#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes

Today's post is inspired by Kyle Schwartz, a third grade teacher in Denver Colorado who created a trust building lesson plan for her third grade class called. “I wish my teacher knew.” 
The honesty in the notes the students wrote are going to hit you in the heart.   
Kyle shared some of her students notes on twitter with the hashtag, #Iwishmyteacherknew.  
Soon, thousands joined in the conversation and many teachers feel that Schwartz lesson plan changed the landscape of the classroom, encouraging trust and honesty between the students and teachers. 
According to interviews, Schwartz hopes that #Iwishmyteacherknew will encourage a dialogue that will help teachers connect students and their families with resources they need.
I've given the Kyle's trust building lesson a diabetes spin a'la "I wish people knew that diabetes.....," and with the hashtag -  #Iwishpeopleknewthatdiabetes. 
Hopefully you can relate and share your own wishes~ 
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#IWishpeopleknewThatDiabetes

 I wish people knew that diabetes is lot harder than PWDs (people with diabetes) make it look. 
 I wish people knew that diabetes is NEVER ENDING - and that I haven’t had a day off from type 1 diabetes in 13,690 days  - nor did/do I get time from diabetes for good behavior, national holidays, weddings, funerals or mental health days. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is hard - REALLY HARD - and that there are days when the last thing I feel like dealing with is diabetes - but I don't have a choice, so I do. 

I wish people knew that diabetes can be exhausting. 

I wish people knew that because of diabetes, when I look at the food on my plate I see numbers first, food second.

I wish people knew that diabetes wasn't my fault.

I wish people knew that diabetes IS NOT a character flaw and that all people living with diabetes and regardless of the type, are amazing. 

I wish people knew that diabetes makes me cry sometimes.

I wish people knew that my diabetes has caused me a tremendous amount of guilt since I was 8 years old.

I wish people knew that diabetes causes me to say "I'm sorry," even when I'm not. 

I wish people knew that even when you do everything right with diabetes, your blood sugars can still eff with you. Same goes for diabetes complications.

I wish people knew that people with diabetes usually have a really twisted sense of humor.

I wish people knew that diabetes complications can happen - And that people shouldn't judge someone because of their diabetes complication(s).

I wish people knew that people with diabetes can have, had are having children - And that throughout the ages, PWDs have become parents. My two aunts with type 1 had children in the 1950's, so did my dad. My oldest sister with t1 had 3 children in 1976, 1980 & 1990.  
And that today women with diabetes in the DOC and beyond are having boatloads and boatloads of beautiful children - and those wonderful women with diabetes worked (and are working,) damn hard to deliver those beautiful and healthy children. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is not the reason I don’t have children. 
Life is the reason I don’t have children - it doesn’t mean I didn’t want them, because I did and I do and that it breaks my heart that I don't.
But if diabetes is the reason for someone not having children - You shouldn't judge or ignore them for not having children, diabetes or not - And you should remember that for many, it's a very personal and potentially painful subject. 

I wish people knew that I am more the sum of my parts- including my beautiful, busted pancreas. 

I wish people knew that diabetes gives you boatloads of strength and empathy. 

I wish HealthCare Professionals who still tell their patient(s) with diabetes that they "noncompliant," would stop using that term - it's offensive and defeatist and most likely will not garner the effects the HCP was hoping for hoping for. 
I wish they'd say: I know you struggle with your diabetes - lets make a game plan and work together to get you up to speed.  

And I wish they'd go a step further and let their patients with diabetes know that they are not alone and suggest seeing that they see a Certified Diabetes Educator and a therapist. Encourage them to join online communities & read diabetes blogs so they can find peer support and encouragement. 

I wish people that just because I wear an insulin pump, doesn’t mean I have the bad kind of diabetes - It means I have the kind of diabetes that makes shit gold ingots. 
Kidding! It just means my body doesn’t have the ability to produce insulin.

People with diabetes need insulin to live - and I’ve found that wearing a bionic pancreas clipped to my hip works for me. 

I wish people who worked for my insurance company realized what an infusion site actually was BEFORE they denied me my fourth box of infusion sets. 

