Tag Archives: diabetes blogs

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 6– Saturday Snapshots.

May 19, 2012 – 6:38 am


 
Saturday… what a day. Here in Baltimore it is! Preakness Day! Here’s hoping your horse is a winner today. Now, over the incessant drone of the freakin’ blimp outside, here are my Saturday Snapshots for Day 6 of Diabetes Blog Week.

My photos fall into three categories.

First, a couple of diabetes-related photos:

Every PWD who works at a desk has a drawer like this. This should provide enough carb content when those afternoon lows strike. There’s also a candy jar on my desk.

Thanks to the DOC, I found that you can put an infusion set in your leg. And it can work. And work well.

Exercise is a big part of staying healthy for me. This was my first triathlon last year:

Swim…

Bike…

…and Run. Now you can tell that the other photos weren’t staged.

Finally… everyone should be lucky enough to have a great family like mine. Maureen and my darling great niece (yes, I’m crazy over her), born on my 50th birthday:

One more day of DBW left… have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Disclaimer
I have no medical training. If you consider anything written here as medical, legal, financial, or any other kind of advice, you’re out of your mind. Please speak to a learned professional before making any changes that might affect your health. Any of the original content found on this site is my property and should not be reproduced, copied, or otherwise used without the author’s expressed written consent.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 5– What They Should Know

May 18, 2012 – 7:40 am


 
It’s day 5 of Diabetes Blog Week, and today we’re answering the question: “What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?”.

Kind of a hard topic to put into words, but it’s a good exercise for me. Because occasionally, I’ll get this random, fleeting moment when someone asks about my diabetes, or someone is confronted with my diabetes, and I have a short window of time to say something insightful about it.

I need a diabetes elevator speech.

In business, or in real life (IRL), when you’re on the elevator and an important executive; or a potential client; or an inquisitive member of the general public steps in and asks about your insulin pump, you’ve only got a 20-30 second window to impress. So you go to your elevator speech. Something that briefly says who you are, what you’re about, and where you’re going. Prepared in advance, memorized pretty much word for word, delivered like a champion.

How to begin? Maybe I talk about how I’m a type 1 diabetic, which means my pancreas is messed up and doesn’t work properly anymore. And it won’t work properly again. No need to go into that Islet of Langerhans thing. We’ve only got a short ride, right?

Have to mention the pump. I have to have insulin to survive, and the pump works pretty well in place of the thing that used to serve the purpose.

There are the everyday issues. High BGs, low BGs, eating, exercising, measuring carbs, keeping the weight in check. That’s in addition to work, relationships, family.

And people realllly need to know that insulin isn’t a cure, and not everyone has the same access to care, drugs, and equipment that I do.

Ready? Here’s my diabetes elevator speech:

This? Oh, it’s my insulin pump. I’m a type 1 diabetic, which means my pancreas is permanently broken and I need insulin to survive. This thing costs a fortune, but it really does the trick. I worry all the time about the people who have the same curse that I do, and don’t have access to something like this to help them stay alive. Daily struggles? Sure, I’ve got them. Who doesn’t? But overall, I live a pretty normal life. And I’m not going anywhere for a long time.

That’s What They Should Know, Charlie Brown….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Disclaimer
I have no medical training. If you consider anything written here as medical, legal, financial, or any other kind of advice, you’re out of your mind. Please speak to a learned professional before making any changes that might affect your health. Any of the original content found on this site is my property and should not be reproduced, copied, or otherwise used without the author’s expressed written consent.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , | Comments (1)

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 4– Fantasy Diabetes Device.

May 17, 2012 – 6:45 am


 
We’re up to Day 4 of Diabetes Blog Week, and today is a cool topic. From Karen at Bitter~Sweet:

Today let’s tackle an idea inspired by Bennet of Your Diabetes May Vary. Tell us what your Fantasy Diabetes Device would be? Think of your dream blood glucose checker, delivery system for insulin or other meds, magic carb counter, etc etc etc. The sky is the limit – what would you love to see?

I would like to see a cure for diabetes… Anyone? Anyone?

Barring The Cure, I would like to see a non-intrusive device for measuring blood glucose. Too scientific for you? I mean something that I can use to check my blood sugar that doesn’t require me to stab my finger (or anything else) with a sharp instrument.

I’ve had diabetes for 21 years, and I have never had a problem with injections, or inserting infusion sets in my gut or my leg. But I DO NOT like popping the button on a spring-loaded device that rams a sharp lancet into my finger. The ones that I used back when I was first diagnosed were practically sadistic. Part of why I would go a couple of years at a time without using them. That’s right. I didn’t check my BGs for months, even years at a time. And today’s devices are only marginally better for me, though I’m pretty faithful in checking at least 4-6 times per day now.

But how cool would it be to have a device that could check without needing actual drops of red blood drawn outside of the body?

And something like that could have a real impact in the CGM arena. Something that would allow you to check anytime, without drawing blood, without using test strips (no test strips!), without lancets (no lancets!)… could also be used as a non-intrusive Continuous Glucose Monitor. Add in software that makes it compatible with any mobile or wi-fi device, and I would buy it. Today.

Not stabbing your finger multiple times per day? That’s a Win. Not using up precious bodily real estate to insert a new sensor? That’s another Win. Software that’s multi-compatible? Another Win.

