"Diabetesalicious Lite"- Totally Short & Some What Sweet. And Ironically - Bolus Worthy To Boot~

Happy Friday- I'M SO GLAD IT'S HERE!!!!

Today's post is totally "Diabetesalicious Lite"- totally short, some what sweet, and ironically, a bit bolus worthy too boot~ ;)

First: Please check out a post I wrote Called: "A Love Story Amongst The Islets of Langerhans" over at ACT1Diabetes. Let's just say it's a love story from a "pancre-o-logical" point of view.

ACT1Diabetes is a fantastic org for adult Type 1's and I was all types of happy when they asked me to write a post for them- take a look, I think you'll like it!!

Craving a Starbucks drink but not sure of the carb count? No worries, because it's no longer an issue.

When I stopped by my local Starbucks on Monday- I was craving a hot chocolate, BIG TIME.
But I was worried about the carb count and almost didn't order one. Then the Barrista pointed me in the direction of a handy-dandy little handout that Starbucks has at all their locations titled: Nutrition By The Cup.

It's awesome! Everything you need to know about every single solitary drink that Starbucks has to offer is in there. Including; All fat cholesterol; sodium, carb, calories, fiber, sugar, vitamin & caffeine information. I absolutely enjoyed my 2% Short Hot Chocolate & it's 26 grams of carb/chocolate goodness!

Like I said, this post is totally short and sweet - and BOLUS WORTHY!

Diabetes Expects So Much From The People Whose Lives It Infiltrates.....

"Diabetes expects so much from the people whose lives it infiltrates, regardless of the decade of diagnoses."

I tweeted that to my friend Ellen @CureT1Diabetes last night before I went to bed- and I absolutely believe it to be true.
I've seen diabetes effect every single member of my family, whether they had diabetes or not. And I know you have too.

The other day, I ran a post originally (and improperly titled) Did You (Or Did Your Parents) Take An Active Part In Your Diabetes Management.

I was at my contract job- and wrote the post between projects. The title should have read more along the lines of: Grown Up CWDs & Todays Parents of CWDs- Did You/Do Your Kids Participate In Their Diabetes Care?

I tried fitting different variations in the subject line- and all of them failed, including the one I used for the title.

But even with an iffy title, the post generated lots of discussion on my blog and a forum on ChildrenWithDiabetes.com. I WAS SO grateful to read what others have to say, and I learned so much from every single comment I read.

Many parents thought giving a cwd some responsibility (depending on their childs individual level of maturity) was good, others thought my parents were nuts. And I totally get where they're coming from, but honesty, that couldn't be further from the truth.

My parents had 6 children, and three of those children developed Type 1 diabetes.

My oldest sister who is 20 years my senior developed diabetes at the age of 12, in the early 60's. She went on to get married and have three beautiful boys, and 4.5 years ago, she became a grandmother for the first time.

My second sister (we have 4 girls in my family) was diagnosed at the age of 12 in the late 60's, and she had lots of issues- not all diabetes related. She grew up in a time when diabetes care was restrictive- and she also was a person who developed substance abuse issues as a teenager.
It was the early 70's, the country was going though lots of changes, and she was doing EVERYTHING a teen shouldn't do, let alone a teen with diabetes.

MY parents tried, but when she moved out at the age of 20, her life took a downward spiral.
She was unable to care for her diabetes on her own - and alcohol and mental issues continued to play a big part in her life.

She moved back home the summer before I entered 3rd grade, which happened to be the summer right before I was diagnosed.

She died from diabetes complications in January of 1991- she was in her early 30's. I was in my early 20's. My mother missed her funeral because she worked so hard caring for my sister, that her heart went into Arrhythmia 4 days before my sister died. She was in the hospital for a month- and we couldn't tell her my sister had died. My dad never got over it.

When I was diagnosed in October of 1977, my parents were devastated, and the worked round the clock to care for both my sister and I.

I think one of the reasons my parents allowed me to actively participate in my own diabetes experience was because they saw how incapable my sister was of handling her diabetes when she moved out. I think I also saw how incapable my sister was and was determined not to make her mistakes.

I was a kid. I played pretend, took Tapdancing and Jazz lessons, played Barbies, and climbed trees. I wasn't calling my endo with my number, or planning out meals. But I was able to feel like I was helping - and that made me feel confident regarding my diabetes.

