Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 6

Click for the Saturday Snapshots - Saturday 5/17 Link List. 
Back for another year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like!  With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures.  Post as many or as few as you’d like.  Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

My bag all packed to hang out by the pool with friends.   Made sure I had some extra snacks just in case.  Always need to be extra prepared with diabetes!

Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 5

Click for the Diabetes Life Hacks - Friday 5/16 Link List.
Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes.  Tell us everything from clothing modifications, serving size/carb counting tricks to the tried and true Dexcom-in-a-glass trick or the “secret” to turning on a Medtronic pump’s backlight when not on the home-screen (scroll to the bottom of this post). Please remember to give non-medical advice only! (Thank you Rachel of Probably Rachel and Kelley of Below Seven for this topic suggestion.)

I can't think of many diabetes life hacks that I use but I am excited to read other bloggers ideas! One thing that I have recently started doing is putting my snacks in  the portion plastic bags from Target.  That way they are pre measured and the carbs are written on the bag.  I bolus correctly and easily instead of guessing. It reminds me of when I was in school and my mom would pack my lunch.  She would add up the carbs and write it in black sharpie on the brown paper lunch bag.

Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 4

Click for the Mantras and More - Thursday 5/15 Link List.
Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s share what gets us through a hard day.  Or more specifically, a hard diabetes day.  Is there something positive you tell yourself?  Are there mantras that you fall back on to get you through?  Is there something specific you do when your mood needs a boost?  Maybe we've done that and we can help others do it too? (Thanks to Meri of Our Diabetic Life for suggesting this topic.)

So in yesterday's post I talked about the guilt that I sometimes  feel when dealing with diabetes. I am happy that this is the next topic because it made me think about what I do to feel better I hadn't really thought about it before.  I like lists so lets make a list!

When I start to get discouraged about highs and lows of diabetes:

-  I try to not look back too much.  I just move forward and try to make the next number better.  (you can only do so much right?) 
- I go for a walk.  I'm not a huge exersizer ( I truly wish I was it is something that I want to work on) but, just going for a walk can give me a little perspective, some fresh air, and can usually have a good impact on my blood sugar so win win win! :)
- Support systems.  My family is great when I need to vent and also reading blogs of other diabetics has helped tremendously! Knowing that you are not alone and that for example other diabetics also become a monster and eat everything in sight when they are low.  Truly I went 10 years thinking that was just me!

Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 3

Click for the What Brings Me Down - Wednesday 5/14 Link List.
May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope? (Thanks go out to Scott of Strangely Diabetic for coordinating this topic.)

Guilt

Dealing with guilt and diabetes is something that I struggle with everyday. I feel guilty all the time when I think of the times that I haven't taken care of myself how I should.  I feel guilty when I don't test as many times a day as I know I should.  I feel guilty when I snap at my husband when I am low or high or if he asks if I have tested lately. ( there is also a death look that goes along with that one) I feel guilty when I think about how badly I want a baby but I haven't kept my numbers in good enough control to try and get pregnant.  I feel guilt all the time.  I know that I am just doing what I can to deal with this disease but a lot of guilt comes with the failures that surely come when dealing with an unpredictable thing like diabetes.  I think this definitely takes me on an emotional roller coaster every day!

Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 2

Click for the Poetry Tuesday - Tuesday 5/13 Link List.
This year, Diabetes Blog Week and TuDiabetes are teaming up to bring out the poet in you! Write a poem, rhyme, ballad, haiku, or any other form of poetry about diabetes. After you’ve posted it on your blog, share it on the No Sugar Added® Poetry page on TuDiabetes, and read what others have shared there as well!


My poem is a little silly because poetry is not my thing so this was a little scary but, also turned out to be fun! Here it goes!  Please be nice! :)

The Pump

I buzz and beep 

even when I sleep.

My batteries run out

especially when out and about.

People point and stare

at the "pager" I wear.

It may be frustrating

when it won't stop vibrating.

But, I cannot imagine

what on earth would happen

if I had to live without it there

in my pocket everyday i must wear. 

Diabetes Blog Week 2014 day 1

Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you. (Thanks go out to Kim of Texting my Pancreas for inspiring this topic.)

"You don't look like you have diabetes"
"Are you sure you can eat that?"
These are just a couple of misconceptions about diabetes that we all deal with quite frequently.  Whether its people confusing type 1 with type 2, people who think that its your fault that you are diabetic, people who think your insulin pump is like a weird pager or something, or people who think you are a "bad diabetic" if you eat sugar (aka cookies).  I had a friend a few weeks ago that brought some treats to me and another friend.  She handed me a bag with a cookie in it and said "sorry they didn't have any sugar free ones so I got you an oatmeal cookie with out  frosting". Then handed my friend a delicious sugar filled chocolate treat.  I just stared at her for a few seconds thinking "are you kidding me? I want the frosting!" I knew that my friend was just trying to be nice and helpful and it was very sweet of her to bring me something, but there have been many times that something similar thing has happened with other family and friends who don't understand that it's OK for me to eat sugar.  So I guess I just have to remember that before I was diagnosed at the age of 12 I didn't really know anything about diabetes.  All I knew was that there was a girl in my class at school who had to test her blood sugar during recess.  So patience is important and I could definitely use more of it when dealing so many misconceptions of diabetes!

