities in the world. I've traveled the country, and met interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds and beliefs. I have a creative outlet to share my life (which may or may not be all that exciting right now - but someday people will be use my blog as inspiration for my unofficial and unauthorized biography to be sold at Borders for $4.99 in paperback).

I have a wonderful, big apartment (with a dishwasher!) and a roommate who I actually get along with. I have a boyfriend who is amazing and sweet. I have smart, caring parents who are involved in my life but not too involved. I have a friends who listen and take care of me when I need it.

I have a job. I have co-workers that I like. (Those 2 things do not always go together). I have a car and health insurance that actually leaves more money in my pocket than takes away. I have a support system that is fun and creative and thoughtful.

I'm going to Philadelphia in two weeks. And Boston a month after that. There will be lots of travel this summer, per usual. Tonight, I'm going to Devi, a fancy Indian restaurant (my favorite kind of food), with Erik for Restaurant Week. On Valentine's Day, we're going to see Speed-the-Plow, with William H. Macy (who I think is a way better actor than Jeremy Piven, but that's just me).

After fifteen years of living with diabetes, there has been a lot of something bad. There has also been a lot of something good. But you know what? I remember the something good way more than the something bad. I remember a great dinner with my prom date and dancing all night long, not the insulin pump that was clipped to the back of my dress. I remember seeing the Eiffel Tower and the field of sunflowers and the Mona Lisa, not my meter breaking and having to search French pharmacies for a new one. I remember school plays, picnics with my friends, and eating bagels and Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies for lunch, not going low during a test or having my pump set rip out.

I have fifteen years of something good in the face of Something Bad. I plan on having many more years filled with lots of something good.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week - January 18-24, Post #2

2009-01-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17
Khurt Williams, Honey Sweet
Post # 2

The iPod Touch is like the iPhone except for the phone ... and the GPS ... and the camera. Just like the iPhone I can browse the web and check email with Wi-Fi, and play movies, music and games downloaded from the iTunes App Store. It's a super ultra-portable.

I have an iPod Touch and I have diabetes and I am a geek. So of course I launch the App Store on my iPod and search for "diabetes" and find a few diabetic applications. One of these is, Diabetes Log, written by Chris Ross. Chris has Type-1 diabetes and wanted an application for his iPhone to record his glucose reading, carbohydrates and insulin dosages. And that 's as much as this application does. Chris is offering the application for free while he work out the bugs ( I didn't find any ) and plans to charge a small amount when he feels the app is ready.

After launching the application click the "+" to bring up a menu to add a new record. From here you can choose the type of record you want to add; Glucose, Food, or Medicine.

Choosing anyone of those bring up a record entry page that is similar for each record type except that the units for the values change; mg/dl for glucose readings, g from carbs, and units for insulin. Tappingn the Date/Time or Category box brings up a tumbler wheel for data entry. I personally would have preferred a keyboard. The Value and Notes boxes use the keyboad for data entry.

From the main screen, tapping the littel "i" in the lower right hand corner of the screen will bring up a page where you can set the number of days worth of data to keep or email the entire log for backup. That's all there is to this app. There is no graphing or analytical tools. It does one thing and it does it well.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week - January 18-24, Post #1

2009-01-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17
Khurt Williams, Honey Sweet
Post # 1

New Year, New Intentions

Well it's a New Year and time to set the direction of my intentions for the year. Some call them "resolutions". My MacBook's dictionary defines a resolution as "a firm decision to do or not to do something". But resolutions without plans lead nowhere. Like a destination without a roadmap.

What I have are "intentions" for 2009. An intention is "an aim or plan". I intend to get more exercise this year than the last. Last year I exercised about ... well ... I did not exercise at all. In fact, I have not exercised since 1996. The most I moved in 2008 was during the "Walk for the Cure" for the JDRF. That's not a healthy thing to do. I know. While I may not have gained weight ( I weigh and measure every thing I eat and I eat like a bird ) my cardiovascular system may not be as healthy as it could be. So my plan for 2009 is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. I have a treadmill and an elliptical exercise machine in my basement and miles of beautiful walkable neighborhood.