Bottom line, my parents worried, they watched me like a hawk, put their own health in jeopardy to make sure mine was OK. Mistakes were made on both our parts, but they did their best.

Today- diabetes management is SO DIFFERENT. Nothing is off limits, glucose monitors take all of 5 seconds to work and insulin pumps have made all our lives either.

Today, Endo's; parents, and PWDs are so much more informed and educated. Today both parents, PWds & CWDs have a voice. SO WONDERFUL!

And today, just like years ago, parents of CWDs work incredibly hard to take care of their children 24 X 7. AND IT NEVER ENDS FOR THEM - Even when we grow up and leave the nest- they still worry 24 X7 about us!

With that being said, I've decided to repost (again) one of my favorite Letters to Diabetes ever. I wrote and originally posted this Thank- you to my parents- and every parent of a CWD out there on 3/28/2010.

Thanks to all the parents of CWDs, from the bottom of my imperfect pancreas!

Dear Mom and Dad -

I don't think I ever said it before, but THANK- YOU so much for taking care of me;

Debbie, and Donna.

God give you 6 kids and 3 girls with Type 1 Diabetes- I don't know how you did it.

How did you take care of us all those years ago, before the technology and research?

Before the open forum of communication on the net and the freedom of carb counting and insulin pumps?

Back in the days when urine testing required fizzy pills and glass tubes, a clumsy and and inaccurate way that was used to measure our sugars way back when...

Until Blood Sugar machines the size & weight of a brick came about.

These antiquated "machines" took 5 minutes to calibrate and another 5 minutes to measure your sugar.

They were far from portable, required metal lancets that hurt like a bitch, and God only knows how accurate they really were.

They were also VERY expensive.

You bought one with money that we didn't have so that we could gain control. Instead of thanking you, I bitched about it.

I wanted to be NORMAL & fought you tooth and nail. I'm sorry.

I don't ever remember you crying when I was diagnosed.

I know you did, but you kept your tears behind closed doors and in the dark.

You always entered my hospital room with a smiling face and a bunch of new "Romona" books for me to read.

I just did the Diabetes math. I was 8 at my diagnoses, Donna & Debbie we're both 12.

Donna is 20 years older than me and Debbie was 14 years older.

So, if I've got the math down correctly, 1st came Donna at the age of 12.

When she was 18, Debbie was diagnosed at the age of 12.

Which means you had 6 years before 1 Diabetic daughter became 2.

You had 10 years before 2 Diabetic daughters became 3.

Donna had married and moved out four years earlier by the time of my diagnoses.

Your daily diabetes family life was just getting easier when I joined the Club of D.

It must have been so hard for you to handle...And even harder for you to hear.

Mom and Dad, I'm so sorry that my diagnoses hurt you, and for what all our combined diabetes has put you both through.

You never let us feel sorry for ourselves. I never grew up with a hatred of diabetes.

Though deep in my heart, I hated what it did to you.

I think it really helped when dad sat me down long ago in my hospital room and said; "Kelly it is what it is, do what you have to." And I did.

Daddy knew from experience, because he was a T1 as well.Mom, you posted the ADA diet on our kitchen wall, right behind my seat at the kitchen table.

You measures portions fanatically, right down to the grape.

You'd dole out 12 grapes for my snack & I'd give them back and say in a venomous Tone:

"Keep Em! Who can eat 12 grapes?!"

But u were just doing your job and never wavered.

I never experienced chicken with the skin on it until I was 21,

and to this day, have never had a class of OJ that was more than 1/4 of a cup.

I don't even drink juice anymore..

Dad, you body surfed and swam in the ocean every summer, and you shared your love of all water sports with me.

Together we became part of the waves, while maintaining good numbers.

You rode your bike every morning, and when you passed by my bus stop Freshman year, I was embarrassed instead of proud.

I'd give anything to see you peddle your bike one more time. I'm sorry.

You and mom took long walks every evening with the dog and you always said exercise was the key.

You were meticulous, bordering on the insane, about what you put in your body.

A militant soldier when it came to food.

Only skim milk, fruit, and eating only whole grain bread before it became the rage.

While I longed for "Wonder Bread," you put the kibosh white bread of any kind.

I thought you were mean, but you were smart because you still let us enjoy ice cream.

Diabetes took so much from you both, most namely your daughter Debbie.

Daddy, you never recovered from her loss. Every time you spoke of her death, I heard sadness and anger all mixed together.

