Diabetes: Doin' it UK Style

Our second day's itinerary included a visit to Warwick Castle. Now armed with my camera,husband, and trusty bottle of Diet Coke, I hardly minded the 2 hour drive to get there. Our Scottish tour guide(whose name I don't remember) gave us some UK Road System 101 in the meantime.

Motorways- the "interstates" of England.

A Roads- other major roads.

B Roads- backroads, non-important. Coaches do not travel on B roads, it is too physically difficult to maneuver and impossible to get off, should you get stuck.

Motorways have a "M" in front of their respective number. Otherwise, you just have to guess whether its an A road or a B road. There are a heck of alot of roundabouts in England, to better manage the flow of traffic. No such thing as a stop sign. And it was all backwards, so you get off the motorway on the left, as well as merge to the right. Periodically, you'd see these areas where you could pull off to get gas, food, etc. Like a rest area but it didn't go off the highway system. I really liked that, because at least in my state you have to get off the interstate and go hunting a good 5-10 minutes for a restaurant, etc. Finally got to Warwick Castle.


Didn't have time to do much of anything..there was 1.5 hour time limit at each place. Every place was so big that you could spend the entire day there, so you had to just try to get some of the more interesting aspects of the site. But we did see a catapult, go through the state rooms(lots of regal stuff and portraits) and get some photographs of the drawbridge, etc. All of which were taken with hubby's instant camera, so I can't post the pics here but it was very interesting.

Warwick Castle website

A quick lunch...of salad,diet coke, and chips. Chips were kind of rough on the throat going down but I needed it for carb energy, had a lot of walking to do that day.

Then it was off to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Avon is just another Old English word for river-there are several river "Avons" in England.




Went through the visitor center..went through Shakespeare's birthplace.Shakespeare had an incredibly brief(51 years?) and tragic life. His only son died at 11(Hamnet),and shortly thereafter, Shakespeare decided to go to London(leaving behind wife and two daughters).Shakespeare stayed there until he retired,at about age 43. Moved back and died just 3 years later. Both his daughters married, but only one had a kid that got married, and later died without children. Hence ended the direct line of William Shakespeare. There was a garden,and a town full of souvenir shops begging to be explored. Discovered the UK equivalent of a "penny puncher" machine. I collect stamped pennies, so I thought that was pretty neat. In a regular penny stamper, you put in a penny and two quarters, select the design, and turn the handle to flatten the coin. In the UK version, you put in a pence and a pound.(coin) So it costs you about $1.61 to do it. I didn't have any pence so I tried a penny, since they are about the same size/thickness. It didn't work-jammed up the machine, much to my embarrassment. Had to find another machine.

And then we drove through the Cotswalds, which is a very rural, agricultural part of England. They grow alot of wheat,canola, strawberries, etc. there. It used be to be a very big sheep-raising area, sheep owners lived like kings and their were alot of castles, manors, etc. Drove by the birthplace of Winston Churchill(Blenheim Palace),didn't go in though. Saw alot of thatched roofs, which they cover with wire mesh to keep the bugs/birds out of it. Thatched roofs are very expensive to maintain-and the sad part is, even if you wanted to change your roofing you sometimes can't because its protected under some "historical preservation" laws. So every 10 years you have to shell out another $10,000 or so to get another roof.And they burn really,really easily..our tour guide pointed out one that had been rebuilt after the house burned to the ground. The insurance on those things must be horrendous too.

The town of Oxford:



Oxford was interesting..because Oxford University is not really an actual university, its just the governing body for the 39 collages that make it up.And all of those collages offer the same degrees,there's really no difference in them. It's really just one big fraternity/sorority deal, if your family has always gone to Collage X then you are going to apply to go to Collage X.(and hope you get in) Oxford was founded by some monks,(in the 12th century?) who were trying to provide a non-French alternative for schooling. Initially, the townspeople and the students did not get along well at all(at one point,there was a battle)..it was like any university town.(down through the ages-funny how that is) Students can be a pain in the gluteus maximus.

So we walked around the town, seeing a few of the collages and doing some more shopping.