I also intend to be more involved with my blog, "Honey Sweet". I started my blog just after being diagnosed with LADA ( Type 1.5 ) in 2006. I was inspired by super start blogger with diabetes, Amy Tenderich. My goal was to journal my experiences with diabetes and I very quickly found that as a technology geek my blog entries tended toward the software and hardware aspect of the disease. Amy also mentioned a new social network for people with diabetes. On TuDiabetes.com, I discovered friendly people like Bernard and Kerri and Manny. People whom I've never met but feel a close connection to.

. So one of my intention is getting more involved with the community on TuDiabetes.com and giving back to the community that has supported me since I was diagnosed.

In 2008 I got very busy with work, family and other community projects ( I started a social network for fibromyalgia ) and my posting fell to about once per month. But now I have a shiny new toy from Apple; an iPod Touch. It's like an iPhone but without the phone and camera .. and GPS. But it does run iPhone apps. And of course I searched and found a few diabetic applications. So my near term plan is testing and reviewing diabetic applications for the iPhone/iPod Touch and other diabetic web applications.

But the big Intention for 2009, the one that will be most significant for me, is planning for this years JDRF "Walk for the Cure". When I first did that walk in 2007, I walked alone. I raised just under $1000. In 2008, I reached out to my family and we walked together, raising just over $3000 as the "Sir Lance-a-lot and the Kinghts of Pokey Land" (my son Shaan and I worked on the team name and logo). Pokey Knights is a tongue in cheek nod to my sons newest infatuation, Pokemon and the face that lancets make hole.

In 2009, we are setting a new goal. We want to include our friends, neighbors, and towns and our goal for the walk is $20,000. Doable? Absolutely! How will we do it? I have no idea. But if we set the intention the ideas and people will come. But we will do and when it comes around in October this year, I'll be in great shape to do it and I'll have something to put in that blog.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17, Post #2

2009-01-16T18:26:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17
Landileigh Nelson, Landileigh's Little World
Post # 2

In February of 2006, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a year and a half before I had diabetes. This was a progression from kidney problems that I had while pregnant in 1990. In chronic kidney disease, the kidneys don't usually fail all at once. Instead, kidney disease often progresses slowly, over a period of years. I have been hovering around the limit for Stage 4 CKD for the last 6 months.

Below shows the five stages of CKD and GFR for each stage:

Stage 1 with normal or high GFR (GFR > 90 ml/min)
Stage 2 Mild CKD (GFR = 60-89 ml/min)
Stage 3 Moderate CKD (GFR = 30-59 ml/min)
Stage 4 Severe CKD (GFR = 15-29 ml/min)
Stage 5 End Stage CKD (GFR <15 ml/min)
A person with Stage 4 CKD has advanced kidney damage with a severe decrease in the GFR to 15-30 ml/min. It is likely someone with Stage 4 CKD will need dialysis, and a kidney transplant in the near future.

As kidney function declines waste products build up in the blood causing a condition known as "uremia." In Stage 4 a person is likely to develop complications of kidney disease such as high blood pressure, anemia (a shortage of red blood cells), bone disease, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

I have all but bone disease and heart disease. I also have diabetes and sleep apnea (I use a CPAP machine). By keeping my diabetes in control, I have saved having to have dialysis later, rather than sooner. I will have to have a transplant some day, but not today. My nephrologist says probably within the next 4 years. So I have kept my A1c between 6.1 to 6.5, and hope that with my new Animas pump that I will someday soon be in the 5's!

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17, Post #1

2009-01-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 11-17
Landileigh Nelson, Landileigh's Little World
Post # 1

Recently there has been speculation about Steve Jobs’ health. A recent article presumed that he had “Type 1 – like” diabetes due to the large part of his pancreas that was removed during the surgery that he received to remove a pancreatic tumor. I wanted to set the story straight and to talk about the smallest percentage of diabetics. The OTHERS.

