Diabetes? More Like Liveabetes.

Hello again, world. Who wants to read about my crappy blood sugars?

2011-06-07T17:17:00.000-04:00

So it has been six days since I've posted...sorry about that. I moved into my new apartment with my brother and finally got our Verizon Fios installed and everything moved in and the other 9284838374 things you have to do when moving.

Last week was my first week at my internship, and I love it. It takes everything I learned in school and compiles into one job. It's awesome. I like having a routine.

Now to the diabetes part of this post. And, unfortunately, the super negative part of it.

My blood sugar has sucked for the past week and a half. Plain sucked...bad. I've been going low on AVERAGE like 4-5 times a day. It's ranging anywhere from 78 to 37 and I have no idea why. I've been giving normal doses (now I'm playing around with giving way less insulin for corrections and food), dropping basal rates on my pump like crazy. Obviously my body is changing (or I'm getting cured!!!) and it is really affecting me. I'm going low way way too much and I honestly feel different because of it. It's kind of making me nervous.

I've never been scared or nervous to give myself a bolus before, but I'm seriously at the point where I give myself a fraction of the insulin I need and I'm still going low.

I'm just going to settle into my new work/home routine and play with my insulin levels and cross my fingers. I promise now that everythign is settled that I'll be posting more often.

Hey, thanks for reading.

On That Corporate Grind

2011-06-01T21:10:00.000-04:00

So today was the second day of my internship. This is my first adult-like job and it's way different than anything I've done. Sure I've done similar hours with school and jobs and what-not, but this is way different. I'm not saying it's good or bad (I actually like it (I think)) it's just a big change. I am constantly busy now - waking up at 6:30, getting ready, work 9-4, come home and change, gym, shower, dinner and making lunch for the next day, repeat. And this week is extra busy because my brother and I are moving into our new two-bedroom apartment. Oh yeah, I have a second job thur, fri and sat night from 9pm-4am.

That's a lot.

I've been pretty good with watching my blood sugars and eating when I need to but today I went low like four times at work and I have no idea why. Spent way too much money at the crappy convenience stores in my building...guess I'm gonna have to store Gatorade and munchies at my desk. Just some change I'll have to get used to.

That's really all I've got for this post (I'm doing laundry and making lunch for tomorrow and ironing amidst writing this post).

Hey, thanks for reading.

Diabetes-1 AJ-0

2011-05-30T14:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened again...my bg went low at the gym. It hasn't happened in a while so I guess I was due. And now that I think about it, my day started off crappy anyways, so I guess I should have expected it.

I woke up at 7:30am and I was 47. Awesome. I ate some food and fell back asleep. I awoke at 10:30 needing to pee badly. Immediately I knew that I was high. Yup, 318. To top it off, our power was out. Sweet.

A few hours passed and I tested before going to the gym and I was 97 so I took precautionary measures and ate an apple to make sure I didn't go low.

Didn't matter.

I was lifting and sure enough I knew I was doomed - I had hit 61. So there went my workout. I didnt even get through half of it.

Now, usually I'm very passive aggressive (and it took me a long time to get that way) but today I was just plain old pissed off. I deal with it very well a majority of the time but not this time. My lady friend texted me and said she wished there was something she could do and I was kind of mean to her. I didnt mean to be, I just was. I think only diabetics can truly understand this, but when I'm low and in the mood I was in, absolutely nothing can make me feel better and I can't control it. When I came back up I apologized to her but I still dont think she gets it and I hope she will work with me on it.

So, this leads me to now. I start my internship tomorrow and I have to figure out how to fit two workouts in. I dont know. I'll do it.

Just one of those days where diabetes got the best of me. It doesnt happen often and I'd like to keep it that way.

Hey, thanks for reading.

The First Post of Many to Come

2011-05-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

So it has been over a year since I have made an entry here. You can thank Jaimie (@JaimieDOC on twitter) for giving me the spark to want to create an entry!

For those of you who have never read my blog, allow me to reintroduce myself (cue Jay-Z lyrics). My name is AJ Owen and I have had Type 1 diabetes for 14 years. I started this blog for a class I was enrolled in and was required to make a certain amount of entries. Obviously it died off after the class was over, but I'm hoping to share my stories here for you all (whoever you are) to read.

I don't really have a direction I go in with this blog, just that it's focused on type 1 diabetes. It's amazing how many blogs are out there and how you can read people's stories, struggles and accomplishments. You think that you are having the worst day when you read someone who had the same exact day as you and knows that awful stomach ache you get and the foul-smelling breath you get when your blood sugar has been 400+ all day. Or the fatigue you feel when you accidentally gave yourself too much insulin and bottom out to 30.

I'm not trying to be anyone's lifeline, but I will be a shoulder to lean on. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned in past entries that I am (well, was) a counselor at an overnight camp for kids with diabetes. I like helping people and shaping their lives in a positive way (you can thank my dear Mother for that one), and I will gladly do it here too.

As you read my last paragraph you may think I'm a bit of a sap, but I assure you that's not the case. I'll make posts that are funny, angry, happy and sad. I've had a lot of people over the years tell me that they look up to me and think that what I do is amazing. But I'm just a normal person doing normal things - I just happen to be vocal about it.

I think that's it for now. You can find me on facebook or twitter (@ajowen88), but I'll warn you - I'm just a normal guy doing normal things so there;s a good chance you won't see 100 tweets a day about how a new pump is coming out or 78 articles and studies showing that stem cell is working. It'll probably be that LeBron is going to whoop ass against the Mavericks or the fact that I start my internship on Tuesday. But I will also tweet that My bg just dropped at the gym or that my site got ripped out when I was throwing someone out of my bar (my 2nd job).

Hey, thanks for reading.

I Hate This

2010-05-12T07:28:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the disappearance for a while there. I had just gotten caught up in one thing or another and this took a backseat.

So I pretty much never have hated the fact that I am diabetic. Maybe when I was first diagnosed and didn't understand, but now I know it really has helped shape who I am.

But yesterday I truly hated the fact that I was cursed with type 1 diabetes. My blood sugar would not cooperate. I was constantly low or high all day. I dropped from 312 down to 50 within 45 minutes. What?! Did I mention that I was at the gym I figured out I was 50? Yup. Went to the gym for over an hour and spent 55 minutes of it in the locker room getting my bg back up.

Now most of you are like "well it happens" but when you already have a tiff about your diabetes holding back what you can do with lifting weights and what-not, it's a big deal. I was just so upset it was holding me back from what I wanted to do. And to top it off, hours after the gym, my bg still was screwed up. I was 50 (again) and ate a whole subway sub and some glucose tabs and was 65 1.5 hours later. My body just felt miserable all day.

I feel better today but sometimes we all have those days...

Updates to Come

2010-05-09T19:15:00.001-04:00

Omg! Kinda forgot about this. I finished the semester and have been working a wonderful 39 hours a week plus doing work for my internship. Updates to come. I promise!

My First Injection in About Four Years

2010-05-03T12:11:00.003-04:00

SO last night I was ~320 and corrected for it with my insulin pump. I watched a movie with my roommate and noticed that I still didn't feel that well (when my blood sugar is high I get that awful taste in my mouth and a stomach ache). So I tested again (this is about 2.5 hours later) and I was 399 and had ketones. So I decided that I need to change my pump site and give myself a shot.

It took me about 10 minutes to finally get the nerve to do it. It has been so long since I've done it, I was nervous. (I also gave blood my senior year of high school and passed out and ever since I've been kind of weird about needles. Weird, I know). But I did it.

I ended up staying up two hours longer than I wanted because I needed to keep drinking water because of the ketones. It was about 2am when I went to bed and I was 286 and feeling a ton better. It had been over two hours since I gave myself my insulin (which is about the amount of time you should give yourself before giving yourself more) but I decided to not give myself more and just went to sleep.

