Come all you PWD'rs, if you want to hear
A story about, a D with no fear
Casey Jones was the 'betic's name
On a trip to his Endo's, in a hurricane.
At 8:30 one morning, in the pouring gale
He kissed his wife,after checking email
He climbed in his car with his logbook in hand saying
"This is my trip to my (a1c-happy) land."
Casey Jones
Climbed in his Chevy
Casey Jones
Dexcom in his hand
Casey Jones
Stable at 120
Taking a trip to his promised land.
Through the visibility was zip, still he drove
Around the inlet, near the cove
Everyone knew by the engine's groan
That that old piece of junk's was Casey Jones.
Well, Jones called his endo, said I'll be there
Because this a1c will be something to share
Endo said Casey, that may or not be
It'll be something I'd certainly love to see.
Casey Jones
Climbed in his Chevy
Casey Jones
Dexcom in his hand
Casey Jones
Stable at 120
Taking a trip to his promised land.
There in the roadway, in the swirling rain
Casey saw a friend, and it clicked in his brain
Threw open a door, and grabbed his bud
Before his good D-pal became one with the mud.
Well, a hand on the wheel, and the other popping tabs
Casey had it together: in both brains and labs
His friend raved, man you're too good a D
To get a 8.0 on your next a1c.
Casey Jones
Climbed in his Chevy
Casey Jones
Dexcom in his hand
Casey Jones
Stable at 120
Taking a trip to his promised land.
Headaches and backaches, no sunshine's ray
Are all a part of the 'betics day
But the grit and the guts and the good true friends
Will take you through life's horrendous bends.
Casey Jones
Climbed in his Chevy
Casey Jones
Dexxom in his hand
Casey Jones
Stable at 120
Taking a trip to his promised land.
And here's the original Johnny Cash version:
(till about half way through the video + the very end)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Deep Throat
As previously mentioned, I've had some problems with re-occuring strep throat. Last months being pretty horrific.
Today, saw local ENT doc on the advice of CVS Minute Clinic, which is rapidly approaching their "We can't treat you anymore,you've got some real issues and need to see a real doc" tolerance limits. I haven't reached that limit yet, but 1 more time would probably be it.
This month's was just a sore throat. Not much else, no fever, no nothing. Just a sore throat, so seemingly non-threatening it could be allergies or anything. But up went the blood sugars,and strep test was subsequently positive.
And the semi-cure for repeated strep, is a tonsillectomy. I have the options of waiting to see if I get strep again, or scheduling surgery for the middle of July or the middle of August. Because the beginning of July and the end of July I'll be on two-week vacations. And in mid- August, school starts up. Or taking penicillin for the rest of my life. I've decided to have it done in the middle of July, I'll have a two week window to heal up before Europe.
Anyone else have their tonsils out?what was it like?
Today, saw local ENT doc on the advice of CVS Minute Clinic, which is rapidly approaching their "We can't treat you anymore,you've got some real issues and need to see a real doc" tolerance limits. I haven't reached that limit yet, but 1 more time would probably be it.
This month's was just a sore throat. Not much else, no fever, no nothing. Just a sore throat, so seemingly non-threatening it could be allergies or anything. But up went the blood sugars,and strep test was subsequently positive.
And the semi-cure for repeated strep, is a tonsillectomy. I have the options of waiting to see if I get strep again, or scheduling surgery for the middle of July or the middle of August. Because the beginning of July and the end of July I'll be on two-week vacations. And in mid- August, school starts up. Or taking penicillin for the rest of my life. I've decided to have it done in the middle of July, I'll have a two week window to heal up before Europe.
Anyone else have their tonsils out?what was it like?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Weekend: Wrapped
1. Returned study pump...impression, not worth a plugged nickel. Assuming it was the polypeptide medication. Study doc and researcher are now in a quandary over whether or not that part of the study needs to be repeated,(because of strep) if in four weeks my insulin requirements vary greatly from what they have this week I will have to repeat it. That's two more Boost tests, and another gallon of blood leached. The blood leaching might conceivably improve my a1c, if it weren't for the over 500 for two more days factor. Can't see how that is going to improve anything. I hate being over 500,it feels so yucky and icky and horrible. Apparently, I'm not alone in the "over 500" category, one guy actually went up to 650. (their meters read up to 850) I also think I'd like more compensation if I'm going to have to do this again.(there's the cost of gas, and the $4 tunnel toll) I don't want to mess up their study and they have to find someone else but I also hope they'll be understanding of the inconvenience of putting oneself through two more times of utter D-heck for this.
2. New Niece! hopefully it works out for bro and girlfriend, both the mom & infant are doing fine... my parents went down and saw them Sat.afternoon.(baby was born on Friday)
3. Other then that, and the never-ending abysmal rain, I really need to get back to the gym, seeing the depressing average on my meter makes me think it will take some pretty major watching the preprandials,postprandials,and everything else to even do damage control on my next a1c. Team Type 1 will be rolling into MD at the end of the week,and that will be marginally exciting. Hopefully inspire me toward more exercise.
2. New Niece! hopefully it works out for bro and girlfriend, both the mom & infant are doing fine... my parents went down and saw them Sat.afternoon.(baby was born on Friday)
3. Other then that, and the never-ending abysmal rain, I really need to get back to the gym, seeing the depressing average on my meter makes me think it will take some pretty major watching the preprandials,postprandials,and everything else to even do damage control on my next a1c. Team Type 1 will be rolling into MD at the end of the week,and that will be marginally exciting. Hopefully inspire me toward more exercise.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Placebo Effect
"Come in!" Ginny, the research coordinator, greeted me with enthusiasm(first requirement of the job, you have to LOVE people) as I cracked open a door, seeing if anyone was in that room.
The place. The place where history will either be made, or broken, was buried so deeply in the most obscure part of the multi-billion dollar sprawling medical complex that it had taken me a good ten minutes of wandering around, asking various people where the Surgical Endocrinology Lab was and THEY even not having a clue. Employees, who've worked on that floor for years.
I entered, peeling off my jacket as the warm air hit various body parts,instantly making it feel like a sauna, despite the coolness of the outside air. Ginny liked her haven on the warmer side of things.
It appeared much like the setup of the other research lab, recliners,racks of tubes, tables, several people running the lab tests and a short-white-coated-incredibly-young-looking medical student helping out. It's truly scary that there are now doctors younger then I..and that most people my age are now residents. Ack-I am old.(when did that happen?) Signed papers, had IV put in, drank 2 cans of chocolate Boost, and watched the CGM drift up from 114.
Research doctor wandered in. Ironically, his last name was the same as the research doc down in Virginia. I swear I can't get away from that last name, its too weird how it worked out. Another 2 people came in, they were pre-pancreatic (perhaps a Whipple?)surgery. They drank the Boost/glucose tolerance thing but of course they weren't getting the hormone. Research doc patiently answered all my questions,and asked a bunch of me(to make sure I passed the "should be in" test). Their drug is actually made in the lab and has had no effects in either rats, or humans.(and they make it in their lab so its not from some animal) There will be 4 visits, 4 weeks apart. (2 this week, 2 4 weeks from now)
Visit #1
-100 carbs of Boost
-IV blood draw every 15 minutes for 3 hours
-Get hitched up to study pump that contains either placebo saline or the pancreotic polypeptide.
Said pump, is a Disetronic T10 Panomat insulin pump probably from the 1980's, it is dirt-old and HUGE. Twice the size of my little Ping. They use this pump, because its the only pump out there that can deliver pre-programmed boluses and not have a basal rate. My job, is to do absolutely nothing at all. Do not press any of the buttons, check out the various screens, or drop it in the toilet. It also isn't waterproof, nor does the set detach, so I have to put it in a little baggie and hang it around my neck while showering.(and swimming for 3 days=OUT). I feel like I'm back in the dark ages.
-get payed for first visit($50)
-Recheck bg, (530) correct blood sugar
-Get Meal Voucher, wander on down to cafeteria where everything looks incredibly unappealing and I spend most of it on diet drinks because I'm that thirsty.
(pump return on Friday)
I really think I got the placebo this go-around, the research doc said I likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference but bgs have stayed their normal wackiness(perhaps from getting strep again,who knows,3rd time in 3 months,I'm a strep magnet) so either I'm not getting Wonder Drug or being sick is just minimizing the positive effects. Who knows. Next time I would get the real thing, if I got the placebo this time. Wonder Drug is supposed to make the highs not so high and the lows non-existent. Also got to meet the researcher who has been doing this for the past 20 years,that was pretty neat,drug company sponsorship might actually happen.
That evening, went to pump club, the guest speaker was an ophthalmologist from JH.(one of the members asked her doc to be the guest speaker) JH docs tend to think they are the cream of the crop and other places are 2nd rate or don't even deserve mention. I happen to think the place I got my eye care was pretty great(and cutting-edge) too, so the attitude of said doctor annoyed me a bit. He took our questions/talked about all things eyes for two hours.
