Can I just share with you how much I hate packing?
First there's the pre-packing, which involves writing a list, doing uber amounts of laundry, visiting my pharmacy a million times, and zip locking all my clothes into see through zipper bags of various sizes so:
1. I can see where things are
3. I worry about bedbugs & zip locking your clothes is supposed to help
3. Airport security won't make a total mess of my jam packed purple suitcase!
My diabetes supplies takes up more room that they have a right too, and I always pack more than I need regarding said diabetes supplies.
I have a thing about my feet NEVER touching a hotel room floor (no matter the hotel) so I end up bringing a ridiculous amount of white footie socks!
I'm always concerned about my feet being comfortable so I always bring at least 3 pairs of shoes!
I'm always worried about the weather so even if the forecast calls for sun - I bring at least one sweater, plus the plane's ventilating system tends to freeze me out 1/2 way through the trip!
I always bring extra clothes because I'm all about options!
And all I can say is this girl needs options!
AM I the only PWD who has travel idiosyncrasies?
Now, what's with all the packing? I'm leaving for LA bright and early tomorrow morning on a 7:30 am flight (which means getting up at 4.a.m) leaving for the Airport by 5!
I'll be attending the 2011 Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum on Friday, April 1st and I'm excited! I'm looking forward to attending; participating,g and watching the conference through others eyes, while learning more than a thing or two in the process!
You can follow the conference on Friday, April 1st on twitter - The hashtag is:#MedtronicDAF
More on this the Forum to follow!
FYI: If you have any questions re: leave them on Friday's post and I'll pass them along!
Disclosure: As I've mentioned in a previous post, Medtronic paid me as an independent contractor to do some consulting with them re: Forum. Medtronic is also paying my expenses (and others attending) including; travel, hotel, meals, etc to attend said Forum.
Medtronic is NOT paying me to write about this event, nor did they tell me what I can or cannot write about this event.
My thoughts, I will of course be sharing with you are my own and from my own diabetesalicious brain~
Here’s the thing – I’m a serious fan of cheese, BIG TIME. I wish I didn’t like it, or at least, I wish I could stop loving it so much. Cheese and I have had a life long love affair.
One of my earliest memories is from when I was 3 or 4. I was playing with my older brother in our den & I was pretending to cook him dinner. And all of a sudden, I decided that I needed to take a cheese break.
I ran into the kitchen and asked my mom for some “Baby Cheese.” Baby cheese is what my family and I called sharp cheddar cheese. Apparently, my love of cheese was so great that my whole family named my favorite cheese after me, “the baby” of the family.
I wasn’t selfish, I brought a little pink plastic plate from my tea set and loaded it with slices of Baby cheese and Ritz crackers, walked carefully and slowly back to the den and my brother and I had a feast!
And I have to be honest; I was well into my early twenties before I stopped referring to cheddar as “Baby Cheese.”
Another favorite childhood snack was celery with cream cheese on top, salami and cheese roll ups, and slices of American cheese in my tomato soup, accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich of course. And don’t even get me started on our family’s Friday night meal of homemade Mac & cheese or my mothers Lasagna!
At diabetes camp, I was introduced to campfire popped popcorn with melted slices of orange cheddar – and it was heavenly!
It didn’t help that the following cartoon was a Saturday morning favorite & I knew every word!!
"When my get up and go had got up and went,
I HANKER FOR A HUNK OF CHEESE!"
Cut to Kelly as an adult, being introduced to the wonders of carb counting. I was thrilled to see that cheese hardly had any carbs! So in my mind, cheese equaled a free food!
But as we all know, cheese is loaded with fat and fat causes bg spikes hours after the meal has ended. And my beloved cheese has the potential to clog arteries and intestines.
Cheese is a quick fix to hunger and requires no prep time at all - It's TOO EASILY ACCESSIBLE & TASTES YUMMY.
I once shared a beach house with a guy who loathed cheese in any form – And damn if I didn’t envy him!
I could be a vegetarian if it wasn’t for my lust of cheese - and my penchant for bacon! Speaking of, another favorite college snack was bacon right out of the frying pan & wrapped in cheese!
Why am I writing about this? Because I have a strong suspicion that I’m not the only one who:
Suffers From Cheese Lust
Forgets that low carb count does not necessarily equal low fat, but still chooses to ignore that fact whenever I see fit
Sharing is a good thing!
