How Are You Going To Keep Your Diabetes Advocating Mojo Going For The Next 11 Months?

It's the last day of Diabetes Month ( that blows my mind!) and all of us have worked so incredibly hard to advocate and spread the diabetes awareness love.

So BRAVO & WTG, GANG - WE ROCK.
But here's the thing, just because tomorrow is December 1st, that doesn't mean that our diabetes advocating stops.
Look, no matter what month or day it is, we don't have a choice but to advocate and educate others about life with diabetes.
Still, that doesn't mean that we don't get tired, because we absolutely do.
And there's nothing wrong with taking a big breath to  catch-up and regroup before we start advocationg all over again.
So here's my question to you: How are you going to keep your Diabetes Advocating Mojo going for the next 11 months?
OK, I'll go first.
I'm going to keep my Diabetes Advocating Mojo going by taking my inspiration from you and continue to keep moving forward no matter what!
I've learned as of late that when life throws you lemons (or a hurricane, but whatever) you need to keep going, pick up those lemons and make a damn fine lemonade - Or in my case, a damn fine Vodka Lemonade Martini!
With that being said, I'm going to continue to advocate my proverbial D-a$$ off.
I have a few things coming up on the blog and in IRL (in real life) that will help me do just that and I'll go into all the details very soon!
And I want to give back and help others with diabetes anyway I can, whether it's listening to another PWD who's feeling down, cycling (did I really just put that in print?) to raise money for diabetes and anything else inbetween.
Because (and here's where it gets a little selfish,) by helping others feel better - I end up feeling better.
Xoxo

Joslin Blog Project: Moving Forward... I WANT IT ALL.

I can't believe that this is the last week for the Joslin Blog Project! It's been a great experience and it's been a way for all of us, (those writing the posts and those reading them)  to help others living with diabetes. This week is all about Moving Forward. We were asked write about diabetes technologies that have helped us live better lives and how. And how those technologies could be improved.

Honestly, I don't know what I would do without my insulin pump and glucose meter because both have changed my life for the better. 

Being able to test my blood sugars whenever and wherever I want has not only given me better control of my diabetes - It’s given me a better life with diabetes. 

Glucose meters act as our bodies GPS system, mapping out where our blood sugar is currently and where it needs to go. And all in under 5 seconds.  Come to think of it, so do CGMs - more on that later. 

I remember when glucose meters first came out they took 3 minutes and were the size of a VHS tape. Now a days I can be out with friends and nobody will even realize I’m checking my blood sugar. 

I remember the days before there were glucose meters. I remember testing my urine and burning my little fingers on the fizzy, urine filled test-tube. Not only was it disgusting, it was damn inaccurate. I refer to that time in my life as The Diabetes Dark Ages - And I never want to go back there again. 

Going on the insulin pump was a huge game changer in my life with diabetes. 

I was in good control before I went on the insulin pump. Seriously, my a1c was in the 6‘s, but I was injecting for every 15 grams of carbs I consumed, sometimes 6 times a day just for meals and or corrections, plus the nightly lantus injection in my arm.

I was literally and figuratively running out of real-estate when it came to injection sites. My stomach looked a Patone Color Chart that was permanently flipping between the purple/bluish and the greens and yellows. NOT SO PRETTY. 

At the time I was working out a lot and was really having a problem with low blood sugars almost daily.

MY older sister had tried for years to get me on the pump, but her delivery was less than pleasant and I refused. 

Finally, Dr. J (my awesome Endo) told me that he really wanted me to try the pump because my stomach needed a chance to rest. And if I didn’t like the pump, I could go off it in a year and that he wouldn’t be mad at me if I chose to go back to shots. 

That was 10 years ago and I’ve never looked back. 

IP therapy is more work, but it’s given me so much more freedom and I love it. 

The insulin pump has allowed me to choose when I want to eat,a meal,  not when I have to eat a meal. 

Being tethered can get annoying, especially as far as doorknobs are concerned, but I’ll never go back to shots!

I wear my electronic pancreas clipped to my hip and close to my heart.