In Oxford, we popped into a pharmacy because I wanted to see what kind of meters that use in the UK.(Only my long-suffering husband would put up with something like that..normal people do not go into foreign pharmacies unless they have to) Their "One Touch UltraEasy" is the exact same thing as the One Touch Mini. However, the number on that meter was 8.5 mmol...which converts to 153 mg/dl! which would never sell in the US. All our meter displays read somewhere in the neighborhood of 104 mg/dl, because we're all dedicated PWD who take control and never,ever,ever had evil readings that high. (yeah,right)



Back on the bus by 4:50, we drove back to London. The traffic was pretty horrific(Sunday night, all the weekenders were returning). Suddenly,a long sleek black Saudi Arabian(I assume) car streaked by our bus, jaunting me out of a doldrums reverie. It was one gorgeous car, no doubt owned by some rich oil tycoon. The lisence plate was in Arabic, and the steering wheel/driver was on the left-not something you see every day in England.

Our tour guide dropped us off near a Tube entrance. We'd arranged to meet Caro and her fiance Ian at 7(it was then 6:40). After 30 minutes of us getting nowhere,she called my iphone and eventually found us/took us to the restaurant.(Porters-they have great traditional English food) Otherwise, we would have never found it.(the street signs in London are incredibly obscure/non-existent)

That was so much fun-I don't remember what all we talked about, but I remember Spi-Belts,weddings and UK/US healthcare being part of it.(and I concur-SpiBelts are awesome!!) I couldn't go to London and NOT meet them,it was just as important as all the other things on my to-do list.It felt like a little bit of familiarity, to meet up with another blogger. We wish you guys much happiness together!

Here's proof:


And amazingly, I was only 200 after the (lots of carbs) meal,and 123 by the next morning. Sometimes things actually work out.(all the walking I did that day definatly helped)

Across the Atlantic Soup(part 1)

"Passport, please," the immigration officer requested.

Finally! The journey of 5,500 miles(give or take-having to fly all the way to Detroit first) ended here, at London Heathrow, at the end of another really, really, really long line in a facility that either didn't have air conditioning or all their units are broken. And then again-it rarely gets hot in London, so why bother? The US line was 2 miles long..while the UK/European Union passport holders zipped on by. As luck would have it, the honeymooning couple who must have hated our guts because we refused to give up our seats on the 7.5 hour flight over had been stuck in front of us for the past hour. Just in case both of us were trying to forget it ever happened. Yeah, those were our seats and really, they should thought of that prior to the flight but I still felt marginally guilty that they couldn't sit together. I'd gotten a couple of hours of shut-eye on the plane but excitement kept me running. As per docs orders, no diet coke yet.

After getting through security and picking up our bags we wandered out to the main area where our driver picked us up and took us out to the "Car Park", loaded us up, and drove us to our hotel. It looked like London, it felt like London, it smelled like London..it must have been London. Humongous old buildings, smoke stacks, driving on the left side of the road...it keeps one enthralled with the utter novelty of it all. It was a 45 minute ride to our hotel, the City Inn Westminster. We get there, attempt to check in-room isn't ready yet, go eat breakfast (it was at this point that I discovered the joys of trying to read a UK cereal box-6 languages and yet STILL no clear carb count, they just list the total weight of the food in grams so I just gave up and SWAGGED everything) and tried again. Eventually we got checked in and and went off to the first day's itinerary with a tour group. St. Paul's Cathedral:



And the Tower of London:



And saw the Crown Jewels, that was a 20 minute wait. Of course, no photography WAS allowed inside the buildings.(and I was too tired to take pics that day) I had difficulty believing they are the actual jewels and not replications, like any Joe Blow can waltz in and see them with very little security. They have a person in each room-but for the most valued artifacts in English history,that deserves a 20 person detail, at least. I guess I've watched Pink Panther too many times.

