Diabetesalicious-Lite: Diabetes Dark Ages, Alecia On The APP/AP, Fearless/Fearful, Positive D Visuals, CWD-FFL15 & #SpareARose

I’ve written about the Diabetes Dark Ages a lot on Diabetesaliciousness, because (and lucky me,) I was diagnosed just as that chapter of diabetes history was coming to a close  and diabetes technologies were coming into play - and my memories are vivid.  
I wrote a piece on the D Dark Ages over at SuiteD and I'd love it if you click HERE, check it out and let me know what you think~

Speaking of Diabetes Technology/technologies, t1 and SurfaceFine blogger, Alecia Wesner is featured in today’s NY Daily News, re; her "app-tastic' experience on the AP. 
Click HERE and read about our fearless and fantastical friend's experience! 
Also: I WANT.

Fearless and fearful, similar versions of the same root word, with very different meanings. We all find ourselves walking a fine line when it comes to being fearless and fearful in all aspects of our lives, including our lives with diabetes. 
And if we're lucky, we find ourselves a place to exist and flourish in the in-between of both words and worlds. 
Not being so fearless to the point of of being flipping crazy, and not being so fearful that we allow ourselves or others to be imprisoned by our fears.
After 37 years of living with diabetes, I've seen a hell of a lot and I've learned and continue to learn everyday. 
For me, the 24X7/365 requirements of my diabetes life include; continual education, (of myself and others,) the latest in diabetes technology, copious amounts of laughter, lots tenacity, acknowledging and then doing what I fear when required, while remembering to focus on the positive & help others in the process. 
Also, I require boatloads of hope and positive diabetes visuals - we all do! 

Re: positive diabetes visuals, take a look at Moira's positive & empowering post over at Despite Diabetes.   

Speaking of positive and empowering, here's a sneak peek at the initial and not yet complete/still fantastical work in progress, Adult Program for the 2015 Children With Diabetes- Friends For Life Conference! 
Sidebar: The Kids Program isn't up and running yet, but I guarantee it's sure to please!
Continue to watch childrenwithdiabetes.com for updates and details & see you in Florida! :) 

Lastly and also in the positive/empowering vein: The Super Bowl isn’t the only thing kicking off on February 1 - SpareARose also 'kicks-off' on Super Bowl Sunday and quite frankly, my bet's on #SpareARose for the win!  
11 roses are better than a dozen and for the cost of 1 rose (5 bucks) you're literally sparing a rose and saving a child. 5 dollars provides life saving insulin for a month to a child with diabetes in third world/developing country!  It's a sure bet on game day and it'sthe best money you'll spend on Valentine's Day.  

Order your "spared rose and or roses," here.

Diabetesalicious Lite: December Blog Giveaways, FDA Deadline, The Cost of Diabetes, Vibe Approved & Diabetes Burnout

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Diabetesalicious-Lite: The Day Before World Diabetes Day 2014, Edition ~

World Diabetes Day, 2014 is tomorrow an if you're feeling overwhelmed, I TOTALLY GET IT.  

There’s stuff coming at us at all angles during the entire month of November and living with diabetes is more 365 days a year. So take a breath and then a beat, wear blue for Blue Fridays and rock on! 
While your at it, you can still send a world Diabetes Day postcard, even in the spirit of the WDD Postcard Exchange! 

Let's not forget that the date of World Diabetes Day, (November 14,) celebrates a man who saved millions of lives! Happy Birthday Dr. Banting - I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! 

On World Diabetes Day, there's a World Diabetes Day 24 hour Twitter Chat/Marathon, and yes, I will absolutely be participating in it & will be hosting the noon to 1 pm slot and tweeting my questions from my @diabetesalish handle.
You can read about the chat, (and is the brainchild of DCaf,) in more detail,  HERE.  

Also, here's the breakdown of the 24 hour WDD Twitter Chat/Marathon schedule re: time slots, hosts, topics & twitter handles. And don't forget to follow the #WDDChat14 hashtag!

FYI: #insulin4all, let’s not forget to put the WORLD back in #WDD.

There's also a World Diabetes Day Photo Scavenger Hunt - Check it out!

Today at 1pm EST, 10 am PT, tudiabetes is hosting a chat on Physical Activity & Diabetes, presented by the American Diabetes Association and The National Diabetes Education program. I have no doubt it will be a good one!  

Speaking of tudiabetes, don't forget to get your Big Blue Test on as many times as you can by November 20th Not only will you be helping yourself, you'll be helping others in the process! 

