Moments~

Moments~

There are moments of frustration, like when my blood sugar refuses to go down, no matter what I do.

There are moments of sadness – when I think of those who are no longer living their lives because of diabetes. 

The sadness causes me to catch my breath, my eyes well up with tears, and my voice cracks and I struggle for composure....

The sadness turns into anger and fuels my fire to find a cure.

There are moments of happiness that turn can into hours, which can turn into days – like diabetes meet-ups and the hours I spend reading diabetes blogs that prove I am not alone.

There are scary seconds that turn into minutes that seem as if they last forever.

Like when my low blood sugar leaves me shaking and sweating and reaching for food in a blind fear fueled by the “diabetes what-ifs?”

These are the longest moments of my life and leave me spent and discouraged.

There are momentary lapses of reason which usually involve pasta.

These momentary lapses of reason usually lead to diabetes inertia which make me feel like I I am walking through J-E-L-L-O.

There are momentous moments pertaining to pizza and or cupcakes & achieving Blood Sugar Nirvana.

There are moments of acceptance - More than moments, because I accepted my diabetes a long time ago. Diabetes acceptance has turned into diabetes ownership.

And there are those moments in between, where I’m blissfully unaware of the diabetes monkey on my back- because it’s been it’s there longer than it hasn’t – and it has become part of me.

But the moment I hear of a newly diagnosed person with diabetes – acceptance goes out the window and the diabetes monkey on my back breaks my heart and makes me fight even harder.

But whatever the moment is - I know I am not the only one.

Quotes

Today is a light post. Work is crazy, especially since I'm trying to make some changes in that department. Changes in life, and life with diabetes can be hard.

I'm a quote person- I like them, I remember them, and I repeat them often.

Here are a some of my favorite quotes that help me in life and life and a few that make me laugh.

What are some of your favorite quotes?

• "Life ain't a track meet-IT"S A MARATHON."
• Ice Cube
• 
  
• "It's amazing what you can accomplish when you see someone else do the same thing."
• Diane Odell
• 
  
• “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin to Pooh”

"What do you mean you don't eat no meat? Oh that's OK, I make you lamb" MY Big Fat Greek Wedding

• "Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing." Michelangelo

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

"It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes."

~Sally Field

"Your gonna need a bigger boat." Brody Jaws

" I used to be Snow White, but I drifted~"

Mae West

"Consider the source."

John Kunik Sr.

"Be good, and if you can't be good be careful."

John Kunik, Sr.

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. ~Louisa May Alcott

Always act like you're wearing an invisible crown. ~ Author Unknown

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)

"BITE ME BIOTCH!"

So I’m in the checkout line at WholeFoods a few months ago, when some “Chicklet” spied my insulin pump and stared at it & me intently.

Chicklet: How long have you been on the insulin pump? she asks all nice like and such.

Me: Four years now.

Chicklet: How long have you had diabetes ?

Me: Since I was 8.

Chicklet: Ya know… if you just cut out all forms of sugars and processed foods, you’d be off insulin in a few months, your body would begin to produce it’s own insulin again. Said “Chick Bitch,” all knowingly and smug like.

Well, At least she didn’t ramble on about a raw food diet sprinkled with massive doses of cinnamon and followed by gallons of green tea, but I digress.

** Normally, I'm all about educating people, but her tone immediately told me she wouldn't listen. Plus, it was late, I was tired, & I didn't feel like having my energy sucked from me by a person who obviously knew it all. Sometimes you have to choose your battles.**

“It's not that simple. If that’s all it really took,don't you think that me; my two sisters, my father, and his two sisters, my two cousins, my nephew, my Great Grandmother and great Uncle would have done it years ago?" And left it at that.

What I wanted to say: "BITE ME BITCH, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, & GET A F^@KING CLUE!”

I didn’t...but I sure wanted to.

Cortisone's A Bitch.....And So Am I

Cortisone is a BITCH, pure and simple.

Especially when injected into a joint of a diabetic.

OUCH! ON EVERY LEVEL.

Yesterday morning, I sat on gurney in a darkened room, with an audience consisting of a Radiologist, a nurse, and three attending physicians, (including one from China,) all crowded around an ultrasound watching as the image of my foot went from a grayish hue to reddish orange.