 And I wish people who worked at health insurance companies realized that like a person who makes their own insulin, my body requires a different amount of insulin EVERY DAY - And that tile floors can and most almost always bust insulin bottles BEFORE your days before your refill is due.

And I wish my insurance company (and yours) realized that a 30 days worth of pump supplies does not equal 10 infusion sets - because life, in the form of deadspots, doorknobs, SPANX, exercise and million other things get in the way and 10 X 3 most certainly DOES NOT = a 30 day supply.

I wish people knew that the cupcake I’m just about to eat required copious amounts of testing my blood sugar and carb counting - and I will continue to test my blood sugar like a mad woman for hours, afterwards. 
And yes, I can and will eat that cupcake, because I’ve done the work to eat that cupcake. 

I wish people knew that cutting out white foods, drinking miracle water and downing massive doses of cinnamon WILL NOT cure my diabetes. 

I wish people knew that insulin is NOT A CURE for diabetes, but insulin has saved millions of lives and I'm grateful to have access to it every damn day. 

I wish people knew that insulin is lifesaving and that there are so many people around the globe who desperately need insulin, but don't have access to it. 

I wish people knew that after 90 plus years, insulin is still ridiculously expensive  - even if you have insurance. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is indeed a family affair and that parents, siblings, spouses, extended family, and friends who are family, have their own diabetes challenges and struggles. 

I wish people knew that every person with diabetes does try - and that my sister Debbie did try - she just didn’t have the right emotional tools or diabetes technology back in the Diabetes Dark Ages to succeed - And I wish I'd realized that sooner and had been more patient.

I wish people knew that diabetes and blood sugars factors aren't so cut and dry as most think and I wish people knew that there are at least 22 things that contribute to blood sugars. 

I wish people who wrote sitcoms actually wrote funny/truthful diabetes jokes, instead of offensive and stereotypical jokes. 
Diabetes is not punchline and your offensive jokes directly affects funding for the diabetes cure. 

I wish people, including healthcare professions, knew that the diabetes online community exists and is beneficial to every person living with diabetes and their loved ones. 

I wish people knew that diabetes requires emotional support as well as insulin. 
I wish people knew that Diabetes Burnout is REAL. 

I wish people knew that the only thing I can’t do because of my diabetes is make insulin, everything else is GAME ON. 

I could go on, but I want to know about what you wish people knew about diabetes - I'd really love and appreciate your thoughts on the subject - lets get the dialogue going! 


Addendum: On Wednesday, April 22nd, YOU CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING. 

Also, please checkout http://mydiabetessecret.com  - a place to share heartfelt & anonymous D secrets in a safe/supportive environment. 

Diabetes Math, Battling Insurance Companies, Dead-Spots & Zombie Infusion Sites....

I always put off changing an infusion set that’s less than 48 hours old - not because I’m lazy, but because of insurance coverage re: my supplies and the lack there of. 
And it drives me crazy. 
In a perfect world, 1 box containing 10 infusion sets  = 1 infusion set every 3 days, which = a 30 day month supply. 
In a perfect world, 3 boxes of infusion sites = a 90 day supply.
But that’s not how any of this works in real life because life isn’t perfect, and life with diabetes is anything but - even when you do everything right - which is pretty damn impossible, diabetes or not. Yep, four boxes of infusion sites every three months gives us a little relief and a little wiggle room and are the keys to our mental and physical health.   
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As I stated above, I almost always hold off changing a less than 48 hour old infusion site when it’s obviously having issues syphoning insulin. 

I don’t want to run out of infusion sites. I don’t have to fight to get more infusion sites from my pump company and I don’t want to have to pay for them. 

But I do. 