Beyond WDD: 
I received a press release from JDRF this week re: a workshop that was held by JDRF last month, here  healthcare experts from government, nonprofit agencies and educational institutions discussed expanding the definition of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) to recognize the earliest stages of human T1D before a person is considered clinically symptomatic. 

The potential big benefits of expanding the definition of T1D could include faster drug development and identification of people living with the early stages of T1D, which could in turn lead to better treatments for people and families at high risk for T1D through screening. Check it out: http://jdrf.org/blog/2014/its-time-to-redefine-type-1-diabetes/

And Finally, file the following under: Navigating the Open Enrollment process with a little help from your friends~

The American Diabetes Association has  two updated fact sheets on the Health Insurance Marketplaces available at: www.diabetes.org/HealthInsuranceMarketplaces  to help you navigate the open enrollment process.

FTR: Open Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplaces (Marketplace) starts November 15, 2014 and ends February 15, 2015. During this time, individuals and or families can shop for health insurance coverage and purchase/change plans.  Individuals CANNOT be denied coverage or charged more because they have a pre-existing condition, including diabetes and those who are eligible can get financial assistance to help pay for a plan purchased in the Marketplace. 

Lastly, have you noticed the cost of your generic drugs skyrocketing? 

If you have, you're not alone! And ye, it's total bullish*t!
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/generic-drug-prices-skyrocketing/

Diabetesalicious Lite: Some Stuff Not Related To My Low Blood Sugar Hangover, Edition.

Currently dealing with a low blood sugar hangover that occurred this morning at 4:30 a.m and resulted in a 7 a.m. 297 blood sugar. 

I'm not going to focus too much on it because I just don't feel like it. 

I have a lot of work to do, holiday or not - and what went up, did indeed go down - even if it took all freaking morning and took up way to much of my brain's bandwidth. 

Instead, I'm focusing on some cool links of the Diabetesalicious Lite variety~ 

Are you looking for gluten free candy and carb counts? 
If so, check out THIS POST over at Children With Diabetes  - It's a list of gluten free candy/carb count - AWESOME. 

Do you know who Diabetes Canine Shero Marjorie is?? Click HERE and find out - And get your cool Marjorie shirt while you can! All sales of the shirt benefit The Diabetes Media Foundaton. 

On October 16th 4pm, EST my first friend with diabetes, Joe Soloweijcyk's being being interviewed over at tudiabetes.org about his amazing book, "A Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe."  

I've read the book and it's awesome, as is Joe.  So tune in, you'll be glad you did. 

And download the book, already! 

Speaking of tudiabetes.org and things that occur in October, October 20th is the kickoff of the #bigbluetest! 

between October 20th and November 20th, 

The #bigbluetest is EASY. All you need to do is: 

1. If you have diabetes you test their blood sugar (no diabetes? no testing!)
2. You exercise for at least 14-20 minutes.
3. You test your blood sugar again (again, only if you're a PWD)
4. You share their experience on BigBlueTest.org or through the app for iPhone or Android.
5. It's super easy, it's free, and it helps you and others living with diabetes! 
6. And here's the kicker: For every result that's shared, The Diabetes Hands Foundation will grant 1$ in support of people with diabetes, globally. READ more about #thebigbluetest, HERE. 

Some Non Diabetes related links: 

Here's a list (courtesy of Mashable,) of 18 products versions that cost more, simply because they are made for women. Bullshit Factor, threat level: INFINITY.

My niece Cristin's show, "A to Z" premiered a few weeks ago on NBC and it's AWESOME. 

If you haven't watched it, you need to. It's on every Thursday on NBC, at 9:30, EST. 

I'm incredibly proud of Cristin and I think the show is really smart and funny, much like my niece! 

And I love that for the past 7 years I've been able to share Cristin's success with The Diabetes Online Community. Seriously, it makes me smile - And I love to smile, smiling's my favorite! 

Diabetesalicious Lite: The D List Edition ~

For the record - This list is not in any ranking order- Except for the first one.
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First: Please go give our girl Heidi over At “The D-Log Cabin” some love and support because she could really use it!

Second: I have a guest post up over at the Medtronic’s The Loop- Blog and it’s all about what’s in my handbag diabetes wise with some diabetes memories thrown in for good measure! So when you get the chance, stop over and give it a read - And thanks in advance :) 

Third: How does one take an antibiotic 4 times a day for three days?? Do I have to set my alarm clock to start administering in the middle of the night or what?? 

