Diabetes Art – not really…

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget
how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

There are no art supplies in this house.
I don’t write poetry or stories – wish I could.
Can’t sing and you don’t want to listen to me.
Ummm…, a reality show of me would be a tad boring.

So – I went with a favorite quote.

Thank you for making me feel pretty darn good!

Click for the Diabetes Art – Saturday 5/18 Link List
This year Diabetes Art moves up from the Wildcard choices as we all channel our creativity with art in the broadest sense. Do some “traditional” art like drawing, painting, collage or any other craft you enjoy. Or look to the literary arts and perhaps write a d-poem or share and discuss a favorite quote. Groove to some musical arts by sharing a song that inspires you diabetes-wise, reworking some song lyrics with a d-twist, or even writing your own song. Don’t forget dramatic arts too, perhaps you can create a diabetes reality show or play. These are just a starting point today – there are no right or wrong ways to get creative!

Freaky Friday

Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances  with other medical conditions? (Thanks to Jane of Jane K. Dickinson, RN, PhD, CDE and Bob of T Minus Two for this topic suggestion.)

 

I’ve been dreading this post. Who am I to think I have it any worse (or better) than someone else’s crummy disease? So, no swapping for me!

Yesterday morning (Thursday) I Googled “Chronic Disease.” It’s not a really long list. And I don’t know a whole lot about many of them, other than Diabetes. Which is not surprising, since I didn’t know a whole lot about Diabetes before I got it.

I have four on this list. My other 3 are hypothyroidism, hyperlipidaemia and hypertension. I’ve had the thyroid issue since I was 18. I didn’t have high blood pressure or cholesterol issues until I was diagnosed with Type 1 (LADA) Diabetes. Hmmm…

Here’s the list I found. There are several sites but, this is one list.

A list of chronic diseases
All medical schemes are required to provide cover for the ‘diagnosis, medical management and medication’ of the following conditions.

• Asthma, Bipolar mood disease, Brochiectasis, Cardiac failure, Cardiomyopathy, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Chronic kidney disease, Coronary artery disease, Crohn’s disease, Diabetes insipidus   Huh? What’s this? Mayo Clinic Link, Diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2), Dysrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), Epilepsy, Glaucoma, Haemophilia, HIV, Hyperlipidaemia (high cholesterol), Hypertension (high blood pressure), Hypothyroidism (inactive thyroid gland), Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, Schizophrenia, Systemic lupus erythematosis, Ulcerative colitis

As a former Special Ed teacher and having spent a summer as a camp counselor at Camp Easter Seal in Virginia, I think I’ve always tried to be more sympathetic to other’s diseases and/or medical conditions. One of my campers at Camp Easter Seal was a young woman with a brain injury, my age. As I merrily pushed her wheel chair down to our cabin, with her mom alongside; we got to the door and you know what? I couldn’t push the damn wheelchair over the door jamb. Mom was polite and patient as she taught me how to get a wheelchair over the bump. (Just think – she was trusting her daughter with me for two weeks – she had more confidence than I would have…) The young woman and I had a great two weeks together and in September, I was back in college. That’s where I found someone who had known my camper – a popular senior in her high school who was hit by a drunk driver… Yup, sucks…

What I like best about our DOC is that everyone accepts you/me for who we are. I probably wouldn’t know a thing about gastroparesis (what’s amazing is I spelled that correctly) or celiac or insulin allergies or vision problems or skin problems, or etc…, etc…, etc… if I hadn’t joined the d-people.

And even more importantly,
I will never, ever judge a person for their disease or condition.

Click for the Freaky Friday – Friday 5/17 Link List

Accomplishments Big and Small

We don’t always realize it, but each one of us has come a long way since diabetes first came into our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 5 weeks, 5 years or 50 years, you’ve done something outstanding diabetes-wise. So today let’s share the greatest accomplishment you’ve made in terms of dealing with your (or your loved one’s) diabetes.  No accomplishment is too big or too small – think about self-acceptance, something you’ve mastered (pump / exercise / diet / etc.), making a tough care decision (finding a new endo or support group / choosing to use or not use a technology / etc.). (Thanks to Hilary of Rainie and Me for this topic suggestion.)

 It’s been just over 8 years since my diagnosis. I’ll probably never get a 50 year medal from Joslin. But that’s okay…

I’ve written about this before, but – it still makes me smile.