Some points he made:
-new treatments are in the works, but lasars are the sole means of treating retinopathy and the lasers of today are very much more precise then those of 20 years ago.
-smoking ups your risk of macular degeneration by 400%. Besides upping glaucoma and retinopathy.
-Teenagers are walking into his office with severe proliferative retinopathy, and most going blind. Freaky scary.
-the goals isn't a cure, its to give you another 40 years with minimal damage. D is going to inflict damage, no two ways about it, the goal should be to limit that damage. He then looked around the table, demonstrating his point by saying that X,X,X you have eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage(for the record, he gave me till age 84. I was ecstatic,84 sounds pretty good in my book,my a1cs are not longevity material). Apparently we're all disasters, waiting to happen. It was bothering, because thinking of yourself as half-dead and just waiting for the other half to fall apart as well is not really how one should be approaching life.
-young people who have cataract surgery are much more likely to need a lasar-capsulotomy to clear up hazing but I got lucky.
-sunglasses are really not that benifical in terms of reducing UV damage, they did a study on Bay crabbers (those who wore sunglasses vs those who didn't) and damage was the same.
-eyeballs actually shrink when the retina has detached(I'm not sure if this means they get smaller in the socket?)
(at that point, my own eyes were probably as round as saucers-freaky piece of info)
Bottom line is, there's no Plan B for blindness.(when they've done all they can do) You've got to do everything in your power to keep your body, and your eyes, healthy.
The place. The place where history will either be made, or broken, was buried so deeply in the most obscure part of the multi-billion dollar sprawling medical complex that it had taken me a good ten minutes of wandering around, asking various people where the Surgical Endocrinology Lab was and THEY even not having a clue. Employees, who've worked on that floor for years.
I entered, peeling off my jacket as the warm air hit various body parts,instantly making it feel like a sauna, despite the coolness of the outside air. Ginny liked her haven on the warmer side of things.
It appeared much like the setup of the other research lab, recliners,racks of tubes, tables, several people running the lab tests and a short-white-coated-incredibly-young-looking medical student helping out. It's truly scary that there are now doctors younger then I..and that most people my age are now residents. Ack-I am old.(when did that happen?) Signed papers, had IV put in, drank 2 cans of chocolate Boost, and watched the CGM drift up from 114.
Research doctor wandered in. Ironically, his last name was the same as the research doc down in Virginia. I swear I can't get away from that last name, its too weird how it worked out. Another 2 people came in, they were pre-pancreatic (perhaps a Whipple?)surgery. They drank the Boost/glucose tolerance thing but of course they weren't getting the hormone. Research doc patiently answered all my questions,and asked a bunch of me(to make sure I passed the "should be in" test). Their drug is actually made in the lab and has had no effects in either rats, or humans.(and they make it in their lab so its not from some animal) There will be 4 visits, 4 weeks apart. (2 this week, 2 4 weeks from now)
Visit #1
-100 carbs of Boost
-IV blood draw every 15 minutes for 3 hours
-Get hitched up to study pump that contains either placebo saline or the pancreotic polypeptide.
Said pump, is a Disetronic T10 Panomat insulin pump probably from the 1980's, it is dirt-old and HUGE. Twice the size of my little Ping. They use this pump, because its the only pump out there that can deliver pre-programmed boluses and not have a basal rate. My job, is to do absolutely nothing at all. Do not press any of the buttons, check out the various screens, or drop it in the toilet. It also isn't waterproof, nor does the set detach, so I have to put it in a little baggie and hang it around my neck while showering.(and swimming for 3 days=OUT). I feel like I'm back in the dark ages.
-get payed for first visit($50)
-Recheck bg, (530) correct blood sugar
-Get Meal Voucher, wander on down to cafeteria where everything looks incredibly unappealing and I spend most of it on diet drinks because I'm that thirsty.
(pump return on Friday)
I really think I got the placebo this go-around, the research doc said I likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference but bgs have stayed their normal wackiness(perhaps from getting strep again,who knows,3rd time in 3 months,I'm a strep magnet) so either I'm not getting Wonder Drug or being sick is just minimizing the positive effects. Who knows. Next time I would get the real thing, if I got the placebo this time. Wonder Drug is supposed to make the highs not so high and the lows non-existent. Also got to meet the researcher who has been doing this for the past 20 years,that was pretty neat,drug company sponsorship might actually happen.
That evening, went to pump club, the guest speaker was an ophthalmologist from JH.(one of the members asked her doc to be the guest speaker) JH docs tend to think they are the cream of the crop and other places are 2nd rate or don't even deserve mention. I happen to think the place I got my eye care was pretty great(and cutting-edge) too, so the attitude of said doctor annoyed me a bit. He took our questions/talked about all things eyes for two hours.
Some points he made:
-new treatments are in the works, but lasars are the sole means of treating retinopathy and the lasers of today are very much more precise then those of 20 years ago.
-smoking ups your risk of macular degeneration by 400%. Besides upping glaucoma and retinopathy.
-Teenagers are walking into his office with severe proliferative retinopathy, and most going blind. Freaky scary.
-the goals isn't a cure, its to give you another 40 years with minimal damage. D is going to inflict damage, no two ways about it, the goal should be to limit that damage. He then looked around the table, demonstrating his point by saying that X,X,X you have eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage(for the record, he gave me till age 84. I was ecstatic,84 sounds pretty good in my book,my a1cs are not longevity material). Apparently we're all disasters, waiting to happen. It was bothering, because thinking of yourself as half-dead and just waiting for the other half to fall apart as well is not really how one should be approaching life.
-young people who have cataract surgery are much more likely to need a lasar-capsulotomy to clear up hazing but I got lucky.
-sunglasses are really not that benifical in terms of reducing UV damage, they did a study on Bay crabbers (those who wore sunglasses vs those who didn't) and damage was the same.
-eyeballs actually shrink when the retina has detached(I'm not sure if this means they get smaller in the socket?)
(at that point, my own eyes were probably as round as saucers-freaky piece of info)
Bottom line is, there's no Plan B for blindness.(when they've done all they can do) You've got to do everything in your power to keep your body, and your eyes, healthy.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
On Top of Mount Everest
Today, I'm going to talk about Mt.Everest. Apologies if you were expecting an earth-shattering post about CGMS, pumps and polypeptide hormones.(today) I'll be getting to that.(if you want earth-shaking, may I recommend Southern California)
I'm not a big fan of heights, mountains, or the Disney Ride. But my diabetes loves it.
This is today's reading, reaching its lovely 538 mg/dl peak about 11:30 am. (From 114 initially) Not surprisingly, from the 100 carb Boost-Fest with no bolus allowed(except for basal). Fortuantly, I was allowed to correct 15 min after that, and fortunately, it didn't go over 600. That would have been even more of a pain. I will just point out some mountain climbing, bg similarities.
-Going down is easier then coming up. MUCH easier.
-Hydration is important. Diet Coke and water are your best friends. They will save you from certain disaster.
-Mountain Climbing isn't fun. Unless you're a masochist, and feeling tired,cranky, and incredibly thirsty is really your thing.
-Everything looks different from the top. It's like being in a brain fog, if not a natural one.
-Don't do it alone. Call someone, buddy up. The mountain will kick your Gluteus Maximus faster then you can say "Leaping Lows!" In mountain climbing, as in life with diabetes, you need friends to help you out sometimes.
More to come..
I'm not a big fan of heights, mountains, or the Disney Ride. But my diabetes loves it.
This is today's reading, reaching its lovely 538 mg/dl peak about 11:30 am. (From 114 initially) Not surprisingly, from the 100 carb Boost-Fest with no bolus allowed(except for basal). Fortuantly, I was allowed to correct 15 min after that, and fortunately, it didn't go over 600. That would have been even more of a pain. I will just point out some mountain climbing, bg similarities.
-Going down is easier then coming up. MUCH easier.
-Hydration is important. Diet Coke and water are your best friends. They will save you from certain disaster.
-Mountain Climbing isn't fun. Unless you're a masochist, and feeling tired,cranky, and incredibly thirsty is really your thing.
-Everything looks different from the top. It's like being in a brain fog, if not a natural one.
-Don't do it alone. Call someone, buddy up. The mountain will kick your Gluteus Maximus faster then you can say "Leaping Lows!" In mountain climbing, as in life with diabetes, you need friends to help you out sometimes.
More to come..