Fourth: We as a community have until May 7th to let the FDA know out thought on glucose meter/test strip accuracy - The current rules were set in 2003 - If we don’t comment and voice our concerns, who knows the next time we will have the FDA’s ears on this subject. Click the following link to walk you through the process!

http://www.stripsafely.com/sample-page/guidance/

Fifth: It’s not to late to register for the 2014 #DiabetesSisters Weekend For Women Conference in Washington, D.C. April 25th - 27th. 
Click HERE to learn more about the conference and for info re: registering.

Sixth: Looking to go back to school?? You’re in luck because Hogwarts is now accepting applications. Also: If you do get accepted, do us a favor and work on some spells/ potions to cure Diabetes. OK, thanks! 

Seventh: Easter & Passover - Do you bolus differently for them? I do. I use an extended temp basal rate, but I'm considering trying a duel wave this year - All depends on what’s in my Easter Basket on Sunday morning and on the dessert table Sunday night. 

Eighth: Speaking of temporary and duel wave boluses and yummy stuff, the 1/2 off Easter candy phenomenon officially starts on Easter Sunday. 
I’m going to do my best to steer clear of it - But talk to me next Monday and I’ll let you know how that’s panning out~ 

Diabetesalicious Lite July 2013 Edition: With Shout-Outs To: The Heat Wave, #cwdffl13, Check-In Day, Striping Safely, A Beautiful Tribute & A Tween Compliment~

Diabetesalicious Lite July Edition: Brought to you by a crazy ass heat wave, #cwdffl13, Check-In day, Striping Safely, a beautiful tribute & being considered technically savvy by a tween in the know!

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So this whole week of catching up with life (and during a craZy ass heat wave) has been a challenge to say the least and I'm ready for it to be over. 

There's a 50% chance that my insulin has gone skunky in my pump reservoir - I'll know better when I check my lunchtime glucose numbers.

To learn how to keep your insulin from getting skunky, click HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Life post Children With Diabetes Friends For Life 2013 isn't nearly so so fun and all encompassing - I live by myself and I really miss being surrounded by my #cwdffl13 peeps. I miss the hustle and the bustle of that being with family creates and I'm definitely going through withdraw. . 

But enough about me. YOU need to Check-in this Monday, July 21st - As in "checking in" with the blogs you're reading that day - I'm talking to you DOC lurkers and the not so lurkers in the DOC. 

It doesn't require much. Just leave a comment, or a +1, or a facebook "thumbs-up - or whatever Social Media format works best for you, on the posts you read that day. 

And don't forget to follow the hashtag: #dblogcheck.    

You can read more about Check-In Day, HERE. 

Do you "strip safely?" Inquiring minds want to know. No, I'm not getting all types of personal here or trying to make you laugh, this is all about keeping us safe. Right now, test strips can be anywhere from 10 to 20% off the mark when it comes to accuracy in blood sugar readings - And that's not good enough! 

It's time we let our elected government officials know that glucose meter inaccuracy is not acceptable and that the rules have to change! 

And the change starts with all of us - As in everyone of living with diabetes. So, how can you be part of the change? 

It's easy, just go to http://www.stripsafely.com/ to learn more! And thanks to them, I'll be writing a letter to my elected officials and posting it on the blog in the next week! Having trouble getting started? No worries. Strip Safely has a handy page to help you get your letter written  - Click HERE and start writing!

Meri at OurDiabeticLife.com was asked to give the Friends for Life Keynote Speech about the late an wonderful Dr. Richard Rubin and it was incredible.

I had the honor of hearing Meri speak live and was driven to tears. Mer spoke beautifully and from the heart and was amazing. She wrote a post on her experience yesterday and it's a MUST READ.

Also have tissues handy, because you're going to need them! Click HERE and be prepared to read something beautiful in all dimensions. 

Lastly, my 11 year old tween second cousin Gracie and I spent the Fourth of July together and we had a great time! And to top it off, Gracie told me and I quote: You're both media and technically savvy because you have a blog AND an Instagram account !

And that just made me feel so cool beyond belief because Gracie is an uber cool fashionista/ designer/singer/actress and digital native! 

Diabetesaliciousness - Lite TIME Edition: Spring Ahead, Check Your OneTouch Ping's Time/Date Settings & Rich's Waltz Across America!

This edition of Diabetesalicious - Lite is all about time: As in date and time; time 'springing" forward, time and date settings, and the time it takes to walk across the country while raising money for Jr. Adventurers with diabetes!

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This Sunday March 11th, is all about DayLight Savings Times - which goes into effect at 2a.m. Sunday morning.

