The Number One Lesson Learned In 2011 I'm Bringing With Me Into 2012 Is....

I originally thought this post would be about the Diabetesaliciousness year in review. But as I sat down to write this post, all I kept thinking about the life lessons I learned in 2011.
And for some reason the word strength and what that word means kept coming to mind.
Having strength and being strong is much more than being able to lift heavy things with ease.
Strength is about being able to handle life's burdens while not letting those burdens become an anchor around your neck, heart and spirit.
In 2011 I learned that that no matter what happens in life, I am capable of forging ahead and being strong - even during those times in August and September (and now) when I felt and feel like "the girl with the weight of the word in her hands. "
I was reminded daily that advocating for others allowed me to become stronger than I originally thought and that by developing my diabetes voice for others, it helped (and continues to do so every day) me develop my own voice - Diabetes and otherwise.
2011 reinforced the fact that little things aren't worth arguing about with people that you love because life is too short when it comes to getting the last word over things that don't matter.

This year reminded me that there is strength in numbers and that little ripples make big waves.

And finally, I learned that you can suffer a loss that weighs so heavily on your heart that you don't know how you're physically and mentally going to get through it. But I learned that you do, because you have the help and support of wonderful friends and the memory of an amazing mother who I do my absolute best to honor every day.
I owe both the Diabetes On-line Community and my mother a big THANK YOU for giving me that strength - So THANKS loved ones, I wouldn't have my strength without you!

Strength in massive doses is what I'm taking with me into 2012 and I'm incredibly grateful to have it.
And when I think my strength reserve is low, I'll remind myself of the lessons 2011 taught to me by the people I love.

What lesson(s) learned in 2011 are you taking with you into 2012?

Wordless Wednesday: I Saw This & Immediately Wondered If I'd Remembered To Bring Spare Batteries For My Insulin Pump ~

The Energizer Bunny Spotted in NYC.

I Saw the bunny & immediately thought: Did I remember to bring spare batteries for my insulin pump? 
Also, diabetes personified as the Energizer Bunny - It keeps going...and going... and going!

End of Year Prescriptions Reminder~

With New Year's Eve just a few days away, here's your Diabetesalicious reminder to get all of your end of year prescriptions filled before you kickoff your New Year's celebrations/ resolutions, etc.

2012 deductibles start on January 1 and as you all know,many deductibles for those living with a pre-existing condition are ridiculously high!

Call your pharmacy and get your refills, NOW!!!

Christmas Infiltration

Whether your "into Christmas" or not,

May your "Christmas Infiltration"/holiday season be filled with lots of love, laughter and everything else in between!!!

Living With Diabetes Is A Circus ~

I originally wrote this post on April 10th 2008 after having a conversation about what living with diabetes was really like. Not to mention the fact that when I was little I always wanted to be the girl in the Circus who stood atop the horses twirling and riding around the ring. I also wanted to be the lady swinging across the Big Top on the flying trapeze and walking across the tightrope with a parasol in hand. After 30+ years of living this diabetes life, it looks like I got my wish re: the tightrope!

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After my last post where I blamed Scotty J for my wild blood sugar ride, BetterCell and I had a dialogue and we both came to the exact same conclusion in the reader comments sectionof said post.

We both feel that Living with Diabetes is like living life under the big top. It's a balancing act, a 3 Ring Circus whose acts continue to change, amaze, and challenge us on a daily basis.

With that being said; yours truly began to imagine the following D-Circus Maximus in vivid detail.

Imagine if you will, a pancreas shaped tent where the Greatest Show on earth, "The Balancing Act of A Diabetic's Life" takes place. listen as the Ring Master explains my act with "Candy Girl" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" alternately accompanying the various diabetic feats.

IT'S SHOWTIME!
(and for the sake of time & space continuum in d-blogville, it's is a one-woman show)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Diabetes Circus Balancing Act of a Diabetics Life, Proudly Presents,

The Amazing Miss Kelly K, T1 for 30 years and and LIVING a KICK-ASS LIFE!

Watch as she CONSTANTLY jumps through Rings of Fire to OWN her Blood Sugars on a daily basis!

See her bravely (Stupidly?) pricking her finger with just a single lancet-sans Pen, & checks her blood sugar. Watch in AMAZEMENT as she CALCULATES DIABETES MATH, counts her carbs, takes her blood sugar, and correctly boluses for every meal she eats!

Pulling it all together to reach BLOOD SUGAR NIRVANA!