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Last of the Type 1's
I've done the guinea pig thing before. It was an intensive, grueling experience; not for those who love A. their sleep or B. their (real, or illusion) state of being in control. Because in diabetes research, your goals are not their goals and vice versa. You sign your rights over to them, going into it you realize ADA type control will not likely be your lot because they tend to have an un-natural fear of anything under 100, trying to keep you more like 180. For a brief period, you just accept it and move on. (you don't have any choice about it sometimes)
The last study I did, I experienced the joys of the Medtronic CGM for the very first time. I hated it, it was off from the One Touch Ultra and the hospital meters by 50 (mostly 70-100) points at all times. NO amount of calibration could make it come back into line. But it was beyond coolness, to be able to see your blood sugar info without testing. So while I played with it(I sure hope they've improved the accessibility of it, because it was good and confusing) the endo fumed with minuscule doses and five minute blood tests. The CGM, was not very useful during the process, so it was largely ignored. (why they even incorporated it into the protocol beats me)
Fastforward almost 2 years later. The CGM I use(Dexcom) is pretty accurate, most of the time. Another research study is in the works, with the "guinea pig" aspect of it for real, with a non-FDA approved substance. Apparently, it hasn't killed/maimed/had any side effects in rats, or of any of the other 9 type 1's to have tried it.(it is a substance produced by the pancreas) Said CGM, will be instrumental in determining whether the stuff really works. I'm both nervous and excited, I've never done anything of this nature. I realize this is something most type 1's would NOT do,its still experimental but to me,I'm a sucker for research studies. And this one, will be pretty weird. (I'm the last person to have to complete the study,before they analyze the results/reproduce on a larger scale-hence, the "Last of the Type 1's" post title.) Hopefully,I won't be the one fatality.
Further details next week.
(when it all starts, bright and early Tuesday morning)
The last study I did, I experienced the joys of the Medtronic CGM for the very first time. I hated it, it was off from the One Touch Ultra and the hospital meters by 50 (mostly 70-100) points at all times. NO amount of calibration could make it come back into line. But it was beyond coolness, to be able to see your blood sugar info without testing. So while I played with it(I sure hope they've improved the accessibility of it, because it was good and confusing) the endo fumed with minuscule doses and five minute blood tests. The CGM, was not very useful during the process, so it was largely ignored. (why they even incorporated it into the protocol beats me)
Fastforward almost 2 years later. The CGM I use(Dexcom) is pretty accurate, most of the time. Another research study is in the works, with the "guinea pig" aspect of it for real, with a non-FDA approved substance. Apparently, it hasn't killed/maimed/had any side effects in rats, or of any of the other 9 type 1's to have tried it.(it is a substance produced by the pancreas) Said CGM, will be instrumental in determining whether the stuff really works. I'm both nervous and excited, I've never done anything of this nature. I realize this is something most type 1's would NOT do,its still experimental but to me,I'm a sucker for research studies. And this one, will be pretty weird. (I'm the last person to have to complete the study,before they analyze the results/reproduce on a larger scale-hence, the "Last of the Type 1's" post title.) Hopefully,I won't be the one fatality.
Further details next week.
(when it all starts, bright and early Tuesday morning)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ten
...minutes ago, I found out I'm gonna be an aunt(twice more), family drama explodes once again in the case of my two younger brothers(gf's delivering right about the same time). I don't know if it's proper to feel joy when 1 relationship is over, and 1 could do the same and I'll never get to see the kids much less be a part of their lives.Proceed with extreme caution.
...seconds ago, I realized that the five diet cokes I've drunk today probably contributed to the up-up-up line of my cgm.(too much caffeine)
...pounds ago, I did not use as much insulin as I do currently.
...thunderstorms ago, the world was a much browner, uglier place. Now, its a veritable rainforrest.
...twitters ago, I was talking about a security system rep racing toward his car to avoid the deluge!
...blog posts ago,was a poem celebrating my love of the lipid.
...months ago, I cheered on Michael Phelps racing for his golds as my gut simultaneously shut down and my electrolytes went on a joyride.
...years ago today, I got new eyes. A piece about the experience was published in the Reflections section ( May 2001 issue of Diabetes Forecast), the experience convinced me that I'd rather be run over by a Mack truck then to ever be blind again. It is true that you never know how much you appreciate something until you don't have it anymore. Good solid lenses, that should last a lifetime(thus far, no disintegration or clouding over issues)it was both the best thing that ever happened to me(fixed the nearsightedness issue)and the worst thing. I am grateful every day that I can see.
The tenth will always be an epic milestone, in my D-journey.
...seconds ago, I realized that the five diet cokes I've drunk today probably contributed to the up-up-up line of my cgm.(too much caffeine)
...pounds ago, I did not use as much insulin as I do currently.
...thunderstorms ago, the world was a much browner, uglier place. Now, its a veritable rainforrest.
...twitters ago, I was talking about a security system rep racing toward his car to avoid the deluge!
...blog posts ago,was a poem celebrating my love of the lipid.
...months ago, I cheered on Michael Phelps racing for his golds as my gut simultaneously shut down and my electrolytes went on a joyride.
...years ago today, I got new eyes. A piece about the experience was published in the Reflections section ( May 2001 issue of Diabetes Forecast), the experience convinced me that I'd rather be run over by a Mack truck then to ever be blind again. It is true that you never know how much you appreciate something until you don't have it anymore. Good solid lenses, that should last a lifetime(thus far, no disintegration or clouding over issues)it was both the best thing that ever happened to me(fixed the nearsightedness issue)and the worst thing. I am grateful every day that I can see.
The tenth will always be an epic milestone, in my D-journey.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Five More Products to Rock Out Your D-Life
#1 Spi-Belt.Available from here, or from numerous places on the 'net. I got mine from Healthy Outcomes rewards. They're quite handy, to slip a pump,cgm,glucose or anything else you may need to keep close to your body.
#2 The glucagon training kit. Got some at a diabetes conference last summer. If you're in need of one, email me/or Eli Lilly/ or Twitter me(JDRFQUEEN) and I'll give you one. It's invaluable, it lets a needle-phobic person learn how to give a glucagon shot without any pain/actual needle involved.
#3 The A1c Now Inview. This is cool-and a very tempting product, to NEVER go to the endocrinologist's again.(I will though,I'm not quite that bad) An instant a1c without going to the doc! Or if you don't have medical insurance,can't afford a doc/cde visit, it is better then nothing.
#4 A diabetes health journal. Typically, any CVS/RiteAid type store will have these, or you can order online. These are kind of neat, because they have D-tips,places to record your bgs,and just general thoughts (diabetes related or otherwise).It's not just a plain "journal." A semi-expensive($10-$15) way to vent,but sometimes its worth it.
#5 The Glucose Grab.
This looks like a handy little product to both stash emergency glucose in, AND alert the world that you have diabetes.(in case you pass out,perhaps they'll get the general idea to stuff you with sugar)As of yet, I don't have one, but I want to get one.
#2 The glucagon training kit. Got some at a diabetes conference last summer. If you're in need of one, email me/or Eli Lilly/ or Twitter me(JDRFQUEEN) and I'll give you one. It's invaluable, it lets a needle-phobic person learn how to give a glucagon shot without any pain/actual needle involved.
#3 The A1c Now Inview. This is cool-and a very tempting product, to NEVER go to the endocrinologist's again.(I will though,I'm not quite that bad) An instant a1c without going to the doc! Or if you don't have medical insurance,can't afford a doc/cde visit, it is better then nothing.
#4 A diabetes health journal. Typically, any CVS/RiteAid type store will have these, or you can order online. These are kind of neat, because they have D-tips,places to record your bgs,and just general thoughts (diabetes related or otherwise).It's not just a plain "journal." A semi-expensive($10-$15) way to vent,but sometimes its worth it.
#5 The Glucose Grab.
This looks like a handy little product to both stash emergency glucose in, AND alert the world that you have diabetes.(in case you pass out,perhaps they'll get the general idea to stuff you with sugar)As of yet, I don't have one, but I want to get one.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The Last Full Measure of Devotion
Too much stuff has happened in the past 30+ days to possible recount, so I'll just stick with the past 7 days.
On Wednesday, Cara, her friend Amanda, and I met for lunch/supper a local mall. We had a great time, talking about their recent trip to NYC and the D-tribe meetup there. I've never been to NYC, which is pathetic on so many levels(winter=too cold and summer=too much other stuff to do) but I really wanna go,after reading various people's blogs,etc. We hung out there til it was time for her to catch her plane home. It was cool, talking about Twitter,diabetes,blogs,baseball,theater, it really is true that two type 1's(well,most can,I've met a few that were absolutely not able to be tolerated) can just sit down and have an instant connection. Even without diabetes, there was plenty to talk about. Here's the proof:(yes, Cara, you may steal it + repost on your blog...:-))
The previous weekend, hubby and I went up to Gettysburg. First stop, was the visitor center, where we bought two day passes, ate lunch:
At an actual replica of the Union refreshment saloons in Philadelphia(?) and some other city. They'd serve refreshments,provide the troops with necessities. The replica fire place was really cool:
Then, we perused the gift shop where I gave in to my pin addiction:
and stamped penny addiction. + we bought chocolate, which I bolused for without checking my bg. Went out and listened to a ranger talk, and out to the car. Blood sugar was only 93, with 2.5 units of insulin still on board. Brilliant.(the action of the chocolate and other food long gone) Back to the visitor center, chug a bottle of juice. Go back outside.