It broke a part of you that all my jokes couldn't fix.

Mom, you cared for her (for all of us,) with such gusto that you're heart literally started to skip beats.

The scariest moment of my life was when you and Debbie were both in separate hospitals.

I came home from school to an answering machine full of voice mail that told me nothing and everything.

I knew one of you had gone to heaven. I was so scared it was you.

I felt so guilty (yet relieved, because I still had a mom) when I heard it was her.

What got me thinking about what you both did for me?

All the parents of Diabetics kids whose blogs I read.

I hear what they go through everyday and I immediately think of you both.

They tell me what you wouldn't.Parents of diabetics are a different breed entirely.

They are strong, keeping a smile on their face when they take care of their kids, even when they feel like crying out in pain.

These parents have the strength to say "no" to their kids, even when every fiber of their soul wants to say yes to them.

Strong enough to take their kids blood in the middle of the night, insert infusion sets that make their babies cry,

give-up gluten with a smile that never seems forced, and count carbs until it becomes second nature to everyone in the family.

These moms and dads have the fortitude to let their diabetic children grow to become independent young adults.

Even when they know that independence means that their kids will make conscience mistakes in order to fit in.Diabetic parents hate the disease, but are strong enough to not let their kids hate it.

Because if they did, their children would never learn to accept and love themselves.

To every parent in D-blog land, THANK-YOU.

I know when your kids are old enough, they will tell you themselves, and they will have meant from the bottom of their hearts.

To my parents, THANK YOU.

I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't worked so hard to keep me healthy.

You taught me to pick myself up by my bootstraps and move forward.

I hope I'm making you proud.

Love You Both!

Kelly#6

Last Chance to Get A Free Glaucoma Screening If You Don't Have Insurance

Apparently, January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, WHO KNEW? In honor of that fact, Eye Care America (Otherwise known as the American Academy of Ophthalmology) is offering free Glaucoma Screenings for people without insurance until the end of January.

I've tweeted about this over the month, as have many others- and some have mentioned it in blog posts. Now, I'm putting up a post in a last ditch effort for you to get your eyes screened!

So, let's just say you've been putting off an eye exam for the past 365 days because you don't have insurance, your too busy or scared, and the economy has had you cut back in areas you shouldn't. No judging friends- but here's your opportunity to get screened for Glaucoma and ease your mind in the process.

Your vision is irreplaceable, so please get screened.

Click HERE to read all about it!

Click HERE to watch a video on the subject~

Grown Up CWDs & Todays Parents of CWDs- Did You/Do Your Kids Participate In Their Diabetes Care?

In the title, "Did You" refers to adult t1's who were diagnosed as children. I think there was some confusion with the title.

When I was a little girl and was first diagnosed with Diabetes, my parents MADE me take ownership and take an active role in my diabetes- whether I wanted to or not.

Looking back, I'm so glad they did- it helped me to become more independent and accepting of life with diabetes...for the most part. I believe they give me enough rope so that I had a long tether, but not enough rope so that I wouldn't jet too far off course...for the most part.

When I first came home from the hospital, I was afraid to give myself shots and my parents got that - I was 8, and I was afraid of needles. So my job was to roll the insulin bottles in my hands so the both the Regular and NPH would warm up a bit and the NPH would mix properly.

I was also allowed to fill my syringe, (under their hawk eye like watch) just like I had learned in the hospital. I think that was a good thing because they really didn't want me to forget what the CDE's had taught me while I was admitted. I'd spent 3 weeks injecting saline into an orange at Children' Hospital in Philadelphia. FYI - I was not supposed to be discharged until I could give myself a shot - which I couldn't bring myself to do.

Anyway, my parents would watch as I plunged a syringe full of air into the bottle, and looked on as I tapped any air bubbles out. Then they would give me my shot.

It took me about 3 months before I could actually inject on my own, but when I was finally able to take the plunge (total pun intended) I felt extremely proud and grown up. I also realized it didn't hurt as much when I gave myself the shot because the fear factor was gone. And because I could inject on my own, sleepovers became possible.


Since it was the time known as the diabetes dark ages, we tested for sugar in the urine, not sugar in the blood - and my parents set up the Diabetes Chemistry Pee Set in their bathroom.
Looking back, the fact that it was in their bathroom was a huge deal, being that they had six kids, mom and dad's bathroom was their own personal oasis from the chaos of a big family.
Of course my dad was testing his urine as well, so maybe it made sense.