Do you have any low in carb lusts that are high in fat or just not so great in other areas, be it chemical additives or calories? And if so, how do you deal with it?
I get lots of emails from members of the DOC (diabetes on-line community) and I try my best to answer each one. On occasion, I paraphrase a letter (to protect the writers privacy and keep them totally anonymous) with other DOCers who might have some tips of the diabetes trade for a fellow PWD (person with diabetes) in need of some advice!!
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Dear Kelly -
I'm a DOC lurker for over a year now. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 6 and I'm now 22.
I spend a lot of time thinking about what my life would be like if I hadn't been diagnosed and it depresses me.
I worry about my future and my family, I worry about finding and then losing a job with benefits.
Basically, I worry about EVERYTHING.
Do you ever think about never being diagnosed with diabetes? How do I get past the wondering & the worrying ?Depressed In The West
Dear Depressed in the West:
HANG IN THERE!I totally under stand the worry and I find "the what ifs" in life (diabetes or not) to be TOTALLY paralyzing.
What ifs can literally stop us in out tracks and keep us from living the life we want.There was a time in my life that I worried so much about life's what ifs, that I couldn't enjoy the now and it made it really difficult to move forward.
I found a person to talk to about my fear of the "what ifs" and she was a tremendous help!
As far as wondering what my life would be like with out diabetes, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that. Not that I don't spend my time wondering about things, because I do. I wonder about my future; why people go crazy for the Kardashians,what it would be like to win the lottery, why green makes me happy, and what's the next chapter of this thing called life.
And yes, I worry about the good, the bad & the diabetesalicious of it all~
Honestly, I wonder about a hell of a lot of things!
But wondering what my life would be like without diabetes is like wondering what my life would be like if I was born a man instead of a woman, or a dolphin instead of a human. I can't go back in time and change it- Well, technically, I could change my gender, but I don't want to.
And I certainly can't change my species - Though I have to admit, being a dolphin would be kind of cool -And I'd totally be willing to try it, but just for 1 day ;)
Bottom line: This is my life - not a dress rehearsal, and diabetes is a part of it and it's a very important part of me.
I try and focus on what and where my life is now, as in today- and where I'd like to take it from here.
I know living with diabetes can be overwhelming & scary, but be proud of who you are and how far you've come - broken pancreas and all!
Find a person that you can talk with who can help you focus your efforts on living a great life, continue being an active participant in your diabetes and continue reaching out to your diabetes on-line community - Because you're not alone and we're all in this diabetes life together!
Thanks for emailing & hope this helps!
Sending you a big HUG over the net!
k2
Does anyone else out in Diabetes Land have advice for our friend?
I'm in need of some more endorphins today. According to Life Legend, " Endorphins are natural, morphine-like compounds that raise the pain threshold, produce sedation and induce euphoria."
Basically, endorphins make you happy - They combat stress, they make your skin look brighter - and they make you naturally high - but not in the blood sugar sense of the phrase~
To quote Elle Woods: Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't.
Since I don't have time to exercise today, because of the whole having to work thing/office /Friday being the busiest day thing foe me! But lucky for me, laughter also releases endorphins (and according to some, laughter lowers blood sugar and burns calories) so I'm all for laughing !
So, in honor of it being Friday, the fabulousness of endorphins & laughter's benefits as a whole, enjoy the following & LOL to your heart's content!
So when we last left off, I was walking into the cocktail hour with a type 3 dad. As I walked in the ballroom,whom should I meet, but the Fabulous Princess & The Pump herself, Princess SweetPea.
Can I just tell you, how much the Princess ROCKS!
Not only is she cute and styling (that can girl can accessorize like no ones business) but also she’s as smart as a whip!! SHe and I had a great conversation and we giggled, A LOT.
I talked with the Princess & her family for a while and thanks to Hallie (Diabetes Blogger & The Princess's mom), who took this great shot of the Princess & I!
Me, Princess Sweetpea & A Pink Bear~
Then I mingled some more, and before I knew it, it was time for dinner.
I sat with Kerri and Scott. We enjoyed the meal (and the butter) and listened to the keynote speakers.
