Diabetes Meme

A Diabetes Meme.


What type of diabetes do you have: Type 1

When were you diagnosed: 1985, that's 25 years and going!

What's your current blood sugar: 117

What kind of meter do you use: One Touch Ultralink

How many times a day do you test your blood sugar: A lot, maybe 10-12

What's a "high" number for you: Something over 160 probably

What's do you consider "low": Under 75

What's your favorite low blood sugar reaction treater: I don't know about favorite, but the most reliable are juice boxes and orange juice.

Describe your dream endo: Easy to get on the phone! Fills prescriptions within minutes!

What's your biggest diabetes achievement: A1C's rather consistent in the 5's and running a half marathon.

What's your biggest diabetes-related fear: Losing a limb

Who's on your support team: Mike and my Dad

Do you think there will be a cure in your lifetime: I cant go there, b/c it seems that even if there was a cure the line to get it would be too long to dream about.

What is a "cure" to you: Anything, either an artificial pancreas or new pancreas that keeps my blood sugars stable all day long without any intervention from me!

The most annoying thing people say to you about your diabetes is: Wow, you are so skinny, how did you get diabetes? UGH....

What is the most common misconception about diabetes: That all diabetics get complications.

If you could say one thing to your pancreas, what would it be: What happened?

High School Track

I have been going through a drought with my running and have not been all that interested in getting out the door and going lately. But that all changed last night. Mike and I found a high school track that is open to the public and I decided to use it last night. It was fabulous. I got out there and decided to run 12 laps, as in 3 miles, without stopping. And I did it. I don't know if I was being competitive with the other runners out there, or if I was just having a good night, or if I was imagining what it would have been like if I was in high school and I was a track runner and I was being cheered on by people in the stands. I think it was the last reason.

No running?

There was a post on TuDiabetes today where a woman was talking about how she was told upon her diagnosis that she was not allowed to run any longer. She said she was told she should "decrease" her level of activities. That is all so absurd to me and frustrating. I find that its always other people who have issues with being told they cannot do something. I have never once been told I cannot do anything. Not by a doctor, not by a nurse and certainly not by my family. After being diabetic for 25 years youd think I would have encountered just one person who would tell me that I cannot do something. The only thing I can remember is that I was not supposed to run the mile run in elementary school b/c my blood sugar would go too low after. That was my choice though as an 8 year old who wasnt properly aware of how to balance blood sugar levels. That was a decision made by my family and teachers at the time, though if I had wanted to run it, I surely could have and I believe I did a time or two. Most people look at diabetes as a reason to not do things, not eat things, and not be like everyone else. To me that is an excuse and there is nothing I cannot do besides produce insulin. Personally I feel bad for the first person who tells me I cannot do something, they would get more than a ear full from me.

Airport Security

We flew to Gainesville, FL this wknd for my friend Matt's wedding. It was a great trip and I am so glad we could go and we had an awesome time. The wedding was gorgeous and the bride and groom were so happy! That being said I was a little worried about bringing my diabetic supplies on the plane. I have been reading horror stories of people having to show their insulin pumps or take them off and have them examined by security. This was the first time I have flown since 2008 and thought maybe things had gotten more strict.

Well I was wrong. No one said a thing. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No one questioned the insulin pump, the insulin, the lancets or the spare syringes in my carry on bag.

Now yes I was pleased with this and I hope it is because they have seen this stuff so often they know what it was and not that they just missed it altogether. Lets hope our flights to and from Hawaii in a few months goes off as incredibly well as this trip did!

Fitting #1

My wedding dress fitting is going to be on Saturday July 10th at 9am. I cannot wait. But I do wonder what they will say and do when I tell them we have to make a pocket for the insulin pump. I started thinking about this after I read Kerri's piece on Six Until Me her own wedding dress designs a few years back.



You never know with some people. Do they know what an insulin pump is? Have they seen one before? Do they know someone who is diabetic? Do they know what having diabetes means?

We'll see what happens on July 10th and I am hoping they can make something that is secretive yet easy for me to access the pump. I am trying not to dwell on it but part of me is concerned about having the time to check my blood sugars throughout the wedding to make sure I stay on top of the game!

New York test strips

We went to NYC this past weekend. We left early Sat morning and came back home on Sunday night. It was a nice one night trip that we are very glad we did! I didn't bring as many diabetic supplies as I normally do on trips because it was for such a short amount of time. I didn't bring any extra insulin with me because I figured the insulin in my pump was enough to hold me for a one night trip. The only issue was that I forgot to bring any extra test strips. I looked at the bottle when we were more than half way to New York and was upset to see I only had brought one bottle of test strips! Luckily there were 17 strips in there, way more than enough than Id need for that amount of time, but it still seems stressful to know that you don't have an endless supply of strips. I felt that I had to ration out the strips to make sure I didn't run out of them just in case, but 17 still should have been enough for one full day. This seems to happen to me a lot. If only strips didn't cost $1 per strip, than it would not be so horrible if you ran out of them and had to go stock up on more from the pharmacy!

Bret Michaels wins Celebrity Apprentice

Bret Michaels was on the Today show today to talk about his big win on Celebrity Apprentice last night. Thanks to his efforts he brought in $250,000 for the American Diabetes Association. Bret has been a type one diabetic for most of his life and was recently told that his young daughter is a borderline diabetic. I think it is fantastic that Bret won and brought in all this money for a disease that affects him and potentially his daughter. Many people have said that Donald Trump only picked him to win because of a sympathy vote due to the fact that Bret suffered a brain hemorrhage a few weeks back and recently also discovered he has a hole in his heart. Personally I think he was the ideal winner with or without his personal conditions. No one saw this guy coming. He was almost written off early in the show as being too lazy or not interested enough in what he was doing. Boy did he ever prove them wrong. It was entertaining and wonderful to watch this rocker character win time and time again and bring in a lot of money for diabetes research. Sometimes it isnt always the business like persona that makes it big in the business world. Now if only he would stop calling it di-a-bee-tus and would say diabetes!