Any who, I felt like a bona fide chemist as I took the dropper and added 5 drops of water to three drops of pee (or was it the other way around?) and added the fizzy blue Clinitest tablet (which resembled a Sweet Tart) and wait for the results. The glass test tube would get super hot, and I burned my fingers more than once.

I distinctly remember bringing my friend Theresa home for lunch one day a few months after I was diagnosed (back then, my grade school allowed kids to go home for lunch ,) and she watched amazed as the test tube boiled and bubbled. She was stupefied at my scientific skills regarding "the betes." I felt so proud and worldly!

Now as I got older, I wasn't always so proud of my numbers, I was down right ashamed. And ever the people pleaser, I started to fib regarding my urine readings - AND I GOT CAUGHT - by both my Endo and my parents.

I wish that the whole "No number's a bad number, one number at a time" philosophy had come into play- but it hadn't. I felt bad enough that I was a child with diabetes who caused her parents grief and money we didn't have. The sadness and worry on my parents face made me feel awful.

My family was on diabetes overload and the stress amp was turned up to 11.

I wish I'd been more honest with my mom and dad. But I also wish my parents wouldn't have been so visibly shaken every single time a number went north. They were overwhelmed and scared, especially since my older sister had so many diabetes complications, and those feelings manifested themselves in anger ( real and perceived) at times.

Kids are sensitive , and kids are smart enough to see when and why a parent gets upset and try to avoid the situation at all costs. In my case, I lied.

We got through it as a family, but I wish we had ALL handled the issue differently.

Something really great my mother did do was have me read the exchange list to her as we prepped for meal time. Not every meal time mind you, but if I happened to be hanging out in the kitchen at the time, I'd look at the Food Exchange poster (YES, poster) in the kitchen and read the exchanges for the meal. I felt like I had a say (like did I want to choose the potato or bread for my starch?) and some control regarding life with my diabetes. It also helped me learn the exchange list!

So I'm curious - If your a PWD who was diagnosed as a child/teen, what did your parents to help you take ownership of life with "the betes?"

If your a parent of a PWD, what steps have you taken to encourage your child with diabetes to participate and take an active role their diabetes?

Getting Unstuck From The Wall of Overwhelming Shit

After the whole eye one in a million thing happened, I have to be completely honest with you. I handled and accepted it, and was grateful that it had nothing to do with diabetes.

And then...I hit a wall emotionally. Like I totally backed up the car that was my life, and rammed into a wall of… well I’m not sure what the wall was made of. Maybe it was a wall of shock, but it felt like a wall of shit. I believe it was more like a wall of shit created by being completely overwhelmed with life.

It started with not being able to sleep at night. Partly because whenever I closed my eyes in the dark, I’d see (and still do) a really trippy black w/a green glowing aura underneath my eyelids. It’s a really good thing green is my favorite color, because now I see it for about 10 minutes whenever I close my eyes to go to sleep.

My Docs can’t explain the green aura and told me that it’s most likely a side affect of my photo transmitters no longer working properly &being all screwed up. They really can’t tell me much. Like why my right eye is constantly tired at the end of the day and starts to tear, or why whenever I wake up in the morning, my right eye feels like the Sahara, or why I felt pressure from the blood clot, and when and if it would ever disappear.

And between you and me, I also wasn’t sleeping because I was so afraid of what I’d see (or wouldn’t) when I woke up. I’d lie in bed at night, covering my good eye with one hand and trying to see the other in the dark with my bad eye. When I finally fell asleep, it was restless, dreamless sleep.

In the morning I’d wake up afraid to open my eyes, and praying that my left eye was fine. I was tired and completely spent. Honestly, thank GOd I wasn't flying the space shuttle for NASA, because at the point & time, I was COMPLETELY lost in space.

Work remained unfinished, contracts remained unsigned, and I remained frozen in my tracks from the sheer weight of feeling overwhelmed.

I had something like 10 doctors appointments and 6 different procedures in a 3-week time frame. All showed that I was perfectly normal - but I sure didn’t feel it.

It was totally weird because I accepted the eye part for what it was, and was so thankful for what it wasn't. And some stuff went back to normal pretty quickly.