There are several rare causes of diabetes mellitus that do not fit into type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; attempts to classify them remain controversial, so we are called OTHERS, as in “Other Types of Diabetes”. We are not “Type 1 – like”.

The World Health Organization in 1999 reclassified and defined the types of diabetes. Their description follows for the Other Types of Diabetes: Some cases of diabetes are caused by the body’s tissue receptors not responding to insulin (even when insulin levels are normal, which is what separates it from type 2 diabetes); this form is very uncommon. Genetic mutations (autosomal ormitochondrial) can lead to defects in beta cell function. Abnormal insulin action may also have been genetically determined in some cases. Any disease that causes extensive damage to the pancreas may lead to diabetes (for example, chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis).

I had Pancreatitis due to a Bile Duct Obstruction and Chronic Kidney Disease, and now have Diabetes. I am an OTHER!. I try and explain to everyone that I come across the differences and the similarities to Type 1 Diabetes. How I got diabetes is different than most people, but my treatment is the same as a Type 1. All research towards a cure, will never cure me. My pancreas is damaged. Anywhere in between now and 4 years from now, I will have a double transplant. Pancreas and Kidney. Will it mean I will never have to inject insulin again? Possibly. Most likely.

I blog to show that there are OTHER people living with diabetes, and help everyone learn how we are dealing with this disease.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10, Post #3

2009-01-10T13:58:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10
Lee Ann Thill, The Butter Compartment
Post # 3

What Next?

I know we’re almost half-way into January already, but I never really sat down to put what my hopes and intentions for 2009 “on paper” as I had intended to do back when we were still putting away the noisemakers and sweeping the confetti from New Years Eve. I’m more of a realist than an optimist, but I have a good feeling about this coming year. 2008 marked some very positive things in my life – starting The Butter Compartment, celebrating my 30th D-anniversary, and making some wonderful new friends from the D-blogosphere . There were some significant downers though – primarily losing my job and the financial and health insurance worries that have persisted. I’m looking forward to new opportunities that will enable me to put those things behind me for good. So what’s on the horizon for 2009?

One thing that I’m really hoping to do is attend the Camp Sweeney reunion this summer. That was the diabetes summer camp I went to from age 6 to 15. It’s a very special place for me, and the friends I made there were like no others I had when I was younger. Since I’m originally from Texas, the camp is in Texas, so there are some obvious logistical issues to figure out if I’m going to be able to attend. I’m hoping I can get that stuff arranged so I can go. If so, I will of course have to pack several boxes of tissues in my suitcase though because I expect it to be a very emotional event.

There are lots of conferences and events I want to go to this year, so I have to figure out which, if any, are most feasible. Last year I attended the Behavioral Diabetes Institute’s Women of Strength Luncheon for women with T1 in San Diego, and it was fabulous. That was the first one and it’s supposed to be an annual event, so I would love to see the wonderful women I met last October as well as meet some new diabetic sisters.

I’m interested in attending the ADA Conference in New Orleans this June. When it was held in Philadelphia back in 1999 I think, I had gone, and just loved the experience. Travel costs and conference costs are always an issue though so I haven’t been able to attend any since then. I don’t know how likely I’ll get there this year, but it would be cool to go. Plus, I expect I’d see a few familiar faces. I haven’t been to New Orleans since I was 5-years old, so just getting to go there would be an awesome bonus.

Since I’m an art therapist, I’d like to go to the American Art Therapy Conference, being held in Dallas next November. I’ve been in the field since 1998, and I have yet to attend a conference – again prohibitive costs. I hear they’re wonderful and truly inspiring. The inspiration part is especially nice for mental health care providers since burn-out can be rampant. A trip to Dallas isn’t too far-fetched because I have family there so I’m pretty sure I could stay with someone there if it came down to spending as little cash as possible.

