Monthly Archives: April 2012

Recipe!

April 30, 2012 – 11:24 am

Ramen with a little extra...

It was a little cold this weekend, so I got out one of the old reliables to warm me up.  Everyone has their version of kicked-up Asian noodles, and this was my version on Saturday:

First, instead of water, I used chicken stock.  If I don’t have that, I’ll throw a bullion cube in the water while it heats up.  While the water is heating, I look for any leftovers in the fridge.  Onions, tomatoes, whatever I’ve got.  Once I got to the step where you boil the noodles, I added:

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

If I’ve got that much in it, I don’t even need the little seasoning packet.  So I threw it away.  I didn’t have any onion, which would have been nice.  But I did have some tomato, which I threw in once the noodles were finished.  I topped it with some leftover broccoli slaw.  And I had a little bit of Iberico cheese left (Iberico is made from a combination of cow, sheep, and goat’s milk), so I grated that on top.  Certainly warmed me up on a cold afternoon.

Estimated carbohydrate count:  34g (if you eat half and share the other half with someone… or eat the other half later).  Most of it is from the noodles, and a little from the tomato.

Disclosure: Carbohydrate counts are estimates only. Check with a registered dietician to find out what a healthy carb count is for you.

By StephenS | Posted in Recipes! | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Fridays.

April 27, 2012 – 11:12 am

WARNING. This post has nearly nothing to do with diabetes. We all need a break sometimes.

Never get tired of Fridays. Even if there’s nothing to look forward to. Fortunately, this weekend, there’s a lot… if the weather holds.

Saturday or Sunday, I should finally get my vegetable garden planted. Can’t wait for the fresh lettuce in about 7 or 8 weeks! Then green beans, then peppers, then tomatoes, then potatoes (yes, that’s the correct spelling… I’m not Dan Quayle). If I’m lucky, I’ll get a few strawberries and blackberries before the birds get them. This will be the 15th summer that we’ve been at this house, and I never get tired of planting, tending, and harvesting a garden. And this will be the 10th year for the pond on the other side of the yard (did I mention that we have a really small yard?). Every spring I have to drain it, clean it, and fill it up again. I’m hoping to get that in this weekend too. It’s very fun to enjoy a Sunday afternoon by the pond with a cold malt beverage and some jazz or a ballgame on the radio. Simple pleasures.

On Saturday we’re looking forward to seeing our friend Christine in her first appearance singing with her new band. We haven’t been out for a while. We need to shake off the winter rust. This should do the trick.

Wherever you are, I hope your weekends are fun… and I hope you have someone fun to spend it with. And stay safe, and keep those BGs in line you knuckleheads!

Happy Friday

By StephenS | Posted in Additional Inspiration | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Super Dia-heros

April 26, 2012 – 11:08 am

The world needs more Superheros!

I suppose so. But I can think of a few Superheros that I would like to retire… as soon as possible.

The Great Spousal Unit is a Superhero (Supershero?). She’s always got my back. In the middle of a road trip, or in the middle of the night, she’s always there when I have an issue. For all 21 years of this disease, she’s been a rock. I would like to give her a break. She’s earned it after all these years. I don’t want her to worry about me anymore. Without me asking.

The Live-In Niece has been terrific. I’m the first, the only, diabetic she’s ever known. Or known about. She knows nothing of hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis. But she asks a lot of questions. And she never makes me feel bad for being a pain in the ass because I had a low or I’m mad at the diabetes today. Without me asking.

Prior to the Live-In Niece was the Live-In Nephew. My Godson. Probably the relative I’m closest to. And diabetes freaks him out. But when he was confronted by something that freaked him out, he was able to help me. Without me asking.

I’ve had a couple of crappy doctors over the years. But I’ve had a couple of super ones too. That’s you, Dr. Mowry in Cincinnati, who originally diagnosed me after two doctors couldn’t be bothered to take the time; and you, Dr. Pao in Baltimore, who speaks my language and gets me thinking about adjustments to make things better, instead of always staying the same with lesser results. Thank you, thank you.

Thank you Diabetes Online Community. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I feel validated. Can’t tell you how much it meant to find out that others have the same experiences, the same hurdles, the same highs and lows. I not only feel validated… I feel more confident that I can live in this world. That I belong in this world.

Where would I be without JDRF and ADA? Your advocacy has brought us countless advances in care, support, and on, and on, and on. It’s easy to take you for granted. But these two groups are full of thousands of Superheros.

And what about the companies that have developed technology or drugs to help us continue to live a life that means something? Medtronic, Animas, Dexcom, Novo Nordisk, Aventis. That’s right.. I’m givin’ props to you, big Pharma. I’ve made it as far as I have in part thanks to you.

There are many Superheros in my diabetic life (Diaheros?) But I would like to retire all of you. I hope that soon, very soon, you can find the time to focus on someone else. Another cause. Or maybe a vacation. In the meantime, thank you sooooo much for being my Superheros.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Like these links.

April 25, 2012 – 12:17 pm

Happy Wednesday! Here are some interesting posts that spoke to me in the past few days:

Kim at Texting my Pancreas celebrated her diaversary this week. And she has her hospital records from back then. More profound today than they were 26 years ago?
http://www.textingmypancreas.com/2012/04/twenty-six.html

Like searching for the happy medium, Karen at Bitter~Sweet is Striving for Level after a lot of upheaval. She reminds us all that “not trying is not an option“:
http://www.bittersweetdiabetes.com/2012/04/striving-for-level.html

Scott Johnson at Scott’s Diabetes has great information that reminds us that the best patients are also their own advocates. Be an empowered patient:
http://scottsdiabetes.com/2012/04/questions-answer/

Enjoy!

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

The diabetes game.

April 24, 2012 – 2:34 am

Step right up, Mr. and Ms. PWD! You too can take part in a unique challenge involving skill and daring… it’s the game the whole family can play… Diabetes!

Our first round is the diagnosis round. In it, you’ll go through the difficult first few weeks, before you even know you have diabetes. You’ll be thirsty all the time. You’ll go through the lightning round where you try to make it 45 minutes between trips to the bathroom! You’ll feel sluggish, and you might even lose a few pounds a few weeks. At the end of the round, a medical professional will confirm that you’ve got a disease for which there’s no known cure. But watch out for our two whammies– ketoacidosis, and doctors who want to make sure you know about all of the “risks of complications that you need to be aware of”.

If you survive the diagnosis round (literally), you’ll move on to the maintenance round. We’ll test your stamina (and your psyche) with new terms like hypoglycemia and hemoglobin A1c. You’ll go toe-to-toe with well meaning individuals who refer to you as a ““burden on the healthcare system“, and insurance actuaries who determine how many supplies you need to live based on their company’s or your employer’s profit & loss situation.

Still in the game? If you’re one of the lucky contestants who makes it through the maintenance round (literally… but really, you’re always in the maintenance round), you can reach the stage of diabetic maturity. You’ll find the diabetes online community, where you’ll encounter additional players in this game. People just like yourself. Members of the DOC will provide much needed validation, plus valuable information you might not find anywhere else. You might even get a chance to blog yourself, volunteer, or mentor others through the various stages of the diabetes game.

Make it through everything, and you’ll be eligible to win our grand prize! A chance to keep on living. A chance to take advantage of advances in care and technology. A chance to hang in there until a cure is within reach. NOW is the time to celebrate all the milestones in our life. Every birthday, every diaversary, even if they’re not our own, is worth its weight in gold. We’ve earned them all.

Are you ready contestants? Here we go…

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)
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