Fast forward to 7:45am and I'm 42. Grrrrrr. I woke up and pounded some juice and a bowl of cereal and went back to sleep.

Woke up, felt like crap because my number was all over the place and now my number is better and I feel better.

Ugh.

Wash Those Hands

2010-04-30T00:19:00.002-04:00

So I was getting ready to go out and play some pool with my roommate and, being the responsible diabetic I am, I tested before leaving.

375

I was like "no way I'm that high, I feel fine." So instead of just correcting (like I normally do) I went and washed my hands off.

112

HUGE difference. I actually brought my kit with me and slowly dropped and needed something.

Now what if I had corrected? I would have taken 10-11 units to bring me down to 100-125. So 10 or 11 units when my BG was 112? Well we all know the answer to that...

Trust your gut. I didn't think that I was high and was right. If you know your body well enough then trust it.

Tattoo?

2010-04-27T12:08:00.002-04:00

Alright, I've really been throwing the idea around again. Getting a tattoo.

I wrote about my number going low while driving and the other day I got in the shower and felt a little low but still finished up. When I got out I was 42 but didn't feel anywhere near that.

Obviously it would be good for me to have a medic alert if (knock on wood) something were to ever happen, but I'm not a watch, bracelet, whatever wearer. So, a tattoo would solve that. And it'd be kind of badass.

I don't know. Yesterday I was feeling good about it. Today, not so much. Ugh

What do you think?

Low Blood Sugar Outta Left Field

2010-04-24T11:46:00.002-04:00

So I am currently in Buffalo, where the only place that I know of that has bars open until 4am...and I'm taking full advantage of that.

Just kidding Mom, I was passed out by 11:30 last night.

But in all seriousness, I am in Buffalo. But what this post is about is about me driving here yesterday. If you recall my Let's go for a Drive post, I talked about testing your BG when you're on the road for a while. Now, what happened yesterday had no bearing from my post and was random. But while I was driving I decided to test. Not too sure why. Just did. I was 56. 56. I felt fine, no symptoms, no nothing. Totally caught me off guard. At that point I pounded a Gatorade and some food I had brought.

Not cool. I don't know why it happened or why I didn't feel the symptoms like I usually do, but I am glad I tested.

Hi MiniMed Rep!

2010-04-22T16:48:00.002-04:00

So the other day the lovely representative at MiniMed, who wants to call me all the time, called again. Wonderful.

So she likes to call and ask if I want to upgrade my insulin pump. I don't mind the calls and I do want to upgrade my pump...just not now. Once I decide on if I want to get a sensor or not then I will upgrade prematurely. I only say prematurely because there is nothing with my pump and why spend like $500 (because my insurance only covers a certain percentage) if there is nothing wrong with my pump?

So, anyway, we spent 25 minutes or so on the phone talking. And I use that term loosely. She spent the majority of the time talking at me and that I didn't give my bolus wizard a chance (my number were consistently high when on it, thus I turned it off).

I realize they have to meet a certain quota, and I even asked and she said "sort of" but I wish they wouldn't call me. I told her I want to upgrade and 'pressuring' me won't do anything but aggravate me. Eh.

Finally got my A1c Today!!!

2010-04-21T22:02:00.003-04:00

Finally got the call from my new doc down here in Pittsburgh. She wasn't sure why the results never got back to her and it "wouldn't happen again." Water under the bridge I guess.

But my A1c was 7.5%. My last appointment I was 7.4% so I guess it was consistent. Hopefully it'll be a little lower next time I go back. I have been playing around with my basal rates and my numbers have been better. I suppose that's step 1 to getting it lower.

I suppose that's all for now, I've got another fun story tomorrow about MiniMed reps calling 98 times. Ha

I Want Games on my Insulin Pump!

2010-04-19T12:31:00.003-04:00

So I find times (not so often lately as I have a ton of school work) that I'm sitting around and wish I had something to occupy my time. Yes I have an iPhone that has seemingly endless capabilities, but if we backtrack to not too long ago when we didn't have cell phones or were too young to have them or whatever, we were bored.

Now you may be like "stop rambling you idiot and get to the point!" Well that point is, I still wish my insulin pump had games on it! They don't have to be complex and graphically detailed, just something fun to pass time. Similar to those games that you had on your graphing calculator in high school:

They'd get boring quickly I'm sure, but they'd have quite an appeal to younger kids getting pumps (which is great as they'd have better and more stable BG.

I don't know, just a fun thought. Maybe it'll happen one day :-p

Yup, They Have Diabetes too...Famous People with Type 1 Diabetes

2010-04-17T12:54:00.005-04:00

So, obviously type 1 diabetes doesn't pick and choose who can have it. There's no cure and really still no known reason why we get it. So with that said, here are some famous people who have type 1 diabetes. A few might surprise you, they sure surprised me!

Grrr

2010-04-16T19:05:00.001-04:00

Still no Hemoglobin A1c grrrr

I'll post something more productive tomorrow

My Hemoglobin A1c

2010-04-13T17:49:00.002-04:00

So as I wrote here I had my first Joslin appointment away from home. It was quite different from what I was used to as they did not have the equipment or technology my home location did.

Anyways, my doc said I would have my A1c in the mail in about three days but she said she also would call me and we could discuss it if anything was wrong. So ready to hear my A1c?

Yeah, me too...

I haven't gotten anything in the mail (it's been a week now) nor have I gotten a call. It kind of bugs me because I felt nothing got accomplished at the appointment since they had no equipment to read what was needed and now, a week later, I still don't know my A1c. If I don't have it tomorrow I'm going to call them up and see what's going on.

Sorry for the rant!

Glucowizard for Diabetics

2010-04-12T18:30:00.003-04:00

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted. Sorry folks! I was out of town over the weekend and didn't put too much thought into my blog. :-x Shame on me, I know. On to the post!

If you read the comments for my post on getting a sensor to help monitor my BG levels better then you may have seen Craig (reader and friend)say how he was talking to a friend about the glucowizard. Now this seems way cool, and, frankly, way not cool.

It's a wristwatch-looking device that constantly is measuring your BG levels so you can spare your fingers the indelible pain of poking them 4+ times a day. And if you're like me then you have your favorites (personally, I only use two fingers). The article I linked didn't say whether or not you could take off the watch-esque device but it seems like you cannot. That's not cool with me. The other part is that you have to get some chip implanted into your wrist where the device would go over. Eh, not so much.

This doesn't differ from a sensor but it does take away that 'second site.' The article does state it won't be ready for another seven years and that's just crazy because the sensors will advance quite a bit by then.

Overall I say no but it is a neat idea.

Timeline of Diabetes

2010-04-07T12:48:00.001-04:00

Don't be too critical...I did this quick. Let me know what you think!

Edit: if you zoom in it's easier to see...you can also click on it to see further descriptions!

My 1st Joslin Appointment Away From Home

2010-04-06T15:24:00.002-04:00

So as some of you know, I go to school in Pittsburgh but am originally from right near Syracuse, NY. Since I can remember I would go to my appointments every three months. When I got there the nurse would do her usual temperature and vitals and what-not. I'd prick my finger and they'd soak up some blood and put it in this little hand held machine (no, not a regular BG tester) and they'd take my meter (if I remembered it) and my pump. Now, some of you that are diabetic and reading this may be like "What is he talking about? They never poke my finger or take my pump or meter."

Well let me explain.

The machine they used tested my A1c levels. They'd take my pump and meter to download everything onto the computers and print them out so the doc and I can see where my highs and lows are and how much, percentage wise, I'm bolusing and basaling each day. To me, this is how it was for as long as I can remember.