Another conference I want to go to is here in Philadelphia every year so there’s a far better chance I could attend that. It’s the annual Renfrew Conference, a conference for people who work with eating disordered patients. I’ve been to it before, met some wonderful people working in the field, and learned a lot. While I’m not currently working with ED patients, I’d like to give it a try since I think my personal experience gives me insight that would be clinically useful.

There are a few other random conferences I wouldn’t mind attending, but it would be a miracle if I got to even two of the ones I listed above since the cost of attending those things is usually anywhere from $400-$800 – and that doesn’t include travel and lodging. I’ll see what happens though.

Beyond my lofty travel plans, I will be getting my Art Therapy Registration (ATR) this year. It’s the credential of the American Art Therapy Association, and most organizations that hire art therapists require it. Not having it has been a handicap in trying to find a job, so once I have that, I expect it will open up more options for me as I continue to seek employment.

I’ve been doing some networking, calling diabetes health professionals all over the country to talk about how I want to use art therapy with diabetics. Sometimes they call me back, sometimes not, but it’s one of those things – nothing ventured, nothing gained. As one of them said, it’s a lot of lip service that a multi-disciplinary treatment team is recommended for diabetes treatment because most organizations and facilities that offer diabetes health care services don’t actually do it, especially in regard to the mental health aspect. It’s discouraging, although nothing that I didn’t already know. It’s my hope that we as patients can find a way to change this sad reality, and towards that goal, I will continue my efforts to reach out to the diabetes care community and educate anyone who will listen – or read.

I do feel like it’s my purpose to make a difference regarding the above issue, and I’m hopeful that I can continue to work toward fulfilling that purpose in the coming year. I’m only one woman and it’s a monumental task, but if I can chip away at it, I believe my efforts will have a positive impact. Overall, that’s what’s driving me these days because it’s something I believe in from the bottom of my heart. While I hope that I make progress in 2009, I also hope that this year is only the start of bigger and better things towards achieving my purpose and improving life for other 1 diabetics since it’s my belief that psychological well-being is the foundation for living well with diabetes.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10, Post #2

2009-01-07T19:31:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10
Lee Ann Thill, The Butter Compartment
Post # 2

Burden

The little incident with the paramedics over the weekend has stirred the old emotional kettle. As I tweeted yesterday (I’m trying to get on board with Twitter so hopefully I haven't slaughtered the lingo that comes with it), I’m feeling really sad about how my ‘betes affects Jason. Sad doesn’t even quite capture the feeling I’m having, but I don’t think the word I need exists, so it’ll have to do.

I’ve always felt that my diabetes was a burden to him. I have what amounts to unbearable guilt for feeling like I essentially trapped him in the 'betes abyss. I told him I was diabetic from the get-go, but I quickly knew that he didn’t understand what it meant to live with diabetes. Just like the rest of the world seems to naively perceive it, as far as he was concerned, I checked my sugar and took some insulin and that was that. When we were in the first few months of our relationship, madly in love, he never dreamed of growing old under the shadow of fear of complications, or restraining me from hurting myself as I flailed in some semi-conscious state while he waited for EMT’s to scurry up our sidewalk.

Of course, he has his faults and as is the case when people are in that stage of a relationship, we put our best foot forward, hiding the kookier personality flaws and odd habits, and in turn we overlooked each other’s short-comings. It just doesn’t seem fair that all he had to hide was a lifetime worth of Star Wars Legos and a tendency toward suppressing his feelings, when I was able to discreetly hide the true experience of living with diabetes.

No one knows what this disease is like until they have some long-term, up close and personal time with it, and since we’ve been married, the reality of it has gradually sunken in. However, until recently, the reality was more the tedium of it and the concern about the extended forecast. The immediate dangers were the stuff of fables, myths and other people I knew from the tubez, as we jokingly call the internet around here.