So don't forget to "spring ahead" and set all your household/car clocks (and change your smoke alarm batteries) one ahead hour. Look, Daylight savings is happening whether you remember to set your clock ahead or not, so DO IT.

And while we lose an hour of sleep, we gain an hour of sunlight, which is always a good thing in my book!

And speaking of daylight savings time and setting clocks, don't forget to set the clock on your insulin pumps ahead.

And if you happen to wear an Animas OneTouch Ping, the folks at Animas want you to be sure and check the time and settings on your pumps. WHY? Because Animas identified an issue affecting a small number of OneTouch Ping patients who attempted to make changes on their time and date settings on their Pings on leap year, Feb, 29, 2012.

Many of you (myself included,) have already tweeted the info and posted the it on facebook, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to post on the blog too!

According Animas, on 2/29/12 Z(Leap Day) some users reported that their pumps software didn't recognize changes that they'd attempted to make to their time/date settings.

Animas recommends that all their patients verify the time and date on OneTouch Pings.

If you notice that the time/date is incorrect, correct your settings immediately and test your bloodsugars!

Animas has sent their patients a letter regarding this issue and copy of the letter can be found HERE.

Speaking of time, how long do you think it would take to walk or (Waltz) across America?

Now you can actually find out,(without actually doing all that walking) and raise money for diabetes awareness at the same time!

Rich Humphreys is 69 years young and has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 55 years, the fact alone is inspiring right there.

But besides that enormous dose of inspiration, Rich is a a PWD/Adventurer, and a Joslin Award 50 year medalist - I kid you not

Rich has a zest for life, a penchant for exercise and he digs adventure in all forms!

Rich backpacked around the world in in 1975 and cycled across the United States in 1976, both feats occurred before the advent of glucose meters!

At the end of March 2012, Rich will walk from Walnut Creek, California to his home in Pennsylvania to raise awareness about type 1 diabetes and show children living with diabetes (and their parents,) that they can be Adventurers in every sense of the word!

Rich's walk is also raising money for Destiny, Diabetes Camp For Children - An awesome cause and experience for CWDs who like adventure and extreme sports.

You can read all about Rich (and donate to his cause,) by clicking HERE!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the extra hour of daylight!

Due To Diabetes Being Bitchy, We Interrupt This Edition of' "Diabetesalicious -Lite"

Today's post was supposed to be all "Diabetesalicious Lite," and the likes there of.
It's Friday after all, and let's face it, the last few Friday posts were anything but!
But then diabetes blood sugar issues took over and suddenly, I'm not feeling so light and happy.
Instead. I'm feeling annoyed, frustrated, and tired!
I'm doing my office work thing, and doing it very well might I add - And for the first time in a while, diabetes is getting in the way.

Lets start at the beginning, I had flat crust pizza for dinner last night, which normally works really well for me blood sugar wise. The slices are much smaller in circumference than normal slices, not to mention that the crust is flat, hence the name: FLAT CRUST PIZZA.
Usually flat crust pizza and I get along very well. But last night, not so much.
Like I said, I was having issues with blood sugar, as in they were hovering around the 220/230 for hours after my meal.
And in all honesty, it might have been an infusion set issue (it was new as of yesterday morning) or perhaps the insulin in my pump was skunky, I was down to the last 19 units after all.
But whatever the culprit, I couldn't get my blood sugars in normal range after two slices of veggie flat crust.
Cut to this morning, when I woke up with a bg of 228. I immediately changed my insulin reservoir out for a fresh one and did a meal and correction bolus, downed some much needed coffee & Greek yogurt and got ready for work.
Cut to work and me rocking it and being incredibly productive & wonderful!
And then, around 10ish, I felt the numbness in my lips and stomach kick-in, BIG TIME.
I was shaking and grabbed my Dex4 glucose tabs & downed the last 5 tabs I had on my person.
And then I tested - I was 49. I waited and watched the clock tick and still felt the numbness all over. I was starting to sweat & ate a Blueberry Larabar. 12 minutes later I was still in the 50's and ate another Larabar, this time Key Lime.

I KNEW I was over treating, but I felt so low that I didn't want to chance it.
And again, I watched the minutes click by on my computer and continued testing and was happy to see my numbers start to climb back up towards normal. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw 71 and I actually cracked a smile when I 83 flashed on the screen.

Cut to 11:30ish, when that old numb feeling started to return. I tested and was 60. YES, 60!
And for the first time in a very long time, I had to blink back the tears of diabetes frustration.