(one of the former shell-shocked farmhouses of Gettysburg)
(that's not Robert E.Lee, it's some Union general)
30 minutes later, a mile and a half into nowhere, rechecked bg: 73. Ate remaining glucose(gel, and smartie rolls) and stumble back to the visitor center. Refuel with more juice, go through museum.(partially)
Several hours later, now in the 400's, take corrective bolus, go back to car, drive around looking for food, stop/eat at Friendly's, go to hotel/check in, walk around Gettysburg(shops and such). At night, the streets are abuzz with Ghost tours so all these people are bugging you to go on theirs. Quite frankly, the last think I want to do, the thousands of people that met their gruesome end there makes my blood run cold. We passed on that. Bg remained 150-180 during our several hour walk(not optimal, but better then the extremes). Fell into bed, because on...
Monday it was up and at 'em with a hearty breakfast,mandatory iphone charge-up,and we walked across the street.
(re-enactors, there were tons of "mock" camps set up)
To the wax museum.
Belle Boyd, who shot a Union soldier in her mother's house.
War Council:
I took quite a few pics...just can't include them all here.
And when Lincoln spoke, we sat down and listened.(that is, till my memory card maxed out and I couldn't get the entire thing on video)
Then we went back to the visitor center, where we saw the "Cyclorama" (a huge circular famous painting) complete with flashing lights, battle booms, and screaming infant. It was quite the experience.
(a soldier's 50 lb pack of gear,that you could try and lift. Which was ok for about 1 minute and then you begun to understand why they chucked as much as possible over the course of a 25+ mile day's march)
One soldier's "coldpack" for under his cap:
Big guns:
finished the museum, ate lunch, and on the driving tour, got about half way into that.
Eternal Flame: (dedicated in 1933 by FDR and over 100 veterans came to the dedication, these were people in their NINETY'S which is pretty amazing if you ask me)
Was getting late, so decided to finish another time. Ate at a DQ, overbolused and 30 min. later I was dropping like a rock so had to consume even more carbs(juice,lots of glucose tabs) Was so stuffed I couldn't eat another carb.(next step would have been glucagon)
At Gettysburg, there were over 51,000 casualties and 3,000 deaths. Of Pickett's Charge, about half of the 6,000 troops were killed or wounded. People lay on the ground, dying of thirst, dying of their wounds, dying of being drowned because someone else had fallen on them and they were too weak to shove 'em off(and it rained hard after the battle). It was very tragic. The stench of rotting corpses pervaded the area for months, even after hasty, en masse trench burials. It wasn't a very glorious site. Brothers fought against brothers, fathers against sons.(Lincoln had 3 brothers in law who fought for the Confederacy) Standing in that place where one side of the ancestral family tree(the Pennsylvanian half) tried to annihilate the other(Virginian) half brought that to greater understanding. Fortuantly, that didn't happen, my great-great grandfather survived Pickett's Charge(or I wouldn't be here today).And likewise, the Northern ancestor(s) survived as well.
Also walked through the National Cemetary:
a fitting thing to do on Memorial day.(paying tribute to everyone who died there) 10 years after the war, the Southerners had all their dead dug up and shipped home to be buried in the South so there are only Union graves. Didn't have time for the bus tour, or to finish the audio tour, or the other ranger talks at various points. Too much to do, too little time. What we did do was fun, though.
(pretty sure the tennis shoes gave their last full measure too,a sole is worn through on one of them and its time to get another pair)
On Wednesday, Cara, her friend Amanda, and I met for lunch/supper a local mall. We had a great time, talking about their recent trip to NYC and the D-tribe meetup there. I've never been to NYC, which is pathetic on so many levels(winter=too cold and summer=too much other stuff to do) but I really wanna go,after reading various people's blogs,etc. We hung out there til it was time for her to catch her plane home. It was cool, talking about Twitter,diabetes,blogs,baseball,theater, it really is true that two type 1's(well,most can,I've met a few that were absolutely not able to be tolerated) can just sit down and have an instant connection. Even without diabetes, there was plenty to talk about. Here's the proof:(yes, Cara, you may steal it + repost on your blog...:-))
The previous weekend, hubby and I went up to Gettysburg. First stop, was the visitor center, where we bought two day passes, ate lunch:
At an actual replica of the Union refreshment saloons in Philadelphia(?) and some other city. They'd serve refreshments,provide the troops with necessities. The replica fire place was really cool:
Then, we perused the gift shop where I gave in to my pin addiction:
and stamped penny addiction. + we bought chocolate, which I bolused for without checking my bg. Went out and listened to a ranger talk, and out to the car. Blood sugar was only 93, with 2.5 units of insulin still on board. Brilliant.(the action of the chocolate and other food long gone) Back to the visitor center, chug a bottle of juice. Go back outside.
(one of the former shell-shocked farmhouses of Gettysburg)
(that's not Robert E.Lee, it's some Union general)
30 minutes later, a mile and a half into nowhere, rechecked bg: 73. Ate remaining glucose(gel, and smartie rolls) and stumble back to the visitor center. Refuel with more juice, go through museum.(partially)
Several hours later, now in the 400's, take corrective bolus, go back to car, drive around looking for food, stop/eat at Friendly's, go to hotel/check in, walk around Gettysburg(shops and such). At night, the streets are abuzz with Ghost tours so all these people are bugging you to go on theirs. Quite frankly, the last think I want to do, the thousands of people that met their gruesome end there makes my blood run cold. We passed on that. Bg remained 150-180 during our several hour walk(not optimal, but better then the extremes). Fell into bed, because on...
Monday it was up and at 'em with a hearty breakfast,mandatory iphone charge-up,and we walked across the street.
(re-enactors, there were tons of "mock" camps set up)
To the wax museum.
Belle Boyd, who shot a Union soldier in her mother's house.
War Council:
I took quite a few pics...just can't include them all here.
And when Lincoln spoke, we sat down and listened.(that is, till my memory card maxed out and I couldn't get the entire thing on video)
Then we went back to the visitor center, where we saw the "Cyclorama" (a huge circular famous painting) complete with flashing lights, battle booms, and screaming infant. It was quite the experience.
(a soldier's 50 lb pack of gear,that you could try and lift. Which was ok for about 1 minute and then you begun to understand why they chucked as much as possible over the course of a 25+ mile day's march)
One soldier's "coldpack" for under his cap:
Big guns:
finished the museum, ate lunch, and on the driving tour, got about half way into that.
Eternal Flame: (dedicated in 1933 by FDR and over 100 veterans came to the dedication, these were people in their NINETY'S which is pretty amazing if you ask me)
Was getting late, so decided to finish another time. Ate at a DQ, overbolused and 30 min. later I was dropping like a rock so had to consume even more carbs(juice,lots of glucose tabs) Was so stuffed I couldn't eat another carb.(next step would have been glucagon)
At Gettysburg, there were over 51,000 casualties and 3,000 deaths. Of Pickett's Charge, about half of the 6,000 troops were killed or wounded. People lay on the ground, dying of thirst, dying of their wounds, dying of being drowned because someone else had fallen on them and they were too weak to shove 'em off(and it rained hard after the battle). It was very tragic. The stench of rotting corpses pervaded the area for months, even after hasty, en masse trench burials. It wasn't a very glorious site. Brothers fought against brothers, fathers against sons.(Lincoln had 3 brothers in law who fought for the Confederacy) Standing in that place where one side of the ancestral family tree(the Pennsylvanian half) tried to annihilate the other(Virginian) half brought that to greater understanding. Fortuantly, that didn't happen, my great-great grandfather survived Pickett's Charge(or I wouldn't be here today).And likewise, the Northern ancestor(s) survived as well.
Also walked through the National Cemetary:
a fitting thing to do on Memorial day.(paying tribute to everyone who died there) 10 years after the war, the Southerners had all their dead dug up and shipped home to be buried in the South so there are only Union graves. Didn't have time for the bus tour, or to finish the audio tour, or the other ranger talks at various points. Too much to do, too little time. What we did do was fun, though.
(pretty sure the tennis shoes gave their last full measure too,a sole is worn through on one of them and its time to get another pair)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Gym Rat
This is my power shirt.
As stupid as it may sound, when I'm wearing my Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association t-shirt, I am mentally ready to hit the gym, and face whatever wrench diabetes may throw in the works.
