Category Archives: Out Of the Box

What would you do with your Wild Card?

December 8, 2014 – 9:17 am

Here’s an interesting question… I thought of this over the weekend and came up with a number of possible answers:

What would you do if you had a “diabetes wild card”?

What I mean by that is, what if, for one moment in time, let’s say one day maximum, you could play a sort of wild card and be relieved of a diabetes burden?
 
 
– Would you like to eat something remarkably good and not have to bolus for it? Play the wild card.

– How about shutting your pump off, or ignoring your multiple daily injection routine for a day. Is that worth a wild card?
Note: Don’t ever do this, even though the idea of it is very appealing.

– Would you like to work out all day and not have to worry about hypoglycemia? Play the wild card.

– Would you really like to get through to that person who doesn’t understand the intricacies of diabetes, but is convinced it’s as simple as “eat less, exercise, take insulin, you’ll always be between 80 mg/dL and 120 mg/dL”? Time for the wild card.

– Would you like to refrain from having to test your blood glucose for an entire day? Wild card time!
Note: Don’t ever do this, even though the idea of it is very appealing.

– What about all of the diabetes math– (Current BG over 100 mg/dL divided by correction factor) + (Carbs gram count divided by insulin units based on specified insulin to carb ratio)? That might be worth a wild card, yes?
 
 
Me? If I had a diabetes wild card, the impulse would be to impulsively eat a glazed doughnut and one of those Entenmann’s pumpkin donuts too (is it doughnut or donut?). Or I might go to an amusement park and ride all the crazy thrill rides all day, and finish with a good swim in any number of venues. I might go to a ball game somewhere, or play a ball game somewhere, without fear of going low.

Or maybe I would use my diabetes wild card to influence the government to pass a bill allowing for Medicare to cover continuous glucose monitors. Maybe I’d use it to bring manufacturers to the table in a meaningful way to discuss and solve ways to free up my data for my own use. I would give serious consideration to passing my diabetes wild card on to someone who has no access to the drugs or supplies or insurance coverage that I do. When one of us suffers, we all suffer.

Well, like I said at the beginning, I came up with a number of answers. Now it’s your turn…

What would you do if you had a “diabetes wild card”?

If you need a little inspiration, try this:

 
 
 

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8 Things I think I think.

November 10, 2014 – 10:04 am

With an affectionate nod to Peter King at Sports Illustrated, who in his Monday Morning Quarterback blog has a feature called Ten Things I think I think, I’m doing the same thing minus two. Hey man, I don’t do this for a living. If you want two more, you’re gonna have to pay me.
 
8
 
1. If all insulin pump warranties are for four years, and Medicare is a little over 12 years away for me (2027), do I want to get a new pump now— so I don’t have to get one until 2030, late in my third year on Medicare (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030); or do I wait until after my next birthday, which means I would have to go to a new pump on my first year on Medicare (2015, 2019, 2023, 2027)?
 
 
2. I’m wondering why, when I already have my brainpower sapped by managing my diabetes every day, I’ll have to decide from a complicated system of 4(+) Medicare options to make sure I’m covered for whatever comes up. Who designed this and thought this was a way to reward seniors for contributing to society for 65-plus years?
 
 
3. I’m worried that as a result, once I become Medicare eligible, I’ll probably just choose the first plan that covers my pump and ignore everything else.
 
 
4. I really don’t have to worry about all of this, because if the “experts” are correct, diabetes will be cured by then and I won’t even need a pump in five years (or less).
 
 
5. If only.
 
 
6. I’m pretty sure that first thing is the longest sentence, like, ev-er.
 
 
7. That fifth thing is the shortest.
 
 
8. Damn, that’s a lot of pumps.
 
 
 

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8 Questions: Can you guess the answer?

October 22, 2014 – 9:20 am

Ready for a guessing game? Let’s see if you can find the answer in 8 questions (or less):
 
 
1. Dexcom users: What is neither red nor yellow?
 
 
2. What can make you smile?
 
 
3. Goldilocks would love this.
 
 
4. For many of us, this eliminates half of the bolus equation.
 
 
5. In some parts of the world, this is worth one dollar. #hundy
 
 
6. According to Joslin Diabetes Center, “People who do not have diabetes typically have fasting plasma blood glucose levels that run under” this.
 