Our tour guide, a very bright and peppy individual by the name of "Sandra", was funny as all get out and kept us all suitably entertained by the wild and whacky stories of past tour groups. Like the time their coach(aka bus) broke down in the Cotswalds,2 hours from civilization(and a replacement bus). But by 4:30 pm, nothing in the world (not even exciting stories about Ravens) could keep me awake any longer, I was totally bushed(and staggering around like I was drunk). We skipped the Tower Gift Shoppe(bad,bad tourists) and Thames cruise and went back to the hotel to get some shut-eye. Our wonderful tour guide dropped us off within sight of the hotel, which is good because we were still really clueless about how to get around London. Upon getting back to the room, we discovered that
our mini-fridge still felt more like a sauna then the a coolant device and the "engineer" couldn't come out to look at it until Monday because it is a weekend. Whatever.(this hotel was rapidly approaching the list of places to avoid staying at on future visits) I was certainly not putting my insulin in there,I could not afford to waste any more insulin(2 vials frozen at the FFL hotel's fridge last month, 1 vial baked in my car), I had two vials remaining and nothing must happen to them(must last another month) till I could get home and order more. The room was fairly cool though, so I just left them out. Bg was drifting down, so I ate something and proceed to pass out. Woke up 45 minutes later, still around 100 and going down. In my state of brain deadness, I thought it was a good idea to disconnect for an hour or so and reconnect when we ate supper. Well, 11 hours later I awoke with a 365 and all the wonderful feelings that go along with that(but was surprised it wasn't worse!) Corrected, drunk water, and craved Diet Coke with a passion. Ate breakfast(heavy on the protein, light on the carbs!) and our tour bus picked us up and took us to the bus station where I immediately blew a cool 1.60 pounds(that's $2.60 USD, in case you were wondering) for a 500 ml bottle of Diet Coke. Which is not as big as a US bottle, and twice as expensive. But man, was it worth it.(having not had any in 18 days)It was like liquid Heaven.

small copper coin=pence
gold, thick coin=pound
large, octangular coin=50 pence
small grey (dime-ish looking) coin= 5 pence
Large, circular coin=ten pence
Other octangular coin=20 pence

I didn't see any 2 pence coins. There are no pound notes in the UK, so when you flash a five or ten note be assured you will be getting quite a few POUND coins in change. And yeah, I'd say they weigh about a pound each. It took awhile for this concept to truly sink in, and my change pouch subsequently acquired quite a bit in change because I had a fear of looking like an idiot American tourist who couldn't give proper change and giving a large note is much safer. I semi-got over that fear as I became more comfortable with the coinage.

Visited a currency exchange booth, got lots of 20 pound notes.

(More to come....)

A Cartoon a Day

just because I think they're funny...
(from the Diabetes Health website)




(having lived on plane food 2 out of the past 14 days I can really identify with that one!)

Go check them out!

And if you haven't yet got in on the Chocolate Relief Act, go score yourself some free chocolate.(every Friday, from 9AM-6PM EST)

Marcus and the Post-Tonsillectomy Hamburger

"What kind of pain will it be-sharp,searing,dull ache,pulsating,or burning?"

"All of the above," my surgeon asserts, snapping the chart shut with a sense of finality. "It will be the worst sore throat of your life."

"Great.Might as well get it over with, then."

It's the morning of July 16,and my pre-op blood sugar is hanging out at 189. I have bolused, but the stress is already doing a number on my blood sugar. All in all though,it is isn't 50 and it isn't 300 so I'm not too upset about it.


Anesthesiologist stops by. OR nurse comes in,and my pump reminds me that the battery is about to die. (whoops, forgot to change it last night) Since its alkaline, and I don't think they'd appreciate it going off and emitting the Shriek of Death in the middle of the operation(the shriek of death does not stop unless you change the battery,which they wouldn't know to do), I ask the OR nurse if they have any spare AA batteries. He finds me one. I work on repriming and reloading it,as the anesthesiologist looks mildly annoyed that I'm not to ready to go in right that very minute.(I'm sorry, but it does take a few minutes) It's annoying how a doc can take an extra 30 minutes,but if the patient does that they're wasting the doc's time. The second I'm done,its off to the OR, I bolus another correction for the steroids they're going to pump into me and drift away.