Meter,strips,lancing device? check
Dexcom? check
Medical ID on body, in case I collapse? check
Extra money, just in case I run out of glucose/food? check
Juice, gel, and tabs? check
Iphone/earphones? double check
water bottle, for regular hydration? check
change of clothes/other sundries? check
And then, after all of that, there's the actual process of managing blood sugars. I'm usually high going in...so I have to correct for that, while keeping in mind how the exercise in question will affect my bgs. Weight lifting, hello stratosphere.
Anything cardiovascular, it goes in the opposite direction.
176 going in, remove pump. Eat 20 carbs.
108, 15 minutes later. Eat another 15 carbs.
109, 10 minutes later. Eat another 15 carbs.
94, 10 minutes later.Reconnect, and am starving so polish off another 40 carbs/protein, bolusing significantly less then I think I'll need.
While all this is going on, there are usually odd glances being thrown in my direction(like what the heck is this girl doing?). I am not training for a marathon,I'm simply trying to make it through a rather mild(!) workout, alive. Generally, my blood sugars are great, as long as I keep consuming vast amounts of carbohydrates. I have not yet reached the goal of being semi-in-shape, so what I want to know is...if you are, do your blood sugars not drop as much as they did in the beginning? Having to eat a lot is probably the #1 reason I hate exercise. As for the reducing insulin part, I could take my pump off, exercise/eat/have great blood sugars for several hours, at which point I'm sure I'd need a slight amount (but I've not yet been able to exercise for hours so that's not really an issue right now). I eat lots more then I actually burn off. Your input is welcome.
As stupid as it may sound, when I'm wearing my Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association t-shirt, I am mentally ready to hit the gym, and face whatever wrench diabetes may throw in the works.
Meter,strips,lancing device? check
Dexcom? check
Medical ID on body, in case I collapse? check
Extra money, just in case I run out of glucose/food? check
Juice, gel, and tabs? check
Iphone/earphones? double check
water bottle, for regular hydration? check
change of clothes/other sundries? check
And then, after all of that, there's the actual process of managing blood sugars. I'm usually high going in...so I have to correct for that, while keeping in mind how the exercise in question will affect my bgs. Weight lifting, hello stratosphere.
Anything cardiovascular, it goes in the opposite direction.
176 going in, remove pump. Eat 20 carbs.
108, 15 minutes later. Eat another 15 carbs.
109, 10 minutes later. Eat another 15 carbs.
94, 10 minutes later.Reconnect, and am starving so polish off another 40 carbs/protein, bolusing significantly less then I think I'll need.
While all this is going on, there are usually odd glances being thrown in my direction(like what the heck is this girl doing?). I am not training for a marathon,I'm simply trying to make it through a rather mild(!) workout, alive. Generally, my blood sugars are great, as long as I keep consuming vast amounts of carbohydrates. I have not yet reached the goal of being semi-in-shape, so what I want to know is...if you are, do your blood sugars not drop as much as they did in the beginning? Having to eat a lot is probably the #1 reason I hate exercise. As for the reducing insulin part, I could take my pump off, exercise/eat/have great blood sugars for several hours, at which point I'm sure I'd need a slight amount (but I've not yet been able to exercise for hours so that's not really an issue right now). I eat lots more then I actually burn off. Your input is welcome.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
I hear America Eating
I hear America eating,250 million strong
And I, alas, also, am compelled to eat along...
The overworked lawyer, as he grabs his Latte Grande
The college student, too, 2 doughnuts start the day.
The busy plastic surgeon, as he cauturizes blood and blub
As America is eating, so grows our butts and tubs.
And I said
"What gives, America?"
We are a great nation, thousands of foods flood our shores
Yet we eat ourselves to bed and the fire dept has to cut down
our doors.
We're not happy anymore, obesity is sad
When it prematurely takes both moms and dads.
The crunch of the super-hydrogenated potato chip
And the scratching of the intern's pen,filling out the death report.
Wake up,America!
I have a dream...a healthier America. A salad on every plate, a decent BMI,
and a chronic disease rate half of what it is now. And then, maybe,we'll be singing again.
And I, alas, also, am compelled to eat along...
The overworked lawyer, as he grabs his Latte Grande
The college student, too, 2 doughnuts start the day.
The busy plastic surgeon, as he cauturizes blood and blub
As America is eating, so grows our butts and tubs.
And I said
"What gives, America?"
We are a great nation, thousands of foods flood our shores
Yet we eat ourselves to bed and the fire dept has to cut down
our doors.
We're not happy anymore, obesity is sad
When it prematurely takes both moms and dads.
The crunch of the super-hydrogenated potato chip
And the scratching of the intern's pen,filling out the death report.
Wake up,America!
I have a dream...a healthier America. A salad on every plate, a decent BMI,
and a chronic disease rate half of what it is now. And then, maybe,we'll be singing again.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Chicken Soup for the PWD's Soul(part 1)
On the list of things that always make me cry is the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Combine that with the mind-boggling account of the reformation of a Food Nazi...and it gives me hope for the human race. I wish this sort of thing happened more frequently.
--------
"How to Sidestep an Elephant"
Our family has some unwritten rules about being healthy and stoic. So when my sister, Maggie, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1981, we didn't talk about it much.
Back then, she was 24 and lived in Manhattan. I lived in Boulder, CO. No none else in our family had diabetes, neither did anyone we knew. On the few occasions that she did bring up her frustrations with finger pokes and and worries about complications, I didn't know what to say. All my time and training as a psychiatric social worker- not to mention years of experience as a "bossy" older sister-seemed to fly out the window.
Just a few months after my sister was diagnosed, my father died, and I began to have melancholy thoughts about Maggie. I saw myself sitting beside her in kidney dialysis unit waiting to see if our tissues would match. In my most depressing moments, I imagined myself alone in her apartment, sorting through her closet and choosing moments to give to her closest friends.
Of course, I said nothing about my fear to Maggie. We both began to treat her diabetes as a topic to be dismissed as quickly as possible. I assumed she would tell me everything she wanted me to know about diabetes, and she assumed I didn't want to hear much about it. (In retrospect, I see that she was right.)
We let diabetes become, in mental health parlance, the elephant in our living room- a huge obstacle we tried to tiptoe around while pretending it didn't exist. I made promises to myself that I would do some reading about it on my own. While working at a VA Medical Center, I had access to a well-stocked library, but I never went near the Endocrinology shelf. It wasn't an entirely conscious decision,facing my fears would mean that I had them.Instead, I told myself that I'd get around to it wehen I had more time.
When Maggie and I were together, usually around the holidays, the older sister in me kept her under survelliance by paying close attetion to what she was eating. This was the part about diabetes that I was sure I understood.I cringed everytime I saw her put a piece of chocolate into her mouth, then reminded myself that she was a bit girl now and it was none of my business.
In 1992 my husband and I moved to the North Island of New Zealand. Maggie came for a Christmas visit, and we planned a New Year's Day outing: We'd take a jet boat up the Wanganui River and hicke a short distance.
That country is rugged, sparsely populated, and remote, so the day of the trip, we packed a lunch. As we drove to our starting point on the river, my sister announced that she was feeling funny and asked my husband to pull over so she could get a snack. When he did, we realized we had left the picnic basket at home.
For a moment, we all panicked. We were miles from a store and nearly two hours from home. We spotted a house and knocked on the door. The woman who answered offered to make Maggie a sandwich. Our guide was with us, and Maggie drank the milk he he had bought to serve with afternoon tea.
The crisis was quickly averted, but that day I realized I had no idea what might have happened if we hadn't found food. It was time to confront that elephant in my living room.
I read a book about diabetes. Not only did the treatments start to make sense, but understanding how far knowledge and technology had advanced gave me hope. For years, my outdated fears had gotten in the way of an honest, ongoing dialogue with my sister.
Now I can ask my sister real questions about diabetes. She has welcomed the opportunity to explain not only what she does to take care of herself, but what having diabetes means in her life. I even went with her once to the ophthalmologist. I listed as she described her blurred vision, and he told her she would need laser treatment right away. She was frightened, and so was I. But I'd read about the success rate of these treatments and was optimistic. I told her so and gave her a hug.
These days, we're still geographically far apart, but emotionally,we're much closer. We're in this together. We both know its mostly up to her, but I'm here whenever she calls.
She's told diabetes doesn't feel like such a lonely illness anymore. That's true for me, too.
-Nowell King
(excerpt from Chicken Soup for the Soul living with Diabetes,2003)
--------
"How to Sidestep an Elephant"
Our family has some unwritten rules about being healthy and stoic. So when my sister, Maggie, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1981, we didn't talk about it much.
Back then, she was 24 and lived in Manhattan. I lived in Boulder, CO. No none else in our family had diabetes, neither did anyone we knew. On the few occasions that she did bring up her frustrations with finger pokes and and worries about complications, I didn't know what to say. All my time and training as a psychiatric social worker- not to mention years of experience as a "bossy" older sister-seemed to fly out the window.