Then I had the glucagon-worthy hypo in October, which I could tell was unsettling to Jason. We’d been together for six years, and not once had I ever experienced such a low. I got close a couple of times, but never so bad that I couldn’t drink some juice and have some recollection of what had gone down. He had trouble digesting the reality that even though I try to do everything right, things still go terribly wrong. I had explained on several occasions how and when to use the glucagon. I’ve always taken the glucagon with us on vacation, I’ve made sure we have at least one here at home, and I’ve made sure to tell him where it is. It registered enough that when it came time to use it, he could, but it seemed like very incidental information to him as far as I could tell. Those days are over. After the October episode, for the first time he took initiative to ask me about the glucagon, reminding me to get a replacement kit. He was worried.

Immediately after the incident Sunday morning, as I was still shivering and trying to piece together what had occurred, I knew I needed to put my pump back on. Two glasses of juice, a glucagon injection and a dextrose IV were going to hit me hard. I knew his nerves were fried from having had less than two hours sleep and then dealing with me, so I tried to be gentle in convincing him that I needed to put it back on. It took some persuasion, another BG check to verify it was headed up, and a promise to turn my basal rate down for the first half hour before he reluctantly agreed so we could try salvaging at least a little more sleep. I honestly think he wanted me to just leave it off while we slept, but then of course, he would have had a completely different emergency on his hands.

Sunday, as I battled the persistent rebound high, he expressed concern several times that I would be too aggressive in bolusing that high down. Monday, I wasn’t feeling well, so I called out of work. His response? If I was going to take a nap, make sure I checked my BG first, check it often all day, and have a snack if it seemed too low. It wasn't just what he said, but the way he said it. He was afraid I’d get too low without him being here to help, and it went unsaid, but I felt like he mentally punctuated his instructions with “because I don’t want to come home and find you dead.”

It's hard to convince myself I'm not a burden when clearly my husband is feeling a heightened sense of responsibility for my life and a now vivid understanding of just how menacing and even dangerous this disease can potentially be. The joke he made in October about his cape billowing in the breeze as he saved me has persisted, giving us much needed opportunities to laugh at an otherwise unfunny event. Coincidentally, we were joking about it Saturday night when we were hanging out with our friends, just hours before the paramedics stood in our bedroom. We half laughed about how he jinxed himself by talking about it that evening, but then, with a slightly more somber tone, he said he's ready to fold up the cape and stash it away. How quickly he realized what a burden wearing it is, and how sad I was knowing that I can never reassure him he won't have to use it, and he'll always need to keep it within arm's reach.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10, Post #1

2009-01-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: January 4-10
Lee Ann Thill, The Butter Compartment
Post # 1

Exposing the Secret World of Diabetes

Just a few years ago, if someone had suggested to me that I would be writing about my life with diabetes on my own website for anyone with internet access to find and read, I would have scoffed at the absurdity of the idea. As recently as seven years ago, I could count on one hand how many people knew I had diabetes. Now it’s become too many people to count.

I used to go to pain-staking lengths to keep it from people, and when I decided I needed to let someone in on the secret, it was very difficult for me. I would experience shame and tremendous anxiety about how they might respond, imagining them viewing me and the things they had ever seen me do in an entirely new context. It didn’t necessarily mean much to people if they didn’t know anything about diabetes, but for anyone who did, the recognition that they never saw me check my BG or take insulin, and they constantly saw my erratic eating habits had the potential to inspire questions I didn’t necessarily want to answer.

Part of the problem was that I never knew how to bring it up. I remember in August 2000, I started a job in a hospital. There were opportunities early on that I could have easily disclosed the D to my co-workers, but in the midst of conversation, by the time I deliberated if I should or shouldn’t say something, the opportunity to seamlessly insert it into a discussion was gone. In time, there came a point when I wanted to say something, but I had been there so long without most people knowing that I didn’t know how to deal with the potential questions or comments about why I had waited to say something. Nor did I want to explain what I did or didn’t do to manage my diabetes, a certain outcome since most of my co-workers and friends were nurses.