CGM: I don't currently wear a continuous glucose monitor, yet, but I'm working on it!
My insurance company is very CGM friendly & it's a on going battle I'm in with them. 

But it's my hope to have one in the very near future. Actually it's my hope for everyone to have CGM in their future, because being able to track your blood sugar and actually see what direction it's going (arrows up verses arrows down)not only helps to prevent dangerous lows and highs, it gives the person wearing the CGM (and their family members) peace of mind.

BUT I WANT MORE from these live saving devices. 

In the immortal words of Freddie Mercury: I WANT IT ALL, I WANT IT ALL, I WANT IT ALL, AND I WANT IT NOW. 

I want my diabetes technology to be spot on. The whole meters being 10 to 20% of the mark has got stop. If my car was 10% to 20% inaccurate It would barely drive. If my (or anyones for that matter) oral meds were 10 to 20% inaccurate there’s a good chance I’d be dead. 

I want all my diabetes devices to talk with one another and work together - seamlessly.

I would love for my pump to stop insulin delivery when my cgm ( don’t have on yet) tells it that my blood sugar is low. 

I would love for my insulin pump to let me know when I’ve hit a “dead spot” that isn’t absorbing insulin, instead of having to find that out on my own - Usually 3 or 4 hours after I’ve put in a new infusion site and am blowing a 340 blood sugar. 

And I want insulin pumps to be smaller, thinner, sleeker and sans tubing -  And I want the latest and greatest in pump technology - Like they have in Europe. 

In order for all of the above to happen, the FDA needs to move faster when it comes to approving diabetes technology because our lives literally depend on it!

I want insurance companies to get a clue when it comes to diabetes technology and not be stuck 5 years behind the times. 

What good is approving a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring system) when the same insurance company that approved the CGM refuses to approve the sensors for said CGM. CGMs are nothing without the sensors! KNOW HOW THE ACTUALLY PRODUCTS WORK.

Speaking of glucose, I don’t want to have to continually argue as to why I need a certain number of test strips a month in order to maintain my good health. 

I don’t want to argue over what brands of insulin my insurance cover verses what brand of insulin I actually prefer to use. 

Quite frankly, I’d prefer to use Kelly Kunik insulin, but that’s not going to happen because I no longer have the ability to make insulin. But I digress. 

If I’ve been using an insulin pump for 10 years, why do I have to jump through hoops to get a new one? 

Bottom Line: Diabetes treatment relies heavily on technology.  And as people with living with diabetes we rely on technology to keep us healthy, to maintain a good quality of life - And to keep us alive. 

We not only need the best in diabetes technology, WE DESERVE IT- AND WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT - UNTIL WE FIND THE CURE FOR DIABETES.

What diabetes technologies have changed your lives for the better - And how would you improve them in the future? 

***This is the last week of the Joslin Blog Project - Please help Joslin's High Hopes Fund. 

No donation is to small and every little bit helps!!   http://events.joslin.org/supporter/page/Joslin%20Blog-Project/National-Diabetes-Month.htm

Special/Awesome Sibling Of This D-Kid!

Special indeed! This wonderful day was started by Alexis & Sherry a few years back and even has it's own facebook page!

She's my big sister Cathy  -  My parents child #5 to my child #6.

She refers to me as her "first baby" & always told me that having me as her baby sister 

made her realize that she wanted to be a mom.

When we were little she took me everywhere.

And she always bought me the best gifts!

We shared the same bed and the day she left for college I cried for weeks because I missed her terribly.

 For my entire life Cathy's been my hero, my protector, my biggest ally & greatest friend. 

And Cathy sees me in ways that I wish I could see myself.

Since my mom passed she worries about me even more - And I feel bad about that she's spent 35 years worrying about me.

She always calls to see if I'm OK if she hasn't heard from me all week and tells me that there's nothing in this life I can't do.

She's worried about my diabetes  since she was 18 and has always cheers me on in all my pancreatic endeavors.

And I don't know how I would have made it through life with out her.