I was cracking jokes and going with the flow, but then I’d cry at my two-week and 4 weeks follow up visits to my ophthalmologist. Partly because he’d say there was no change, but mostly because my Dr felt so bad he could barely look at me in my good eye. At my 6 week follow up last week, he was finally able to look at me, grab my arm and have a heart to heart without looking sad - and that made me SO GLAD.

Other people’s reactions became my emotional litmus, if they looked or felt sad about it, nine times out of ten, I’d make them laugh and be positive. It was the tenth time out of ten that would throw me for a sadness filled loop. At a Christmas party, my friend Bob came up to me and b\put his arm around me and stood there for a few minutes, just holding on to me tight and not saying a word.

We’d been friends for years and years. Bob’s a quiet guy who went to school with my sister. Normally, he always makes me laugh laugh out loud. But when he looked at me and said: I heard about your eye Kel, I’m so sorry. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and his eyes looked like his heart was about to break - and I felt so bad for him.

I could feel my face get red and my eyes start to tear up. I shrugged my shoulders and struggled to get the words out: What can you do? We have to move forward.“ I said with a huge lump in my throat. And even though I absolutely believed in those words 100%, I could hardly keep back my tears.

When one of my closest friends mother (who is I also consider a dear friend) saw me and tried her best to be positive and supportive, she started to cry, and so did I.

When my own mother said, and this is a direct quote: Kelly: I'd like to donate my eye to you- i don't need it, and I really want you to have it. It's the exact same color- it'll be a perfect match. The lump in my throat returned, but I was able to crack a joke.

Instead of crying I told her: Thanks mom, but I want you to keep it. Leave it to me in your will, because If you give it to me now, it's just going to cause all sorts of crap with the siblings! I can see it now- "And mom gave you her eye, your so spoiled!" Afterwards, I went to the bathroom, and had a good cry.

Tears happen no matter how much we accept something.

Then on December 24th, my insurance company sent me a letter telling me that I HAD to switch to a different policy- one that was twice as much per month as the one I pay for now. I freaked! Not only did I freak, I was mad. Mad that I’d had $15,000 worth of tests that had nothing to do with diabetes, and all this tests said I was 100% fine. I was a 1 in a million woman and now I had to pay through the nose becuase of it!

My heart and brain was deemed in fine working order- which is freaking fantastic and should have been a joyous moment in my life. My insurance company should have thrown me a ticker tape parade down Broadway! Instead, they were kicking me in the ass!

Top that off with actually trying to get a hold of an insurance rep on December 27^th, which is effing impossible because all the reps are courting their big clients working on open enrollment be for December 31st. Basically, you have a better chance of seeing God on a cloudy day.

All I wanted to do was hide under the covers and did the day-to-day bare minimum.

I was tired of tackling the hard stuff in life, I was tired of feeling broke and broken – I wanted to coast.

A few days ago I got another letter from the insurance company, and yet another bill, and I got sad again. I mentioned insurance companies and karma in a tweet and received some wonderful DM's from many awesome friends. Those DM's made me feel much better.

And then, something miraculous happened. I got my ass in gear. I started making calls, catching up on paper work, and plowing past the shit.

I got unstuck.

Life can throw us manure curve balls during a shit storm and cause us to bang smack dab into a wall of crap and get stuck there.

You can either stay stuck in the shit forever, OR you can get unstuck, back up from the wall of overwhelming,take those crap balls and the manure from the shit storm & have a hell of a garden. I mean an award winning garden, like the kind that stops people in their tracks because it’s so fan fucking fantastic and awe inspiring.

It's taken some time, but I've finally extracted and unstuck myself from the shit and the crappy way it’s made me feel, and I’m moving forward and moving on.

Is it hard? Yes. Do I feel have moments of feeling overwhelmed? YES. But it feels SO GOOD to not be stuck in the overwhelming moments all the time.

Why am I telling you this? I'm not really sure, except that your my friends, I love you, and I just thought I’d share.

Whirlwind Weekend With Friends/CRUMBS/& Cure Thrift Shop

Chicklets @ Cure Thrift

This past weekend I spent a whirlwind, short (as in way to short) visit to NYC.

I arrived Saturday close to 1pm managed to spend 26 hrs visiting one of my oldest friends (and Jr Prom Date) Markie Mark. After a crazy 6 weeks regarding the whole 1 in a million thing ;) I needed a weekend to let off some steam and LAUGH !