Now go to my appointment today, my first one outside of my usual Joslin and it was not this. The nurse came and got my vitals but left without a poke, my pump or tester. The doctor came in, asked some questions and that's it. Obviously I was confused and questioned her about what was going on and she said that they don't have the same equipment as my Joslin has. In order to get my A1c they had to draw blood (I only bolded this because I am emotionally scarred from when I passed out donating blood senior year, but that's another story) and send me the results in the mail. And other patients always printed out or wrote down their own numbers and they discussed this.

This may seem normal for most of the diabetics reading this but I guess my Joslin was the minority and I was lucky to have the services that they did.

I Should Probably Change That...

2010-04-04T13:12:00.002-04:00

Because I let everything go until the last minute my pump now has that fun little 'o' that says my battery is going to die soon and that I should get a new one.

(Sorry about the bad/quick iPhone picture!)

Got me thinking, so I made a poll!

How long have you let your pump go with a 'low' battery?surveys

Stupid Caffiene

2010-04-02T19:32:00.002-04:00

So it happened again. Blood sugar dropped when I drank a Redline.

It's an energy drink that also doubles as a thermogenic. But, again, has caffeine. I know that reality says "stop drinking them idiot" but sometimes I'm just tired. I'm really not liking this and I wish I knew exactly why. My friend, Dr. Andrew (okay, he's not really a doctor, but he should be, said this:

Yo what's up? So I can't sleep and I was reading through your blog. You are inspirational. I wish younger diabetic kids got your blog as a access to information and letting them know they're not alone. It's awesome.

Anyway, so I read this post http://morelikeliveabetes.blogspot.com/2010/03/caffeine-dropping-blood-sugar.html

and the nerd in me did some research. I found a cool article about Caffeine and Diabetes. So apparently caffeine acts like adrenaline. Adrenaline inhibits the action of insulin. Caffeine on the other hand more specifically inhibits insulin mediated glucose disposal also. Pretty much Caffeine can increase your blood sugar.

But then I thought about your scenarios. The Redbull issue should give you higher blood sugars because it would you inhibit your insulin, plus cause you to release adrenaline which would further inhibit insulin. But the other thing to consider is does caffeine increase your metabolic rate? like your heart rate and maybe you're burning off more glucose quicker because everything is sped up?

Who knows... I know that's not the long explanation ya wanted. But just some insight.

I have a Joslin appointment next week...something to ask about!

To get the Sensor or not get the Sensor?

2010-03-30T22:41:00.004-04:00

So ever since insulin pumps came out that had sensors on them that allow for continuous glucose monitoring I've thought about getting one.

Well you're probably asking "What's stopping you?!"

Easy. The fact that I would have to insert another 'site' that would be for the sensor. So, more or less, I'd have two sites in all the time. And they need to be changed at the same time too. This REALLY does not appeal to me. At all.

When I wrote about the new Revel it got me to thinking about it again. I still really hate the fact that I would need two different sites. And honestly, as stupid as it sounds, that is my only con to not getting it.

The pros would be everything pretty much. I would always know what my blood sugar is, and it would definitely help when I'm drinking things with large amounts of caffeine in them that I blogged about here

My A1c is usually not too shabby, but obviously it'd get better. I don't know what to do.

Can anyone chime in?

Walkthrough of my Site Change

2010-03-29T14:07:00.003-04:00

This is a video I created of me going through my site change. Don't make fun of me too much!

Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only

Eh, I'll do it Later

2010-03-28T19:33:00.004-04:00

I just looked down at my pump and realized that it got to that point. Ya know, that point. The one when there is one bar of battery left, one bar of insulin left and you really don't feel like changing either of them.

It usually doesn't get to that point. Either the reservoir is full and the battery is low or vise versa. I like to think that the majority of the time I have them both full (haha) but then there is that one time, every so often, when they both need to be changed. But I worked a long day by myself and I'm going to play basketball so it can wait (and yes, I'm bringing my test kit and juice just in case. Don't worry Mom).

Thanks diabetes.

New Insulin Pump: MiniMed Paradigm Revel

2010-03-25T17:22:00.005-04:00

Edit: Link at the bottom.
So my good friend Jen informed me that there is new new MiniMed pump that just came out - the Revel. I think it kind of sounds like a cell phone haha.

(I know it's a rally small picture but you can't get a different one because no one has it yet!)

But I looked into it and I like it. It looks thinner (which is always a plus) and still has the same basic setup as the previous models. It also has the option of having a 150 unit or 300 unit reservoir which, if you watch the video here: , it kind of made it seem like you didn't have that option. Thankfully, it does.

What they tweaked on it is the CGM (continuous glucose monitoring). It can deliver as little as .025 units. WOW! And it includes a 'warning' system that let's you know when you're rising or dropping, thus giving much better control of your diabetes.

I'm not sure how I feel about a sensor, but more on that next time ;-)

Here's the link: Revel

Diabetes Awareness Day

2010-03-23T13:39:00.004-04:00

I was posting my last entry on twitter (you know, to spread the word) and noticed someone had re-tweeted to me that it was Diabetes Awareness Day!!!

I know this is more for type 2 diabetes because our nation is getting fat and what-not but diabetes is diabetes. Be aware of this shit. I'll tell you first hand, it stinks.

When this day started last year approximately 626,400 people were diagnosed with diabetes. 626,400. Wow, that many people in one year. That's insane (and not in the good way).

If you can prevent this, please, do it.

Where's the Nutrition Facts?

2010-03-23T13:22:00.003-04:00

So I am currently sitting in the school cafe enjoying my overpriced chicken tenders (that were kind of dry). Now I've been diabetic long enough to become an expert guesstimater at how many carbs are in something. But what gets me is that here, and just about every restaurant on earth doesn't have nutrition facts. I have seen signs that say you can ask for a nutrition sheet but I haven't seen one in quite some time.

I do have the luxury of owning an iPhone and look just about everything up but not everyone has this. Also, no matter how long you've been diabetic you still don't know the carbs in everything. The one thing that has plagued me for years is the amount of carbs in pasta. I've just recently gotten better at it but I'm still way off on how much insulin to give myself and usually end up with a high number.

I'll give the cafe the benefit of the doubt as there is a machine with the nutrition facts of everything they have (at least I think it has everything, I've never actually used it). Scratch that...it's not even working.

Just a little rant I guess. Everyone could use this kind of news and information. It would keep us all healthier (in theory anyways).

More Water Please

2010-03-22T10:21:00.003-04:00

So, literally, almost all day yesterday while I was at work I felt like I was really dehydrated. Usually when I feel like that it's because my blood sugar is high. Because of this I tested more than usual. All day, though, I was completely normal and I was actually low at one point.

I tested more because I thought maybe my number showed normal but I was on the rise. Nope. I guess what's really been getting me is lately I don't know how I'm feeling. It took me quite a while to realize that caffeine was dropping my blood sugar and now I have high symptoms and good blood sugar. Oh, I probably should add that I was pounding water all throughout my shift to no avail.

Hopefully all this subsides and just goes away because it's confusing me. Ugh.

Never Give Up

2010-03-20T17:50:00.005-04:00

I was browsing videos on YouTube and stumbled on this. I think the song is incredibly overrated but it always works in sappy situations like this. All of this is so true and reminds us to never give up.

It may be hard, but it's not impossible.

(Make sure you close the ad so you can read the video.)

Caffeine Dropping Blood Sugar

2010-03-20T16:03:00.005-04:00

So I go to the gym about 4-5 times/week. Before I go I take a pre-workout supplement called Jack3d.

This pre-workout probably has the lowest amount of caffeine of the million that exist. I've been taking it for a while now and haven't really had too many problems. Lately though I have been noticing that as soon as I get to the gym my blood sugar feels really low despite being normal before I left. I always just thought it was the Jack3d taking effect and just giving me a rush. That was until I started testing when I got to the gym and have been consistently low when I get there.