I didn't have time for this crap and I didn't have time for tears, I grabbed a yogurt from the fridge and ate it in damn near record time.
And now as I sit on at my desk and continue to complete my work "To-Do List," my internal voice is saying: Guess what diabetes? I can be a bitch too - You won't stop me from doing a good job!
And it won't! Right now my blood sugar is hovering in the low 90s and I'm still all types ofmiffed about diabetes throwing a fit.

So I decided to change today's blog post and blog about how I'm feeling right now, in real time.

Right this second I feel like diabetes is is this close to getting the best of me and I don't like it!
I know it's not & I know that I should feel grateful that I haven't felt this way in a quite a while - I'm damn lucky and I know it!
Broken pancreas or not, I still see my diabetes glass half full - But there's been a few spills today & I need pick myself up by my bootstraps and fill that glass back up to the brim.

But if I don't acknowledge the good, the BAD, and the Diabetesaliciousness of it ALL, then diabetes would get the best of me - AND THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Diabetesaliciousness - Lite, 2011 Earth Day Edition!

Diabetesaliciousness - Lite, Earth Day Edition!

Happy Friday (a day that many celebrate the last day day of the traditional work week) and Happy Earth Day, the day in which we celebrate our planet and our attempts to be greener!

We all know that going green is a good thing for our planet,our environment, and our health. Less chemicals in our products & real foods on our plates make us healthier as a people and a planet!

This Earth Day, I plan on laying out my plans for this summer's veggie garden, picking up trash wherever I see it, seriously assessing how I can live a greener life.

Thanks to Earth Day, recycling has become second nature to us -which is a good thing, but it makes still makes me feel guilty in my day to day existence thanks to my diabetes paraphernalia.
I really wish that companies whose products that I count on to live, exist and thrive (I'm talking to you diabetes companies) would take the initiative and go more green. They could start by using less packaging, and they could follow many businesses examples of rewarding their customers on Earth Day.

Speaking of rewarding customers on Earth Day, here's a list of some free offerings in honor of Earth Day. Maybe next year some diabetes related companies will follow their lead !

Free Caffeine:
Starbucks: Bring your own travel mug to Starbucks and have it filled up for free today!
Peet's: Peet’s Coffee and Tea is giving patrons a free medium beverage, which includes tea, with a full price purchase of mugs and our beverage tumblers today.

SIDE BAR: Both Starbucks & Peet's give away their coffee grounds to customers for gardening/composting purposes. All you have to do is ask for them!

Is tea more your style? NO PROBLEM! Teas Etc. is having an Earth Day Tea Sale - save 20% on all teas and tea accessories, including their tea traveler, plus free shipping on orders of $60+ Sale ends Saturday night. Here's a link for promo codes/details: http://www.teasetc.com/tea/mailings/earth041811/index.html

Free Trees: Have you been planning on 'sprucing" up your garden and giving back some oxygen to your planet, but your budget has you refraining? No problem, Lowe's is giving away a 1 million trees today!
All you have to do is call your local Lowe's to make sure they're part of the offer. And if so, get on over there and go get your tree!! Click HERE for details!

A free copy of Planet Earth is available for downloading today on itunes !

Beauty
Origins is making Earth Day worth your while. All you have to do is bring in a full size container (full or empty) of your current face cleaner and exchange it for their Checks & Balances or A Perfect World high performance face cleaner!
What do you plan on doing for Earth Day? Also, if you know of any Earth Day deals, feel free to post them in the comments section!

Diabetesalicious - Lite - First Edition of 2011

Diabetesalicious Lite First Edition of 2011!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well, the year started with a BANG. Ricki Lake misspoke on GMA and referred to Juvenile Diabetes as being preventable - which of course it isn't.
But thanks to the loud and tenacious voices of the Diabetes On-line community, not only did she apologize, but she did so in a very public way!!
First on The Joy Behar Show, where Ricki's apology (which I believe was incredibly sincere) was rudely cut off by Joy Beyhar and her very unfunny Charles Manson joke.
Sidebar: I refuse to link to Joy's show.
And this morning, GMA read an apology from Ricki. While I wasn't home to hear the apology and I can't wait to find the video on youtube! , I'm glad that both GMA and Ricki stepped up to the diabetes plate.
So many celebrates and news organizations and websites get diabetes wrong (Halle, Oprah & Dr OZ and The Onion, just to name a few) and then refuse to make their diabetes mistakes right. Team Ricki, didn't run in another direction, no they ran towards making things right.

I did speak with Ricki Lake's publicist Bill Harrison again yesterday, and I believe that out of a something negative, Team Ricki will continue to turn (and learn) their mistake into something positive for our community.