And that’s when the whole room had the opportunity to hear Jeffrey Brewer, New President & CEO of The JDRF speak.
Ans Jeff’s speech was good - formal, but good nonetheless.
He gets what living with diabetes is like, because his 16-year-old son has diabetes.
He knows about not sleeping through the night, and about worrying 24X7. He knows about living with a teenager with diabetes and the challenges that brings, and that life with a teenager is a whole different diabetes ball game.
He understands the importance that technology plays in dealing with diabetes – and his working very hard for not just a cure, but to make the latest and greatest technology readily available to those of us living with diabetes.
He talked of the CGM study funded by the JDRF – Scottie J goes into great detail about the JDRF CGM funded study, HERE.
I love that Jeffrey realizes that adults with diabetes need a place to go – And I appreciate any person and organization that will give an adult living with type 1 diabetes a place to go. Because whether Diabetes burnout/feelings of loneliness hits you at 7, 18, or 40, when it does, you need the support of people who are dealing with the same diabetes frustrations that you are.
I know there was a blowout re: his diatribe interview, and you all know my thoughts on what happened after it was printed.
I really appreciate the fact that Jeffrey Brewer allowed those of us in the room to get up on the mic and speak our minds.
And the majority of the folks were really positive.
But I really felt like an adult type 1 needed to speak, so I did. When it was my turn, I said something like: Hi, my name is Kelly Kunik, and I used to be a warm fuzzy child with diabetes and now I’m a warm and fuzzy adult with diabetes (for 33 years now) and I blog about living with diabetes. Thanks for welcoming us back to your family table.
I told them my family history and I think I said something along the lines of: We’re all part of the same diabetes family, and some families don’t agree on everything, but because we're family, we have each others back. I believe we need to sit at our family table and give thanks. I know my mother wishes that my sister could be here to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. But she can’t because she died from type 1 diabetes in her early 30’s. Had she had some a diabetes community to support her, I think she'd still be here. So thanks again for welcoming us back, we really appreciate it!
After dinner, Jeff came up to me and thanked me for sharing and said - and I’m paraphrasing here: I really appreciate you telling your story. It really helped explain to others to see how important embracing the adult community is.
The next morning, we had another session re: Strides in research, possible causes of type 1 diabetes, The Special Diabetes Program, the artificial pancreas project - The information presented was mind blowing!
PLEASE call your State Reps & tell then to continue funding for Diabetes!
Then the Bloggers had a sit down with Jeffery Brewer, and nothing was off limits!
In that meeting Jeff really opened up and got personal –And we had a great dialogue.
He stated right off the bat that: Diabetes is persuasive and all consuming and undermining in the quality of life. We spend so much time thinking about it, that sometimes technology tools actually make living with diabetes more difficult. It eats up more of your life.
But he also said that while diabetes technology is overwhelming at times, it’s critical that we have and use those technological tools!
Yep, he understood diabetes burnout from being connected 24x7 AND realized that we needed to work through the burnout and continue to embrace the diabetes technology just the same. Impressive.
He talked about adolescence being the perfect storm for bad diabetes management and he & his family were currently living right in the eye of that storm.
Jeff agreed that every branch of JDRF needs to have "consistent messaging in the organization across the board.” Meaning that if NYC branch of JDRF offers an outreach program for adults living with type 1, so should the North Dakota branch.
Jeff closed by saying: We need to make sure we have the bond with the people we have supporting and living with the disease - Were not moving away from anyone, were embracing everyone.
And that is a WONDERFUL thing~
Jeffrye Brewer & Some of "The Bloggers"
Next time on the JDRF Government Day Chronicles: A Cupcake dinner & Kelly Hits The Hill Hard!
Disclosure: The JDRF paid for my travel, some of my meals and expenses. I wasn't asked to blog about my experience, nor did they tell me what I could or couldn't say. Like it or not, what I wrote and will continue to write are my thoughts, from my own diabetesalicious brain.
So, back in the beginning of February I was contacted by someone at SELF Magazine, asking me to answer a series of questions regarding my life as a Diabetes Blogger/Diabetes Advocate. Turns out a friend (who I have mentioned in past posts - think CHIABETIC,) had submitted information about me and my on-line life, and I was being considered for their "Be SELFless" column in the April edition of SELF.