Now, I have also been feeling the same effects when I drink Red Bull (yeah I know it's not good for me but I'm a college kid and don't sleep enough). When I drink the Red Bull I notice I drop a lot lower and a lot quicker. The other day I was fine and after the Red Bull I was 52. Snap, just like that. Not cool.

So I'm thinking does caffeine drop blood sugars? I did some research and it said it can drop it but then bring it back up, but I assume that's for someone who isn't diabetic.

So I'm still looking but I am stumped. Especially because I took it for so long and was fine and now I'm just dropping. Ugh.

Kinda Neat. I Guess?

2010-03-17T16:04:00.002-04:00

Quick and unexpected post.

So I just tested as I was feeling low and I was 63. Now all of you are like "Oh, cool AJ big whoop I've been 63 like a million times." But what makes this different is that my last three blood sugar readings, in a row and dating back to last night, have been 61, 62, 63.

Now I'm sure I've haven't just been low and I have only been testing when I feel low (yes, slap on the hand, I know)but I can't recall having done that ever.

It'd be a little more neat if they weren't so low. Ta ta.

OMG There's Blood Everywhere!!!

2010-03-17T14:37:00.003-04:00

First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day! This post has nothing Irish-related so oh well!

So I'm really mad at myself that I didn't take a picture of this before I cleaned it up. It didn't really hit me until afterward that it'd make for a great piece on the blog. But I have a desk in my room where I keep all my school books and what-not and I also keep my test kit over there. Well today, after class, I went over to grab a piece of paper and noticed a TON of spots on my desk and I was thinking "what is this?" I thought my friend had borrowed a pen and leaked ink or something until I looked more and there were spots on my desk, laptop, two school books, a binder, a basket, toy football and the wall. Now I'm legit freaking out as to what it could be and I realized it must have been from the other night when I thought I was low and I was actually high and tested with no lights on. I hit a blood capillary and squirted blood EVERYWHERE. I'm sure us diabetics know what I'm talking about - you prick your finger and then blood FLIES EVERYWHERE. Well evidently, this time, it really got everywhere. It looked like something from C.S.I. How I didn't notice it yesterday is completely beyond me. I'm really regretting not having a picture now.

Oh well, just another day in the life of a diabetic.

More Crazy Blood Sugars

2010-03-16T11:29:00.003-04:00

So something strange happened to me last. I thought my blood sugar was low but I was actually high. I woke up and had the usual low symptoms - drained of energy, sweaty, and just not feeling good. At night I usually just drink a Gatorade because it's such a different feeling at night and I just want to get my BG back up. I decided to check though because I was just so bleh. Turns out I was 278. That's not super high but it most certainly is not low.

I guess after 13 years I still don't know my body 100% and it always goes to show you to test no matter how well you think you know your body.

Now Look What ya did!

2010-03-14T23:21:00.004-04:00

Here's how my glucose monitor looked from the time I got it (like 8 years) until Saturday night:

And here's how it looked halfway through Saturday night:

Apparently if you put your kit in your back pocket and sit down the screen will get all fun looking and you won't be able to read what your number is. Its only fallen down stairs, on concrete, roads, etc. But this time it was in my case and my fat butt was enough to crush it.

So I don't have a backup kit (somehow?) and went all night and most of the morning without testing. I had to go to the grocery store and spend...$70. Yeah, that sucked. And what made it better was that I was 323 when I woke up. Nothing like spending God knows how many hours high as a kite. But I got it all taken care of and have a new meter now.

This brings up a mild point. I had written about insurance and even though I have it, I didn't have a prescription for another one I couldn't wait to get one called in because I needed to test quickly (and thankfully I did because I was high). But it just goes to show that if you don't have insurance that a meter, which is an absolute essential, is quite expensive. AND DIDN'T EVEN COME WITH STRIPS! Which, by the way, without insurance are about $20 for 25 of them.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that mishaps like this don't happen often and that I have insurance to cover most things. Let's just hope I don't do something like this again.

A little Goes a Long way

2010-03-12T21:49:00.002-05:00

So I slaved all day at GNC and the warm weather really brought everyone out so it was a madhouse. Anyways, a woman came in and instantly she was like "Hey! How have you been? How are you feeling?" And for a second I didn't really remember who she was and then it hit me. She was an RN that came in months back (like 4 or 5) when I was having some issues (Hint: I went poo too much) and the doctors thought I might have had Celiac's Disease. But when she was in I had just got to chatting with her about myself being a diabetic and lone and behold over an hour had passed.

Now you might be sitting here reading this and be like "Why is he telling me this?" Well when we talked for a long time before it was not only about diabetes but the fact that she was astonished that I take care of myself and am in good shape. Most of the people she sees are in the hospital and have type 2 and overweight or are having severe complications. She was also really surprised at how I do diabetes camp and she never realized what an impact it has on a child and what it truly represents. And lastly she really liked how I was so sincere about spreading the word about my disease and how much passion I had. It made me feel good.

Now fast forward to today and we only talked for 10 minutes but it was so nice to connect with people. I wrote a post a while back about a diabetic meeting another diabetic and pretty much becoming friends instantly but this was honestly the same feeling. No, she's not a diabetic but she truly understands what goes on and how important it is to stay healthy (heck, she even asked me if I had found a doctor down here at school yet when I previously mentioned that my insurance didn't cover down here).

I think it just shows that a little goes a long way. Such a great feeling.

No Thank you, Crazy Blood Sugars

2010-03-09T18:46:00.004-05:00

So today was one of those days where my blood sugars are just out of control. I didn't really realize it until now as I am getting ready for the gym.

I woke up last night around 5:00AM and went to the bathroom. Lately I have been having nights where I wake up and pee and then realize that something is wrong. This time was no different. I decided it'd be best to test and sure enough I was 338. The thing is, right before I went to bed I was 83 and fresh out of the gym so I know that my BG wasn't dropping. Obviously I was wrong. So I corrected myself and went back to sleep.

Well with my luck I overslept because my body had been out of whack and I guess I needed that extra sleep. I was 198 when I woke up, which was a little higher than I like. I ended up driving to class instead of taking the bus (which, by the way, parking is crazy expensive downtown), but since I drove I had a few extra minutes to change my pump site and insulin (just in case they were bad before).

So after my classes were done ~1:00 I headed towards my car and got in. I felt like my BG may be dropping a bit but it is a short drive on the parkway so I headed home. I went for my test kit and to my surprise:

(If you're reading my time on there and see 2:11 don't call me a liar just yet. It's an hour off and I never changed it.)

Wow! I didn't feel that low at all. Maybe I was in the 80's when I headed to my car but then dropped all of a sudden on the short ride home. Who knows; scary none-the-less. I guess this gives merit to what I wrote here on what my doctor said about testing before you drive.

I got back to normal levels and was at 129, so I was content. Fast forward to 6:30 and I'm low again! No physical activity and I didn't give myself too much insulin for my food, I just dropped.

Ugh, I guess it's just one of those days.

Superstar

2010-03-07T21:50:00.003-05:00

So I don't know if any of you are as nuts about college basketball as I am but if you're not then you don't know about Austin Freeman.

He is one of the star players for the Georgetown Hoyas and was just diagnosed with diabetes. Now if you recall in my 'What is Diabetes?!' post, there is a newly diagnosed diabetic every 20 seconds. But this is extra special because everyone in the nation is obsessed with celebrities and what-not. (Yes, there was some sarcasm in that statement). But what really gets me about this is that they don't know what type he has! He's only 20 years old and obviously in good shape as he is a division I athlete but it's still up in the air.