Just a few months after my sister was diagnosed, my father died, and I began to have melancholy thoughts about Maggie. I saw myself sitting beside her in kidney dialysis unit waiting to see if our tissues would match. In my most depressing moments, I imagined myself alone in her apartment, sorting through her closet and choosing moments to give to her closest friends.
Of course, I said nothing about my fear to Maggie. We both began to treat her diabetes as a topic to be dismissed as quickly as possible. I assumed she would tell me everything she wanted me to know about diabetes, and she assumed I didn't want to hear much about it. (In retrospect, I see that she was right.)
We let diabetes become, in mental health parlance, the elephant in our living room- a huge obstacle we tried to tiptoe around while pretending it didn't exist. I made promises to myself that I would do some reading about it on my own. While working at a VA Medical Center, I had access to a well-stocked library, but I never went near the Endocrinology shelf. It wasn't an entirely conscious decision,facing my fears would mean that I had them.Instead, I told myself that I'd get around to it wehen I had more time.
When Maggie and I were together, usually around the holidays, the older sister in me kept her under survelliance by paying close attetion to what she was eating. This was the part about diabetes that I was sure I understood.I cringed everytime I saw her put a piece of chocolate into her mouth, then reminded myself that she was a bit girl now and it was none of my business.
In 1992 my husband and I moved to the North Island of New Zealand. Maggie came for a Christmas visit, and we planned a New Year's Day outing: We'd take a jet boat up the Wanganui River and hicke a short distance.
That country is rugged, sparsely populated, and remote, so the day of the trip, we packed a lunch. As we drove to our starting point on the river, my sister announced that she was feeling funny and asked my husband to pull over so she could get a snack. When he did, we realized we had left the picnic basket at home.
For a moment, we all panicked. We were miles from a store and nearly two hours from home. We spotted a house and knocked on the door. The woman who answered offered to make Maggie a sandwich. Our guide was with us, and Maggie drank the milk he he had bought to serve with afternoon tea.
The crisis was quickly averted, but that day I realized I had no idea what might have happened if we hadn't found food. It was time to confront that elephant in my living room.
I read a book about diabetes. Not only did the treatments start to make sense, but understanding how far knowledge and technology had advanced gave me hope. For years, my outdated fears had gotten in the way of an honest, ongoing dialogue with my sister.
Now I can ask my sister real questions about diabetes. She has welcomed the opportunity to explain not only what she does to take care of herself, but what having diabetes means in her life. I even went with her once to the ophthalmologist. I listed as she described her blurred vision, and he told her she would need laser treatment right away. She was frightened, and so was I. But I'd read about the success rate of these treatments and was optimistic. I told her so and gave her a hug.
These days, we're still geographically far apart, but emotionally,we're much closer. We're in this together. We both know its mostly up to her, but I'm here whenever she calls.
She's told diabetes doesn't feel like such a lonely illness anymore. That's true for me, too.
-Nowell King
(excerpt from Chicken Soup for the Soul living with Diabetes,2003)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Inside the ADA Forecast
This could be Miss America, circa 1959. As you can see, some parts of the fashion industry were much the same, aka the stick figures. The main difference is they wore more clothing back then so you couldn't see how thin they actually were...
From the inside 'blurb:
The attractive blond cover girl holding the 1958 diabetes week poster is Ann Horne. Although diabetic, Ann holds down a full time job as a New York fashion model. She taken insulin daily, watches her diet, and gets the right amount of exercise and rest-in spite of the rigorous demands of her job. Ann is living proof treat diabetes need not bar anyone from pursuing a chosen career.
I wonder what happened to Ann and all those other confident Forecast folks. I hope they lived a long and happy life,and are maybe even alive today. But I also wonder if maybe they weren't as bullet-proof as they presented.(fashion model-diabetic equals a very labile situation for any young women)
Because,honestly, what PWD does not have occasional(and sometimes, more then occasional) dietary splurges? Who doesn't get stressed and overworked and too busy to exercise? Who doesn't have severe low blood sugars? The people in Forecast all said they were in excellent control of their diabetes...which definatly wasn't true, even knowing what we know today(higher blood sugars, higher a1cs, etc.) I wasn't around back then, but I've read autobiographies of type 1's that were and admitting that you were anything less then perfect was just not acceptable. No one confessed to the Sundae-Mars Bar-a-thons, and no one really knew how to do it right. We have better tools today then they did back then. Most of them probably died from complications,a fact glossed over and ignored by the ADA editors of the day. Forecast gave PWD back then a tremendous moral boost, even if 1/2 of it was really not true. In 1964 a young relative of mine died, of DKA.(she hadn't been diagnosed yet so no one knew what it was) Much is still the same..DKA still kills.(10% mortality rate?) It's interesting reading the old Forecast magazines, they actually listed all the names of big-time donors(over $1!) weird sugar-free recipes,(well,that part hasn't changed from 50 years later) and "Dave's Diary" ( a guy that has juvenile diabetes and reports on all the events in his life, in this particular issue Dave tests his aunt's urine and finds she has diabetes,aunt shores her act up, loses weight and regains her health; he also goes on a picnic with his fiancee' Marge and has absolutely perfect control over his diabetes because he ate "just the right things") It really gives a glimpse into the strange diabetic world of the late 40's-60's. I have only found a few of these issues on Ebay, most from the 40's and 60's(this was my first one found in the 50's). Needless to say, they are rarer then hen's teeth and a complete lot of them probably doesn't exist though I'm trying my best to get them all. I had a bunch from the 80s-90s but I gave them to someone else, because they were 2 big boxes and threatening to take over what little room I had at the time. I just want the older ones now...from both a sentimental point and a financial point,a complete set would probably be worth some big bucks. I just got this issue,they only pop up on Ebay every few years. Because I haven't lived that long, nor know any older individuals who are spring-cleaning their magazine collections Ebay is the only place I've been able to find any.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Top Ten Free Apps for your Touch/Iphone
I've really missed blogging..oh have I missed it. I'd far rather blog then do 3/4 of the things I have to do, the end of April-May is a crazy time. Anyway,this is just a quick get-it-out-of-my-system post, finals will be over soon and the glorious summer stretches before me, waiting to be enjoyed.(I hope, assuming I don't get any more nasty bugs)
#1 Bargain-Bin. All the free and reduced priced apps go here, updated daily. It's more convenient then scrolling through massive amounts of apps in the regular store.
#2 Blowfish. This incredibly addicting game involves filling the screen with blowfish, until you either fill up 70% of the screen or the mines bump your fish and blow 'em up. (all Trippert Lab apps are free right now)
#3 WhichDay. This app will tell you the day of the week for any given date. You can even look up the day of the week that you were diagnosed, if so inclined...
#4 DrinksFree. Tells you how to make hundreds of alcoholic beverages, no need to know a bartender.
#5 FML. Really funny, it can be affirmation that you aren't the only person on the planet to have a disastrous life.(I'm not advocating swearing,but its sure to brighten up your day, put things in perspective.)
#6 Glucose Buddy. Free's free, this is a simple little app that if you've got the time to put it all in, must have its benefits but I'm too busy to play with it much, though sometimes I plug in a bg if I need quick access later on.
#7 The iPump Free Workout! Something I haven't done in several weeks. I still pump, just not that kind of pump...
#8 The Excuse Generator. Just in case you need one.
#9 BubbleWrap. Another app to play with if you're bored.
#10 iBaby BT. If you plug in the mothers and the fathers blood types, it will give you the approximate chances of the offspring's blood types and RH factors.A good FYI app.
#1 Bargain-Bin. All the free and reduced priced apps go here, updated daily. It's more convenient then scrolling through massive amounts of apps in the regular store.
#2 Blowfish. This incredibly addicting game involves filling the screen with blowfish, until you either fill up 70% of the screen or the mines bump your fish and blow 'em up. (all Trippert Lab apps are free right now)
#3 WhichDay. This app will tell you the day of the week for any given date. You can even look up the day of the week that you were diagnosed, if so inclined...
#4 DrinksFree. Tells you how to make hundreds of alcoholic beverages, no need to know a bartender.
#5 FML. Really funny, it can be affirmation that you aren't the only person on the planet to have a disastrous life.(I'm not advocating swearing,but its sure to brighten up your day, put things in perspective.)
#6 Glucose Buddy. Free's free, this is a simple little app that if you've got the time to put it all in, must have its benefits but I'm too busy to play with it much, though sometimes I plug in a bg if I need quick access later on.
#7 The iPump Free Workout! Something I haven't done in several weeks. I still pump, just not that kind of pump...
#8 The Excuse Generator. Just in case you need one.
#9 BubbleWrap. Another app to play with if you're bored.