I’m very, very open about having Type 1 (LADA) Diabetes. I’m very, very rude  outspoken when someone sillily (yeah, I made that word up…) says, “Oh, can you eat that?” Because I’m such a big mouth, one day an older parishioner showed up at my office. She said, “They said you could help me.” I told her I’d try.

The she pulled out a meter and a package of strips, and told me she’d just been diagnosed with Diabetes. I asked her what type. She didn’t know. After some discussion, I was pretty sure it was Type 2 (reminder, I am NOT a physician).

Turned out, she was very confused as to how to use the meter. Someone at the doctor’s office had shown her but when she got home, she was clueless.

We sat in my office and practiced until she got it. Biggest issue was which end of the strip got the blood and which end went into the meter. Damn strips were individually wrapped. I told her to call the doctor and get rid of those. At that time, she was in her late 80′s. Had some shakiness in her hands. It really was difficult for her. So we practiced. (We didn’t use blood so she could save her strips.)

Each summer when she returns to New Hampshire she stops by to let me know how she’s doing. And she’s doing great! She turned 90 last summer. She walks every day, has lost weight, looks good and she’s very proud of herself. I’m proud of her!

All because of my big mouth.

Still makes me smile…

Read about more Accomplishments in the DOC!

Memories

Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere…. your or your loved one’s diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that  you’d like to share. (Thanks to Jasmine of Silver-Lined  for this topic suggestion.)

 

This memory is kind of funny. I was still somewhat new to blogging and was impressed by the number of d-bloggers who got up in the morning, wrote a blog and then posted it. All these posts showed up, right around 7 or 8am. They were amazing.

I didn’t know you could schedule a post to post later…

Other memories:
D-bloggers’ sincere sympathy notes when my dad died.
D-bloggers’ encouragement when I began using Insulin.
D-bloggers’ continued encouragement when I began pumping.
D-bloggers’ in KC meeting me for dinner at two of our KC trips.
D-bloggers’ meeting us in San Francisco for dinner!
Meeting one of my very favorite D-Moms, Shannon.

Back to my first aha! – scheduling a post. I wrote the first 3 d-blog week posts over the weekend. I thought I was pretty smart. Now, it’s Tuesday night. This one is ready to go in the morning. Have I even started the rest? Nope!

Be sure to read some others! Memories

We, The Undersigned

Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so today let’s pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) – get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change? (Thanks to Briley of inDpendence for this topic suggestion.)

 

To: The Brilliant Scientist People of the World

We the undersigned would like you to find a cure for Diabetes, all types of Diabetes.
And, as long as you’re being brilliant, can you cure everything else, too?

To read others, check out:
Petition Day

Share and Don’t Share

Often our health care team only sees us for about 15 minutes several times a year, and they might not have a sense of what our lives are really like.  Today, let’s pretend our medical team is reading our blogs.  What do you wish they could see about your and/or your loved one’s daily life with diabetes?  On the other hand, what do you hope they don’t see?  (Thanks to Melissa Lee of Sweetly Voiced for this topic suggestion.)

 

I think I’m lucky. I truly believe that both my PCP and Endo (#4) truly make an effort to know what my life is like. They ask good questions and they listen to me.

I wish they could see the value of the DOC. My daily life would be the absolute pits without everyone who blogs about diabetes.

I wish they could see the hope and the affirmation I get from being part of this wonderful group of d-people. And even more importantly, I wish they’d be inspired to advise other patients to read and get involved.

I wrote to a newspaper columnist – about D

It is a first – oh, I’m wrong it’s my second time but…
(First time was back in high school, a long time ago…)

I wrote to a newspaper!

For many years I’ve read the column, The New Old Age, in The New York Times. It was a tremendous help to me when my dad was hospitalized and then lived in a nursing home. I learned lots and I believe it helped me to be a better caretaker and a better advocate for my dad those four years.

Last week I read this:
Diabetes Advice for the Elderly: Relax

It’s good but – Type 2 is only mentioned once, although it’s obvious that it’s about Type 2 if you know anything about the types of Diabetes. (And as we know, there are a lot of people who don’t know much.)

Now – I’m not signing any petitions. Like many of you, I think our goal has to be to teach people that the causes and treatments for the several “types” of diabetes can be very different.