The first thing I'm aware of, post-surgery is that my surgeon was absolutely telling the truth-the pain is all of the above. There is a Redwood growing in my throat,and grunting hurts, much less trying to talk. The second thing I'm aware of,is if I try to lie down flat my throat blocks up and I can't breathe at all.Small sips of water help this,but upset the stomach and make me retch, worrying the post-op nurse that I'm going to start bleeding again. Husband gets lost trying to find the place and takes several hours to pick me up. Get home. Take monster doses of every drug they have given me,doze off(on side,still impossible to breathe lying on back) My mom has come up to help out for a few days.Night #1, no sleep, despite the painkillers. Get a fever. Drink Gatorade,eat Popsicles, take meds,put in eardrops, rinse repeat. By Sunday though, the fever has let up and presumably I shall survive so my Mom leaves. Blood sugars are actually pretty good when you don't want to eat anything, except treating even mild lows SUCK because even swallowing liquid sends shooting pains all the way down your throat and up to your ears. Most people do not even feel like eating ice cream,its too darn thick.

Monday night, I decide to fix some scrambled eggs. Drank some Gatorade after that, and went to irrigate my throat. It was red, so I continue irrigating to get the gator aide completely out and the clumps of blood kept coming. After 20 or so minutes of that,(it was about 9 pm at that point) I was afraid I'd injured something and I was going to bleed to death and going to the ER was the best course of action given talking was extremely difficult and that's ultimately what the on-call doctor would say anyway. I was freaked out. Needless to say, when we got to the ER their definition of emergency was different from my own so it was another couple of hours till I saw a real doctor. Still bleeding. The doc said they didn't have the facilities to re cauterize,and called up the on call ENT doc and since I wasn't gushing great quantities of blood I'd probably be fine till morning. Discharged. Next morning,back in the ENT office, the doc took a look at my throat and decided to recauterize it. Hadn't eaten/drunken anything that morning, other then the pain meds so it was back to the OR. When I woke up,the pain was not very different from what I'd been feeling all along so it wasn't some huge shock. More recovery. I dreamed about eating BK hamburgers, because the surgeon's name was Dr. Hamburger.(that was a really weird twist to the experience) Have not had any bleeding since then,it scared the stuffing out of me that I would bleed to death right there.

Two weeks out, saw my surgeon again today and he says it's healing well. With each day that passes, less risk of bleeding again, but still cannot drink Diet Coke or take Advil for (other) pains till at least Sunday. I can semi-talk now,(short paragraphs) before it starts hurting again and it doesn't hurt near as much.(I still prefer to talk Chewbaccan though,but no one else can understand me when I do that) Can eat soup, soft pasta/foods,and ice cream without invoking a horrible backlash. I don't know how people can immediately eat ice cream after a tonsillectomy,I couldn't for a long time. The only foods that actually felt pleasurable were Popsicles and Beef broth. YTMV. The Redwood is now a Maple,and I think I am over the worst of it now. I now believe that it should be mandatory for every kid to get their tonsils taken out, because it is very much worse as an adult. I never even knew a throat could feel like that.

Type 1, Live! on Fear Factor

I just had to do it.

Mainly, because there was a singular lack of sane people around to talk me out of it. Everyone else was at Disney, or the FFL hotel. It was just me, so I had made up my mind to do whatever I wanted to do.

The late afternoon rain fell in sheets, turning the semi-backed Orlando sod into a lake, once again.

"Lisence, please," the girl at the stand requests.

I whip out my lisence, stand on the scales.At 5"2, I barely qualify heightwise(5" to 6"2) and at X lbs, lets just say I am at the lower end of the weight requirements.

"Come on over here."

We stand around, filling out forms. The questions are invasive, personal,not for the faint of heart.

Do you have a fear of crowds?
Do you have a fear of embarressing yourself in front of 2000 people?
Do you have any medical condition that might be aggravated by excessive jerking, etc?
Do you have asthma?
Are you pregnant?
Do you relinquesh rights to sue Universal Studios should you be injured/maimed/killed?
Do you have any issues with seeing your body in Spandex?(unforseen pscyhological effects)
Etc....