Family by birth, friend by choice

Caring type 3 -

Who sees (and is) the best parts of me.

Sweet to my tart

and Keeper of my heart...

She's my big sister Cathy & I love her.

kelly kunik~

Lesson For The Day: Don't Put The Word "Severe" In Front Of The Word "Diabetes," EVER.

This past weekend I met a "friend of a friend" at a local watering hole. 
She was a first grade teacher and was telling me how much she loved her students and how they always kept her on her toes and continually made her laugh and how she learned from them just as much as they learned from her. 
And then someone else in the group interrupted us and asked: Kelly are you OK if we push back dinner for an hour?
And I was like, 'yeah, don't worry about me,' and turned my focus back on the conversation with Teacher Lady. 
Teacher Lady looked at me quizzically and I could tell she was puzzled.
Me: It's no big deal, I have Type 1 Diabetes and Lara just was wanted to make sure I was cool with the new dinner plans. 
Teacher Lady: Oh...., one of my students has "severe diabetes." He wears an insulin pump and goes to the nurses office three to 5 times a day to check his blood sugar and make insulin adjustments on his pump. 
SIdebar: Yes, I totally cringed when she said the term severe diabetes and did my best to put on my game face and present her the #diabetesfacts. I mean she was a really nice person and it was clear that she didn't know that severe diabetes wasn't such a great term.
So I whipped out my insulin pump & said: I love my insulin pump! And that's not "severe diabetes," that's life with diabetes. In this case it's life with Type 1 Diabetes.  The word 'severe', by it's very definition equals harsh and or bad and putting the word 'diabetes' in front of 'severe' makes the person you are referring to a harsh and bad diabetic/PWD. That can't be good for anyone, especially a 7 year old. How's he doing?

Teacher Lady: He's doing great...He's so funny and smart ... He's such a great kid! 
But wearing an insulin pump and all that testing, how can his diabetes not be severe? Sometimes his sugars are are on the higher side and other times he runs low. 
And I have to admit it, when she said that last part about his blood sugars being high and low I damn near laughed out loud. 

Me: Insulin pumps mean you have an electronic pancreas clipped to your hip. It's a little more work, but wearing one sure makes life easier.
Diabetes means that your blood sugars aren't perfect - And when they are "perfect," they don't stay that way. Sometimes my sugars are marching towards Canada, other times they head towards Florida. That's life with diabetes. 
Honestly TL, "severe diabetes" is considered a really derogatory/offensive term to many of us living with diabetes and in your student's case, it's the wrong terminology entirely. Your student's doing exactly what he has to in order to live and live a good life with diabetes.

Diabetes mean testing blood sugars anywhere between 7 and 10 times a day because our pancreases are busted & our bodies don't have the ability to measure, let alone control our blood sugars on their own. 

That's why we take insulin & that's why we test our blood sugars - Dude, that's why we have diabetes!

Instead of calling your student's diabetes  and his diabetes treatment 'severe', why not refer to him as being a smart, proactive, technically savvy person with diabetes who's doing what needs to be done as far as his diabetes is concerned.

Teacher Lady: OK, I never even considered anything you just said before. 

Me: I know, but you are considering it now - And that is a wonderful thing~ 

ANd then we clinked wine glasses - Because it was worth celebrating!

Infusion Set/Site As A Disney Character.....

As you're all so very well aware, sometimes my mind works in some really weird ways.

FOR INSTANCE: 

If infusion sets could be a Disney character - My current one would be Mary Poppins

If we lived in some weird alternate universe where my current infusion set/site worked for Disney as one of their famous characters - It would be Mary Poppins, because this particular infusion set is practically perfect in every way - And dare I go so far as to say it’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

This particular infusion set didn’t hurt to put in on Saturday afternoon. Honestly, I barely felt it, and the site doesn’t itch at all and absorbs insulin like a subcutaneous dream. 

So much so that I’ve been running darn near normal blood sugars since Saturday night. Part of me is wondering if my pancreas has been somehow shocked into producing the odd beta cell or 2..... And the other part of me knows that nothing lasts forever & that like whether we’re talking infusion sets/sites or life - All good things must come to an end.