Since I'm more about being SELF deprecating and flipping my inner diabetes bitchswitch whenever needed, I thought it was kind of a cool opportunity.
A series of interview questions went back and forth (we're talking like 3 pages worth,) over the net. Then, as quickly as the emails started, they stopped and I didn't hear anymore about it and I thought, OK, they went with someone else.
Cut to the third week in February, when I received an email from SELF saying they had decided to run with my story and needed pictures.
I sent them some pics and asked if I could read what they wrote, but apparently, that's not how it works - which I already knew- but me being me, I had to ask anyway.
I was nervous, I wasn't used to NOT having control over my diabetes on-line indevors.
What if I sounded like an idiot?
Cut to last Tuesday when I was at Hudson News at Union Station in DC, perusing through the magazine isle and saw The April Edition of SELF with Kim Kardashian on the cover -YES, God does indeed have a sense of humor.
I flipped through the pages and found the Be SELFless Column in the lower hand corner of the page -And there was my picture, with Grace of my heart from A Sweet Grace. Big SHOUT OUT to Penny, Author of A Sweet Grace & (Grace's mom,) for allowing me to use the picture:THANKS, PENNY! And accompanying the picture was a paragraph.
Kelly & Grace in SELF Mag
And I noticed:
A. The DOC (Diabetes On-Line Community) was mentioned - YAY!
B. My quote "I'm not a Dr., but I'm an expert at dealing with diabetes 24X7, 365 days a year, without time off for good behavior," had been cut in 1/2 and was written as: I'm not a Dr., but I'm an expert at dealing with the disease." AND YES, that made me nervous.
C. Gracie look great!
But still, I was happy for the most part, even if I had qualms about sounding like a Diva.
Here's the thing, as big of a loud mouth as I am, I worry A LOT - about the good,the bad and the diabetesalicious of it ALL.
Cut to Monday night, when the news hit twitter - And again - I WAS NERVOUS -We're talking downing Maaloxx & tums type of nervous!
Cut to yesterday, when I started getting emails from people with diabetes looking for on-line support!
You know what? I am so incredibly grateful for the interview opportunity with SELF- even if it meant giving up control to the unknown. WHY? Because people who needed to find the Diabetes On-line Community started contacting me and asking where they could go to find support & friendship. And as we all know, finding the DOC is wonderful thing! And I'll do whatever I can to help spread the word!
JDRF Government Day Blogger Round Table Discussion/Panel
My trek to JDRF's Government Day in DC started with me finding a seat on the Acela train from Philadelphia to our nation’s capital – And unbeknownst to me, the seat I found was on the quiet car.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the quiet care is just that – QUIET. No loud noises, no voices that carry, and no fun allowed. On the way home from a long day, the quiet car is OK, but on the way to a destination on a journey longer than 1.5 hours, the quiet car is maddening!
My train was delayed ½ way to DC by a 190-car freight train pile up. We waited over an hour while engineers on the track checked each of the 190 cars on the freight train to make sure everything was OK.
Kerri over at SUM seemed to be having a similar train frustrations and via twitter, we agreed to meet- up at The Crumbs Bakeshop @ Union Station & share a cab to the hotel in Arlington.
Around 3ish, we met up at CRUMBS, grabbed some cupcakes (including a carrot cc for Cherise, who had been dreaming of CRUMBS all week) and finally found our way to the cab stable, and grabbed our “confessional cab” (keep in mind, neither of us had actually talked to anyone we knew for HOURS) for the 20 minute ride to Arlington.
We met up with the other bloggers in the bar, spent a good amount of time hugging one another and then we each made our way to our rooms & got dressed for the Awards dinner.
That night we went to the Awards /cocktail hour & dinner honoring JDRF Advocates from around the county who spend massive amounts of time and effort planning, coordinating, & executing JDRF fundraising efforts in their communities. The majority are volunteer & almost all have are directly related to diabetes via a family member.
The Bloggers sat together, and that’s where I had the chance to finally meet Hallie from The Princess & The Pump – And you know what? She’s WONDERFUL.
The next morning began with a 7 am breakfast (and yes,daylight savings time had just kicked in about 5 hours earlier) immediately followed by sessions on JDRF Government Relations.
Before the sessions officially started, every person in the room got up and told their diabetes story, and I have be honest, listening to everyones stories made me cry.