I don’t want to battle with my insurance company to cover 4 boxes every three months because my insurance company is all about the math. 
1 box containing 10 infusion sets  = 1 infusion set every 3 days, which = a 30 day month supply. 
In a perfect world, 3 boxes of infusion sites = a 90 day supply.
But in my imperfect diabetes world, four boxes of infusions sites every three months keeps me covered when it comes to real life infusion site occurrences.
Things like:
Skin sensitivity  
Dead spots 
Zombie infusion sites
(Zombie infusions kinda, sorta syphon in the insulin, but not so much. Zombie infusion sites  have you running blood sugars in the 150 to 180 range and require more insulin. And when you do change the site, your numbers go back to normal.)  
Doorknobs 
SPANX killing off a new infusion site within 20 hours of wearing said SPANX 
Yoga pants yanking out infusion sites 
Bungie pumping, pumps that falter and rip your site 
Leg sites that only last 30 beautiful and perfect hours before they crap out for good because leg sites get more action than abdomen sites 
Abdomen infusion sites that are precariously close to pant buttons and jean rivets
Infusion site adhesive that unsticks, ASAP and for no reason at all  
Abdomen infusion sites that inadvertently getting rubbed by handbags and losing their magic sucking in the insulin, power.

I (and by I, of course I mean WE,) shouldn’t have to risk extended damaging our valuable real-estate or elevated blood sugars because of all of the above. 

Nor should we have to choose the lessor of two evils - Using more insulin and risk running out before our insulin Rx can be refilled, or risk running of infusions sites before that RX can be refilled.
So while I don't want to fight for my fourth box of infusion sites,
I ABSOLUTELY DO FIGHT FOR MY FOURTH BOX OF INFUSION SITES - because I absolutely need them. 
I've gone so far as to email my insurance company pictures of what an infusion site actually is, where it goes and what it does, because the people who are doing the denying, have absolutely no clue. 
Why am I writing this post? Because after 3 days of infusion site bliss and lovely numbers, I put in a new infusion site Saturday night, which ended up being placed directly in a dead-spot and had to change it out 2.5 hours later. 
That second site was a zombie site, but it took me until Monday morning to change it because I didn't want to admit it was another site issue - I didn't want to deal with the diabetes math and I was really, truly hoping it was just me requiring extra insulin instead of another site issue. 
And now I'm sharing because I'm thinking that some of you might be able to relate.

Screw You, Snow: Things I’m looking forward to in the next two weeks~

The weather is craptastical,  it’s bumming me out, driving me crazy and I've developed a wicked case of cabin fever! And of course, the weather report predicts anywhere between 5 and 10 inches (of snow, sickos - get your minds out of the gutter. Also: that's what she said,) in the next two days.  

So for this post, I'm focusing on what I’m looking forward to in the next 14 days to get me through the snow.  

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Daffodils: I need my daffodil fix. Daffodils remind me of spring and my mother and daffodils are resilient. They poke through the snow and show us that nothing is impossible. Daffodils are my favorite - Daffodils personify hope and make me hopeful.

Spring: I’m looking forward to spring and sunshine and seasonal warm weather - I don’t need 80 degrees in March, temps in the high 40s with lots of sunshine and not snowflake in sight would be downright dreamy. 

Tonight's #DSMA chat at 9PM, EST on the twitter. 

One of hour of chatting with PWDs (people with diabetes) about anything and everything!

It's entertaining, fun, and it will get you through your week! 

Log on to twitter tonight & follow the #DSMA hasthag & the moderator, @DiabetesSocMed! 

JDRF Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Chapter’s TypeOneNation Research Summit -Saturday, March 7th in Bethesda, Maryland. 

I’m looking forward to learning about the latest and greatest re: diabetes technology, listening to speakers like Gary Scheiner & Dr. William Tamborlane - Just to name a few of many awesome.  I'm also looking forward to participating in the workshops and facilitating a few. 
Click HERE to learn more about the Summit, then click HERE and sign up to attend!!

The Diabetes Unconference, next weekend (March 13-15) in Las Vegas. 

I’m so freaking excited to attend The Diabetes Unconference - Excited to be surrounded by others “who get it," and who speak the language of diabetes in all dialects. 

Being surrounded by other adults with diabetes and regardless of the type - Being part of my amazing D tribe.  

Viva PWDs!! 