OBSERVE as she CORRECTLY ESTIMATES how many carbs in a 1/2 cup serving of Ben and Jerry's Vanilla ice cream ( 18grams,) a small apple ( 15 grams - 4 grams of fiber = 11 grams,) and a 1 Cup serving of Lowfat Silk Vanilla Soy milk (10grams -1 gram of fiber = 9grams of carb)

Watch in ASTONISHMENT as she PRECISELY identifies which spinning plate has the correct two ounce service of cooked pasta !!!!! A tricky feat that could screw up Blood Sugar Nirvana in an instant if not properly identified and bolused for.

Prepare to be DUMBFOUNDED by her DEXTERITY as she & her pump tubing DEFY & DANCE around DOORKNOBS, EDGES and LEDGES - Most of the time.

Be AMAZED as she not only changes her infusion set in the blink of an eye, but rotates the location as well. ALL IN UNDER 30 SECONDS. Now you see it, now you don't!

Watch her as she NAVIGATES on the Tightrope of life, handling a low blood sugar at work and still maintains her dignity.

Listen and learn as she CONTINUALLY EDUCATES herself on all the latest and greatest Diabetes breakthroughs, studies, and technical accouterments that hit the Diabetes market on a daily basis.

Join her as she WORKS IT ALL OUT, before her actual workout.
Taking her blood sugar; figuring out her temporary basal rate, and MAGICALLY concealing a Lara Bar; B.S. machine, emergency $5, and house keys on her person - And still manages not to look like a bag lady.

Listen in AWE as she handles PEOPLES STUPID QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS regarding diabetes & Take bets on whether or not she will keep calm and educate the person on the difference between t1 and t2, or if she'll loose her cool entirely and verbally annihilates them with her sardonic wit. "

It's a job, it's an adventure, it's a pain in the ass, and it is OUR life.

Wordless Wednesday: Behold The Power Of Shoes ~

Ahhhh, the wonders of Christmas & the exact moment that the magic of the black patent leather Mary Janes first caught my eye and was captured for all eternity~

Diabetesalicious Holiday Observations

My advice: She won't so don't~

If you're carrying insulin in your handbag, don't put said handbag down near heaters or radiators. Slow boiling insulin is not a good thing.

If you happen to be blowing a 56 blood sugar and Starbucks is right in front of you, a Starbucks "Short" Hot Chocolate works wonders and it's not scalding hot so you can drink REALLY fast.

Those little holiday Clementine oranges are the perfect carb count. 8.89 grams to be exact!

Counting the number of holiday sweaters you see is a great exercise for both your brain and what not to wear.

Silk Seasonal Flavors are really tasty and are much lower in carbs than regular eggnog and the likes there of. My favorite is the Pumpkin Spice, which also happens to be the highest in carbs of the Silk Holiday trio. Which is OK, because it's still less calories & carbs than traditional eggnog.

It's official, I'm not so great at wrapping gifts.

Both Lifetime & The Hallmark Channel REALLY need to step their Christmas made for TV movie play list. If I see "Christmas Magic" or "A Dad For Christmas" airing one more time, I'm going to flip my bitchswitch! And for the record, I don't watch that much TV.

forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't "The Elf On The Shelf" breaking all sorts of stalking laws?

If We Dealt With Our Diabetes The Way Congress Deals With One Another... We'd Be Dead

The following post is not about being on the Left or the Right, nor is about being Blue or Red. It's about acting like grownups and being responsible.
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In the 12th hour and for the third time this year, Congress has avoided shutting down the government.... This time.
And quite frankly, as a citizen who votes and pays taxes, I'm pissed that shutting down our government was even an option.
And as a person living with Type 1 Diabetes, all I could think of when I heard the following news was: If people with diabetes dealt with their diabetes the way that Congress deals with one another, we'd be dead. Seriously, think about it for a second.
As a person living with Type 1 Diabetes, I don't have the luxury of of walking out the door with my panties all in a bunch because Diabetes and I can't figure a way to work things out.
I WISH IT WERE THAT EASY. But like it or not, diabetes and I ALWAYS have to work TOGETHER, 24 X7, 365 days a year, with no time off for good behavior or hissy fits.
Neither diabetes or I can huddle to the left or cower to the right, we have to meet square in the middle and figure out what works best for me, a.k.a, a Citizen of the United States of Kelly. Sometimes it takes days for us to figure it all out, but eventually we ALWAYS do because we must.
Our goal as people living with diabetes is to make our diabetes work for us and with us, not against us.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what Congress is supposed to do as well?

The Diabetes Fashion Files & Catching Up: Stick Me Designs

I’ve been playing an unending game of catch up with posts that were originally supposed to be running in the end of August through September, due to my mother’s 5 week hospital stay and death.

With that being said, I once again offer my apologies to everyone who has patiently waited for their posts to appear.