So I sent an email to the writer, noting that as a Type 1 Diabetic, I can’t relax and just skip my medication, insulin. I said that although I understood that the column was a discussion of Type 2 Diabetes, that people reading it often wonder why I and others can’t do the same.

Her reply was pretty nice.
Good point.  This came up the last time I wrote about tight glycemic control, so I thought that by putting T2 right up top, in that italicized section, I would make the distinction.  But perhaps I needed to repeat that or make it more explicit; I will next time.
Meanwhile, let me encourage you to put a comment on the website (anonymously if you prefer) pointing out that this applies to those with Type 2, but people who’ve coped with Type 1 most of their lives are in a different situation.  It might be useful to other readers.
Thanks for getting in touch,
Paula Span
New Old Age

My dad always taught me that “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

I especially respect her for writing, “I will next time.”

Look what you guys have done to me!!!

PS – Happy Snowy Day to the Kansas City DOC!

Spammy

I don’t get a LOT of spam – but I do get some…

Some of today’s – - -

Usually I do not learn article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice article.

Useful information shared..Iam very happy to read this article..thanks for giving us nice info.Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post.

An impressive share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more details? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this blog post!

Somehow, I don’t think they’re going to be my newest blog friends…

Hey Karen – I need some blog ideas! Is it D-Blog Week yet?

My Smart Endo

Last week’s endo appointment was quite nice. I’m beginning to feel like she’s a friend, you know the kind – the one that stands in the yard chatting with you and you just know they’re listening, really listening to you.

The facts – A1c was .3 up and I’m good with that, and so is she. All my labs show that I’m normal and she just kept smiling. Expressed awe at cholesterol numbers and was happy to see that thyroid and other tests all check out ok.

My issue was my bouncy numbers. I spike high after breakfast (8-10 carbs, normally) and don’t really come back down (all the way) before lunch. Then I spike high after lunch but by 4 to 5 o’clock, Dexcom is screaming at me because I’m low.

So we both stared at my Diasend printout of my Ping pump’s bgs/doses/carbs. (Oh – she threw out all my numbers from 10 days in California!) And she’s circling numbers and pointing out trends (which of course I’m blind to) and then says, let’s try this. So – we changed my IC ratio for breakfast and lunch – upped the carb ratio by one – which is actually downed the carbs by one???. And added/upped my basal rate for the afternoons by .5. And lowered the ISF for lunch and the afternoon.

It’s working, so far. Well, until this morning when I had a very small portion of bread pudding at work. That small bit turned out to be more than 30 carbs… I guessed… I was wrong… It tasted great!

This afternoon after a call from my husband, I announced to another staff member that I have a wonderful husband. She asked if we were going out to dinner. And I said, “Nope, he just called to say he’d stop at the drug store and pick up my insulin for me!”

I also work with wonderful people. As we were closing up the office, Dexcom beeped to say I was low. I tested. I was a little under 80 and decided to drink a juice box before I drove home. Two friends/co-workers sat there with me while I slurped my grape juice and waited until I tested ok to drive.

And finally – lunch with Shannon after my endo appointment. We chatted our way through a yummy lunch and barely talked about diabetes (her son has Type 1). Now that the snow has stopped (we hope…), we plan to get together again during the summer. Anyone up in this area is always invited to join us!

I’m off to see the Endo

Endo appointment on Friday. Appointment #3 with endo #4. I like her. I like her attitude.

I think I probably ruined any chances for a stellar A1c for this appointment but I’m not going to sweat it. Oh, and my idea of “stellar?” Around 7. That would make me happy. I’ve only had one A1c under 7 – and it wasn’t much under… (but you shoulda seen me doing my happy dance in the office parking lot!) I haven’t had any over 7.9 (I think), not even when I was diagnosed (at age 55). Weird…

Tonight’s chore – getting the Ping & Dexcom down (up?) loaded to the magic internet. (I’m still not happy that Diasend stopped doing the CGMs.) I called my PCP’s office a couple of weeks ago to have all my lab reports sent to the endo’s office AND, they sent me a set of copies so I think I’ve got that covered.

Nicest part of the day will be meeting Shannon Lewis for lunch! Two d-meetups in one month! That just doesn’t happen to me…

There are a few, very few, daffodils just coming up in my yard. Most of them were destroyed during our reconstruction but a couple were spared. Next fall? More daffodil planting!

Oh – “Ice Out” was declared this morning for Lake Winnipesaukee. Let Spring begin!