Good News

I went in for my Doctor's appointment last week for my A1c.  I have been in a rut for a few years I guess and I haven't had good results for a while. Well my A1c was the best it has been in years! Yay! I was thrilled. There may or may not have been a victory dance involved....  Take that diabetes! It still needs some work but it helped so much to have that little encouragement that I can do this.
 My Doctor's comments on the lab report were awesome! And I quote "AWESOME JOB!!!!" Yes there were 4 exclamation points.  A good day for sure. :)

what does a low blood sugar feel like?

I have had people ask me this question over the years that I have been diabetic.  I never know how to answer.  "It feels horrible?"  "Like you just might die?"  Those just don't seem like the right answers.  It just isn't fun that is for sure!  I remember the first low I ever had.  I had just been diagnosed a day or two before and we had just come home from the grocery store.  I remember dropping to the floor in our kitchen and telling my mom that I thought I was going to die!! Surely I wasn't supposed to feel like this!  Well I guess you start to get used to it but that doesn't keep it from wiping you out! Does anyone else feel exhausted after a low?

looking forward to my A1c

For years I have dreaded going to my diabetes check ups and to get my A1c.  I hate going in to talk to the doctor when I know that my numbers have not been what I know it should be and its my fault for not taking control.  I have made changes lately and hopefully my new A1c will be awesome! I may actually be excited to go see the Doctor and not filled with dread!  So here is to a good number!

beautiful day

I am so grateful that when I was diagnosed my sweet diabetes educator told me that I could still do anything I wanted to even with diabetes. I wouldn't want to miss out on this view! 

                             

bad night?

My husband always wakes me up to say goodbye before he leaves to work and then I usually go back to sleep.  The other morning as he was leaving he said "sleep in honey, I see you had a rough night".  I looked at him confused.... How did he know that I had a rough night?  He then proceeded to tell me that he could tell I had gotten low by the fruit snack wrapper on my nightstand, the dirty dishes on the counter, and the bag of Cheetos I had left on the kitchen table.  Haha it was one of those lows where I was starving and couldn't stop eating!!! I pretty much ate everything in sight! Yes I did wake up the next morning with  high blood sugar.
 I for years thought that I was the only one who experienced this when they got low.  It wasn't until I started reading other diabetic blogs that I realized it was pretty normal to feel like you could eat everything!!!
My mom used to find me when I was a teenager in the middle of the night sitting in the pantry eating after a low.

frustrations with ordering supplies

I hate having to switch companies when ordering diabetes supplies.  I have had such bad experiences with certain companies that I just absolutely dread calling and ordering from anyone new.  My husband's school recently changed insurance and so now I have to figure our who I can order from now.  I had to pay out of pocket for the supplies I need immediately and will get reimbursed later after we receive our new cards.  I am so grateful for insurance and I don't want to take it for granted.  I could not believe how much I had to pay when it was full price! Ouch!!

It always scares me when ordering new supplies that I won't get them in time.  I sometimes don't order soon enough and I have ended up without supplies on more than one occasion.  Mostly it had been my fault but occasionally it had been through the mistake of a mail order company.  This has to be one of the most horrible feelings not knowing what you are going to do!

Diabetes Blog Week Day 7

I have enjoyed participating in Diabetes Blog Week so much! I am new to the diabetes blogging world and I have loved finding all of these incredible diabetes blogs!

Click for the Spread the Love - Sunday 5/19 Link List
As another Diabetes Blog Week draws to a close, let’s reflect on some of the great bloggers we’ve found this week. Give some love to three blog posts you’ve read and loved during Diabetes Blog Week, and tell us why they’re worth reading. Or share three blogs you’ve found this week that are new to you. (Thanks to Pearlsa of A Girl's Reflections for inspiring this topic.)

I have way more than three blogs that I would like to mention.

Carlyn from one unit at a time  I have really enjoyed her post's this week and will continue to follow her story! I feel like I can relate to so many things that she blogged about!

Michelle The Rockin' Ink Star  I appreciated her sharing her story so much.  It is also so interesting to read from the perspective of a parent of a diabetic.

Meredith from withasideofinsulin.com  I loved her share and don't share post about the things we wish our dr could see.  All those unexplained highs and lows.

Briley at indpendence.com  I am glad that she commented on one of my posts so that I could go and find her blog!  I especially enjoyed her memories post because I also talked about my pump day as my most memorable.

Melissa at sweetly voiced I actually just found her blog today and have enjoyed reading through her posts.

I also want to thank Karen from bittersweet diabetes who hosted this blog week. I have enjoyed reading her posts this week and am so excited about all the new blogs I have discovered and will follow.

There really have been so many other new blogs that I have found I wish I could list them all.  I am also so grateful for readers who have found my blog.  I am grateful for the encouragement to continue and for the sense of community.  Thank you!

I know that I haven't had a chance to read all of the post that have been written this week and I plan on continuing to read them.