Proud Auntie Alert: 

I’m so incredibly proud of my niece, Tess McChesney Kunik for creating the amazing film, Reasons I Want To Recover. The film stars a collective of "artists spreading awareness about eating disorders and disordered eating patterns through dance, sound, poetry, paint, and bravery,”including my Tess.  SO PROUD  of my brave and talented Tess McChesney Kunik! Please click HERE and watch her outstanding film! 

I’m also looking forward to watching The Mindy Project on March 17th, because my other talented niece,  Cristin Milioti is guest starring! So stoked & proud! Read all about it, HERE.

What are you guys looking forward to in the next few weeks? 

Share if want, or don't. But make sure to focus on the good to get you through the mucky weather! 

Bed Time & High Blood Sugar Restlessness

After three days of beautiful blood sugars that didn’t go above 190, the streak was broken last night at 10 pm and was followed by a few hours of the tune, "Tossin And Turnin," blaring through my head, literally and figuratively. 
FTR: I love the "Animal House" Soundtrack. 
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I couldn’t wait to go to bed last night, I was exhausted and I knew that once my head hit the pillow - I’d be out like a light. 

Except that’s not what happened at all. 
I tried to sleep, I really did, but I kept tossing and turning so much that the lyrics from the song,‘Tossin And Turnin’ by Bobby Lewis kept going through my head, which made me even more wide awake because it's such a catchy tune and I can't help but start to sing it whenever I think of it... but I digress. 
I had an idea of what the problem was, but I needed to confirm it. 
I turned on the light, grabbed my meter from the nightstand, did a check and was 266. 
Just what I thought - I’d done a site change at 10 pm because of two challenging blood sugars (253 and 270) in a row after 3 days of truly beautiful numbers and an itchy site that was only 30 hours old. 

 Ok, so this is weird but it's also good: In the last couple of years I've noticed that when I go to bed feeling super exhausted, but then feel super restless, wide awake and can’t fall asleep once I'm in bed, there’s a good chance it’s because my blood sugar is going north.  Which is really strange because you'd think I'd be all types of sluggish, like I am when my blood sugar is elevated during the day or when I wake up with a high Bg - But that hasn't been the case when it happens at bedtime.

Sidebar: I ALWAYS get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach & right near my bellybutton if I feel my blood sugar begins to head south before bed - it will keep me up for obvious reasons if I ignore it - Never fails. 

Before changing out the new site I had to make sure that it was the infusion site the was the culprit. I did a correction bolus and waited 40 minutes, during which time I was still feeling restless and wide awake as I sat on my couch and scrolled down my FaceBook feed. When I tested again I was 263.  
Yep, it was definitely the site. I changed it out & committed to waiting another 40 minutes. 
But 20 minutes in, I started feeling tired. It was almost 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, of course I was tired - Hell, I should have been asleep! 
But in my gut I knew I’d nailed the culprit. Nailed it or not though, it was 1:59 a.m. and I was spent. 
Finally, at 2:17 I checked again and my blood sugar was 221 - I made a beeline for my bed and this time, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. 
I woke up five hours later with a 150 bg and a slight, (but not as terrible as it could have been,) high blood sugar hangover.

SO long story longer: I’m incredibly grateful that my body still gives me recognizable signs after 37 years of living with diabetes - but I know the signs aren't full proof or permanent.  

I live alone, I don’t have a CGM and I need to consider getting one for a multitude of reasons. If I'd had a cgm last night, I would have been able to spot that the arrows up trend and I probably would gotten more than 5 hours of sleep. 

Also, I'm really curious, am I the only one who gets uber restless and can’t fall asleep if my blood sugar begins to head super north at bedtime? 

We're all different and your diabetes may vary, but what unusual idiosyncrasies/signs does your body give you when it comes to diabetes? 