This surprises me because Georgetown has a very vast medical program and he has the head of the Diabetic Center attending every game and watching everything he is doing. I assume it's type II because I haven't read anything saying he is taking insulin but who knows because, like I said, he is likely a healthy individual.

Just thought it'd be an interesting share! Here are some links:

Sporting News
Washington Post

Let's go for a Drive

2010-03-05T09:32:00.003-05:00

So, in a little bit I'll be venturing out on ~2.5 hour drive as I'm making my way from home back to school in Pittsburgh. Whenever I'm driving longer distances, such as this, I always have some food to snack on, water and some Gatorade in case I get hungry, thirsty, or more importantly is my blood sugar goes low. And this always reminds me of what my doctor says when I visit her.

"Test your blood sugar before you leave and every hour while you're on the road."

Okay, I understand that I need to test before I leave to make sure that I'm not loopy while operating a 2,800lb vehicle. I also understand the testing every hour to make sure I'm not dropping. My qualms with it though are, is it really realistic? I mean pulling over every hour to test. I don't know about you guys and gals but I can feel myself dropping and when it's time to get some juice and crackers in me. Obviously this is not the case for everyone and being my doctor she is obligated to tell me this but to me is seems like a bit much. And this is what she tells me:

"If you cause an accident and it is found out it's because of low blood sugar then they will take your license away."

Oh snap! I don't know if it's suspended forever or a short amount of time, but that's pretty steep. I still think I can feel myself dropping and know when I need to pull over and this seems a bit far fetched but I guess after having this disease for 13+ years I know my body pretty well.

Your thoughts?

Spreading the Word

2010-03-02T16:11:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post today. If you remember when I posted about getting a tattoo you'll notice the picture on the right. Well, he is one of my friends and I asked to borrow the picture from him for this blog. Well that made him interested and started reading it. So one day I get a notification on facebook saying that I have a new picture tagged of me. I click on it and see this:

I see it and I'm like "Ahhhhhh yeahhhhhhh!" I guess he liked the name of the blog so much he went to Decalboy and had the sticker made up. This inspired me and about 10 other friends to want to get it as well.

He said he gives the credit to me but I'll split it with him because I don't think I'd have ever thought of that (I'm not that creative). But for those that are interested he said that he got two of them and another small sticker for ~$20, so spread the word!

Whoa, Never Really Thought About That

2010-02-28T20:41:00.005-05:00

So let's talk about something most of us take advantage of and don't really think about until we have to move out and be on our own. Insurance.

I won't lie, I never really thought about it until this past year. I guess most of my life I was too young to understand what it was and I was always lucky in the fact that I had parents who dealt with everything and I just got my supplies. Actually, mom still does everything for me and I'm at the ripe 'ole age of 21.

Since I'm still in college I am qualified to be under my parents' insurance. But what happens when I'm done with college? "Oh, you'll get a job and be fine." Uhh, not necessarily. Jobs are hard to come by; so in no way does graduating college mean I'll get one right away. Sure it's not a big deal to someone who doesn't have any health problems and they just get by on a part-time job until they get a full-time one, but for diabetics we NEED that insurance to get supplies. After some quick research I've found that vials of insulin can range from $50-$200. FOR ONE VIAL. And test strips are even worse...they're literally about $1/strip and at testing ~4 times a day - well you can do the math.

This really instills some serious responsibility on us diabetics because we constantly have to plan ahead because without the insurance we will be spending a lot of money to live day-to-day. As I said in my post here I work at a camp for kids with diabetes. I have many friends that work and worked there as well. There are some people I know that unfortunately could no longer work there because they were so desperate for a job with insurance that they had to give up working the two weeks at the camp. Actually, at the end of the two weeks, if there are any supplies left over they are given away and most of the time former counselors and staff are there throughout the week to visit and often there the last day and take a lot the supplies. (I'm not trying to say they're the only ones that do it because I'm more than guilty of taking excess supplies). But what I'm trying to say is that we are always going to be on pins and needles until we can get confirmation that we're insured.

Bottom line, insurance is important and is often overlooked until you get into a situation that requires you to panic about it.

And Last but not Least

2010-02-23T19:45:00.004-05:00

There is a third type of diabetes! Most people don't know or realize that there is but there is and it is called gestational diabetes. This is a form of diabetes that can be developed, temporarily, while a woman is pregnant.

Only about 4% of women develop gestational diabetes. What happens is the placenta releases hormones that help the baby develop but can also block the action of the insulin in the body, which obviously sends your blood sugar high. So if this is developed then your diet has to be watched very closely because you don't want to harm yourself or the baby.

Once the birth has happened and the placenta and hormones are gone you no longer have to worry about the hormones blocking the insulin action and can eat a normal diet again.

Link:
ADA

So, What is Type 2 Diabetes?

2010-02-22T14:38:00.006-05:00

As most of you know, there are more than one type of diabetes. In fact, type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Most of you will be like 'whoa' when I tell you this but 90-95 percent of the people that have diabetes are type 2. That is staggering, especially because TYPE 2 DIABETES CAN BE PREVENTED!Okay, it can't always be prevented because the more people in your family that have it the more likely you are to get it. Also, certain ethnic groups such as Native American, African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian/Pacific Island descent are at a higher risk.

So while said factors cannot be prevented, the ones that can be prevented are obesity and sitting in front of the TV and computer all day. Get up. Go exercise. Like 30 minutes a day. No, moving the cursor across the screen doesn't count. If you can stay reasonably healthy through exercise and diet then your risk is severely decreased for type 2.
So, what is it? Type 2 is when your body still produces insulin, but not enough for what your body needs. This is often the reason it can be controlled with diet and exercise. If you eat foods with less carbs or sugars in them then the more consistent your BG will be.

Medication can also be used. Here's a list of meds I stole from a site:

* Sulfonylureas. These diabetes pills lower blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to release more insulin. The first drugs of this type that were developed -- Dymelor, Diabinese, Orinase and Tolinase -- are not as widely used since they tend to be less potent and shorter-acting drugs than the newer sulfonylureas. They include Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL, DiaBeta, Micronase, Glynase PresTab, and Amaryl. These drugs can cause a decrease in the hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c) of up to 1%-2%.
* Biguanides. These diabetes pills improve insulin's ability to move sugar into cells especially into the muscle cells. They also prevent the liver from releasing stored sugar. Biguanides should not be used in people who have kidney damage or heart failure because of the risk of precipitating a severe build up of acid (called lactic acidosis) in these patients. Biguanides can decrease the HbA1c 1%-2%. An example includes metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Riomet, Fortamet and Glumetza).
* Thiazolidinediones. These diabetes pills improve insulin's effectiveness (improving insulin resistance) in muscle and in fat tissue. They lower the amount of sugar released by the liver and make fat cells more sensitive to the effects of insulin. Actos and Avandia are the two drugs of this class. A decrease in the HbA1c of 1%-2% can be seen with this class of oral diabetes medications. These drugs may take a few weeks before they have an effect in lowering blood sugar. They should be used with caution in people with heart failure. Your doctor will do periodic blood testing of your liver function when using this diabetes medicine.
* Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, including Precose and Glyset. These drugs block enzymes that help digest starches, slowing the rise in blood sugar. These diabetes pills may cause diarrhea or gas. They can lower hemoglobin A1c by 0.5%-1%.
* Meglitinides, including Prandin and Starlix. These diabetes medicines lower blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to release more insulin. The effects of these diabetes pills depend on the level of glucose. They are said to be glucose dependent. High sugars make this class of diabetes medicines release insulin. This is unlike the sulfonylureas that cause an increase in insulin release, regardless of glucose levels, and can lead to hypoglycemia.
* Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors, including Januvia. The DPP-IV inhibitors (Januvia) work to lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin secretion from the pancreas and reducing sugar production. These diabetes pills increase insulin secretion when blood sugars are high. They also signal the liver to stop producing excess amounts of sugar. DPP-IV inhibitors control sugar without causing weight gain. The medication may be taken alone or with other medications such as metformin.
* Combination therapy. There are several combination diabetes pills that combine two medications into one tablet. One example of this is Glucovance, which combines glyburide (a sulfonylurea) and metformin. Others include Metaglip, which combines glipizide (a sulfonylurea) and metformin, and Avandamet which utilizes both metformin and rosiglitazone (Avandia) in one pill.