OK, it made more than cry, I damn near sobbed. But listening to those stories reinforced the fact that diabetes touches everyone, not just those who have diabetes. I sat in a ballroom filled with parents, grandparents, and siblings of type 1’s. And there were many adults with type 1 as well. Every story made me cry, some made laugh, and each inspired me to continue advocating.
The sessions that followed the introductions were all about having successful Hill visits.
Now, for those of you who don’t know, JDRF hit’s the lawmakers on Capital Hill for a solid two days every year regarding Diabetes. As in living with diabetes & funding for Diabetes research. This year The JDRF was asking lawmakers for their continued support on diabetes based research & technology.
With the economy being the way it is, The House wants to make cuts (BIG CUTS,) to the tune of 1.6 billion in NIH funding & 241 million cuts to the FDA. These cuts directly affect diabetes research, BIG TIME. I'm asking you - regardless of what side of the fence your on, to call your lawmakers up and tell them you won't support them if they support these cuts!
This year, JDRF was asking the the politicians in each state to sign a letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg supporting The Artificial Pancreas Project and taking it to the next step- Out of the clinical setting and into a real life clinical trial settings.
Diabetes is a technology based disease, and if we can't get the funding for the technology, and can’t get the technology pushed through the inertia that is the FDA, we pay the price as PWDs (people with diabetes), both literally and figuratively with our health.
The Blogger Panel P.O.V: About 7 minutes before we began!
Please forgive the photo layout - Blogger does strange things!
After Lunch, the Blogger Roundtable discussion took place – And it was honor to be a part of such a wonderful group. I really felt that talking about growing up with diabetes/living with diabetes as an adult, helped the parents in the room get a different perspective of things – And vice versa.
I know that every blogger in each of the roundtable discussions felt that we were representing the DOC and we wanted to make you guys proud!
I was in group 1 and I have to say, our audience really got into the discussion, as did the folks watching on ustream!
After the Roundtable discussion, I went up to my room and freshened up before dinner.
As I walked back to meet the bloggers, I saw Cherise and I said: Hey, I’m looking for you!
And a man who was walking slightly askew to her left said: I’ve been looking for you too!
Me: Me? Excuse me?
Man: Yeah, I’ve been looking for you – I really need to talk to you. Just for a few minutes.
Me: OK.
Man: I was in the Ballroom at the Blogger roundtable. You know what you said about kids with diabetes always saying “I’m sorry….” And then growing into adults who always say, “I’m sorry?” because they feel so guilty regarding their blood sugars?
Me Yeah….
Man: Well… It just really made me realize…. how many times my son has said "I'm sorry" to me. I was so upset about his blood sugar that… that…I wasn’t mad at him…. I was just so scared… But I know it sounded like, like I was mad at him – And I wasn’t … and now I feel so bad…
And at that point we both started crying, and we hugged one another and I told him it was OK and that he was a great dad and that being a parent of a child with diabetes is a tough job!
And then we both took a few minutes and got our game faces on and walked into the cocktail hour together – And we both had a better understanding of what it was like to walk in one another’s shoes - And I'm so grateful for that.
FYI: Thursday Blog is all about Sunday’s Dinner, the bloggers meeting the new JDRF President & CEO Jeffrey Brewer & Talking with “The Hillers” about the good, the bad, and the diabetesalicious of it all.
Disclosure: The JDRF paid for my travel, some of my meals and expenses. I wasn't asked to blog about my experience, nor did they tell me what I could or couldn't say. Like it or not, what I wrote and will continue to write are my thoughts, from my own diabetesalicious brain.
JDRF's Government Day was all about learning and advocating for people with diabetes in regards to our government and funding - And as we all know, advocating for diabetes is a wonderful and necessary thing.
As a Diabetes Patient Advocate I'm all about speaking up for people with diabetes, including myself.
And a big mouth D Advocate like me normally has no problem speaking up for myself or others, and I speak up quick, just ask Rikki Lake's publicist! But I'll admit it, when it came to my last Eye Specialist appointment, I was a big old procrastinator when it came to speaking up to the powers that be.
Still, I spoke up, and my voice was heard.