 Infusion Set/Site Nirvana is fleeting and I know that my time with this current infusion site is short. 

The edges on one side are starting to unstick ever so slightly & my reservoir is slowing being drained of the elixir of life called insulin. Very soon I will need to say Sayonara and rotate on to the next site. 

And as I'm sitting here waxing poetic about the soon to be "infusion set/site  that was," I have feeling that if my infusion set /site could talk it would get all Mary Poppins on me and say: Why do you always complicate things that are really quite simple? Just change the damn site already! 

Well, Mary would probably leave the "damn" part out - but you know what I mean! ;) 

Anyway: "Goodbye, Mary Poppins. Don't stay away too long."

Joslin Diabetes Blog Project: Why I Started Blogging

It's week 3 of the Joslin Diabetes Blog Project to raise money for the Joslin High Hopes Fund.
This week the topic is: Why did you start blogging about diabetes and what are the best and worst parts of diabetes blogging.
Halle Berry is the reason I started Diabetesalicious. I was watching her interview on The Actor's Studio - You know the one where she tells James Lipton that she's weened herself of insulin through diet and exercise and now considers herself a type 2 PWD.
That interview really infuraiated me - So much so that I wrote my very first blog post and reached out to Halle's publicist's NYC & LA office to chat about it. And guess what? She called me back!
Anyway, when I first started blogging I had absolutely no idea what I was doing- And I still make plenty of mistakes - But Diabetes blogging has changed my life for the better.
Diabetes blogging has introduced me to the Diabetes On-line Community and I will always be grateful for that.
The DOC has shown me that other people living the diabetes lives have the same diabetes issues, fears, exasperation's and twisted sense of humor that I do.
The DOC showed me that I was not the only one - And because of diabetes blogging I've developed a strong diabetes voice. And diabetes blogging helped me to find my passion, my calling and my community - And I am a lucky duck indeed.
I remember the first person from the DOC who left a comment on my blog was Bernard, and he's the one who introduced me to all the other diabetes blogs - THANKS MY FRIEND.

Growing up I'd always had issues with the way the media perpetuated diabetes myths &stereotypes instead of facts and realities. Diabetes blogging continually helps me to bust diabetes myths and perpetuate diabetes realities while spreading diabetes validation through humor ownership & advocacy!

The only "bad" thing about being a diabetes blogger is that I could have my computer on 24X7, 365 days a year and still never be caught up with all that occurs in the DOC.
Still - Not a terrible thing if you ask me.

BOTTOM LINE: The Diabetes On-line Community not only changes lives - I truly believe it saves them.... And that my friends is a wonderful thing.

If you'd like to learn more about the Joslin Blog Project  - Checkout the following link!

http://events.joslin.org/supporter/page/Joslin%20Blog-Project/National-Diabetes-Month.htm

A Diabetes Faux Pas & Happy Thanksgiving!!

Yeah..... this fell out of my bag when I brought some fixings to help with Thanksgiving Dinner!
#itmakessenseifyouhavediabetes!
#DidIdothat?
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hurricane Sandy: The Pre & Post, Post.

So it’s taken me a while to write the, bitch known as Hurricane Sandy post because........ Because I’m worn out from pre and post Sandy hurricane existence. I did do an interview with Scottie J at Diabetes Monitor the Friday after Sandy hit, you can read about it, HERE. 
And I MUST apologize for my lack enthusiasm on-line these past few weeks - All I can say is that in Sandy’s aftermath for those that experienced her has left us all feeling a bit tired - And like we lost a few weeks of our lives - And are just catching up now. 

######

I didn’t want to leave my island for Sandy. When I’d left for Hurricane Irene I ended staying at my sister's 40 miles away, and while my island remanded untouched.... my sister's basement flooded and there were downed trees everywhere. 

This time around I wanted to stay with my things and my town, and was very luckily that my friends invited me to stay with them.