So some help release more insulin while others help cells take in more insulin. Really cool if you ask me. One last thing, if your body stops...scratch that - here it is from the website:

In time, people with type 2 diabetes develop what's called "beta-cell failure." This means that the cells in the pancreas that make insulin no longer are able to release insulin in response to high blood sugar levels. Therefore, these people often require insulin injections, either in combination with their diabetes pills, or just insulin alone to manage their diabetes.

All extremely interesting and I actually learned quite a bit about type 2 from doing this post. Part of me has always been a little bit bitter that everyone assumes every diabetic is just fat and can control it and get rid of it if they lose weight. And I also may have been a bit bitter that type 2's were called diabetic when it is somewhat there own fault by not controlling a diet and I didn't have a choice and got thrown into the lion's den. That still holds somewhat true but I definitely have a new outlook now.

Here are some extra's:
WebMD
ADA

What is Diabetes?!

2010-02-17T21:42:00.005-05:00

Alright, I've avoided this for way too long. What is diabetes? Well there are several answers to that question. Here we go:

First, I'll start off with the kind I have - type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes. This is typically genetic and I've often heard and read that it skips a generation. In my case, my maternal grandmother had it and I was diagnosed at age 8. I've also read that environmental causes could be a factor as well as viruses. Although, nothing has been proven it is constantly being looked at. And this brings up a strange point - right before I was diagnosed I had mononucleosis (or simply, mono) and had just gotten over it. I don't remember this at all but my Mother tells me that I had it. Something to consider I suppose.

With type 1 your pancreas doesn't produce insulin anymore. None. Why? No one knows (unless you were in an accident or something happened to your pancreas and it needed to be removed or what-not). Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. So what happens with diabetes is that all of your carbohydrates, sugars, etc. stay in your bloodstream. And this is the reason that when type 1's are admitted to the hospital there blood sugar is often sky high - they've gone however long with no insulin.

Because our bodies do not automatically give insulin on its own we need to test our blood glucose levels often. Always before we eat a meal, exercise or something physical that can alter our levels. Also, if you're sick you would want to test even more because an illness can really strew our BG levels. We test them because if they are not in normal range (80-120 mg/dl) it means there are sugars floating around that should be put into our cells. So when a blood sugar is high we take shots, or those of us with insulin pumps, we bolus (yes, I'll explain that at another time). And when our bodies have low blood sugar there is not enough glucose in our bloodstream therefore we need to have sugar and/or carbohydrates. Usually in the form of liquid because it absorbs quicker.

Here are some links for reference:
ADA
How Blood Sugar Control Works
Hypoglycemia

So folks, that's type 1 diabetes. Up next, type 2 diabetes.

Waterparks

2010-02-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

So I guess this problem really only affects those of us with insulin pumps. Waterparks. Unless you have a pump that can withstand water we have to take them off when we go to waterparks.

Now, this doesn't seem like a huge deal to most people but, to me at least, it's a pain. You test your blood sugar to make sure you're doing alright and granted that you are then you disconnect. Well now it's off to the first aid building because one knows that you can't keep it in the little $5 rental lockers (which are outrageously marked up) because there is about a 99% chance your locker will hit 100 degrees and there goes your insulin. And after that you hit a few rides, maybe relax in the lazy river, but then after that you've gotta go check again because without the physical activity there is a good possibility your BG will go high. So let's take a timeout from having fun and go be diabetic again.

I don't know, I went to Cedar Point this past summer with some close friends and we went to the waterpark the first day that we went to the parks and it just seemed like it was a hassle to have a pump there. I've dealt with it before (as I've been pumping for ~10 years) and it's just an annoyance. I suppose I could have done a shot of lantus for the day and then done humalog for when I ate food (I never actually thought about that until right now, ha!). I guess that's something I'll have to keep in mind.

What are some problems you have all encountered?

No, I can't Study Right Now

2010-02-11T18:02:00.003-05:00

Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, stinks. The symptoms can vary and if you've been diabetic for a while you've likely seen this chart:

Personally, I feel shaky and often very loopy. I've been known to make the 'om nom nom nom' noise when eating. Sort of cookie monster-esque. But however it makes you feel, it's not nice. We can recall my story about my scariest moment as a diabetic which involves extremely low blood sugar. But what I want to touch on real quick is low (or high actually) blood sugar during academia.

If you've had low blood sugar while studying, taking a test or even sitting in class, you know that it does NOT work. Essentially your brain is starving for sugar and it's almost literally in one ear and then out the other. I recall moments where I've sat in class and just had my head bobbing up and down and my teacher or professor thinks I am just falling asleep when it isn't true. And what's the worst is when you are taking a test and you suddenly lose all focus because of a complicated blood sugar. And it's even worse if your teacher doesn't understand your situation and just thinks you're trying to get extra time or you're trying to cheat. So unnerving.

Now, in college, I always take a Gatorade to class with me in case I feel myself dropping and when I was in middle school to junior high my mom would actually come in and tell/show my teachers and sometimes my fellow students about what I was going through. Kudos to her for doing that. But as for studying, just take a break and gather yourself while your BG comes back up and then go back strong.

Short entry for now, more to come!

Roots

2010-02-09T17:18:00.005-05:00

OK, sorry everyone. Here in Pittsburgh we got hit with snow and I ended up getting in a small accident with a wall and caused a vacuum leak so I've been trying to get my car into the shop (and finally did). So here it is.

I was talking to one of my friends and she was telling me how her insulin pump screen froze yet she was still getting insulin delivered. Kind of scary because you don't know how much you're actually getting. She ended up having to take the batteries out of it for 24 hours and just do lantus and humalog for the day. Well it didn't hit me for a couple days but it has been several years since my pump took a dump on me (thankfully!) and that I haven't given myself an injection in quite some time. Most people wouldn't be bothered by this but I recalled the last time my pump broke and I had to resort to shots for the day while they rushed my new pump to me and it went like this:

"OK, I have to do shots today. No biggie." Draws up some insulin, gets the bubbles out, makes sure it's the right amount AND; "Holy crap, I'm scared to give myself a shot!"

Weird right? I guess it had been so long since I had given myself a shot that I got used to my quik-serter doing all the work. But throughout the day I worked up the nerve to do them and was just sweating it out until the next day when I got my pump back.

So now this really has me thinking...if my pump broke today could I pop a shot? I'm thinking yes because the prior incident was around 5 years ago and I've done quite a bit in that time diabetes-wise with kids (as I'm a counselor) and I just think that it's just another day. But honestly, I think we all need to go back to the olden days when not everyone had a pump and just up-keep our skills in case of an emergency like I just pointed out. Your roots - never forget 'em.

Tomorrow!

2010-02-07T23:39:00.001-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted in a couple of days. I've been consumed with 2 feet of now and no roads being plowed, homework and work. You'll get a post tomorrow. Promise!

Diabetes...on the Rocks

2010-02-05T17:16:00.002-05:00

So today I was working my part-time job at GNC and a woman came in looking for a certain type of vitamin C. Unfortunately we were out and she just said she would make do with what she had. I recommended her another type and she declined and said "Well I'm a diabetic and this is the only kind that doesn't make me sick." Being inquisitive, I asked her what type and she responded "type 1." Well when that makes us friends, doesn't it?! (Refer to earlier post here) So we got to chatting and she said that she was allergic to insulin. I was like "WHOA!"