 
7. The square root of this many Maniacs:

 
 
8. For this Type 1 patient, it’s the Happy Medium!
 
 
Answer:
DSC00251
 
 
 

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Why choose January?

July 16, 2014 – 9:20 am

You know… People always want to start a big diet or dinner-table-lifestyle-change on January 1st. Or the second, if you want to give yourself an extra day. But I think that in America, this may the best time of year to change eating habits. Know why?

DSC01632

That’s right… This is the time of year when the freshest, most flavorful, most good-for-you offerings are available. How can I not eat well?

This is prime bing cherry, blackberry, and zucchini season, to begin with. And even though my “local” corn isn’t really local for another month, I know that my local farm truck is getting it from a lot closer than where it was coming from two months ago. Tomatoes grown in hothouses are ripe and full of nutrients (and huge this year). The ones grown outside will be ready very soon. Even my cherry tomatoes are ripening now, as are my jalopenos and poblanos. My green beans are going crazy, and I’ve even dug a few potatoes out of the ground. Cantaloupes and watermelons become a fixture at breakfast tables for a couple of months. So I’ve already changed my diet a lot since June, without really trying hard. If I can keep it up, I’ll be thankful for what I started later in the year instead of in January. I know my BG is already thankful.

DSC01046

I’m definitely ready to dial down the carbs, pump up the nutrition, and even explore some alternative ingredients (ramps, anyone?). Now is the time. For me, it’s much easier to start eating right when it’s easier to eat right.

Summer only lasts so long. I’m going to enjoy it while I can. Find a local farm, farmer’s market, or farm truck in your area. If you do, I’ll assure you of two things: It will be hard to leave empty handed; and you’re going to like the taste of summer this year.
 
 
 

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Things I wish I had.

June 13, 2014 – 9:19 am

I see another multi-millionaire has sprung up this week, thanks to a winning Powerball ticket sold in Knoxville, Tennessee (I didn’t even have to look up how to spell Tennessee—got it right the first time!).

Scoring the winning ticket for the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot would be sensational—a life changer for myself and my family. It’s definitely one of the things I wish I had. What are some of the other things I wish I had? Hmmmm……
 
 
– I wish I had a working pancreas. That goes without saying, right? Top of the list, every time.

– I wish I had the ability to know where my BG was trending without drawing blood. Not in that “I’ve been to the bathroom three times in the last half hour, I must be high” kind of way. Just through osmosis, if that’s the right definition of the word.

– I wish I had the knowledge and the time and the money to devote my life’s work toward making life easier for People With Diabetes. I’d start with dual objectives: 1) Development of a bona fide, foolproof artificial pancreas system that’s so inexpensive, all insurance plans would cover 100 percent of the cost; and 2) An education system for people not living with diabetes, so terms like “Diabetes Police” and “You can just get rid of it with diet and exercise, right?” would be a thing of the past.

– Third objective: Heal the rift between some members of the Diabetes Community who hate on those not living with their type. Theme: They’re All The Bad Kind… So Be Kind. (sorry, it’s the first thing that popped into my head)

– Fourth objective: Provide everyone living with or affected by diabetes with exactly as much support as they need, when they need it. This would include professional help where necessary, and access to resources wherever a person is, even if they’re not at home. This includes people in countries with limited or no access to insulin. Why can’t we?

– I wish I could go to every kid fighting their way through their teenage years while living with diabetes, put my hand on their shoulder, and let them know that they are more than worth every single difficult thing they’re going through. It’s okay to love yourself, kids. Just the way you are right now. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.

– I wish I could develop a plan, like a Ready.gov plan, that would allow PWDs to gather all of their important information in one place, then share that data immediately at critical times and places like hospital emergency rooms, diabetes camp, and schools. I’ve been thinking about this kind of thing for a while. Why can’t we?

– I wish I could fix our healthcare system in America. I could do it too, if I also had the ability to get lawmakers, healthcare systems, drug companies, device makers, and a host of others to realize that patients are people, and corporations aren’t.

– I wish I had the ability to eliminate all middle-of-the-night hypoglycemic episodes, for everyone, forever.

– I wish I had the ability to make insulin unnecessary while swimming. Or showering. Or anything water-related. Never again would someone have to ask “Are those waterproof?”.

– And world peace. Because: Why can’t we?
 
 
Now… what are some of the things you wish for?
 
 
 

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