My first post of 2011 was all about "reigniting the diabetes spark" when it comes to my good health. I wrote about diabetes burnout and my new Eye Specialist, who neglected to read my chart and treated me like crap. I vowed to let his practice know the 4-1-1 and refused to go back, even though I had scheduled a follow up on March 19th.
Life got busy, work got hectic and low and behold, somehow my a1c dropped from 7.4 to 7.0. My Endo was thrilled, and so was I! As my Endo and I caught up on what was going on with me, I told him about the Eye Specialist's piss poor patient attitude, and my Endo told me to drop him - Did I ever mention how much I HEART my endo?
Still, I never picked up the phone re: my appointment/experience. I went to JDRF Government Day, learned about the latest and greatest in diabetes research and technology, participated in a panel discussion, and charged up Capital Hill to meet with PA and NJ state reps on the importance of Diabetes funding - More on Government Day tomorrow.
I came home from DC tired, but filled with passion and hope. On Wednesday morning my cell phone rang, and it was a recorded message from my Eye Specialists office reminding me of my appointment on Friday. I called them back and was connected to a Customer Service Rep (who will be referred to CR for the rest of this post) My eye Specialist is part of The Wills Eye Hospital - and customer service is key!
Here's what went down.
Sidebar: The name of the Idiot Eye Specialist. has been changed.
Me; Hi, My name is Kelly Kunik & I'm calling about my appointment with Dr. Shit For Brains. CR: Hi, Kelly - Yes, I see your scheduled for an 8 am appointment with Dr. Shit For Brains, what can I do for you. Me: Well, while I appreciate and love your practice, I will not be going back if I have to see Dr. Shit For Brains. CR: WHY? Me: Well, here's the thing. I'm a patient, and as I patient, I should be given certain courtesies, extravagant courtesies like having my new Dr. actually read my chart before he comes in the exam room to see me. Last year I had a 1 in a million non diabetes related eye problem that rocked my world - And Dr. M was wonderful! I saw him a total of 10 times in one year and he really helped me overcome the shitstorm brought on by my 1 in a million status. Then, as you well know, Dr. M passed away. So if the whole 1 in a million non diabetes related eye thing wasn't enough, loosing a kind, caring and on the ball Eye Specialist was horrible. Still, I agreed to see his replacement because I know how important it is for me to see an a Specialist, both diabetically speaking - AND 1 in a million speaking. Then, Dr. Shit For Brains walks into my exam room, and says "OH MY GOD, YOUR SO YOUNG!" Then when I asked him if he'd read my file, his response was: Well, no. I just saw Ocular Occlusion and diabetic and just assumed..... He was rude, he yelled at me when I became scared about a small pinhole hemorrhage. At that point my voice cracked and professionalism went out the window and I may have said something to the CR along the lines of: HE'S A TOTAL DICK. CR: I'M SO SORRY. If it's OK, I'd like to talk to a person in our Advisory office and have her get back to you. Me: OK, that would be great. And you know what? The Advisory person called me back that afternoon. Of course I missed the call and had to wait until Friday when she was back in the office that I go to, but she called me back on Friday...... AND SHE WAS WONDERFUL. Advisory Person: Kelly I'm so sorry that you such a horrific experience. Me: Thanks, me too. Advisory Person: If you'd be willing to give us another chance, I'd like you to see another one of our specialists, who is loved by her patients - and who loves her patients. Me: I would. Look, I know I can't not go to the Eye Specialist, my health and vision depend on it. BUT, Dr. Shit For Brains really needs to take a class on communicating with the patient because he has absolutely no bedside manner! I don't care how many letters he has after his name, he needs to be more empathetic to his patients! Advisory Person: I agree. Me: I'm a Diabetes Patient Advocate and I'm all about Patients needs and rights. Do you realize how much stress plays a factor in leading up to our appointment? We are scared, we are nervous, and personally, I get stomach issues for a week leading up to my eye appointment. It's Pavlovian, I think Eye Exam and all of a sudden I get queasy. But my health requires I go and like it or not, I do. But I will not see him again. But some people, will walk out of the office after an experience like that AND NEVER GO BACK. That doesn't just hurt your bottom line, but it seriously affects that patient's health and well being. The damage that could occur by not returning would be devestating! Advisory Person: I remember you!! Your the diabetes blogger, right? I absolutely agree re: the devistation that such behavior has on the patient. I don't blame you, Kelly. Please, when we reschedule an appointment for you, tell the front desk and your new Eye Doctor exactly what happened - they need to know. Me: Oh, I will. Advisory Person: Let's get you on the books ASAP, and once again Kelly, I'm so sorry you had to such a painful experience. So the appointment is for April 6th, and while I'm still nervous and scared and have a bottle of malox all ready for the days leading up to my appointment, I'm happy to report that this epatient feels empowered and hopeful - AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
JDRF's Government Day reinforced my feelings on stopping the spread of diabetes myths & perpetuating diabetes realities. More on the event to follow. For now, I hope this post will make you think~
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Here’s what I know: We must speak up & right diabetes wrongs when we see them.