And thanks to staying at their house (which ironically was two blocks closer to the beach then mine,) my car didn't get damaged by the flood. Because on my street the day Sandy hit, the ocean literally met the bay, twice after the double full moon high tides of Sunday and Monday. 

Growing up at the beach you learn about prepping for a hurricane. 
You learn to stock up on bottled water, batteries and to keep non perishable foods like cans of tuna,;boxes of pasta, apple sauce snack packs ,granola bars, canned soups, bread, peanut butter & jelly, etc. 

And if you live with diabetes, you absolutely make sure that you have extra insulin and oral meds, insulin pump supplies, glucose meters, test strips, pump batteries and glucose tabs.  
I had so much diabetes supplies in my suitcase that I barely had room for my clothes and computer and ended up putting my pump supplies, glucose tabs and pills ( the medicine bottles were in a 8X10 ziplock bag)  in a water proof carry-on bag. 

Also, I made sure I had plenty of juice boxes on hand for middle of the night lows - because I don’t want to stumble around in the dark in an unfamiliar house that was  rocking and rolling in hurricane winds.

I ended up moving my pump supplies to a waterproof carry-on - So I could bring some clothes with me.

And you hit the liquor store - Especially if you’re staying with friends because you never want to be the hurricane guest that comes empty handed - Especially when you have no idea how long you'll actually going to be a hurricane guest. 

And I did all of the above. And I also filled my car up with gas the Friday before the storm.

And then I prepped my house for the storm. I put my stuff that was stored in basement on cinder blocks and I put tarp over the the paintings that on my walls. 

I placed all my family pictures and albums in waterproof rubbermaid storage bins that sealed up tight, stacked them in the closet & put a plastic tarp over top of them. 

I unplugged my TV and made sure all my storm windows were closed & taped the inside of my windows. 

At 4pm, Sunday afternoon I ran down to the beach and took pictures - And I knew that Sandy wasn’t going to be one hell of a storm.

Pier on Sunday afternoon of Sandy

dunes and dune fencing pre Sandy

Beach /dune fencing on Sunday

Pier

I ran back to my house and finished organizing my stuff and triple checking that I had everything I needed. 
Then I loaded my suitcase, carry-on bag and groceries into the car and did another once through around my house.

Everything seemed in order, but I still had a l hard time leaving my place. 
It’s hard to leave your house when: 
1. Haven't lived there very long and didn't know how storm strong said it
2. You have no idea when you'll be back. 

And I kept worrying about leaks and the roof blowing off and the windows busting..... and I kept feeling like I was forgetting something. 

But when the lights went out and then immediately flicked back on again at 6pm Sunday night, I was outta there and high tailed it to my friends house, ASAP. A power outage that early in to the storm - even a temporary one is NEVER a good sign. 

When I arrived at my friends home, I handed them 3 bottles of wine, a pie and a dozen cupcakes for the kiddies, put my insulin in the fridge and my suitcase and bag in the spare bedroom on the 3rd floor. 
Actually my friend’s husband grabbed my luggage  - And he was like: Kel, you moving in?  

Then we ate a hot dinner, drank some wine, watched the news and made sure our phones and my ipad was fully charged. 
ANd then we waited. 

The winds howled like crazy on Sunday night and the house literally rocked back and forth - It was like being on a cruise ship. At one point I could literally hear my meds and vitamins pills slowly rocking and rolling back in forth in their bottles. 

Late Monday morning at 11:40 (and right after my second cup of coffee,) the power went out - And we knew that it was going to be a long day. We still had gas so we were able cook on the stove top and we lit a fire in the fireplace and listened to a transistor radio and every now and then. 
I did try and get on CNN and facebook via the iPad to see what was happening -but data access was spotty. 

Later that afternoon I saw pictures of my home town and current town flooded beyond anything I’d ever seen before. 

And  all I could say was: HOLY SHIT. 

One of my town's main streets on Monday during Sandy
pic courtesy of facebook

My CVS on the other side of the river.. I mean street on Monday during Sandy.

CVS is now currently closed and being rebuilt - And will hopefully open before the end of the year. 