Speaking of positive, Scott Johnson writes about his The DOC and Children With Diabetes wanting the same things, HERE.

Continuing with the positive, Karen over at BitterSweet Diabetes talks about 3 fortunes & the WEGO Blog Carnival - inspiring stuff, so check it out!!

Speaking of inspiring, Meri, over at Our Diabetic Life wrote a post that allowed this former child with diabetes to once again, see what our parents go through. I cried, I learned, and you will to! Thanks Meri!
Click HERE and have a tissue handy.

Today, January 7th, is National I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day - Don't even get me started started folks!

And to help with stress, January 8th is http://www.holidayinsights.com/other/bubblebathday.htm - I'm so down with that!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Diabetesalicious - Lite Edition: Featuring SAE, My Diaversary

Happy Friday and welcome to this weeks edition of Diabetesalicious- Lite, brought to you by 2 things that are worth celebrating:

SAE Day - happening on November 1st and my 33rd Diaversary, occurring this Halloween weekend.

SAE DAY

What is SAE Day? I'm glad you asked! SAE stands for Support, Advocate, & Educate and is the brain child of Sarah over at Sugabetic.
According to Sarah, the ideal behind SAE Day is to do something in relation to each letter on November 1st to “SAE” and raise awareness about diabetes (and living with diabetes) in a fantastical way.

Support: As in support events, campaigns, and fellow DOC members in their campaigns about diabetes.

Advocate: As in using your voice, writing abilities and tenacity to write letters to your elected officials about diabetes awareness and research, healthy food campaigns for your local schools, and calling up makers of your favorite foods and tell them that High Fructose Corn Syrup has got to go, or you'll stop buying their products!

Educate: As in educating others about living with diabetes. Defuse those pesky diabetes myths that haunt us all and teach others about diabetes realities.

To learn more details about SAE DAY, click HERE and read what Sarah over at Sugabetic has to say about it!

My Diversary

This weekend I will not only be celebrating Halloween, but my 33rd Diaversary of living my life with diabetes.

I will celebrate the good, the bad, and the Diabetesaliciousness of it all.

And I will celebrate my survival, the fabulous Dr's Bantings and Best, my wonderful diabetes family, and I will celebrate the little girl who has now become a woman who is grabbing life by the balls every chance she gets!

I will wear my Halloween costume (which has the potential to be fabulous) and waive my diabetes freak flag proud!

And when your Diaversary rolls around, I highly suggest you do the same!!

And YES, there wil be a more detailed Diaversary Post with pictures to follow this weekend!!

Diabetesaliciousness-Lite, Pinched Nerve Edition.

Due to a pinched nerve in my neck (most likely caused by the external rotation issues I've been having due to my ice inspired shoulder,) this week's Diabetesalicious Lite Edition will be short, because I PROMISED my Chiropractor that I'd spend a limited amount of time on my computer for the next few days.

Actually, he mentioned something about "cold turkey" and I pretended not to hear him, but I digress.

SO, for those of you American Idol/Crystal Bowersox click HERE to read Amy Tenderich's interview and be prepared to be inspired.

Bernard Farrell does a great job of keeping the D-O-C informed when new members move into dBlogville. Click HERE to read about some great new diabetes bloggers.

Jacquie Wojcik over at Typical Type 1, a.k.a Bad Pancreas, wrote yet another post that was from the heart & spoke to all pwds! Jacquie bravely admits that she is a "recovering type 2 blamer," and damn it, if she can be brave, so can I. Years ago (and by years I mean maybe 6 or 7) I too blamed type 2's for a multitude of diabetes sins. Like Jacq, I've seen the error of my ways and I will kick ass if I hear someone blaming a type 2 in my presence. But still, the guilt is with me everyday because I can't believe what a schmuck I once was. To my fellow pwds with type 2, I apologize from the bottom of my broken pancreas - which geographically speaking is a much lower place than the bottom of my heart. Read Jacquie's wonderful post right now!

Over at BlogHer, Kerri Sparling called out celebrities who have found the "diabetes cure" and schooled them good! Click HERE to read her fantastic post!

Mike Hoskins over at The Diabetes Corner Booth wrote a great post about name changes. More specifically, how The Corn Refiners Ass of America wants to change the name from high fructose corn syrup to a more "simpler" corn sugar. Once again, they think the American public is confused about the evils of HFCS. Can you say "Bite me bitches?!" Click HERE to read it!!