We have to open our mouths and speak up in order for others to get diabetes right.
Collectively we can make a difference simply by speaking up whenever we see a wrong that needs to be righted, diabetes or not.
As an individual, you can GOOGLE the Producer of the 6:30 news contact info when you hear the reporter perpetuate a diabetes myth - right from home. And then you can pick up the phone and bug the shit out of them (nicely of course) until they realize the error of their ways~ ;)
You can write "A letter to The Editor" be it on-line or off, whenever you see diabetes screw-ups in print.
You can pick up the phone and call your Senate/Congress woman or man and tell them that you vote, and that you vote for politicians who support diabetes causes – And remind them that your voice is a loud one.
If you see a diabetes company doing something you don't like, CONTACT THEM and let them know.
And the same rules apply when you see a company, Org, media outlet, politician, etc doing something right!
People don't know what life with diabetes is like, unless we explain it.
Diabetes is definitely one of life’s mysteries to those that don't have it. What they know they know from television - and most of that is wrong.
Instead of shooting the messenger (which is always my first inclination) we have to educate the masses when it comes to diabetes.
You (as in the person reading this blog) have to do something, because if you don't, you (we) have no right to complain.
After spending the past four days at the JDRF Government Day Program, I'm tired and bleary eyed, and filled with hope and happiness!
I woke up to piles of work and an inbox that's full - And missing the people that I just spent the last four days with very much! DOC/ Diabetes event withdraw is a real bummer!
A detailed post all about the JDRF Government Day experience will appear very soon, but until then, I thought I'd leave you with a sneak peak in the form of some Key phrases & words that keep playing in my head whenever I think of the past four days.
Like much of what goes through my head, the list is in no particular order.
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Note to self: Avoid the quiet car at all costs
Confessional Cab
Artificial Pancreas
Representing The DOC on a Panel was an honor & The DOC was with us in Spirit - And on Twitter & Ustream
Personal stories that made me cry
Note To Self: Buy & wear waterproof mascara to any event/conference that's diabetes related
Type 1 parents who once again blew me away with their love and dedication
Siblings of adults and children with diabetes who fight the good fight
Diabetes Research in the form of technology saves lives
Remembering the way it used to be before technology & explaining to others who weren't there
Wendy Rose over at Candyheartsblog.com wrote a pretty fantastical guest post and shares her Gluten Free Tricks of the Trade! It's a great piece with loaded with info and humor to boot!
FYI: Enjoy, learn, & since St Patrick's Day is just around the corner, make sure you checkout the Gluten Free Beers link!
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QUICK! You need to whip up a gluten free (GF) meal for a neighbor that just had a baby...or you've invited a friend with celiac over for dinner...or your cousin’s husband’s sister’s niece will be stopping by and she has a gluten sensitivity…or, hey, I’M COMING OVER FOR YOUR NEXT PARTAY! (WOOHOO!!!!)
Where do you start? What do you do? What the heck is gluten, anyway?
I got your back, my friends. I’m not claiming to know everything about all things gluten free, but I do think I can help you whip up a lil’ summin’ summin’ in a pinch!
First of all, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and contaminated oats. Pretty simple, right? EASY PEASY!
Well, you know, EASY, except that U.S. labeling laws do not mandate companies to disclose whether or not a product is, in fact gluten free…AND that companies often change ingredients – therefore, the can of soup you determined was gluten free last week may not be gluten free today…AND that gluten can be hidden in things like soy sauce, licorice, and marinades.
So…now what?