And laugh we did- we had a blast! We had lunch ( and more than one of us was incredibly silly) walked around, played catch -up, stopped by CRUMBS Cupcakes and indulged. I highly recommend the Vanilla Coconut cupcake- OUTSTANDING & BOLUS WORTHY! Later that evening, we had dinner and cocktails and laughed until we cried!

Sunday morning (which was way to rainy and cold) I was able to meet up with my niece Cristin and have brunch. She's an adult now, and I consider her my first baby and close friend. Time with her means the world to me!

Mark met us afterwards and we stopped by Cure Thrift Shop , which benefits the Diabetes Research Institute. I'd been trying to visit FOREVER and I finally had my chance to take it all in!

The shop is located at 111 East 12th Street, between 3rd and 4th Ave.

It's an AMAZING thrift shop with fantastical one of a kind items at great prices!

All proceeds go to the DRI (Diabetes Research Institute) whose goal is to find the cure for Diabetes! I attended their 2008 Diabetes 2.0 Conference in NYC and learned first hand about the incredible research they do!

Cure Thrift also hosts Support Groups for those of us with the Big D. The next one is tomorrow night at 7:30, and is sponsored by ACT1Diabetes. An excellent organization for adults with Type 1.For more info about ACT1 & tomorrows meeting,click HERE !

All in all, it was a very short and incredibly packed, wonderful weekend!!

Dear Doctors Banting & Best

Dear Doctors Banting & Best.

I just wanted to take a moment to Thank-You for giving me the gift of LIVING.

Because of you and your efforts, I've lived past the age of 8.

Instead of being yet another sad memory for parents who lost their child to an illness that offered no hope, I became a girl who not only lived, but grew up to be a woman who is becoming.

Because of your diligence and hard work, I had many firsts.

My first kiss

My first love

My first heartbreak

Too many firsts to list without leaving so much out.

Because of the gift of your discovery, I was able to live and learn and continue to do so everyday.

I became an Auntie multiple times and learned to love others more than myself.

I attended and graduated college.

I traveled to Europe and saw the wonders of Venice and Paris.

Because of you I was able to discover that I loved books, performing, writing, helping others with manage their life with diabetes, and every shade of the color green.

I’ve swum with manatees, and I've climbed the Mexican pyramids on the longest day of the year.

I've worked at jobs I've loved, and I've worked in jobs I haven't.

I was able to see my niece perform on Broadway and cried tears of joy and pride.

And was incredibly grateful and proud.

If you never discovered insulin, I never would have met her, let alone watched her shine on “The Great White Way.”

I've been granted the gift of 12 wonderful nephews and nieces and have been know the joy of seeing each of them grow and become the wonderful & individual pieces of art they are.

If you hadn’t had your own burning passion to save those of us with diabetes,

I never would have been able to discover my own passions.

I never would have lived, let alone blogged.

I wouldn't have a job helping others with Diabetes.

By your discovery of insulin, I was able to learn what I don’t like - which is also a great gift.

Reaching adulthood has taught me that I’m no fan of FOX News or MTV’s The Jersey Shore.

And that I prefer wine over beer, V-Necks over Crew Necks, and my GPS over a map any day of the week!

Because insulin was discovered, my father was able to have children, and my siblings and I were not only conceived, but saved by your discovery - THANK YOU.

Thank you for not allowing my parents to lose three children and a grandson.

Thank you for giving my oldest sister the gift of motherhood 3 times over.

Thank you for allowing my nephew to graduate Berkley with honors and become a Professor of Literature.

Thank you for allowing both my Aunts and one of my first cousins to become mothers.

Thank you for giving every single one of my friends with diabetes the gift of living life and every single person with diabetes the opportunity to do so!

Thank you for my gifts of strength, tenacity,humor and empathy. I strongly believe those traits were greatly enhanced by being a person who lives her life every single day with diabetes.

Sometimes I think in the bustle of life and looking for the cure, we forget that it wasn’t until 1922 that children and adults no longer died when being diagnosed with diabetes.

Up until then, diabetes was a death sentence.

Today diabetes a life sentence- and by “life sentence” I mean the ability to live life to the fullest EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I will admit, there are times in my life when I haven’t taken advantage of the act of living fully.

But now, I relish every moment big and small.

Little moments have just as much meaning as big ones – because I am here to experience them.

Do I want a cure in my lifetime? ABSOLUTELY!

I don’t want anyone else to be diagnosed with my disease. I don’t want another person to suffer mentally or physically because diabetes has entered their lives.