For those of you who read my "Chi, chi,chi Chiabetic" Post, I've now added a pic (now that I received his approval to post it) of my fantastical friend Mark and I, and Yes, I'm in a bridesmaid's dress, in a bar, after a wedding. But honestly, I think it captures our friendship & it's one of my favorite pics of us! Click HERE to see Marky Mark.

On the holiday front, today is national Hug A Vegetarian Day and Native American Day.

On the weird and wacky fact front, did you know that tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur. FOR REALZ.

Rubber bands last longer when kept in the refrigerator.

The characters "Bert" and "Ernie" on Sesame Street were named after "Bert the cop" and "Ernie the taxi driver" in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Actually I did know that one, and now you do!

"OK Doc, I'm getting off the computer now - I SWEAR!"

OK, gotta go!

Diabetesalicious - Lite Edition: Brought To You By Ben Hur's Timex - It Takes A Licking & Keeps On Ticking

This week's Diabetesalicious Lite Edition is brought to you by familiar faces around the DOC and a bunch of other cool stuff!

Want to win free stuff?? Of course you do! Head on over to Our Diabetic Life, because Meri is giving away some pretty awesome swag. Officially you have until September 23rd to enter - but remember, the more you enter, the better chance you have of winning!!

"Grace Of My Heart," over at A Sweet Grace did something truly remarkable a few weeks ago. Girlfriend actually put her omnipod on her belly, I kid you not. It's a HUGE deal because Miss Grace was scared to death of wearing a pod on her belly. Not only did she email me when she did it, her mom Penny wrote a great post about it. Anyway, I'm super proud of her! Let her know how awesome she is by taking the belly leap by clicking HERE.

Our friend Kitty Castellini, the host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Diabetes Living Today", is going through a rough patch right now. Kitty suffered from a heprin related bleed out in her right and left eyes, leaving her with very little vision in either. Her doctors feel strongly that she will regain her vision in a few weeks, but she may or may not need surgery.

Kitty is one of the strongest people I know guys. She developed diabetes at the age of three, she's a brilliant business woman, a devoted wife and mother, a crazy Disney fan and great friend to boot!

Kitty received a rare, stand alone pancreas transplant 6 years ago and her new pancreas is producing insulin like a rock star! Since receiving her new pancreas, Kitty has continued fighting for all people with diabetes. You can read about Kitty's story here: http://diabeteslivingtoday.com/about/about-kitty/

You can send Kitty get well wishes & positive vibes by clicking HERE.

DESTINY (Diabetes Exercise Strategies Together in Network with You) next Extreme Weekend for Children With Diabetes takes place October 15-17 . This organization is fantastic! WHY? Because children with diabetes have the opportunity to have fun, gain confidence, bond & have a blast while participating in all types of fantastical outdoor sports and activities. Interested in having your child attend? Click HERE & read all about it!


Watch for Manny Hernandez, of The Diabetes Hands Foundation on dLife this Sunday night, talking about HealthSeeker & other diabetes facebook applications. Which ones do you use? Don't forget to watch!


Today is is National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Take a moment to remember those whose families are still waiting for them to come home.

Tomorrow, September 18th is Inter Coastal Cleaning Day! Clean the inter coastal waters and watch out for my beloved manatees.

Speaking of water, Bob Over at http://wortheverypenny.blogspot.com/ reminded me via the twitter that this coming Sunday September 19th is TLAPD, a.k. a: Talk Like A Pirate Day !! So prepare your timbers to be shivered, your poop decks to be swabbed, (OK, ewwww,) and Davey Jones locker to be pillaged. But most of all, be sure to have fun, say "AAAARRRGGGGG" as much as possible. FYI, eye patches are optional ;)

Weird but true facts tha caught my eye:

Men can read smaller print than women, but women can hear better. No shocker there!

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

During the Chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen way out in the distance. Also, Chuck Heston is wearing a watch.

And now you know~

Diabetesalicious-Lite Is Brought To You By: Infusion Site Awareness, Hurricane Earl, The FDA/Menus/ Carb Counts, Barkley The Dog, & Bitch Pens....

This Week's edition of Diabetesalicious-Lite is brought to you by & Infusion Site Awareness, Hurricane Earl, The FDA & carb counts,Barkley The Dog and Bitch Pens....

A few weeks back I received a packet from Roche regarding Infusion Site Awareness week, which is (was) August 30th through September 5th. Yes, I know ,we are half way through it, and it's my fault that I'm putting it out late and I apologize.
Infusion Set Awareness Week is pretty cool, and as far as I'm concerned, every week should be infusion set awareness week- especially if cool temporary tattoos are involved!