Well, there are a TON of blogs and websites devoted to gluten free recipes for every occasion. With the power of Google, you should be able to browse MILLIONS of recipes before deciding on just the right one.
After you’ve decided what you’re after, you’ll need to make sure to read EVERY label! There are some BIG words that should pop out at you when scanning a label, specifically: WHEAT in any form (except buckwheat – which isn’t actually derived from wheat at all), BARLEY, RYE, OATS (including oat flour, and unless they’re specifically labeled GF), and MALT (including malt flavoring and malt vinegar. Malt is derived from barley). That being said, HERE is a more comprehensive list of do's and don'ts that I have found very helpful when going to the grocery store.
Whenever possible, look for products containing the words “gluten free” on the label. Not only does it take the guesswork out of deciphering ingredients, but it also supports those companies who have gone the extra mile to help consumers.
You can help avoid cross contamination in the kitchen by staying away from wooden cutting boards and utensils, unless they haven't ever come into contact with gluten before. Wood is porous and creates an environment for harboring gluten. As an alternative, you should use plastic chopping mats along with plastic or metal utensils. Regarding your dishes, pots/pans, and all that stuff, generally a hot dishwasher cycle is sufficient for making sure cross contamination doesn’t occur. If you aren’t sure, using tinfoil to line cookie sheets, pizza pans, and casserole dishes works well too. In our kitchen, we have a dedicated pasta strainer (because, really, no matter how hard you try, it seems like there’s always residue that will cling to those little holes) and a dedicated GF toaster.
The grill can be tricky, because gluten is often found hiding in marinades. After our daughter was diagnosed with celiac in 2008, the doctor told my husband he should invest in a new grill. (Can we submit that to the insurance company?) While we do plan to buy a new grill one day, we haven’t yet…but have managed to get by just fine by keeping the grates clean and dedicating one side as being gluten free.
If you’ll be dining out, there are a number of chain restaurants that offer gluten free menus. Outback even offers a gluten free dessert! These days, you can find a pretty decent selection of gluten free beers … not to mention, MY favorite, HARD CIDER!!!
Oh, and by the way – CHOCOLATE IS GLUTEN FREE! (Just make sure there aren’t any cookie/wafer –type ingredients.)
So raise your (gluten free) green beer, toast St. Patrick’s Day, and make some memories! I promise you don’t need a lucky leprechaun to help you pull off a successful gluten free dinner with the people you care about.
Though, having a lucky leprechaun for anything in life couldn’t hurt, right?
What People Are Saying About Kelly Kunik's Diabetesalicious Humor
"I laughed so hard I puked all over my pump -Just kidding......
Kelly's intimate knowledge of living with diabetes makes her the perfect person to poke fun at all of our little eccentricities. If laughter really is the best medicine, then Kelly should be nominated for Sturgeon General." Gary Scheiner - Certified Diabetes Educator, Owner & Operator of Integrated Diabetes Services, Author of "You Can Control Diabetes" and "How to Think Like A Pancreas." Marx Brothers Fan for life, T1 for 20 years .
"Kelly Kunik performed her Diabetes Comedy Act at the Diabetes, Exercise, & Sports Association (DESA) National meeting in Colorado Springs in June of 2007. She had the room laughing all night! It was great to see the light side of Diabetes for once...."
Rick Philbin, Type 1, Board of Directors, DESA
"Kelly was very engaging with her humor and positive attitude in looking at life with Diabetes on a lighter side. Everyone in my Diabetes Support group lowered their glucose levels with laughter that evening!"
Bryony Crane, RD CDE
Virtua Diabetes and Nutrition Svs
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Boston Charlie - T1 30 years
"As a Diabetes Educator, I'm always looking for new ways to help patients. Kelly Kunik offers a unique way of educating patients through laughter. There's a tremendous validation in Kelly's approach - Everybody thinks that no one once else has diabetes related issues, day & day out. Whether it getting your tubing caught on a door nob; acting out with a low blood sugar, or dealing with the same old questions. Silly or serious, Kelly's observations allow patients to feel better about themselves. When people feel good about themselves, they practice better self management. IT'S ALL GOOD. We all had so much fun the night Kelly spoke to my Type 1 support group."
Cheryl Marco, RD, CDE Thomas Jefferson University Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
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