I am ready to say GOODBYE to Diabetes for good!

BUT I am so grateful for the gift of living that was given to me because of you both and

I love you without every having had the privilege of meeting you.

I think of you both everyday- and I say a prayer of thanks.

I want to live my best life not just for me and those I love, but for you.

Your the reason I'm alive.

To not live a great life would be a disservice to me AND you!

I will continue“becoming" and, not just for myself, but because really, who am not to?

I am the girl who lived and is now a woman who IS....and is BECOMING.

And I owe the fact that I am living to you both!

THANK YOU.

Kelly K

This letter was inspired by Drs' Banting & Best. They saved millions of lives and with out them, none of us would be here. Click HERE to read more about them.

But this letter was also inspired by a truly wonderful blog post written by Natural Born Cyborg that you MUST READ. Click HERE and check it out!

Diabetesaliciousness Inbox & Endo Appt~

So lots of emails in the Diabetesaliciousness in-box as of late - all important stuff!

We all know about the horrific earthquake in Haiti, but did you know that there are close to 313,000 Haitians with diabetes? Right now, those PWDs (people with Diabetes) need our prayers, and our help!
You can help by simply clicking on the link to Insulin For Life, http://www.insulinforlife.org/ and make a donation via Pay Pal. All monies raised go directly to cover shipping costs for donated supplies. Manny over at tudiabetes writes about it here.

Zip The Cure: Others bloggers have already written about Monica Oxenreiter, a 15 yr old PWD who's come up with a fantastic idea to raise money for JDRF. Basically, she's looking for volunteers to choose their zipcode and raise $100 for their cure in their zipcode. The money raised for JDRF could be 4.2 million dollars! To learn more about how you can be part of ZipTheCure, click HERE.

My friend Wil Dubois from LifeAfterDX, is writing another book, this time it's a manual geared towards Type 3's!
In case your wondering, T3's are folks who love people with diabetes, and Wil is looking for people with diabetes input.
PWDs, what do you wish your type 3's would do (or wouldn't do) regarding your life with diabetes? Do the words "Are you allowed to eat that?" ring a bell?

T3's, what do you wish you'd known at the time of your t1 or t2's diagnoses?
Email Wil and let him know your thoughts! riosdad@plateautel.net

For those of you in NYC this weekend, why not spend your consumer dollars over at CURE THRIFT ? This weekend is all about BAGS, as in HANDBAGS! Ladies, need I write more?
All money raised goes towards finding a cure. Click HERE to read about CureThrift & the Handbag Extravaganza!

The VERY FIRST EVER Weekend for Women Conference hosted by DiabetesSisters and TCOYD will take place on May 22-23, 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina immediately following the Raleigh Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) Conference!

Sounds like an awesome weekend and I really hope I can attend because how many times do we as women with diabetes get to attend a conference for women with diabetes, hosted by women with diabetes, all about women with diabetes?

Stay tuned as I will be writing about the conference in greater detail in the the next few weeks.

Finally, yesterday I had my Endo appt and it went great.....for the most part. My labs were excellent- totally stellar. Kidneys were awesome, as was my cholesterol's, thyroid, blood pressure, etc! BUT, my a1c was 7.1 .
Initially I was upset because my last a1c had been 6.7. BUT my Endo was positively tickled with the results! "Kelly, you've been under a tremendous amount of stress the past 6 weeks- I fully expected your a1c to be in the mid 8's with all the stress you've been under- CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK- I'm very pleased!"

So I am taking Dr J's advice and not stressing about the 7.1 - no way no how! and YAY FOR ME!

Off To The Endo!

I'm off to my 3-month Endo appointment today. I'm hoping for good numbers and great results!

If it's been over three months since your last Endo appointment - I won't guilt you - that's not how I fly.

BUT, (and there's always a but,) I will say please pick up the phone and schedule yours today!

Your TOTALLY worth it and knowledge is indeed power!

On a personal note, I used way to many exclamation points in this post!!

Diabetic @ The Disco

http://www.plaidstallions.com/ has "Old- film looked" the clip and the fromage factor is high, but can you spot the Diabetic at the Disco?

Blood Work Day & DAMN YOU BEET SALAD!

I woke up woke up this morning (slightly later than usual- since I had to forgo coffee & food)

jumped in the shower, got dressed, blow dried my hair, put my make up on, grabbed my stuff,

and ran out the door.