The Radiologist showed me (and my audience,) exactly where my foot was inflamed on the ultrasound, and I knew what was coming next. The one thing that I’d tried so hard to avoid these past 8 months was about to become a reality. Damn Metasalgia! He turned on the lights and started to speak.

Radiologist:“You have severe inflammation of the foot, second metatarsal & ligament. First, I'm going to numb you with lydacane, and then inject you with cortisone in the exact area that’s inflamed. Oh GOODY, I think to myself. I'm going to mark your foot exactly where the injection goes, because we need to be precise as possible, especially when it comes to the metatarsal area.

Now Kelly, are you aware that cortisone can cause elevated blood sugars for the next 7 to 21 days? I also need to make you aware of infections that can occur. Your a diabetic and this is your foot.”

Me: “Yes, I know all about the elevated blood sugars caused by cortisone and I’m totally aware of infection and foot issues for diabetics.”

Radiologist: Before I give you the shot, I need to know how you’ll handle your blood sugars.”

Me: “I’ll test often and keep in contact with my CDE.”

Radiologist: Great. Any sign of infection, I need you to go to a Dr. ASAP.

Me: “No problem. So will this fix me? If it doesn’t work, what’s next? When can I start aerobic activity and resume my longs walks? When can I wear pretty shoes again? When will everything be back to the way it was?”

Radiologist: You need to stay off your foot for a few days, ice it, elevate it, and take Tylenol for the pain. No aspirin for 24 hours. You can’t walk or run a marathon just yet Kelly. You’ll need to ease back into that type of activity, but not for at least 3 weeks, and then, start slow. It takes the cortisone a good 4 to 7 days to actually reduce the inflammation and your foot is really going to hurt for the next week or so.”

Me: “OK, I just want to get better. I take it that strappy peep toed wedges are still off limits until then?”

He didn’t answer me.

He dimmed the lights again and showed my inflamed area on the ultrasound to the audience of attendings. The shot and the pressure of the lydacane and then the cortisone being injected into my joint brought tears to my eyes. I tensed up and tried to be brave.
I continued to breathe deep and waited for it to be over.

When I looked up, one of the attendings, a woman near my age, who had asked me about the insulin pump and my experience with diabetes, looked right into my eyes and told me it would be OK. “Your going to do your 10 mile walks again Kelly.” At that moment, I really needed to hear that.

“Thanks," I said and smiled.

I took my blood sugar (139) and increased my basal rate before I left the office.
By the time I drove home, my Blood Sugar was 63. I treated and watched it creep up every hour and adjusted the basal accordingly.

When the lydacane wore off, I could barely apply pressure to my foot, it hurt me more than words can describe. Basically, it felt like I’d stepped on a butter knife, continued walking on said knife, while traipsing over hot coals. I could tell I was in for a long evening of testing, icing, and elevating,
Which I did - religiously. I live on my own, no one to help or watch me. I need to be able to handle this if I want to continue to live an independent life.

By the end of the day, my Basal rate was up to 4.25 units an hour. Normally, my basal rate is between 1 and 1.15 units an hour. My blood sugar was around 199 at 9 p.m, and I raised my basal again to 4.5 units. I woke up with a low of 66 at 6 a.m.

Yesterdays total insulin intake 58 units.
Today’s insulin tally so far: 60.

Normally, my daily insulin total in a 24 hour period is somewhere between 30 and 39 units.

My highest cortisone blood sugar was 245 and my median cortisone blood sugar was 186.Not great, but not terrible, as far as cortisone and it’s diabetes issues are concerned.

When I had trigger finger two and a half years ago and received cortisone, no one at the Dr’s office bothered to tell me that steroids cause severe spikes in blood sugar.
I had to learn the hard way, by blowing close to a 500 BS when I got back home. Which resulted in several infusion set replacements, almost throwing out a new bottle of insulin, and an emergency call to my CDE, who set things straight. I also called the hand surgeons office and threatened to sue, if they didn’t immediately create a document that warned all diabetic patients of cortisones effect on blood sugars, which of course, they did….But I digress...That’s another story for another post.


Back to the whole inflamed foot thing. When I tested at breakfast this morning I was 115.
And At lunch I was 68. I treated and have started to decrease my basal rate, ever so slowly.

The foot feels a bit better, certainly not as tender to pressure as it was last night.
It no longer feels like I’m walking on a knife plunged into my foot while walking over hot coals. THANK GOD.