CVS did set up a trailer in their driveway to fill RXs and we are very grateful.

Photo courtesy of facebook

And I began getting texts from around the globe, George in California, my sister in Colorado, my sister in NJ, my friend outside of Philly like Emily, Penny and Donald. My third cousin once removed in Prague CZ, Cherise in Indy and my brother in Hawaii - And so many others. Same goes for facebook postings and twitter. 
Everyone was worried and wondering how my friends and I were doing - AND I APPRECIATE THAT MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW - THANK YOU. 

We were all doing fine honkered down at my friends house.... We didn’t know what everyone else not in Sandy’s path knew. 

We didn’t know about Seaside Heights or Brigantine, NJ.  And even though we were a block and a half of the beach, we were on dry ground because we were one of the highest parts of the island. 

We were cold from no heat and a bit crazy from the wind howling... And we were nervous ... But we were safe and dry. 

The storm moved quickly. it was originally supposed to hit hard at 9 pm that Monday - During a full moon, but it it moved so quickly and with such ferocity that the eye ended up hitting us around 5: 45 - THANK GOD - because that's what saved us. 

The tail end brought 80 mile an hour winds and sideways rain that lasted all night. 

The wind was deafening and the third floor was rattling and left me wondering if my hosts had any dramamine. 

No power - But making sure I had the means to treat a low in the dark

Tuesday: Normally the day after a hurricane the sun shines brightly and everything is still  and eerily quiet - That wasn’t the case with Sandy. Tuesday was gray, rainy,damp and cold.

We still didn’t have power, but you could go out and survey the damage - And that’s exactly what I did. I still couldn’t make it onto the beach because the steps to the beach were under 3 ft of water, but here are some pictures I managed to take. 

Tuesday after Sandy

Tuesday after Sandy - Can't even make it to the beach.

A pod floated up during High tide on the Monday of Sandy and it's still there

Dune fencing is gone

Driving around on Halloween after Sandy

Lucy still stands overlooking the beach, but sand overtakes Avenue A & there are no other cars in sight On Halloween ~

The nights were pitch black because no streetlights or lamps worked due to the power outages. And every house was black except for the few that were lit by candle light.

It was surreal to drive around my island at 8pm to recharge my cell and know that the only light was coming from the headlights of my Honda. It was scary. 

Wednesday: A sort of martial law went into affect and you could no longer travel between towns - they were literally checking ID’s at the boarders. And those that had left the area before the storm weren’t allowed to go home. They couldn’t check on their homes, businesses or possessions... And it was infuriating for so many reasons.
Those people who couldn't get home were literally left in limbo, and those that had flooded homes lost precious time to save their homes and belongings. 
The people on the island with generators had no way of going off the island to get gas to power those generators because they wouldn't be allowed back on. So even if you had a sump pump and generator to pump out your basement, you couldn't get off the island to get fuel for the generator to run!  

Black hawk down helicopters were flying low along the shoreline daily to checkout the damage to the coast - It was so crazy hear and see that!

The lack of power and heat was getting to those of us on the island. 
I drove back to my house to find the basement flooded with two feet of water and the boiler busted. My land lord had the sump pump but had run our of gas. 
SO I went back to my friend's house. I couldn’t worry about what little I had in the basement, because with almost 2 feet of water, I could only pray that the things I'd stored there weren't totally damaged. 

After I returned to my friend’s house, I sat in my car and charged my phone. I thought about all that was going on and all we didn’t know. And then my friends kids came bursting out of the house and screaming my name: Kelly the power’s back on, the power’s back on!!!! 
All the neighbors ran out into the streets and all the kids were literally dancing and yelling: YAY!!!  THE POWER’S BACK ON!!!

I spent that night (which was also my Divarsary,) celebrating a 6 year old’s birthday and the fact that we’d made it through the storm. 