That’s a fantasy diabetes device that we could all live (longer) with. Get to work on that, you scientific-research-techno-geeks!

But don’t forget about The Cure, okay?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Disclaimer
I have no medical training. If you consider anything written here as medical, legal, financial, or any other kind of advice, you’re out of your mind. Please speak to a learned professional before making any changes that might affect your health. Any of the original content found on this site is my property and should not be reproduced, copied, or otherwise used without the author’s expressed written consent.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 3– One Thing to Improve.

May 16, 2012 – 7:23 am


 
It’s day 3 of Diabetes Blog Week. Notice how I included the image above, just like the rest of you who thought of it two days ago?

Yesterday was all about something that I thought I do well for my diabetes. It was a prime example of how easy it is to talk about myself, and the things I (think I) do well. Today, the challenge is to find something to improve upon in my daily walk with the big D.

Today is hard. Not just because I have to write about an area where I come up short. But because I have to admit it. In a public forum. Where everyone can read it. So I guess the first admission has to be:

I’m not perfect.

And the second admission (and the subject of my post today) is:

I. Eat. Too. Many. Carbs.

I mentioned in a post last week that I have two vices left: Alcohol and Salt.

I like to think that I have an “I can take it or leave it” attitude with regard to alcohol. Prior to my diabetes diagnosis (age 28), I drank too much at times. Now… far, far less. But the salty stuff? I just can’t resist. Chips, pretzels, Cheez-its, Goldfish, Chex mix, I don’t care. Love them all. And if there’s rice or potatoes at lunch or dinner? I’m in. I am so in.

And I hate myself for it. Hate, hate, hate. I’m using the word Hate here. I hate what it’s done to my waistline for the last 21 years. I hate how, especially when I’m training, I can feel the weight of every last gram of last night’s carbohydrates sitting in my stomach like a giant rock. I hate that I’ve tried the low-carb diet thing about 100 times, until I have a dangerous low (always about 6-7 days after starting), then I bail on the whole idea instead of sucking it up and adjusting.

That is absolutely unlike me.

I’ve dealt with a lot of crap over the years. People afraid of me or judging me. Recovering from lows. Dealing with highs, and apathy, and diabetes burnout. Changes in jobs, careers, homes, cities. I’ve persevered. I really have handled many obstacles. Even when things are (or seem) extremely difficult, I’ve been able to endure.

So why can’t I get over the addiction to salty carbs? I don’t need to quit cold turkey, just cut back some. And deal with the lows, and work through the issues instead of just going back to the same old routine out of fear. Or out of comfort. It’s a big, big obstacle for me. My kryptonite. Don’t know how I’m going to deal with this. But I’ve got to find a way to overcome. To persevere. To endure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Disclaimer
I have no medical training. If you consider anything written here as medical, legal, financial, or any other kind of advice, you’re out of your mind. Please speak to a learned professional before making any changes that might affect your health. Any of the original content found on this site is my property and should not be reproduced, copied, or otherwise used without the author’s expressed written consent.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 2– One Great Thing.

May 15, 2012 – 6:35 am

It’s Diabetes Blog Week, Day 2. Today, we’re all talking about one great thing that we do well.

I tend to be one of those people who rarely sees anything that I do as great. I like to think (hope?) that I have the two great qualities all PWDs seem to have: empathy and perseverance. But if I have those qualities, and all PWDs have these qualities, does this make me great? Am I off topic here? Let me re-focus and get back to the subject at hand.

If there’s one thing that I seem to do well, it’s been staying as physically tough as I can be. Now, I’ve never been a stellar athlete. But I love to compete. And even though I’ll never make the Olympics, especially at my age, I’m still able to perform at a level that’s better than average. While that’s helped me complete my first two triathlons last year at age 49, and while I’m training for a two day 150 mile ride in four weeks, that still doesn’t have much to do with diabetes.

But maybe the physical training has made me physically tough when it comes to my diabetes. I know it’s helped me with my A1cs in the last few years (in order the last year and a half: 7.1, 7.0, 6.7, 6.5, 6.4, 6.3). And I don’t really know for sure, but I get the feeling that it’s helped me recover from energy-sucking lows too. Those kind of lows you get in the middle of the day, when all you want to do after is find a sunny spot, curl up, and sleep for about 5 hours, but you pick yourself up and say “Let’s do that important thing now”. It’s either training or pride that keeps me going in those moments. I hope it’s the former.

And the thing is, I like how it makes me feel too. I totally buy into the endorphin rush. I like that I’m doing more athletically than most people my age. And now that I’m starting to read about some of my fellow d-bloggers who have experienced depression in one form or another as a part of their diabetic life, I’m feeling like I really need those feel-goods any way I can get them.

So I know I’m totally tooting my own horn here, but I’m digging the fact that my diabetic life also includes an athletic component. And I’m going to keep it that way as long as I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Disclaimer
I have no medical training. If you consider anything written here as medical, legal, financial, or any other kind of advice, you’re out of your mind. Please speak to a licensed professional before making any changes that might affect your health. Any of the original content found on this site is my property and should not be reproduced, copied, or otherwise used without the author’s expressed written consent.

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (2)