So I asked her how she managed her type 1 and she said she eats the same thing every day and with exercise. This next part is strange, but she said that her aunt is diabetic and occasionally she'll put some insulin in orange juice and drink it and it works for her. Unfortunately, after that she had to run so I couldn't talk to her anymore about it. Now, a few things are fishy to me here:

- You can be allergic to certain types of insulin, but every type available?
- You cannot put insulin in orange juice and drink it. I mean, you can but it won't do anything. If we could drink insulin, we certainly wouldnt be taking shots of it.
- After she eats she'd have to exercise immensely. She eats Panera for lunch everyday and that's going to have some carbs. So without a lot of exercise her BG is going to shoot sky high.

Here's a link to Insulin Allergy. Im not sure what to make of it all.

I dont know, it seems odd to me. What are your thoughts?

Scariest Diabetic Moment

2010-02-03T22:31:00.004-05:00

I definitely appreciate the votes for my possible tattoo (hint: click the link and vote please!). Everyone's input is important to me, and I do listen!

As I feel as I am lacking any creativity right now I'm going to fall back on my absolute scariest moment as a diabetic.

I've been incredibly lucky in that I have never gone to the hospital because of complications dealing with my diabetes. I've taken very good care of myself and hope that I never need to get rushed to the ER because of any complications. This moment absolutely scared me silly though.

At one point in my life I lived with my girlfriend and so before we went to bed I did my usual things to get ready for bed, including testing my blood sugar (which was absolutely fine). Well I woke up at some point through the night and I sat up, rather, I sprang up and laid belly-down on top of my girlfriend's legs. (The thing about her is that she is the heaviest sleeper of anyone I've ever met and she NEVER wakes up). Well when I sprang up, for whatever reason, she actually woke up. When I laid down on her legs she said "What are you doing?" and I responded with something about Molly (my co-worker at a restaurant), which made absolutely no sense. She repeated the "What are you doing?" several more times. So as this was going on I managed to make my way to the bathroom (which was right at the foot of the bed) and laid on my side half in the bathroom and half in the bedroom. At this point I said "I don't feel good, I don't feel good." Obviously nervous, she gets up and asks is I'm going to be sick or if I have low blood sugar. Again, "I don't feel good." I was blessed in the fact that she knew about diabetes and immediately ran to the kitchen and grabbed a Gatorade and basically poured it down my throat.

After that I was walked to the living room and sat on the couch in a daze as she put another Gatorade in my hand and I was able to drink this on my own. While drinking she tested my blood sugar. 30. Yeah, I was 30 AFTER I drank a Gatorade. I slowly came back and started to eat a sandwich she had made me. I gave myself a little bit of insulin because I knew I had too much and we went back to bed.

Fast forward to the next morning and I asked her what had happened last night and she told me the story I just told all of you. I don't remember anything besides eating that sandwich. I pretty much blacked out from low blood sugar. Not cool. I was pretty freaked for a while because I kept thinking about what would have happened if no one was there. To this day I still feel lucky and the story still creeps me out. I have no idea what caused me to crash and definitely don't remember doing anything different.

Let's hope that never happens again.

That Won't Ever go Away

2010-02-02T23:01:00.004-05:00

Now just by reading the title one would assume I was talking about diabetes. And while, right now, there is no cure and the disease will never go away I am actually not talking about it. I'm talking about tattoos.

I've got an abundance of friends that have the medical emblem and Type 1 Diabetic tattooed on their wrist (or some variation thereof) because it's an medical ID that will never go away. Here are two examples from friends of mine:

Yes, the second one has it on his arm rather than his wrist, but none-the-less he's got one.

Now I've contemplated this for quite some time. Years in fact. There are pros and cons to it. I never wear one or carry one in my wallet and I take crap for it every time I go to the doctor (as I should). In this sense, it's a good idea so I will always have it. The bad about it is what if they find a cure? A lot of people I know say that diabetes has changed a lot of their lives' that they most likely would have not changed otherwise - like diabetes is a part of them. On that note I completely agree - but it's still tough to put it there forever. Another thing that makes me nervous is seeming unprofessional in an interview or something. I would not want to come of as a 'punk' or something because I have a tattoo on my wrist when in fact it would be to save my life.

One thing that really gets me was a few years back when I proposed the idea to my dad he said he liked it but at the same time felt like I was giving up and that I'd have this disease forever and be stuck with it. I saw his point and went back to work. I worked on something inspirational for months on end to see if I could come up with anything I liked. I came up with 'Impossible is nothing'. I was ecstatic because I really liked it, then I realized it was the slogan for Adidas. That phased me for all of 10 seconds before I stopped caring that it was there slogan.

So fast forward another year or so and I'm still stuck on which to get. Where to get it. Or if I should even get one at all.

What Tattoo (if any) Should I get, and Where?(opinion)

I'm not Getting a sig on my Beeper

2010-02-02T13:35:00.005-05:00

Insulin pumps - God's gift to diabetics. I've been on a pump for ~10 years and have had several models (all MiniMed - sorry every other brand). Having an insulin pump has been amazing. I can (within limits of what a regular person should eat) eat anything and not have to worry about giving myself a shot to cover for the food I just ate. I can drink regular juice or soda if I want (which, honestly, I don't) and haven't a worry. My numbers have been more stable, which when I was younger, my numbers had crazy swings thus causing my mood to swing quite drastically. Ask my mom and dad, I was more than a pain.

(Note: that is not me but that is exactly what my insulin pump looks like)

So while helping me in every aspect my pump has added some comedy to my life. It has coincidentally been mistaken for a cell phone, gameboy, calculator, some sort of device that is clearly being used to cheat during a test, and yes, a beeper.

First of all, who has a beeper beyond 1997, besides this guy?

And secondly and thirdly and whatever, if I was going to cheat during an exam would I blatantly have my 'device' hanging off my belt? Or if I wanted my Pokemon fix in the middle of my 7th grade English class I'd probably try and hide it in my desk or something. And as for a cell phone, i guess that's legitimate even though it's kind of bulky and has a tube sticking out the top of it.

I'm an avid basketball player and even though I should disconnect it I usually don't and have had a variety of question and comments like:

- "Dude, why are you wearing your cell phone during a ball session bro? Are you that important?" (Yes, all said in that 'dude, brah' voice)
- "Why are you wearing your pager? Got put it in your bag."
- Or after they find out I'm diabetic: "Oh I thought you were just like getting pumped up with steroids or something."

You get the point.

I did hear a story from a friend (who I can not recollect their name at the time) whose teacher/principal or whatever thought it was a phone and without question ripped it off their waist. Now sorry to any children or parents reading this but ahhh hell no! If that had happened to me it wouldn't be pretty. Let's not shoot first and ask questions later, k?

But seriously, I find it kind of funny when people think its a beeper. What's nice though is if people ask me about it later and then I can help educate them about it. Such a great feeling.

Anyone have any stories???

The Place Where Lifelong Friends are Made

2010-02-01T00:37:00.007-05:00

So, again, I avoid the post about type 1 and 2 but I swear it's coming. I just want to get a quick post in here before I go to bed.

I was on a diabetes forum earlier today and there had been someone who said that he was the only one in his school with diabetes and felt alone and wanted to know if attending a camp would change the 'alone' feeling.

(Don't know who this band is, but thanks for the picture)(Edit - sorry, the picture got cut off a bit).

Hell yeah camp would change that alone feeling.