I’m still monitoring like a hawk stalking prey and I’ve gone through almost two containers of test strips so far.

Tomorrow evening I go to my acupuncturist for the pain. I’ve been going for a month and have seen a huge difference in the pain caused from Metatarsalgia, I wish I had started seeing her sooner.

Diabetes complicates things, but it doesn’t mean that it will win. My Metatarsalgia was not caused by diabetes, (it was actually caused by my love of walking long distances and a nasty toe brake two years ago) but the diabetes certainly didn’t help matters.

Still, the whole thing is teaching me patience on every level, and is reinforcing me to be an active patient in my recovery.

Today, I sit at home working, with my foot elevated and my ice pack near by.
I’m visualizing my first 3 mile walk on Kelly drive, and my first 5 mile walk on the Ventnor /Atlantic City boardwalk. The sun is shining on my face, the wind is blowing my hair, and I’m walking to the beat of my own drum. I can smell the ocean and I smile just thinking about it. I’m also dreaming about strappy wedge heeled, peep toed shoes with my toenails painted red.
I'm looking good and feel great! "FEET DON"T FAIL ME NOW!"

I plan on making the above paragraph a reality in the very near future.


Cortisone may be a bitch, so is Diabetes & Metatarsalgia for that matter. BUT, I got news for you Cortisone; Diabetes, and blasted Metatarsalgia, SO AM I !

Coffee and Choices, & Kelly's Big D Soap Box

Behold the power of coffee. I need a cup of that magic elixir in order to start my day.

I prefer a nice Costa Rican or good ol Dunkin Donuts, but either one, I HAVE to HAVE my morning cup of Joe.

I take it with cream and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Light and sardonically sweet, kinda like me.

Why no artificial sweetener? Well, after 30 years with the big D, I've had my fill of the stuff.
I've said it b4 in Diabetesaliciousness Land and I'll say it again, I have so much artificial preservatives running through my veins, that my family will get a discount from the mortician when I die!

I consider my cup of coffee to have about 12 to 15 grams of carbs and bolus for it accordingly.
It's how I start my day and is my drug of choice. Insulin is my must have drug, there is choice regarding it.
My Endo is OK with my coffee Du jour, as long as I don't have a juice in the morning (actually,I rarely drink the stuff) he actually prefers that I drink the coffee w/cream and sugar over the juice .
I only have 1 to 1.5 cups of it in the morning. For the rest of the day it's water, maybe a cup of herb tea, & if I'm really tired, I go for a cup of green or a dejaarling (Sp) in the afternoon.

It's all about CHOICES. I choose my coffee in the a.m and forgo juice. That works for me.
When I talk with newly diagnosed diabetics, food choices are the number one complaint I hear.
"I can't give up chocolate," or "I'm addicted to bread," or the good old "but I already drink diet soda!"

I spoke to a woman at the dentists office on December 5th ( I remember the date because that was when I got my teeth cleaned and was in pain for two daysafterwards. I think my dentist was punishing me for my "hot topic" talk in the waiting room) who was diabetic (she said pre diabetic, but all signs pointed to type 2) and she told me she never even looks at labels when buying food. I couldn't believe it! She had the choice to actually stop her diabetes clock from ticking and she just decided to ignore it entirely. I asked her how many times a day she took her blood sugars. "Not that many," she said somewhat embarrassed. "Look, you need to take them at least 7 times a day to get a grip on what's going on in your body." SHE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS. "That's 35 seconds a day, I know you've got 35 seconds to spare. If you did 10 times a day it would be under a minute." SHE STILL LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY. Finally I told her, "look you have the opportunity that many of us don't and your wasting it. This is your health, be proactive. You can ignore your diabetes and it won't go away, but it will hurt you in the end. Your an adult and your choosing to let diabetes own you, instead of you owning it." "Yeah I know, but I'm waiting till the New Year and then I'll start fresh."
That really didn't sit well with me. "Start making choices now, even if their small. You live in the United States, you have the freedom to pick and choose what you put in you body. In some other countries, consumers don't have that choice. Go see a diabetes educator, read books on the subject, visit websites and blogs and don't buy anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup in the first 5 ingredients, own your disease woman! Cancer patients don't have the give to chose like diabetics have. Actually, WE ARE VERY LUCKY."