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Back at the end of May, Rickina Velte, Owner of at StickMeDesigns sent me a Diabetes Supplies Deluxe Clutch Bag for review. I told Rickina that when I review a product, I really test it out, and would post about my experiences after I actually travelled with it.

I received the bag in the mail and quickly filled all it’s compartments with both diabetes and non Diabetes supplies. I took it to the beach ( I loved that it had a spot for an icepack) which kept not only my insulin and diabetes electronics in check, but it also prevented my lipstick from melting. I soon realized that a Frio pack worked MUCH better than a normal icepack. The Frio lasted lasted days longer than an icepack and still kept everything fresh and cool. And can I just say that during Hurricane Irene, Frio kept a new unopened bottle of insulin cool even when the power went out!

I used the Deluxe Clutch when I travelled to San Diego for Roche, and I have to say that having my diabetes supplies, ID, Airline tickets and cash all in one spot was quite handy and kept me from losing all of the above to the black-hole that is my handbag.

Same goes for my trip to Canada, except add my PassPort to the above mix.

The only thing I would have changed about the clutch was it’s material, while the Deco design is very pretty, I would have preferred something that was more stain resistant. But the clutch is machine washable and cleans up nicely after a cold water wash. I’ve also noticed that other StickMe items have a more stain resistant material.

But the Deluxe Clutch really came in handy when I practically lived at the hospital Mid August through the end September, when life's shit really rocked my world. When my mom was in the hospital I spent every single day for 5 weeks, (except for two days during Hurricane Irene when visitors were not allowed at or near the hospital) for six to eight hour stretches in the Intensive care waiting room or with my mom. Every day I walked around said hospital with a small duffle bag on wheels that held my Laptop/charger, a notebook, important papers, things my mom had requested, and the StickMeDesign Clutch.

With that being said, if your still looking for holiday gift ideas.......

Life Lessons I've Been Reminded Of As Of Late.....

1. Growing up is hard no matter how old you are.

2. Boluses aren't 100% spot on 100% of the time.

3. Christmas is so very different this year, but Christmas lights still make me smile.

4. Extra insulin in my fridge makes me feel safe.

5. Not all adults act like adults - This can be both a good and a bad thing.

6. I really need to eat more veggies because I’ve slacked off as of late. Which is so weird because I actually like veggies.

7. The whole “It will make you a stronger person in the end and shows what a strong character you have,” thing is indeed true, but it still doesn’t make it any easier.

8. Work is a great distraction and I need more of it.

9. Catching up is never ending.

10. Diabetes does not = being overweight, so enough with the Weight Loss Cookbook PR Pitches already! You’re really pissing me off and these pitches are starting to give me a complex: #doesthisPRPitchmakemelookfat

11. Insurance companies need to stop with the price hikes.

12. Congress needs to get their shit together, like yesterday!

13. Infusion set sites work better on my right leg then on my left leg. Go figure?

14. Goodbyes are forever.

15. My mom was right, sparkle & a little sequins do go with everything!

The Wegohealth Activist Awards And picking Up Your Brooms ~

OK, I'll admit that it WAS pretty nifty to receive the following nominations for the WegoHealth Health Activists Awards.

Award: Advocate for Another (http://info.wegohealth.com/advocate-2011)

Link: http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com and twitter.com/diabetesalish

Reason: Kelly is as passionate as she is knowledgeable about diabetes. It has touched her and her loved ones in ways that would bring most people down. Yet, she's turned her experience into an opportunity for advocacy and raising awareness about the disease and life with it.

Award: Hilarious Health Activist 2011 (http://info.wegohealth.com/humor-2011)

Link: diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com

Reason: Kelly can find the light in any situation, and she's definitely had some tough ones over the past couple of years. She's not afraid to tell it like it is and laugh about it at the same time. She's even done a diabetes-related standup comedy routine! Kelly is guaranteed to give you a good chuckle and an affirmation of happiness in life.

The nominations were made by other Health Activists (i.e. YOU) and whether I get an award or not,

your words made me smile and your words continue to encourage and make me work harder, so it's all good.

So thank you for making me continue to work hard while smiling with my whole face and heart.

But with that being said, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for the Diabetes On-Line Community to make these awards a "clean sweep" and a team sport ! ! !

Be sure to click on each of the highlighted words/!! above!

So get out your brooms (think Hockey Playoffs and Curling,) and make your WEGO Health Award nominations for whom (who?)ever you choose by going to:

http://info.wegohealth.com/awards-2011/

Sweep~

And yes, I realize it's sort of weird for me to be using sports analogies, but I am part Canadian and my mom was in The Ice Capades, so ice sports are in my blood, if not in my actual ankles!

And I kid you not, my parents wedding reception was held at the McIntyre Curling Club/Arena ~

Curl the Mac!!