When I was diagnosed my mom made me go to camp. I think it took a while for her to realize there were camps so by the time I went I had been pretty seasoned. But anyways, when I went I was miserable. My mom took me to Rush-Henrietta, N.Y. in the middle of no where and plopped me at Rotary Sunshine Campus with all these smiling, happy faces. When you first are signing in it is mandatory that you get your picture taken. I just Google'd faces that were miserable and couldn't even find one comparable to what mine looked like. It was bad.

Fast forward one week (because that's all camp was) and I told my mom to leave me there and I didn't want to go home. Truth be told, I cried on the way home because I missed it so much. I was like 12, cut me some slack. But in all honesty, it was an amazing time. No one is different. You all have to check your blood sugar before meals and pee on a stick if you have high blood sugar. To these people, I was normal.

I went back for a few years and enjoyed the each year more than the last. I took a hiatus for a couple years because there was actually a two week daycamp right near my home that I was old enough to work at. After several years though I had missed it too much and needed to go back. Since I was over 18 I got to skip the CIT (counselor in training) phase and jumped right to counselor. What a blast. It's like going to camp as an adult. If I could write the job description I'd honestly write 'fun' and that's it. And as fate would have it I managed to become one of five cabin heads the next year. I still, to this day, consider it a very big honor and am glad I was given the responsibility. I also relish the fact that I can now impact kids' lives like my counselors and cabin heads impacted mine. My mother likes to constantly remind me that I remember all my cabin heads' names and that kids in my cabin will have those same memories of me and that if I do a good job they may aspire to be a cabin head because of what they saw AJ do. Wow.

Because of camp I have friends that I will know forever and when I have problems, diabetes related or not, I know I can call them and have someone to talk to. The bonds you form are like no other. Words cannot even describe it. In fact, I'm tearing up as I write this - it's that amazing.

So kid, would camp help? You bet your ass it would.

Just Another day in the Life of a Diabetic

2010-01-30T09:28:00.004-05:00

So I had planned on my next post being about the difference between type 1 and 2 because as my previous story pointed out - people don't know. But, last night was one of those nights.

I got home from the gym around 9:00PM and got home and had eaten some dinner that I cooked up (yes, I can cook, and not just macaroni and cheese!). I lounged for a bit and watched some TV. I figured I should shower, and it being time to change my pump site I took it out. Now I'll admit to keeping my site in a little longer than three days (slap on the wrist, I know) and when I took it out it either pussed a little bit or some insulin came out. I figured I'd just test before bed to make sure I was okay.

A few hours pass and I decide to hit the bricks, that is until my OneTouch Ultra told me that my blood sugar was 372. I decided I should go pee on a stick (because I still havent gotten a meter that tests blood ketones yet) and luckily had negative ketones. I stayed up for a bit more and corrected myself and drank a bottle of water.

Now the real kicker, which most of us seasoned diabetics have probably experienced, is that I woke up at 5:30AM with a BG (blood glucose, or blood sugar) of 51.

So I did the usual, go and obliterate everything in the kitchen because waking up in the middle of the night with a low blood sugar is different. Luckily with me I wake up and realize it (which I'm thankful for) because some people just kind of daze through it and that can be dangerous. But, for me at least, when I wake up I feel disoriented and rushed and I feel like I'm dropping so fast that I need to at and drink way more than necessary. So, of course, I did. Luckily as I felt myself getting better I at least had the presence of mind to bolus (give myself insulin via my pump) for any extra food that I had eaten.

Just another day in the life of a diabetic...

You Don't Look Diabetic

2010-01-29T18:10:00.005-05:00

This one get's me every time. "You don't look diabetic." Oh, shoot...I forgot to wear my sign today - let me go grab it.

But in all seriousness, I've encountered too many situations where people have said this to me. The latest one happened to me and went like this:

While working my part-time job at GNC today I had a woman ~26 came in and we chatted for a bit. Whilst chatting I discover that she is an RN (Registered Nurse)! Well I told her that I attended nursing school for a bit (yup, I did) and initially got into the health field because I'm diabetic. Then comes the statement,

"Well you don't look diabetic."

Thanks for the help Picard (yes, the name was changed because I got it wrong the first time, sorry!).

Now I'll give it to her because she explained herself (and I assumed she'd say this) and said that she's used to seeing type 2 and people so obese they can't move, and I understand that. So while I knew where she was still coming from I HATE when people say that because most people that say it and don't have some sort of health background legit think I should be overweight and can't eat a candy bar if I want. Now, before I go on a rant about the massive differences between type 1 and 2 diabetes I will bid you all adieu.

Enjoy!

You've got Diabetes? Of Course That Makes us Friends!

2010-01-28T13:50:00.003-05:00

The title says it all. I can't speak for all diabetics but as soon as I see someone with an insulin pump or find out they're diabetic then I immediately feel a connection with them. I'm not sure if the reasoning behind this is that I attended Diabetes Camp (which, in my mind, that's what it'll always be called) and have accepted it completely and have so many close bonds with people who have diabetes, but I feel that connection is there.

So a few years back, when I was muscular and beautiful, I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch. I didn't mind the job so much and had fun while it lasted but there is one memory in particular that I remember and really epitomizes that 'connection' i just spoke of.

One day I was doing one of my many capable jobs at work when a young woman, about ~15 years old and her mother approached me and asked if I could help them get a fitting room. Of course, I obliged. They were full and I apologized at the wait, but as we were waiting I noticed a Minimed insulin pump on her waist. Of course, being diabetic for 10+ years at that point I was ecstatic to see it. I asked 'Are you a type 1?' And she responded somewhat sheepishly and sort of grabbed her pump and replied with 'Yes.' I just put a big smile on my face and lifted my shirt up revealing a matching pump. I'm not sure what it was but both of their faces lit up and we chatted for another second and then they got their room.

After a bit I was at the register and the mother and daughter came up and bought the clothes for the daughter and as they were leaving I got a look from the mother and a simple 'thank you.' I'm not sure what the 'thank you' was for but it made my day and I also saw them a few more times after that and noticed that they only really dealt with me when they came into the store. The mom always said it was because I was so nice and helpful. I think it was the bond of two diabetics.

Day 1 of the Rest of my Life

2010-01-27T17:04:00.003-05:00

So here is my first official post.

Next month it'll be 13 years since I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It started a few days before our spring break (I was in the 3rd grade) and everyone asked what I was doing, where I was going, etc. I, going no where, replied with no where and I'll be home all week. Lo and behold I spent it in the hospital and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Now I know quite a few diabetics (and when I say a few I really mean hundreds) and have heard lots of diagnosis stories and mine seems like a walk in the park. I've heard of blood sugars in the thousands and vomiting and blacking out. I feel very lucky it did not get to that point.

My maternal grandmother had diabetes so my mother knew some of the signs and symptoms and realized something wasn't right. I would be playing outside with friends and come in and stand at my kitchen sink and literally drink four large glasses of water in a row without thinking twice. I got to pee in a cup at the nurse's office (and at the time I had no idea why) and the next day I was off to the hospital.
Now, not knowing why I was going to hospital I freaked out. When I say freaked out I mean I cried and screamed at the top of my lungs that "I'd rather die than go to the hospital!" Heck, I was 8, I didn't know what went on at hospitals besides people dieing. So I get to the hospital and I get a room for a few days because they have to stabilize my blood sugar (which when I got in was a mere ~650) and we (my parents and I) had to get educated so I could live a healthy life. I don't really remember specifics of those few days as it was quite a while ago, and honestly I'd rather not. I'm not too sure why but it just doesn't bother me not remembering.

So there is a part of my story of the first few days. I promise the next few post will be fun and informative (and not as boring either :-p).

Thanks!

First Post

2010-01-24T23:41:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone, just running a test post. Can't wait to get this started!