#10 iBaby BT. If you plug in the mothers and the fathers blood types, it will give you the approximate chances of the offspring's blood types and RH factors.A good FYI app.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Have Pump, Will Travel
8 years, today.(pumpiversary, whoo hoo!)
And I'm traveling to another country this summer, for the first time ever.
England, for about a week.
And Denmark, for another week.
I'm marginally worried about having a serious hypo because I don't know a word of Danish but my hubby's relatives know quite a bit of English,and my hubby knows some Danish so that's really an unfounded fear. Besides, Danes are very intelligent, most speak several languages, of which English is certainly one of them. From a diabetes standpoint, I don't have much to worry about. It will be quite odd, being in another country where I can't understand anybody...unless they take pity on me and switch back to English. I'm trying to learn a few phrases, just because I really need to. My other concern, healthwise, is how I'm going to arrange to get a magnesium tank-up over there. Because going without, is not an option. Nor can I get a double dose prior to the trip, at the max I'm only good for 9 days between them and I start turning into a complete electrolyte mess and doing that in Denmark would be an unmitigated disaster bar none. They are both civilized countries but in the UK, someone is more likely to know what the heck is going on=better communication=solving in an orderly,efficient manner. We all speak English, after all. And making the timing of infusion such that it could be done on the "off" day,we're going through a tour group(while in the UK),and then on to Denmark.
If you think our system is a grand and glorious mess, try cross-country-ing it-I think there is no greater headache. I'm just a clueless American,not knowing as to how to go about this, so first step was to contact a London nephrologist who I'd heard about on a mailing list.
Emailed said London neph, he actually responded and said it was virtually impossible to have arranged via any sort of NHS facility unless it were an emergency.(aka person actively dying) Recommended a private facility.
Which begs the question...people who have to arrange for needed medical services, such as dialysis-how the heck do they pull it off, getting medical care in another country?
The answer came, in the form of another email reply...stating how X hospital would be happy to accommodate my need for haemodialysis (they took the "nephrology services" to mean I needed dialysis) and could I please fill out the 12 page medical report( prescription from physician, Certificate of MRSA/Virology Report medical clearance form,blahblahblah), sign, and MAIL it(faxes= a nono). That's what dialysis patients have to go through. I don't have the energy for that and I'm not on dialysis,I can see why they really wouldn't want to do much traveling(on top of feeling like crud)
Next step, was to the insurance company. That went surprisingly well,services out of country are covered just like in network(country) with the exception of having to shell out the entire cost up front and then be reimbursed. I really hope they don't charge like they charge in the States...a 4.5 hr session at the infusion center costs about $1,800. Of which, 80% is covered until you hit the deductible, then 100% is. Maybe I will have hit my deductible by then. Regardless, it will be expensive. It doesn't matter where you have it, you just have to find a doctor/facility willing to do it. Except the public (aka, what the masses go to because it is free or nearly so) hospitals don't want to do it unless you show up on death's doorstep, in their emergency room, having convulsions. Even if you could pay, apparently.
I still don't know as to whether any other type of physician(over there) came prescribe magnesium infusions, GP's (or endos) over here will not touch that issue with a ten foot pole and instantly refer you to a nephrologist or simply ignore the issue entirely. That is the situation I found myself in, in the middle of last year and I wish never to be in that boat again. You could have convulsions,funky arrhythmias,and collapse on the ground and they wouldn't care. It's a nephro thing and out of their scope of practice=not their problem. Maybe its not quite as stringent over in the UK, since they don't get sued by patients. So I asked him a few more questions regarding it, I hope he responds. While waiting on that,emailed most of the private London hospitals and most of them have responded with stony,dead-end silence(not knowing what to make of this American oddball). But money talks,and I don't see why it couldn't be arranged, why it even matters whether its NHS or private beats me. They get their money,(I get reimbursed) they're happy,all is well with the world. Unless the NHS is like some sort of Veterans Hospital,club members only,all others need not apply.
This is one time when handling diabetes will be the proverbial cakewalk...compared to the other medical issue. Regardless,I'm not going to let either one stand in my way of having a great time-I'm really looking forward to my time abroad!
And I'm traveling to another country this summer, for the first time ever.
England, for about a week.
And Denmark, for another week.
I'm marginally worried about having a serious hypo because I don't know a word of Danish but my hubby's relatives know quite a bit of English,and my hubby knows some Danish so that's really an unfounded fear. Besides, Danes are very intelligent, most speak several languages, of which English is certainly one of them. From a diabetes standpoint, I don't have much to worry about. It will be quite odd, being in another country where I can't understand anybody...unless they take pity on me and switch back to English. I'm trying to learn a few phrases, just because I really need to. My other concern, healthwise, is how I'm going to arrange to get a magnesium tank-up over there. Because going without, is not an option. Nor can I get a double dose prior to the trip, at the max I'm only good for 9 days between them and I start turning into a complete electrolyte mess and doing that in Denmark would be an unmitigated disaster bar none. They are both civilized countries but in the UK, someone is more likely to know what the heck is going on=better communication=solving in an orderly,efficient manner. We all speak English, after all. And making the timing of infusion such that it could be done on the "off" day,we're going through a tour group(while in the UK),and then on to Denmark.
If you think our system is a grand and glorious mess, try cross-country-ing it-I think there is no greater headache. I'm just a clueless American,not knowing as to how to go about this, so first step was to contact a London nephrologist who I'd heard about on a mailing list.
Emailed said London neph, he actually responded and said it was virtually impossible to have arranged via any sort of NHS facility unless it were an emergency.(aka person actively dying) Recommended a private facility.
Which begs the question...people who have to arrange for needed medical services, such as dialysis-how the heck do they pull it off, getting medical care in another country?
The answer came, in the form of another email reply...stating how X hospital would be happy to accommodate my need for haemodialysis (they took the "nephrology services" to mean I needed dialysis) and could I please fill out the 12 page medical report( prescription from physician, Certificate of MRSA/Virology Report medical clearance form,blahblahblah), sign, and MAIL it(faxes= a nono). That's what dialysis patients have to go through. I don't have the energy for that and I'm not on dialysis,I can see why they really wouldn't want to do much traveling(on top of feeling like crud)
Next step, was to the insurance company. That went surprisingly well,services out of country are covered just like in network(country) with the exception of having to shell out the entire cost up front and then be reimbursed. I really hope they don't charge like they charge in the States...a 4.5 hr session at the infusion center costs about $1,800. Of which, 80% is covered until you hit the deductible, then 100% is. Maybe I will have hit my deductible by then. Regardless, it will be expensive. It doesn't matter where you have it, you just have to find a doctor/facility willing to do it. Except the public (aka, what the masses go to because it is free or nearly so) hospitals don't want to do it unless you show up on death's doorstep, in their emergency room, having convulsions. Even if you could pay, apparently.
I still don't know as to whether any other type of physician(over there) came prescribe magnesium infusions, GP's (or endos) over here will not touch that issue with a ten foot pole and instantly refer you to a nephrologist or simply ignore the issue entirely. That is the situation I found myself in, in the middle of last year and I wish never to be in that boat again. You could have convulsions,funky arrhythmias,and collapse on the ground and they wouldn't care. It's a nephro thing and out of their scope of practice=not their problem. Maybe its not quite as stringent over in the UK, since they don't get sued by patients. So I asked him a few more questions regarding it, I hope he responds. While waiting on that,emailed most of the private London hospitals and most of them have responded with stony,dead-end silence(not knowing what to make of this American oddball). But money talks,and I don't see why it couldn't be arranged, why it even matters whether its NHS or private beats me. They get their money,(I get reimbursed) they're happy,all is well with the world. Unless the NHS is like some sort of Veterans Hospital,club members only,all others need not apply.
This is one time when handling diabetes will be the proverbial cakewalk...compared to the other medical issue. Regardless,I'm not going to let either one stand in my way of having a great time-I'm really looking forward to my time abroad!
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Square Root of Genius
Things have a tendency to level out, in the end.
Highs and lows, toward the perfect(or not so perfect) a1c.
The ingredients in a recipe, toward the sweet,salty,sour or bitter primary taste/sensation.
And it stands to perfect reason, that in a class of about 24 individuals, the only two type 1’s will end up at the same table, the same half of the same table, the same lab group of 4. They’ll have the same insulin pump, have gotten diabetes at the same age, but their the similarities come to grinding halt. Then the other two people in the lab group will drop the class so its only its only the type one’s. (I am a type 1 magnet,some people say they've gone their entire lives without meeting another one..I met my "first" about 4 days after diagnosis,in the ER room next to mine she heard that I was newly diagnosed and came in to offer her condolences/reassurances.Since then,I've probably known hundreds of D's,both type 1 and 2.)
Because there’s the smart(best grades in the class) one, with an a1c in the mid 6’s.