Once again, Kelly K was on her Diabetes soap box and telling it like it was, and probably offending someone in the process. But I so wanted this lady to embrace and own her life, which included diabetes. To think I started this blog about coffee and went off in a direction about choices, GO FIGURE?

As diabetics we are lucky, we have the gifts of choice, options, technology and education. And we need to use all of those gifts to succeed.

Dear DIabetes - WE NEED TO TALK:

Dear Diabetes:

Hey, how goes it?

Just checking in with you, to make sure that u and I are on the same page and see eye to eye.
We've had quite a long history together and have been through a lot, both good and bad.

I think you need a bit of refresher on what I expect out of this relationship so I've taken the initiative to write this letter and go over some House Rules.

FIRST OFF, lets discuss blood sugars. The way I see it, they’ve been pretty good as of late and I’d like to keep it that way. I’ve been checking in with said blood sugars about 10 times a day, and that’s not going to change. Yes, I know you think that that amount is somewhat excessive, but testing that often really does help me keep an eye on all your highs and lows.

Especially those times when u lean too much in either direction and try to throw me for a loop.

NEWSFLASH: I don’t like feeling lethargic when u decide to blow the BS sky high out of the water and I don’t appreciate the accompanying headache either. So I will continue to count my carbs and your just going to have to accept that.

AND WHEN U DO DECIDE TO GO LOW, that behavior is unacceptable as well. I do not appreciate breaking into a sweat and feeling my lips go numb. As far as that shaky feeling that shoots through my body, DON”T GO THERE. I know that it’s your way of letting me know my B.S has gotten way to low. But trust me, I’ve already figured it out, SO QUIT IT.

FYI: I see a CGM in my future if you don’t straighten up and fly right. I have no problem playing hardball.

SECONDLY, I have my yearly eye exam in March. I fully expect you to “make nice” when my Doctor dilates my pupils. Let him see exactly what’s going and continue to steer clear of my retinal area.
You and your kind are not welcome in these kaleidoscope eyes.

THIRDLY: My weight is dropping and I’d appreciate it if u continue to allow my waist to shrink. In order to do this I need you not to mess with my inflamed ligament in my foot.
The Ortho says it will get better and it is a result of exercising and a long second toe continually rubbing against my shoe. She also said that it is NOT diabetes related. LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY.

AND LASTLY, please keep in mind that I am your host, and while I can’t make this a
“Dear John” letter and end our complicated relationship, I STILL OWN YOUR PERVERBIAL ASS. GOT IT? It's not the other way around and it never will be.

I WILL WORK WITH YOU; I have no problem with that. But I own you outright and you will do as I say.

My rules are simple. I want to be healthy, happy, and to live a great life. Occasionally I’d like to enjoy a coconut cupcake or a piece of dark chocolate without getting any crap from you.

Thank you for abiding by my rules.
Sincerely
Kelly K
Mistress of the Manor in which you reside - A.K.A Your Diabetes Hostess with the Most-ess

What if the Queen Had Balls?

Tonight I fast...Fast for the battery of blood work that accompanies my Tri-monthly Hemoglobin A-1C.

Last night I fasted and was supposed to have blood taken this morning, but deadlines called, and tomorrow will have to do.
I don't know about you, but the anticipation of the fast; the test, the results, and what they mean, tends to do a bit of a head-trip on yours truly.

Will my numbers be good, or at least improved from last time?
Will medications have to be upped, lowered or added?

Am I on the continuing path towards health, or will my sister's words which paralyzed me years ago (see January posting) comeback once again to haunt me?

Tests freak me out, always have. Just go ask my High School Math teacher. Poor Mr. Mandell would watch as I'd start to tear-up during the test. I'd study so hard, my parents would pay good money they didn't have for a tutor, and I'd pass, at least the night before the test in the comfort of my living room, with my math tutor Joe, a former Big Band singer and WWII pilot with a great head for numbers. But during the actual test in school, I'd psych myself out, freeze up and forget everything.

Mr. Mandell would actually work in extra credit points that only I would know. For instance, on 1 exam the extra credit would be a point for every Woody Allen movie we could name. I got at least 10 extra points on that one. Another exam had us name previous Oscar winners and the films they won them for - that was at least 15 points thrown my way.

As an adult, I suffer from "White Coat" syndrome. They normally have to take my blood pressure several times because the 1st one is always high due to the fact that I know how important my numbers are.