Today was blood work day, and I needed to get there ASAP.

Ahhhh, blood work day, how I dread you!

I walked in the lab at 8 am and the place was packed! I was not pleased.

The lab didn’t even open until 8am, so why was I number 12?

I took a seat, grabbed a magazine, and tried to relax.

I tried to read an article in one of last months People Mags, but I just sat there and looked at the pics.

I was coffee and food deprived, anxious, and worried.

Worried I’d be late for work, worried about what my lab results would show,

and worried about life in general.

I’m not so calm and composed when it comes to tests.

Give me a bitch whose ready to pick a fight with me in a locker room and I’m cool as a cucumber. Verbally, I will carve her a new one no problem!

but sitting in the lab, waiting to get my blood taken throws me

in all types of loops!

What if my A1C, Kidney, & cholesterol numbers were high?

What if the tests pointed towards something scary? I’m so over scary.

I’m so over tests and Doctor’s appointments.

The past 6 weeks I’ve had more than my fill.

Tomorrow is another eye appointment and Thursday is my Endo visit.

Grab a fork and stick it in me, because this bird is done!

I told myself to shake it off and get a grip.

I tweeted about sitting in the waiting room, sans caffeine and day dreamed of coffee,

until I could actually see it in my head.

A piping hot Starbucks with cream and sugar…. and this particular cup of coffee

had numbers like 6.4, 6.6, and 6.7 dancing around it.

My A1C goals had infiltrated my coffee fantasy.

When they called number 7, I snapped back to reality.

It was 8:10. Numbers 8 and 9 were called.

I decided to take my blood sugar- it was 105. I was pleased for several reasons.

1. 105 is bearable when one is fasting for blood work.

2. I’d eaten out last night and my bedtime bg was 240. Apparently,

I didn’t bolus for my Large beet/arugala/gorganzola salad and

stuffed mushrooms with crabs correctly.

My pump told me to do a bolus correction of 2.4 units.

But it was 11pm and I had to fast after midnight- I didn’t want to wake up to low,

so I only bolused 2 units.

AND I MY BG WAS 105

NOte to Self: YOU ROCK

Number 10 was called at 8:14

Number 11 was called at 8:20.

I put my iphone away, grabbed my RX and insurance card and stood up.

I watched the clock slowly tick. 8:21, 8:22, 8:23, 8:24…NUMBER 12

Me: “Right here,” I practically screamed and ran in.

The "Blood Women" were not moving fast- didn’t they know I hadn’t had coffee

and needed to be at work by 9 am?

They took FOREVER to type my info into the computer- It was excruciating to wait, so

I decided to help them along.

Me: Can I pee while your filling out the paperwork, because I really have to get going.

They agreed, and I took the plastic cup and ran to the rest room, and…couldn’t go.

I was more than miffed! I downed 20 ounces of water before I walked in the waiting

room and now I couldn’t go! WTF?

Finally, (and after what seemed like an eternity) I went – but not much,

and it was dark- which freaked me out all over again.

When I returned to the blood workroom I looked at the Blood Ladies and said:

Why is this SO dark? What’s wrong with me?

They told me to calm down, that it could be all sorts of things and none of them bad.

Then they told me to relax, but I couldn’t.

On a positive note, the "Blood Woman"number 1 was able to extract my blood on

the first try and I hardly felt it.

I thanked the "Blood Women" and dashed off to my car.

It was 8:45 and I had 15 minutes to go to Starbucks and get to work.

On my way there I drove myself crazy by trying to remember what hue

my last urine sample was. I couldn’t remember to save my life.

I am like a hamster on a perpetual spinning wheel - and I'm ready to hit the breaks!

Now I wait until Thursday for this set of test results.

Tomorrow my eyes will be dilated for the 5th time in 6 weeks.

I have another eye appointment in February.

But before that, I’m going to Florida - I need a vacation!

Heeeeeyyyyyyy, I just thought of this,don't beets make your urine all funky colored?

The Beet Salad is to blame!

All this worrying because of the damn Beet Salad.

Curse you Beet Salad!

How dare you worry me and freak me out! You weren’t even that tasty!

Next time I’m ordering the House Salad because YOU SUCK.

BUT I'm still going to Florida -Because it's pretty obvious after this post that I need to get away~

After all, I'd just flipped my"Bitch Switch" on a freaking Beet Salad!