They sweep in Curling - But I still don't really understand why, except that sweeping is part of the actual game game, while the Zamboni is not.

It's Like Someone Moved My Diabetes Cheese.....

Cheese in motion, courtesy of The Stinky Cheese Man~

Hey is it me, or does his smile look like it's made of bacon??

So, I'm on a new reservoir cycle, and by cycle I'm going to get a little Diabetes OCD.

On Monday night around 10 p.m, I changed insulin pump reservoir.

Which really struck me as sort of weird (much like living with diabetes,) because 6 times out of 10,

I change my reservoir late afternoon.

And then last night with just four units of insulin left, I had to fill a new reservoir at 9:45 p.m. Again, much later than normal. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because there absolutely isn't.

As people with diabetes we fill up our insulin reservoirs whenever we need to, no matter where or when, or time of day for that matter.

It's just that for some reason I always seem to notice the time of day that I fill my insulin reservoir and I just automatically associate a certain time of day with changing my reservoir.

And now I'm noticing that my refill time seems to be off as of late. It's like someone moved my Diabetes Cheese!

OK, DO NOT get me started on cheese!

Anyway, has your Diabetes Cheese ever been moved or is this just another wonderfully annoying k2ism?

Wordless Wednesday: Totally Bolus Worthy - Yo Gabba Gabba Style ~

"Don't... don't...don't bite your friends!"

Unless of course, they're totally BOLUS WORTHY.

Photo courtesy of my iPhone - And a bakery I happened to pass by while exploring the West Village one Sunday afternoon~

Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain - Or The Anonymous Blogger Behind The Hurtful Post~

This post was inspired by two people. The first and foremost is a fellow member of our DOC family who I happen to think pretty highly of. Her name is Kerri Merrone Sparling and I'm proud to call her my friend!

I am also very protective of my friends. And I don't like when someone writes or says nasty things about them.

And the second person? That person is someone I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to give ANY credibility to, street or otherwise.

I WILL NOT comment on said offensive post,(and yes, I really had to marinate on that decision) written by said offensive blogger, except to say the blog in question is about working in an ER and the writer of said blog just happens to have Type 1 diabetes and this blogger is not a member of the Diabetes On-Line Community.

Nor will I name, link, tweet, or facebook said offensive post. If that blogger wants higher blog stats, they won't get any any additional numbers from this blog.

I won't give that person another comment, stat, or Google search term in anyway, shape, or form.

But as always, I will tell you what I think.

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Here's the thing. In the Diabetes On-line community and in life, we don't have to agree on everything. Quite frankly, that's a human impossibility & one should never assume that we can. And we all know what they say about assumming so I'm not even going to type it.

If you (and by "you," I'm also including myself in the mix,) disagree with someone in the diabetes On-Line Community, be it their blog post, personality, or choice of hardware, that's OK.

But tell them in a way that's constructive, professional and non accusatory - And make sure you get the full story before you press "Publish."

Here's a thought, instead of springing your thoughts on the person with a rant filled post, reach out to that person via an email and create a meaningful dialogue. A dialogue where both people in the discussion learn from one another.

But do everyone a favor, including yourself. Don't write about a fellow PWD in an intentionally unkind, verbally abusive and disrespectful rant.

Not only does it make our community look bad, it makes you and your community who staff the ER seem judgemental and uncaring. And it shows an incredible lack of professionalism on all of your parts. And since you conveniently write behind a moniker instead of your actual name - it shows cowardliness on your part.

And honestly, it's a turnoff. As people living with diabetes we face discrimination from others, both personally and professionally every day. Bottom line, we don't need harshness from another person with diabetes.

Diabetes is the enemy, not the individual(s) living with diabetes.

You want to make a difference? GREAT, then start by making a change from within.

When you're the perfect PWD/diabetic/blogger/ healthcare professional and human that can walk on water without assistance while simultaneously juggling multiple insulin pumps and blowing an a1c of 5.8, than you can wax poetic about whatever you want.

But until then, don't be the Diabetes Judge, jury, and Police Captain all rolled into one for the rest of us!

You wanted to make a splash, congratulations, you have. But I guarantee it's not the splash you hoped for.

Hey, I get it. It's your blog, and it's your choice to write about whatever you want.

But please keep in mind that like you, those of us who had the unfortunate privilege to read your words even once like myself, also have a choice.

And to partially quote The Great Oz, after I hit the "Publish" button, I will no longer pay attention to the man behind the curtain, or the anonymous blogger behind the hurtful post.

I'm done reading you - And I know for a fact I'm not alone.

You are not worth my time, energy, association,tweets or Facebook status.

And you're not worth my bandwidth.