So I kept it a secret, only sharing with my immediate supervisor and the department director more than a year after I had started. Not long before I left that job, I also shared the secret with a social worker with whom I had become friends and had been hanging out with outside of work. It was a lot of work to maintain that secret though. I wasn’t using a pump, I was checking my BG’s pretty regularly at work, but I tried to be discreet about it, my eating habits were poor, so I had some pretty wild BG swings, easily hovering in mild DKA when I got to work, to trying to hide a low from everyone by the time lunch rolled around on any given day.

Having lived with my diabetes like that for most of my life, coming clean about my disease from the start at my next job proved to make life much easier. I had also been very upfront about it with Jason, my husband, on our first date no less, and as I started to meet his friends, Jason or I explained to them from the start. The more open I became about it, the easier it was for me to live with diabetes, and the pieces I needed to truly accept and manage my diabetes started to fall into place. Getting my pump in 2004 sealed the deal, and since then I’ve worn my diabetes on my hip for all to see.

Of course, most people who even notice the pump assume it’s some other more commonplace gadget, so it’s not like it registers with those people that I’m diabetic. Coming from years of keeping my diabetes under lock and key to visibly wearing my diabetes to talking about it, writing about it, and trying to fold it into my career aspirations has been an almost indescribable experience for me psychologically. Sometimes, it still feels alien to me since I haven’t been open about being diabetic for all that long, relative to the almost 25 years I spent hiding it.

While my decision to blog wasn’t for the purpose of transitioning from secrecy to full disclosure, it’s obviously become a part of that process. The feedback I get about the blog from people in my real life constantly makes me pause and consider how being open has changed and informed those relationships, both new and old. That opening up and blogging has also connected me to so many people like me living with diabetes, connections that I wouldn’t otherwise have made, is also fodder for reflection. I’m sure by hiding my diabetes, I surely missed opportunities throughout my life to connect with other diabetics, and that makes me kind of sad. However, as with all the diabetes-related mistakes and bad choices I’ve made in my life, I know there’s nothing I can do about the past. The future is a different story though, so I’ll continue to be generally open about my diabetes and blog about it more specifically, and look forward to the day when keeping my diabetes under wraps is a distant memory seen through years of living honestly with diabetes and hopefully making many more friends as a result.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 28-January 3, Post #3

2009-01-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

January, I took the plunge and joined the inspiring photogs in the Diabetes365 Flickr group. Back then, I wrote: "I have no idea if I can keep up with the level of dedication that the seasoned members have exhibited, but I'm going to give it my best shot."

Over the last 366 days (leap year added the extra challenge), I've lived my life with my camera at the ready, snapping photos of everything from CGM sensors to snacks ... and the moments in between. I thought that the Diabetes 265 project would make me feel like diabetes is an overwhelming facet of my life, but instead I've seen that diabetes truly does not define any of us. We can grab pictures of our meters and our pump sites, but there's also so much LIFE going on between all these moments of diabetes management.

This is my Diabetes365, a year in my life with diabetes: inspired by you guys and captured on film.

Each photo has its own story, so if you want to see the full catalog, visit my Diabetes365 Flickr set. And for more photos from the D365 crew, check out the Flickr group.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It's going to be an incredible one.

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 28-January 3, Post #2

2009-01-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 28-January 3, Post #1

2008-12-28T19:40:00.000-05:00

(Note: The Diabetes OC comment section is not working for some reason, if you would like to send The Featured Blogger a comment please contact them directly through their own blog link. listed below.)

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 28-January 3
Kerri Morrone Sparling, Sixuntilme
Post # 1

Why I Blog

The human body is absolutely amazing in the way each organ works together with such precision, maintaining our homeostasis and keeping us kicking.

But the mind of a diabetic is pretty amazing, too. We have trained our minds to think like a pancreas. We are the people who know how many carbs are floating around in a bowl of cereal. We are the ones who can take a blood sugar number and fold it into any situation - 140 mg/dl on the soccer field means more orange slices while 140 mg/dl at the dinner table means correcting the high and navigating the meal. We are the ones who are trying to compensate for some cells that simply gave out on us. Crawling inside the thoughts of a working pancreas and trying to mimic its performance is not an easy task.