It's really ironic, I can talk to large groups of people about living with diabetes and only suffer from butterflies and the wonderful adrenaline rush, but have Nurse Practitioner Chick take my blood pressure, and I have to talk myself down from a ledge of "What-ifs."

"What if my blood pressures high?"
"What if my urine tests have protein?"
"What if my blood work shows something that just should not be?"

Then I ask myself, "What if the Queen had balls Kelly, what then? Hmmm, good question.Well, then She'd be King or a really fabulous Drag Queen that’s what if….Get over the fear and get on with your life Kel!"

As Diabetics we live in fear of the dreaded "What Ifs,"on a daily basis.

I'm tired of the power that the "What Ifs " hold on me and I’m purging them from my life right now!
I'm going to focus on the fact that these tests are there to help and inform me, not hurt me.

I' m going to learn from them and live my life to the fullest.

Technology is our friend and knowledge is power.

Suck It In......OR I was Born Without Stomach Muscles

I have belly pouch, there's no denying it.

Even at my thinnest, when I was a size 4 and all muscle, my belly was not washboard.
My legs have always been skinny & muscular, my back nice and strong. I've been told I'm built like a swimmer. My arms have good days and bad, but are in no way misshapen, I can wear sleeveless.

But my belly has always protruded a bit.

Even as a gangly kid, who was Alfalfa skinny and whose ribs you could actually count - I still had slight belly pouch. My dance recital pics from my days dancing on the Steel Pier, show me as the tall skinny kid in the middle with the little pot belly.

Oh, there are muscles under there, and you can see them, but my belly has a protective layer of fat that just will not flatten.

I get nervous because I know that a potbelly, no matter how small is a good indicator of heart disease. I'm doing sit ups and tightening my stomach at timed intervals, but even in my size 8's,
There’s still more stomach than I'd like.

It's the first place I loose weight, and the first place I gain weight.

I know that most diabetics, including type 1's, have this issue to some degree.

My Diabetes Educator actually calls it a diabetic pouch or stomach.
I call it a diabetic pain in the "arse" by way of my stomach.

One of my favorite lines from pulp fiction is "Pot bellies are sexy."
I tend to take that line to heart, as I continually suck in my stomach.

Once at the gym, a woman saw me doing massive crunches with a 40 lb weight on my stomach and told me that if I just did more squats, spinning, and crunches my stomach would be flat like hers. - "You'll be able to bounce quarters of it in 3 months," she said with a smile.

I looked at her innocently, and said with a straight face, "Well.....Actually, I was born without stomach muscles. It's been an uphill battle, and learning to sit up was a real bitch, but I think I'm handling it well. Thanks for the advice though. Anything else you think I need to know?" She looked me at said,"OH MY GOD! I'm so sorry, u look great, God bless u!" She then high tailed it out town . What I really felt like saying was , "Shut up & mind your own business biotch!" But, I did get the results I wanted. Sometimes guilt via humor is better than anger when it comes to know –it-alls.

So as I aim towards a size six and munch on my tomato and turkey sandwich with gluten free Ezekiel bread, I embrace my good points and I tell myself that even if my stomach is never washboard perfect, I have kick-ass legs and thin ankles....And you can't buy thin ankles darlings! ;)

Nearly 2 Million from 1 State...Not To Shabby

2 million dollars - That's a lot of cash.

To put it into perspective:

2 million dollars would buy approximately 30,300 bottles of short acting insulin at the no insurance cost of $66 per bottle.

2 million dollars would buy 333 insulin pumps, assuming that the median cost of a pump is $6000.

2 million would buy 1,111 MAC BOOK Airs

2 million dollars is the cost of approximately 100,000 parking tickets for expired meter parking from the City of Philadelphia's Parking Authority. The cost of an expired meter ticket is approximately $20.00

2 million dollars is the amount of money that the Philadelphia/Bucks County Chapter of the JDRF expects to raise from their WALK TO CURE DIABETES.

Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to speak in front of, and be inspired by those teams who raised 1000.00 dollars or more.

I was in awe of these families. Not only did they "walk the walk," but they knocked on doors,; sent out letters, approached their employers for matching corporate funds,reached out to members of their communities and places of worship, recruited their children's teachers and classmates, not to mention family and friends. Those efforts payed off BIG TIME .


87% of those dollars go directly towards funding research for a cure.