And then, mini boot camp. We all do jumping jacks for five minutes, stretches for another five.(although it felt like alot longer)Apparently, the purpose of this pointless exercise was to weed out the seriously unfit among us.(of which I am one but it actually didn't weed me out)

Further selection down to ten people. We all crowd around a small tv screen to view what we'd be getting into. Due to PC and all that jazz, they've got to take one girl, and I am more then happy to be that girl.

Me. Five big, hunky guys. Yeah, I won't be winning but I figure its the showing up and trying that counts.

It's a weird feeling as we all march back to the trailer and are met by a friendly assisstant and EMT "Joe". Three of us on one bench, three to the other. We're handed another form, more legal stuff absolving Universal Studios of any blame whatsoever should we die or win a prize BTW where should we send the body/prize? Such a comforting thought. More invasive medical questions, this one asks if I have uncontrolled diabetes. I slightly pause on that one,wondering what exactly their definition of "uncontrolled" is, but I figure they just want to know if I will pass out on stage. Which is what the general public defines "control" as, how frequently one passes out(not what their a1c is,etc.) And I won't be doing that, so I check "no". EMT Joe gives us all dour looks before rattling off things that may possibly happen to us, based on contestants past experiences. Oh boy,scary stuff. Very glad my bp and pulse aren't being recorded for this. Each of us goes back to do a quick camera shot- "Hi, I'm Heidi, and I'm going to win Fear Factor because blahblahblah!"
The assistant hands us each a container of clothes and tells us to go change. So off I go to the women's changing room.

Spandex top
Spandex shorts
Waterpark shoes
Depend type, disposable underwear.Ewww.

As well as removing insulin pump, CGM, all rings,jewerly, green FFL wristband/medical ID. You don't get any of that, nothin must impede the performing of daredevil stunts.I do leave my set/sensor in,I don't figure that matters so much. Because the show takes about an hour, I check my blood sugar(298), give a correction(on the conservative side of things, I don't want to be going low in front of 500+ people) and waddle out to the main area where its jumpsuit fitting time. A crew member helps me into my jumpsuit, and if there were any previous doubts in my mind as to whether or not I was able to breathe, now there are none. It's hot as blazes, and everything is very, very tight. But on the plus side I don't look half bad in Spandex so I'm not worried about the public mortification factor. The producer comes in, runs us all through the first scene. We all go back out to the back of the stage, climb four flights of stairs. Stage crew helps us put goggles on, tighten jumpsuits even more. I ask if it possibly has to be that tight and the stage dude just says "Yes". I'm of a differant opinion,but I don't want to become a pancake should the thing fail so I don't say anything.

Lights, camera, action!

75 feet up. I walk onto the platform, grip bar.

"Pssst, Heidi!"

I turn around. "What?"(its so noisy I can barely hear him)

"Stop bending your knees, it's not time for that yet."

(I think the stage guy is regretting his assignment)

It's hot. My hands sweat profusely, and wiping them on my shorts every five seconds fails to dry them off. And I'm nervous-will it hurt/jerk when I do fall down? Things look so much scarier up here.

3..2...1...

The platform vibrates under my feet. I bend my knees again, and attempt to death-grip said yellow bar. The platform dissapeirs. I look out over the audience, briefly, wondering if there are any other D's in attendance that day. The bar I'm hanging from slopes down, so that's even easier to lose your grip as the sweat from your palms easily slides them off.

Later, the water starts. A fine mist is sprayed at the bars, to make them even wetter and a few seconds after that begins, I'm falling falling falling towards the stage. There is no humongous jolt(much to my surprise),just like that,I'm on the ground. Everyone else falls down, and another contestant and I take the "Walk of Shame."

"So what happened out there?"

"I think I just need to go back to the gym and work on my pullups-I'll be back someday and win this!"

"I like your attitude!" (even if ain't ever gonna happen)

So other contestant and I go back to the changing rooms and wait for the show to totally end before we're released.