No one I was with really knew that it was my 35th Diaversary - And I was OK with that - even though I was sad bout it.. 
First off, how could I compete with a 6 year who was celebrating his birthday for the first time ever without having to share it with Halloween? Add to the fact that his uncle had broken martial law and ridden his bike (with a baby buggy attached behind it ) 9 miles through four shore towns each way to meet a friend at one of the boarders to pick up a birthday cake. 

And that 6 year little boy had the best birthday, ever! 

I still have all year to celebrate my 35 Diaverssary, - And I’d rather celebrate it with you guys - More on the Diaversary and all awesome cards I received to follow in another post! 

But back to Sandy. I’m glad I stayed in my town, even if it was the storm of the century. 

But what I really wasn’t prepared for was the aftermath and the feelings that overwhelm you when you see your town and the people you love thrown for loop. 

You can’t prepare for seeing the main street flooded or hearing about so many friends who were flooded out and lost everything because of Sandy.

You can’t prepare for not having heat for weeks ( my boiler wasn’t replaced for 10 days, which meant 10 days of no heat) or driving around town and seeing peoples whole lives were literally set out on the curb to be taken away with the trash. 

It’s depressing and you can see the stress on peoples faces.

My basement

You see scenarios like this all over town, even 3 weeks after Sandy. 

11/19/2012

Like when I went to vote on Election Day. At the polls I ran into 12 people that I knew that had lost either their homes, cars or both. 

It became a daily occurrence to see the  Red Cross trucks driving down the street and announcing that they had hot meals for people. 

And every day since the storm of seen a barrage of utility trucks, backhoes, trackers and cherry-pickers along the main and back streets trying to make things “right."  
And everything was perfectly normal 6 miles inland - And that was just bazaar!

Power Crews

Down the street from my house 11/20/2012

2 weeks after Sandy

And it’s overwhelming because you feel like you can’t help enough - And you feel guilty for being lucky.

And there are times when you wonder out loud and to friends: How are things ever going to get back to normal?  

For two weeks there was no place to buy a quart of milk in a 5 mile radius - not to mention the fact that all 3 pharmacies were flooded out. 

The main street looked like a ghost town, with stores still boarded up and sandbags strewn all over the streets. Sandbags that were supposed to protect, but could not. 

Your feet hurt from wearing rain and or work boots for two weeks and now after three weeks, it's incredibly weird to continually hear the sound of sand crunching under your shoes when you walk on the sidewalks and streets, even though you can't always see it. 

And you have a new found appreciation for all the little things in life - Like being warm, or realizing that your family pictures weren’t destroyed. 
And even thought your car had $250 worth of water damage, it still ran - And it only took a day to fix. LUCKY.

And when my boiler finally did got fixed, I don’t realize how tired I was from being cold all the time. 
It literally took me two days to warm up again. And I knew that I was very lucky to get a new boiler so quickly - because so many still don't have heat. 

After not watching TV for 5 days it was literally shock and awe when you saw the news and all of of Sandy’s destruction - You can’t take yourself away from the TV screen and you can’t believe what your seeing, 

You’ve seen and experienced acts of compassion first hand you - And you know both exist. 

But you still have moments of anger and exasperation. Like when you see antique walnut bed frame that was up on cinder blocks in the basement  - And was your grandmother’s and your mom's with water damage.

And you have to remind yourself that:

1. It’s only stuff

2. You could have had a lot more stuff damaged or lost - like your house, car & all your belongings 

3. You one lucky bitch to have a roof over your head and heat.

And you want to slap the people on facebook who were posting offensive things on both sides the day of and  after the election because of petty statuses. 

And everyone you talk with feels like they’ve lost two and a half weeks of their lives. 

But you keep going because you have to and because you know for a fact it could be worse - You’ve seen the worst on the news.... And in the homes and faces of so many of your friends. 

And you realize that it’s going take a lot of time for things to get back to normal for everyone. 

Even after all thatm  I am still so glad I stayed, I really am.  
And things are indeed getting back to normal - Stores are reopening everyday and are desperate for your business - so come to the Jersey shore and shop! 

And Jersey will survive and Jersey will be stronger.... Because that’s how we do it in Jersey ;)