The Top Fundraising family in Eastern PA, also happened to be the top fundraising team in the Nation. Sydney's SuperSTARS brought in over $400,000 dollars in donations and a team of 150 people.

When I spoke with Sydney after the event, she told me her classmates were already saving penny's for next years walk. This Kid is going to give Steve Jobs & Donald trump a run for their money. OUTSTANDING !!!!

The kids I met were confident, active, stylish, beautiful, energetic and funny. The picture of health -Your typical kids with a not so typical disease.

Not only do they OWN their diabetes, but they decided to actively pursue the cost of a cure.
The results were phenomenal.

It was an awesome day and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it!

A Gift In The Form of A High...Who knew?

Started to sound husky on Friday night, which is pretty "ironical"because my voice is pretty smoky to begin with - no I don't smoke, I'm being descriptive.
Have been somewhat foggy all weekend, and I'm not talking about the weather folks.

Of course, this isn't really the best time for me to be horse & foggy, A.K.A sick due to the fact that I'm prepping for a great opportunity on the 18th that requires my voice, my quick thinking and my lightening quick wit. Combine all three and they equal a K-Force of energy that helps me to make my living. I need to be in shape, mentally and physically.

I'M MAKING THIS WORK FOR ME.

Here's how. Diabetes allows me to recognize that something is not quite right, before I'm symptomatic a la high blood sugars. The high blood sugars started on Friday, for no apparent reason. So, I paid attention and started treat. I'm drinking "Throat Coat Tea," sipping soup; drinking Airborne, using the Vicks Vapor Rub, and gargling with warm salt water. Making myself work on my assignments that are due on the 18th.

Sugars are now stable and if I can get a good night sleep the next few nights, I'll tackle this cold ASAP.

Why am I sharing? I think it's a gift that we as diabetics are not only given signs by our bodies for the Highs and Lows, but for any sign of infection and sickness as well. We just have to be open to receiving it.

Freckled Finger Tips

My fingers tips are freckled with dots.
Dots that rest on callouses
Calluses caused by continually pricking them with a lance
Which pierces my finger tips for a blood drop
A blood drop that is placed on a strip
A strip that is placed in a machine
A machine that's a quick study
5 seconds later a number appears
If the number is high, I feel tired and guilty
I bolus accordingly
If the number is low
I already know before it appears,
I shake, sweat, and feel light headed
My appetite is insatiable
Quickly I grab the juice box
And I try my best to remember the rule
15 carbs at a time to treat a low blood sugar - yeah right!
If it's in the golden range of Blood Sugar Nirvana
I'm proud and relieved
Until the cycle starts all over again
It never ends
I find test strips everywhere
In places they were never meant to be
The type 3's in my life yell at me regarding my test strip trail
I will never be a hand model...But that's Ok
Life is sweet and I go with the flow

The Blood Sugar Bulls Eye Or......... How I Achieved Blood Sugar Nirvana

Tonight I hit the blood sugar bullseye and achieved Blood Sugar Nirvana.

Let's face it, the little victories in life can really make you smile.

I love thin crust pizza from a Place Called SLICE in South Philly. I eat healthy dinners 7 nights a week, but about twice a month, and usually on a Sunday, I indulge and call SLICE.
They deliver a little piece of heaven in the form of a small pie, straight to my door.

Tonight my fridge was empty, I was tired after running around all day, and I gave them a call.

SLICE'S Florentine pie is tasty, loaded with garlic and smothered with extra spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and tomatoes. The crust is crispy thin, crunchy and delicious. Perfect for dipping in extra virgin olive oil and hot peppers flakes. I could be very specific and describe all my favorite pies from SLICE in Epicurean like detail, but let's just stick to the pizza at hand.

Anyway, I took my blood sugar - 107 thank-you very much, and guesstimated my carb intake to be 45 . I plugged the info into my pump & the Bolus Wizard told me I need 3.5 units to cover my 2 slices. I bolused away and grabbed a plate.

Two hours later, I took my blood sugar and it was 160. PERFECTO!!!! I did it!

I'D HIT THE BLOOD SUGAR BULLS EYE AND MADE IT MY BITCH!

OK....Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but I had achieved Blood Sugar Nirvana. I bolused, enjoyed an unusually high carb meal, and 2 hours later my BS was well on its way to normal.