And there’s the doing-just-better-then-surviving one, with an a1c in the low 8’s.
Some people have an easier time with their diabetes, and are geniuses to boot. Somehow, I always tend to end up at the lab table where they stress endlessly over the 1 or 2 measly questions they got wrong on the exam(s). I am not that person; knowledge does not penetrate and soak into my gray matter very easily.(I cherish any and every good grade) So it works out ok, she supplies the right answers and I keep my mouth shut + try to learn something. And we average out perfectly, with the rest of the class. As it applies to diabetes,I am the veteran but this isn't a Diabetes 101 course.I know too much about too little.
Highs and lows, toward the perfect(or not so perfect) a1c.
The ingredients in a recipe, toward the sweet,salty,sour or bitter primary taste/sensation.
And it stands to perfect reason, that in a class of about 24 individuals, the only two type 1’s will end up at the same table, the same half of the same table, the same lab group of 4. They’ll have the same insulin pump, have gotten diabetes at the same age, but their the similarities come to grinding halt. Then the other two people in the lab group will drop the class so its only its only the type one’s. (I am a type 1 magnet,some people say they've gone their entire lives without meeting another one..I met my "first" about 4 days after diagnosis,in the ER room next to mine she heard that I was newly diagnosed and came in to offer her condolences/reassurances.Since then,I've probably known hundreds of D's,both type 1 and 2.)
Because there’s the smart(best grades in the class) one, with an a1c in the mid 6’s.
And there’s the doing-just-better-then-surviving one, with an a1c in the low 8’s.
Some people have an easier time with their diabetes, and are geniuses to boot. Somehow, I always tend to end up at the lab table where they stress endlessly over the 1 or 2 measly questions they got wrong on the exam(s). I am not that person; knowledge does not penetrate and soak into my gray matter very easily.(I cherish any and every good grade) So it works out ok, she supplies the right answers and I keep my mouth shut + try to learn something. And we average out perfectly, with the rest of the class. As it applies to diabetes,I am the veteran but this isn't a Diabetes 101 course.I know too much about too little.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Celebrating the Lowly Lipid
Give me steak, lots of steak, with the gooey stuff I love
Chol-es-ter-ol
If 200 is normal, I know mine is way above
Chol-es-ter-ol
Let me eat lots of milk,eggs, and hunks of cheese
I eat what I want, and what I want is grease
Load me up with bacon, pass the gravy please
Chol-es-ter-ol.
Just turn me loose, keep the skillet good and greasy
Honey, where's my Lipitor..
And if I eat all the steak that I shouldn't,
What the heck are these pills for?
Let me eat what I want till I'm stuffed or through
Do the bypass, do what you have to do
I want my steak, and I want to eat it too
Chol-es-ter-ol.
Oh, give me pepperoni pizza, french fries and two Big Macs
Chol-es-ter-ol
Let my arteries fill up, with many a roll of plaques
Chol-es-ter-ol
I won't eat nothin' lest its grilled or fried
My tastebuds rule, my hands are tied
My doctor had low cholesterol and then he died..
Chol-es-ter-ol...Chol-es-ter-ol...Chol-es-ter-ol...
-Glick and Philips, Volume 1(2005)
And speaking of bloodwork, mine has come back. TSH in range. Microalbumin clear. Magnesium inching up, for the first time in 5 months.
HDL-63
LDL- 77
Triglycerides: 43
Personally, I thought it was a report worthy of a A++, but my doctor thought otherwise. Scribbled "ok for now" on the report. I'm not sure if he expects all his D's to have an HDL in the 90's and non-existent triglycerides,(or just wanted to rain all over my parade) how much better can it be? Granted, the a1c=needs lots of work, but the rest of it is looking pretty great in my book. And for the record,I love cholesterol...and ridiculously saturated hydrogenated everything but I try not to eat much of it,it doesn't love my weight(or improve the action of insulin!)
Chol-es-ter-ol
If 200 is normal, I know mine is way above
Chol-es-ter-ol
Let me eat lots of milk,eggs, and hunks of cheese
I eat what I want, and what I want is grease
Load me up with bacon, pass the gravy please
Chol-es-ter-ol.
Just turn me loose, keep the skillet good and greasy
Honey, where's my Lipitor..
And if I eat all the steak that I shouldn't,
What the heck are these pills for?
Let me eat what I want till I'm stuffed or through
Do the bypass, do what you have to do
I want my steak, and I want to eat it too
Chol-es-ter-ol.
Oh, give me pepperoni pizza, french fries and two Big Macs
Chol-es-ter-ol
Let my arteries fill up, with many a roll of plaques
Chol-es-ter-ol
I won't eat nothin' lest its grilled or fried
My tastebuds rule, my hands are tied
My doctor had low cholesterol and then he died..
Chol-es-ter-ol...Chol-es-ter-ol...Chol-es-ter-ol...
-Glick and Philips, Volume 1(2005)
And speaking of bloodwork, mine has come back. TSH in range. Microalbumin clear. Magnesium inching up, for the first time in 5 months.
HDL-63
LDL- 77
Triglycerides: 43
Personally, I thought it was a report worthy of a A++, but my doctor thought otherwise. Scribbled "ok for now" on the report. I'm not sure if he expects all his D's to have an HDL in the 90's and non-existent triglycerides,(or just wanted to rain all over my parade) how much better can it be? Granted, the a1c=needs lots of work, but the rest of it is looking pretty great in my book. And for the record,I love cholesterol...and ridiculously saturated hydrogenated everything but I try not to eat much of it,it doesn't love my weight(or improve the action of insulin!)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
The Summer of Sixteen
Reading Kerri's post about LADA's, childhood onset, and all assorted in between made me think back to that summer of 1998(pre-diabetes). I have alot of prediagnosis memories,diet (anything)was a four letter word and something I never even considered following. I ate what I wanted,at regular meal times and in-between "snacks"wasn't something we did, if you were hungry you just tanked up at the meal.Rarely got sick,rarely went to a doctor, was pretty healthy. Chicken pox at 6(it was en vogue,we all had to go get infected and get it over with), Shingles at 14...and 2 years later my immune system kicked into high gear and the first insidious symptoms appeared. Thirst.Hunger. Moodyness. Ah, that moodyness, which my parents attributed to being a teenager, turned a sweet naive child into a raging hormonal, door-slamming maniac. I was ready for adulthood.(at least, in my mind) Adulthood=drivers lisence and piercings, so I took Drivers Ed and got the piercings.Ironically,the piercings were the only thing not to get infected(as I took good care of them). The summer progressed,along with the number of gray hairs on my parents head and my symptoms, which they could only see the outside forms of.I really don't think they understood how living with undiagnosed diabetes can make you act, nor would they still. It was an entire summer,fall,and beginning of winter before it would be diagnosed as diabetes.(May-December) That was the summer I started to grow up,people diagnosed younger must still have a partial responsibility but at that age you must take immeadiete ownership of it and not depend on your parents. My parents never gave me a shot, although they occasionally drew up doses/provided the carb counts at meals. It always felt like my disease, and not their responsibility. I am not saying that parents should not take care of their kids,but when the kid is almost an adult it needs to be the kid doing most/all of the management. So it is always prediabetes....and postdiabetes,a childhood that ended at 16. Before, when the functions of my body were not of mortal concern, and after, when everything had to be watched, monitored, and recorded. I was not the best teenager with diabetes(probably a fact of little surprise) but I survived,and now I think that when I got it,wasn't really such a bad time to get it. It is hard for parents to let go...and especially where diabetes is concerned. The best time to get it would probably be at age 86, when one has about 2 months remaining of life but rarely do things work out that way. Diabetes feels like a part of me but it doesn't feel like something that I've known forever because I haven't. I remember summer days with ice cream trucks and slurpees and winter sledding parties with hot cocoa/marshmallows galore/cookies/snacks with no carb counts/calories/dietary restrictions.I'm glad for those memories,not just for me but for my parents/those who know me because its harder on them sometimes then it is for the PWD. I still had to adjust to alot of things-food restriction was the biggest of them. For an adult with newly diagnosed diabetes,it must be very tough to change everything you've ever known.For a child, its really hard but it eventually becomes the norm.Thats why many older type 2's just don't get it...they are so used to their eating habits that changing them is unthinkable. As a teenager I fought food restriction tooth and nail but eventually came to terms with it(getting a pump really, REALLY helped). Now it is all so normal that if there were to be a cure for diabetes tomorrow,I think it would take decades of therapy to stop thinking like a PWD.(if there is a cure, the support group meetings will no doubt turn into that!)
Friday, April 03, 2009
Goodbye, ER
Parting is such sweet sorrow...you were the(at one time) best. At least the finale was a knock-your-socks off affair. I'll miss it, the newer shows just haven't withstood the test of time like this classic.(And now, it belongs to the ages)
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