Dday: In the Next 15 years

In 15 years I've leaned that diet coke and sugar free gum (together) taste like stinky socks.

In 15 years I've learned to stand up for myself with every HCP I've met. Sorry, but I know more then you do.

In 15 years I've traveled to Hawaii, Canada,Denmark, England..with a few hours in Amsterdam to boot.

In 15 years I've dated three guys, married one guy, and celebrated wedding anniversary #6.

In 15 years I've given blood 43 times.(can't do it anymore,due to the magnesium issues)

In 15 years I've had between 80-100 magnesium infusions.

In 15 years I've passed out from lows 4x. My lowest low was under 10 mg/dl,and I've had a 12 & 19 as well. I've never had a number in the 20's but probably every other on the meter(30 on up to 600)...I've been there.

In 15 years the smell of Kendall alcohol swabs still smells like a flashback diagnosis.

In 15 years I've been to diabetes conferences & met many,many,many, good folks with diabetes.

In 15 years I've become very addicted to diet coke.

In 15 years I've gone from Regular/Lente/45 second meter to a Tandom insulin pump/Verio meter.

In 15 years I've gone through a successful pregnancy & have a very active almost 2 year old little boy.

In 15 years I've had 4 endocrinologists.(#4 for 6 years now)

In 15 years I've gone to two community colleges, became EMT-B certified,had a brief stint doing EMS, and failed out of the RN program at the end of the 3rd semester.(with only 1 to go)

In 15 years I've participated in 3 diabetes & driving studies, 3 Artificial Pancreas studies,1 " D & Vit. C" study & 1 injectable polypeptide study. None of them managed to kill me.

In 15 years I've rafted the Colorado, felt the cool mist of Niagara Falls, waded in the frigid North Sea & baked like a lobster in the glorious Hawaiian sun.

In 15 years I've had 7 surgeries.

In 15 years I've had two paying jobs,neither of which I liked.(daycare & sweatshop,take your pick)

In 15 years I've seen a former Prime Minister, a Queen, & a US President in person.

In 15 years I've learned that you can never have too many carbohydrates on your person.

In 15 years I've pricked my finger thousands of times, gone through my body weight in insulin(I'm sure) peed on strips and sticks and all sorts of things..injected sharp things into my body thousands of times,& resorted to eating Tums when there was nothing else available to treat the hypoglycemia.

In 15 years I've voted in three presidential elections and 10 state ones.

In 15 years I've owned 18 different meters.(yes,it's a bit of an obsession..I cannot say no to a free meter)

-------

In 15 years I want to travel to Europe, ride elephants in Asia, count Kangaroos in Australia, and go to an Olympics.

By 15 years..I want to have another baby.

In 15 more years I want to be cured.(or at least have an artificial pancreas)

In 15 years I want to have a nursing degree& specialise in pediatric pulmonology.

In 15 years I want to be healthy,more so then I am now..and free from D complications.

In 15 years I look forward to having all kinds of adventures with my family!( I want them to all be happy & healthy as well)

In 15 years I want to have my book published.

In 15 years I want to run a marathon.

And I want to meet more PWD...as well as stay in touch with the ones I know. Thank you for being there.

Bring on the next 15 years.

Posted with Blogsy

Diabetes: The Thirteenth Year

(Photo: Creative Commons)

Dear Diabetes,
Today, you are a teenager. It seems as though a million years have passed...or at least a generation. (that five year old girl on the other side of your hospital room is now legally an ADULT. Yikers.) Do you remember that day...the pain, the worry, the fear that would soon cast it's long shadow over "all the days of your life?"

I do. But I also remember a remarkable CDE,
who,on that very next day (in fact, some of the first words out of her mouth) told me that I could still have kids. (Was I thinking about having children,heck no,it was about the furthest thing from my mind. I just wanted to live.)

That was then. And this, is now.(I trust I've grown up a bit since then)And in retrospect, I'm glad she said that.(its something every young person needs to hear at diagnosis,& I once talked to someone dx'd in the 1960's who didn't have kids because her doctors forbade it, which is incredibly sad. I think everyone deserves a doctor who will work with them to make their dream happen). It's impossible not to think of the rock n' rolling, hiccupping,rapidly growing life inside of me. I guess I think about babies more then I think about diabetes...which is saying alot.You really do still suck bucketloads, diabetes,and cause more pain then is ever warranted. Seemingly 95% of the other people getting NST's at the perinatologist also have diabetes.(and sugars that warrant "concern". My own sugars in the past week have moved beyond concern to warranted screaming of silent obscenities at the meter & the bolusing of huge corrections, to little avail.Another insulin spike from heck.) But there are things that are stronger then you are,things that in the end make you slick back into the corner,with your tail between your legs...whipped. And though I oscillate between despair & hope on a daily basis,I think that having a baby is the ultimate "sticking it to diabetes" act.I know it can be done.

So today, diabetes, I want you to know that you're not the most important thing on the agenda anymore. And that despite the passage of time,you still don't "know it all"...its a lifelong learning process (what works today, won't tomorrow). It almost seems like a new beginning, this 13th year...the dawning of the 2nd chapter of my life. (PreKid, PostKid) And you and me will have to figure out a working relationship for the next phase as well. (not that I was terribly successful in the first phase...but I want to do better. Pinky Swear It.)

Sincerely,

Me. (13 years later)

NaPoBloMo-Day #13

Today, I'm going to share with you a YouTube Video...from a talented young artist with T1 diabetes!



I love her illustrations. (toward the story line) I can't draw that well..but if I could, I'd love to do something like that on YouTube.