I placed the leftover pizza in saran wrap and tin foil, put it in a Tupperware container and placed it in the freezer. Tomorrow, I 'd go back to eating healthy....But tonight I was basking in the light of 2 perfect slices and Blood Sugar Nirvana.

Diabetes on UTube - Pretty Cool

I was on You Tube checking out some very interesting Diabetes Vids - I posted a few on the blog. Look to the right side Columns and scroll down to "Diabetic Ditties and Shorts."

Click on the links and open up a "Pandora's Box" of videos featuring the Corn Syrup Conspiracy, Diabetes Dance Mixes featuring Wilford Brimley, an ODE to Pixie Sticks and other links to numerous to mention.

Keep up the good work people and send me any links of interest!

How Great is it? Pretty flipping awesome!!!!

How great is it that we live in an age where when being diagnosed as a diabetic, we are no longer being diagnosed with a death sentence, but a life sentence. A life full of laughter, love, and good health, if we just do the work that is required. Is it a pain in the ass? Sometimes - both literally and figuratively. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY.

How great is it that we live in an age where blood sugar machines take less then 5 seconds from start to finish to work, and are no longer the size of a cassette player from 1985. Of course the whole test strip issue ( we find them everywhere) still exists, but hey, this too shall pass.

How great is it that type 1's can now walk around with an insulin pump - which is basically an electronic pancreas. In a sense (and for those of you robot geeks out there) we "pumpers"are cyborgs of sorts. Or in my case, A CHICK ROBOT. Which was more of a turn-on for the ex boyfriend then one would think, but I digress.

The cyborg part of us blinks and beeps, requires a battery, and the tubing occasionally gets caught on the door knob - which I've been told is VERY funny to watch when it happens. Everything electronic has a few flaws, but unlike ipods, our pumps do not just stop working one day for no good reason.

OK - this is my favorite. How great is it that now we can actually have our cake and eat too. GUILT FREE. And our ice cream, peanut butter cups, and banana pancakes. Of course like
non- diabetic, non-cyborgs, we can't make a daily habit of those treats, or we'd be the size of a linebacker. But isn't it great to know that when we do get the occasional craving, we can give in to it.

Just a few observations that I thought I'd share with you all. Please feel free to post your "How great is it" thoughts.

Own it!!!!! - Post I made on FaceBook - see the link

http: //www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=4389&post=16218&uid=2204471074#post16218

Own It! Own your diabetes, don't let it own u. Take your blood sugars, bolus when needed, count your carbs, and be done with it. It's normal for us to do that. Look, I know where your coming from. I was diagnosed at 8 ( the day b4 Halloween) and come from a family where 4 out of 8 immediate family members were type 1. In HS and college I didn't want to stand out, I wanted to be that dreaded word, NORMAL.
Everyone wants to be "normal", but everyone's "normal" is different. Normal for diabetics is taking Blood sugars. Normal for those who are allergic to peanuts, is to stay away from peanut butter - which would drive me nuts, and normal for die hard Packers fans is to paint their face and chest and sit in the freezing cold w/out a top on every home game, regardless of the temp. To me, that's not normal, that's insane. But for them, it's a normal Sunday during FB season!
Don't give up, get active, and own it. Work with the big D. I swear to u the minute u stop fighting and start working with it, everything gets easier.
Look, I watched my older sister Debbie - who was a diabetic - type 1, try so hard to be normal and deny that anything was wrong or "abnormal," that she died from complications at the age of 34. She suffered from Heart attacks, strokes, and in the end, kidney failure. She lost her job, many of her friends and it was in no way normal. It was a long, slow, painful process for the whole family. It broke my heart, and crushed my parents heart. You can do or be anything in this world. But being healthy really helps. It literally takes 5 seconds to take a blood sugar, and then it's done. do it 5 times and day and it's still only 25 seconds.
Do it 10 times a day , and it's only 50 seconds - but your still under a minute. You'll feel better, your numbers will get better, and your mom won't worry as much. I'm 30 something now and well past the age that my sister was when she died. I just wish she that she had accepted what "normal" was for her instead of trying to be like everyone else.
My sister drove me crazy - as many older siblings do, but I haven't heard her voice in 17 years and I miss her everyday. If I could change one thing in my past, (and trust me there ARE MANY THINGS THAT I'D CHANGE) it would be what my sister Debbie's view of what normal was as an adolescent.