This clip is actually from the same day,2 shows prior(it made me decide to apply to go on FF,I was in the audience-took a video clips myself but they didn't turn out):(thankfully, I didn't have to eat any disgusting things which is what I really needed to know before I applied)


All in all, it was pretty neat, kind of like minature skydiving. I might concievable skydive one day, if it is like that. Didn't expect to win, did it for the experience. The first place prize was 4 Universal Studio tickets, 2nd place was 2. And someone in the audience gave me a thumbs up for my attempts.(I had a fan, whoo hoo!) It's kind of neat to be able to do something, even though you have diabetes,it shouldn't hold you back from doing whatever you want to do. Kept expecting the diabetes police to show up and tell me I couldn't do it,had to keep reminding myself that short of them inspecting every square inch of my body, no one knew I had diabetes and it was really none of their business as long as nothing happened.

10 More Awesome Iphone/Touch Apps

I really have to get caught up with the zillion and one things that have happened this month. Vacations. Birthdays. Thousands of people with type 1 diabetes(and family members) coming together. Individuals in tightly clad spandex,doing dare devil stunts. Life and sometimes-not-so-certain moments in the OR. And I'd kind of like to do it before jetting off into the wild blue European yonder(this weekend).

So this is my start.

#1. The Weather Channel. Yeah, it sounds insanely boring, but its pretty nifty to be checking out the immediate/future forcast when you don't have a tv/radio around. Cost: FREE.

#2 Password Shaker. Random password generator, to keep things interesting and un-guessable. You can store the info in the app, so you don't forget them.
Cost: FREE.

#3 Camera Zoom. Takes the standard camera option to a whole new level, you can zoom in and out while taking pictures. Very cool, I really love this app! Cost: .99

#4 Speed Bones Lite.Fun game, that helps you learn the major bones of the body. I will be getting the real version/other anatomical apps to help me with the upcoming anatomy course this fall. Cost: FREE

#5 Battery Status. Tells you how much talk time/internet/audio remaining before your iphone/itouch totally poops out. Cost: FREE

#6 MyConvert. Does almost everything, no mmol/mg/dl converter but hopefully in a future version. Cost: FREE

#7 Drivers Ed. Unseful for the newbie teen or for the older adult brushing up on general knowledge. Cost:FREE

#8 IAreaCodes. Tells you where that US call is coming from, as well as including international calling codes. Cost: FREE

#9 Time Zone Converter. At .99, this is your cheapest option(no freebies) to check on the times around the world from where you are.(if you're not near a computer) Will come in handy, should I decide to call anyone from Europe.

#10 Waterslide. A fun, summer-ish app. Cost: FREE

The Worst Job at Disney

...is not, contrary to popular belief, being the ride operator of the Disney attraction "It's a Small World." If you've ever been on that ride, you know just how horrible that song is.(especially having to hear it all day,every day)

It was the final day of vacation, and time to bid Adios to the Coronado Springs Resort/remaining Friends for Life conventioneers. I was up at 7 am, to complete the arduous two-hour packing process.(otherwise, it was have taken twice that, unpacking) Humongous green duffel bag=stuffed. Humongous suitcase=equally stuffed. That is why I fly Southwest, they are cheaper then cheap but at least there are no checked bag fees. Rather then stay up till post-midnight doing all that, I chose to wake up early. So after packing up,eating a quick breakfast, and calling the Magical Express to update my pickup time my roommate and had all our junk transported to the Coronado storage room.(she also checked in some bags,which I couldn't do, as SW is not on the preferred list) Went to the business center to print out my boarding pass. As I'm sitting there, trying to make method from the madness, my Dexcom starts shrieking at me. Being post-meal,of course I ignore it. Five minutes later,I start to feel low and whaddya know, that was actually a low alarm. I pay the $1 fee and stumble out of the room, in the general direction of the drink machines, until my room mate points out that I'm missing my mug(free refills) so I go back and get that from the business center and take off in a hypoglycemic hurry for the food court. A full mug of Orange soft-drink later, I'm good to go.(refill with diet) Get on bus for Downtown Disney. The only people on the bus are T.O.P.S. (Take off Pounds Sensibly) Conventioneers. Several of them have diabetes, and one actually has a pump. When they hear we have diabetes, we are presented with honorary Tinker Bell bottle caps/magnets. That was really sweet of them.
At Disney, employees tend to be a little more talkative then at your run-of-the-mill theme park and you're expected to remain pleasant for the constant barrage of the following comments.