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1986, my parents and I were instructed how to inject insulin into oranges, handed a generic meal plan, and given a "Bill Nye the Science Guy" test tube set to check my urine glucose. Over the course of the last two decades, I have seen remarkable advancements in diabetes technology, from fast-acting insulins like Humalog and 5 second glucose meters to insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitoring systems.

But despite this influx of information and technology, I was still one of the only diabetics I knew, completely loved but not completely understood by my friends and family. I didn't feel sick. I felt frustrated. And alone. I have had diabetes for most of my life, so by necessity I knew the technical essentials. But where were all the people who were living with this disease, like I have been since I was small?

When I first researched diabetes on Google, the page filled with a litany of links and lists of ways I could become "complicated," urging me to take fastidious care of my feet, to schedule annual eye exams, and discussing the benefits of testing my blood sugar at least four times per day. It wasn't that this information was useless to me, but it was mostly clinical statistics and besides, who were these people writing this stuff?

At the recommendation of my now-husband, I started a blog called Six Until Me, referring to my age when the first signs of diabetes presented themselves. Six years until diabetes - six until me. How it touches every day life, from the spotty scars on my fingertips to the dots of past infusion sets on my thighs that tell a silent story.

Blogging has changed my perception of diabetes from one of loneliness to being embraced by a network of support. It's about sharing these feelings and forcing me to deal with these emotions, keeping diabetes from being an isolating force in my life. In addition, what started as a means of connecting with other diabetics ultimately grew into a terrific career as an editor and columnist at dLife, where I see daily the profound and empowering effects of a strong and empowered community.

Every day we, as people with diabetes or their caregivers, face this disease. And every day is easier knowing there are people out there who understand completely.

This is why I blog.

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 14-20, Post # 3

2008-12-20T00:09:00.000-05:00

(Note: The Diabetes OC comment section is not working for some reason, if you would like to send The Featured Blogger a comment please contact them directly through their own blog link. listed below.)

Featured Blogger of the Week: December 14-20
Amy Tenderich, DiabetesMine
Post # 3

Hope

If I’ve learned anything about living with diabetes (see my previous post here), it’s that attitude is everything.

When other people hear that I have diabetes, and they ask, “Oh, is it bad?” I can choose to get pissed off, or not. I can also start to think about it with the same negativity myself: “Yes, it is bad. It’s hugely invasive, and the statistics say there are some pretty ugly diabetes complications in my future….”

Let’s face it, I’m over 40, and I do not expect to see a cure for this illness in my lifetime. If I focus on all those things, I can get pretty darn depressed. And then it’s hard to care about whether my post-breakfast BG was in range today. It’s a viscous cycle.

For those who know my blog, clearly I am skeptical and often sarcastic about new treatments and findings. But don’t mistake my offbeat humor and my use of sarcasm as a defense mechanism for fundamental pessimism. I remain full of hope for the future, which I believe is essential for living a healthy and productive life.

I’ve known Dr. Bill Polonsky of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute for quite a while now. He’s been very inspirational, and has solidified for me the value of a can-do attitude: “The patients who do best are the optimistic ones -- not because they are by nature ‘happy,’ but because optimism is really a problem-solving approach. When a bad thing happens to an optimistic person, that person feels empowered to do something about it. Pessimists, on the other hand, do not feel empowered, and compound the problem by telling themselves: ‘this will always happen to me.’"

To my mind, a can-do attitude can only spring from the belief that things can and will get better, despite whatever setbacks may occur.

In other words, Quality of Life with Diabetes is all about your attitude. And to have a positive, can-do attitude, you have to have hope. Hope is everything.

1hope
Function: verb
1: to cherish a desire with anticipation
2: to desire with expectation of obtainment
3: to expect with confidence

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If you would like to be featured on The Diabetes OC please contact me at diabetesoc@gmail.com. Put FEATURED BLOGGER in the headline.