Diabetes Blog Week Day 6

Diabetes Blog Week is hosted by Karen from bittersweetdiabetes.com

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!

Art has never been a strength of mine so I was worried about this post.  I ended up having a lot of fun with this though! I can't wait to check out everyone else's posts.

                                                                   Have a great day! :)

Diabetes Blog Week Day 5

Today's question is a hard one...
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 have thought about this question for a few days now and I still haven't come to any conclusion. I don't know enough about other chronic conditions to know what life would be like with that disease.  I think I would stick with diabetes because it is what I know.  I have dealt with it long enough that I know what to do.  Yes, diabetes throws a curve ball usually as soon as you think you have got a handle on your blood sugars, but I feel comfortable with it. 
I guess a disease that you didn't have to take shots or be stuck to an insulin pump FOREVER would be nice.... Or no chronic disease at all? That is too much to ask isn't it. I guess I will keep my diabetes :).  

Diabetes Blog Week Day 4

Day 4

We don’t always realize it, but each one of us had 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.). 

I think one of my great accomplishments is this blog.  It is out of my comfort zone for sure, and has been hard for me to open up and write about my diabetes.  Now I don't even know if anyone actually reads what I write in this blog or if it is interesting to anyone but me... but that is OK. It has helped me personally in so many ways.  This blog has helped me accept my life for what it is and embrace it.  It's like therapy.  My hope is that I may be able to meet other diabetics who have gone through some of the same experiences as me and find a community through blogging. 

How I organize my diabetes bag

I use a cosmetic bag that I bought from Pier 1 Imports a few years ago to keep my diabetes supplies organized in my purse.  I love the fact that it has so many pockets and then all zips up in to one bag.  This is how I organize the supplies that I like to always have with me. 

Here it is all zipped up

And it fits just great in my purse!

Now I am always prepared for my diabetes throws at me.  Well almost always...

Diabetes Blog Week Day 3

I missed day 2... but on to day 3.

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.

This is a hard one.  I have many good and bad memorable times with diabetes.  One of my most memorable days was the day that I was diagnosed, but I have already written about that.  The next memorable day that I can think of was the day that I got my insulin pump.  I have a Medtronic Minimed Paradigm Insulin pump.  I have had a pump for a little over 10 years.  I have gone through about three of them since then I think?  I remember the day that I got my first one.  I was in 9th grade and I remember leaving my geography class to go meet with my diabetes educator at the hospital.  She showed me a lot of the features of the pump and how it worked.  She then had me insert my first site and I wore it for a couple of days with saline so that I could get used to wearing it before putting insulin in it. The first time I had to insert the site I was terrified! It took me like 20 minutes to push the injector button.  It was amazing to be able to be so flexible about when and how much I ate.  I also loved not having to schedule my life around taking my long acting insulin shot at 10 p.m. every night.  It's funny how such a little machine can change my life so much.  Now I still do get frustrated with my pump from time to time.  It gets pretty annoying to be connected to something ALL THE TIME! In fact we call my pump "little brother" because it always seems to be in the way...  But, I have to say that it is worth the bad times for sure!

HAGS (Have A Good Summer)

The school year is quickly coming to an end.  My Kindergarten class is practicing for the end of year program and it hit me today! School is almost out!  So I was thinking about what I want to accomplish this summer.

• First of all we are trying to buy a house.  So I am hoping to to be moving in to our first home this summer!  I can't wait for the paint projects and organization projects that I hopefully will be able to work on this summer!
• Finish my sewing projects.  I have a quilt that is halfway done and a skirt all cut out that I need to finish.  I love to sew but I kind of go through phases I guess you could say?  I have big ideas but then they sometimes take FOREVER!
• Get a HbA1C of 6.5-7.0.  This is a blood test that I am supposed to do every 3 months. 
• I want to learn to make (good) bread in my bread machine.  I bought a breadman machine from the D.I. (a local thrift store) a while ago for about $15.  I have tried a few different recipes but they have just never quite worked out.  Maybe I am doing something wrong? 
• I have some pinterest projects that I have wanted to do but just haven't had the time!
• I also want to study my scriptures everyday.  I am going to make a calendar to make sure I don't skip any days!

Well hopefully I will be able to accomplish all of these things and it will keep me busy!

Diabetes Blog Week Day 1

I have decided to participate in Diabetes Blog Week and I am excited about the topics that will be discussed.  Today's question is

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? 

I have been lucky to have a Doctor who understands what living with diabetes means because he has family members who live with the disease. So for the most part he understand what life is like with diabetes.  On the other hand unless you have diabetes yourself you don't fully understand how it feels.  You don't understand what it feels like to get low at the worst times. (like right after you brush your teeth and just want to go to bed... I hate that!) Or how frustrating it is to have a high number and have no idea why!  So one thing that I wish doctors (and their staff) understood is that it is just not that easy to always take care of your diabetes and keep it in control. If I know that my A1c is not going to be good I just dread going into the Doctor's office because I know that it is not going to be what it should be and I just feel like a failure.  

I am excited to participate in Diabetes Blog Week and read other diabetics thoughts on these questions.