"Have a Magical Day!"
"Where are you from?"
"Are you having a wonderful time?"
"Is this your first time at Disney?"
"Have a Magical Day!"
(rinse, repeat)

I was sufficiently upset from the previous day's Disney Police encounter to not be having a Magical Day. Not that I wasn't having a good time, it's just that I was upset at Disney/Ebay seller who ripped me off/etc.

Wander through Downtown Disney, eventually making it to the big store where room-mate decidedes to go in and I head off to McDonalds,being 122 mg/dl and hungry as a horse. She isn't so hungry, being in the 300's. After lunch, I head to the Lego store to find some Star Wars characters as a souvenear for my husband. I entered the store, where you can fill a large cup for $12.95(various bricks,etc.) I get a cup and commence to filling it, trying to avoid tripping over the zillion little kids everywhere. There is an employee there, patiently picking up and restocking EVERY little Lego piece as it falls on the floor. No small task, the floor is constantly being littered with hundreds more Legos as screaming little kids digging into the containers fling Legos left and right, all over Creation. To add to the mess, I accidentally dump my diet Coke and transform the Legos into a sea of wet, sticky Legos. Employee comes over and wipes it up with paper towels.
She deserves a medal-that has to be the worst job at Disney. I sure couldn't that, day in and day out. I thank her, and pay for my purchases. Head over to the Big Store(aka The Wonderful World of Disney) and wander around looking for my room mate for 30 minutes. Do alot of shopping, run into some more FFL people(I swear we're all magnetic), head back to hotel, rescue stuff from storage. Room mate leaves on 3:45 bus, I leave at 4:15, get to airport, do curb-side check-in(which is good because I could not physically budge that humongous duffel) Browse shops, go through security, go to S'barro for a slice of pizza. As I'm paying for my pizza, an employee knocks a container of red marinara sauce off the counter. It goes flying through the air, hits the floor, and splatters all over my left tennis shoe.I was not able to get it all out, so I'll have to wash it. Accidents happen,I wasn't mad, but it would have been nice if they would have given my a discount for that. Ate supper, boarded plane, and it was uneventful from there.

10 Rules of D-Etiquette

1. DON'T offer unsolicted advice about my eating or other aspects of my diabetes.
2. DO realize and appreciate that diabetes is hard work.
3.DON'T tell me horror stories about your grandmothers or other people's diabetes.
4.DO offer to join me in making healthy lifestle changes.
5.DON'T look so horrified when I
check my blood sugars or give myself an injection.
6. Do ask how you might be helpful.
7.DON'T offer thoughtless reassurances.
8.Do be supportive of by efforts for self-care.
9.DON'T peek at or comment on my by numbers without asking me first.
10. Do offer your love and encouragement.
-Sent from the IPhone

Red Light, Green Light

Stop.


Stop right there.


Stop, and immerse yourself in the sights,smells,and sensory experiences of summer. Because it now IS summer, despite a frigid May, and a extremely dubious June. I'm sure you were wondering if was ever going to get here. The thermometer confirms it to be true.(80+degrees,finally)

----

Go.

Go drink diet coke by the case, I will be. Especially since I'll be going cold turkey
(not by choice!) for two weeks.(following tonsillectomy) That will be hard,if I don't get caffeine in some form I will turn into THAT person,the one you would pay good money not to ever have contact with. I have alot of sympathy for people who cannot quit smoking because I am just as addicted to my caffeinated diet coke.

Go Live Long, and may all(or most) your blood sugars be under 140 mg/dl(or whatever range you consider good) this holiday weekend!


(and I'm going to California and Florida,so next post will be in a couple of weeks)

Casey Jones

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)

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?

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.

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.

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..

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)

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!)

A New Twist on "Edelweiss"

And in case you haven't heard, a grand-kid on the way.America loves the Duggars!