Basically, the folks at Roche ( Full disclosure, I sit on their Patient Advisory Board) wanted to stress the importance of not only changing your insulin pump infusion set & rotating your infusion set sites to prevent infection, scare tissue (dead spots,) tissue damage, and lipohypertrophy - swelling caused by an increased of fat cells at the infusion site. Not only does it cause lumps, but poor absorption.
OK, I'll admit it, I'm not always great when it comes to changing my site, but like everything else diabetes related, I'm working on it. Roche sent me a bunch of information regarding infusion site awareness as well as something kind of cool: Temporary tattoos for infusion sites, with the hope that it will promote PWDs to change and rotate their sites every 2 or 3 days.

Now if truth be told, I always wanted a tattoo, but was to chicken to actually get one. So I was very excited to try the temporary infusion set tattoos. AndI love it! It didn't hurt, took all of 30 seconds to transfer to my site, and lets face it - It looks damn cool! I can't wait to change my set and try another one on for size!

They work with all pump infusion sets, and if you happen to wear a pod, me thinks you can transfer the temporary tattoo to your pod!

Yours truly rocking the temporary infusion set tattoo and breaking my cardinal rule of showing off my stomach!

Temporary Infusion Set Tattoos

Interested in learning more about infusion set awareness? Of course you are! Here's the link: http://www.accu-chekinsulinpumps.com/en_US/act/en_US/microsites/infusionsitemanagement/index.html

If you'd like to receive some temporary infusion set tattoos, email me & I'll send you some. FYI, I only have a limited number, so email me sooner rather than later~

It's Hurricane Season for those of us who live on the East Coast, and we are prepping for the latest Hurricane/Tropical Storm called Earl. Hopefully Earl will bring us nothing but rain and a few awe inspiring waves. Last week was the 5 year anniversary of Katrina, and seeing the footage replayed over and over on the news, I was again reminded of the devastation that Mother Nature can cause. All of us need to be prepared.

dLife has a great article about Diabetes And Weather, and how we need to create an Emergency Kit in order to be prepared. Click HERE and read it.

Bennet over at YDMV sent me a link to his post regarding the FDA hearing regarding nutritional information on menus, including CARB COUNTS for all entrees, appetisers, & desserts. Obviously, as PWDS we need that info! We have until September 7th to let the FDA know how we feel. In order to do that , click HERE & tell the FDA why carb counts on menus are crucial to those of us living with diabetes!

On the weird and true holiday front, today is National Skyscraper Day , U.S. Bowling League Day, Home Run Pitcher Day, National Wilderness Day and Sesame Street's favorite canine Barkley The Dog's birthday! For a list of all your favorite Muppets birthdays, click HERE!

This weeks strange but fabulous facts:

If you pause "Saturday Night Fever" at the "How Deep Is Your Love" rehearsal scene, you will see the camera crew reflected in the dance hall mirror.

The bubbles in Guinness Beer sink to the bottom rather than float to the top like all other beers. No one knows why.

In the 1940's, the Bich pen was changed to Bic for fear that Americans would pronounce it 'Bitch.' Personally, I like Bitch Pen better ;)

And now you know~

Diabetesalicious -Lite Edition 8/20/10

This weeks "Diabetesalicious -Lite Edition" is brought to your by the letters A, B, D, F,G, K, M, TCOYD,& V.

A as is ART and D as is Diabetes Art, reverse them and you've got Diabetes Art Day on September 1st, the brain child of LeeAnn Thill. Get your Art on people! Seriously folks, gather those diabetes supplies and create something fantastical - I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU!
Read all about it HERE.

B as in Bittersweet and K as in Karen over at BittersweetDiabetes wrote a really fantastic post called "Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire," about the lies we tell ourselves and others about living with the Diabetes. YOU NEED TO READ IT!


G as Ginger and her Vlog regarding FAILURE and how the word is highly overrated- I AGREE. Watch the video HERE!

Put the letters TCOYD they stand for TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR DIABETES - something we all try our best to do. But let's face it, that's not always easy, no matter how hard we try. We all could use some help and or inspiration in that area.At least I know I do! If your in driving, flying, walking and or running distance to Providence Rhode island's Convention Center on September 11th, register for TCOYD's Conference & Health Fair. Show your diabetes who's in charge!! For information and registration click HERE!

On the weird and wacky holiday front, Today is Men's Grooming Day and National Hug Your Boss Day.

WACKY FACTS: in the Pixar movie A Toy Story, the carpet designs in Sid's hallway is the same as the carpet designs in The Shining.

Lincolin Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son, John L. Wright in 1916.

And now you know!