2015: Copious Amounts of Honesty, Kindness & Hard Work

So, it’s 2015 and I’ve really given a lot of thought as to how I’m going to start off the new year - Actually, it didn’t take a lot of “thought” at all. But it sure as hell took a lot of being honest with myself, where I am and where I need to be. 
If I am going “to do” and “become,” shit’s going to have to get real and I’m going to have to buckle down, make some scary changes and hone my life's navigational skills in order to live and achieve the life I want. 
Bottom line: I need to not hold on to the fear of the unknown and believe in myself the way I believe in others in order to become the better version of myself that I know I can, and want to be. 
Doing and becoming not only take copious amounts of work in order to achieve, but also require copious amounts of honesty (As I stated, I've got real life navigational crap I’ve got to figure out) and kindness towards myself (I may have real navigational life roadmap crap to figure out, but I’m talented, I’m passionate, funny and I cut other people more slack than I ever cut myself,) all rolled into one. 

And I’m starting today to be the change I need and know I can be. 

I know I will have moments where I stumble and falter and I know I’ ll want to quit because of self doubt. 
But I know I will moments where I will overcome and I will succeed and surpass my wildest hopes and dreams. 
And I know that you're going to have moments of fear and success re: the goals that you've set for yourself in 2015 - And that's OK, because here's the thing: As long as we don’t give up on ourselves, there's nothing we can't accomplish or achieve - And damn it, we are worth it! 

Stylish & Functional: Adorn Designs Clutch Review & Holiday Giveaway!

I love things that make my life and my life with diabetes easier. 

I also love stylish, sleek and pleasing to the eye things - And I love the opportunity to give my blog readers the opportunity to win something that's all of the above. :) 

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Adorn Designs Elite Collection Clutch In Imperial Yellow Diabetes Supply Bag, out of
the box and in its original wrapping.
Dimensions:10 inches long, 6.5 inches deep & 5.1 inches thick.
Cotton Canvas - Machine washable and super easy to spot clean. 

Just before the summer started, I was contacted by  Lee Ann from Adorn Designs, a Denver based company that manufactures “High-Style/Low-Profile” designer bags for PWDs to carry their diabetes supplies. Adorn Designs line includes; clutches, insulin/meter cases, messengers bags & handbags! 
LeeAnn wanted to know if I was interested in reviewing their product.
I was!
WHY? Because I like bags that are stylish, functional and keep me organized. 
And if that bag will do all of the above regarding my diabetes supplies, I like it even better! 
So I picked out a bag and used it daily. And by “used it daily,” I mean I traveled with it on a plane, in my car and on my person on a daily basis.

I chose a clutch from Adorn's Elite Collection in Imperial Yellow that retails  for $35.   
I LOVE the color yellow and love the idea of clutch, but I never carry a clutch because I can never find one that will fit all my D supplies!  
Adorn's Elite clutch was large and really sleek, not bulky. I could fit it in my carry-on, my computer bag or carry it alone as my clutch for the evening. 
I lOVED that the outside is water proof (and iced tea/coffee proof/ wine proof,) and that all I had to do was wipe off any spill or blood from the exterior with a damp paper towel. 
*A huge plus: I could view all my D supplies out without out actually taking them out of the bag and that feature really came in handy while sitting (and by sitting I mean CRAMMED) in my seat on flight to California this past October. 
I just reached into my bag for the clutch, put it on the tray table and opened it, grabbed what I needed and did what I had to do.  

Everything diabetes (and non D related) at a glance - And after being
spot cleaned! 

There’s lots zippered compartments for diabetes supplies in the clutch, but it also allowed me to have space non d items like my favorite lip gloss, a mirror and comb &  
a compartment where I could keep my money/receipts organized when I traveled. 

The clutch also fit easily into my beach cooler and I was able to put a frio in it, no problem! 
For weekend trips to friends in other states, the Adorns clutch was key. 
I put all my D supplies in that clutch and threw it in my black over night bag. The Imperial Yellow color made it easy to find in a black lined bag.  
Also: Regarding the interior. I did manage to have blood spatter drop pattern, that was CSI worthy while I was traveling. 
I waited a good month (I’d love to say I was SUPER BUSY, I kind of was, but I was also being really lazy,) before I put a little SHOUT on tooth brush, scrubbed and rinsed under cold water. It took all of 5 minutes to remove the spots and I wish all my laundry was that easy to clean.

Bottom line: I LOVE my Adorn Elite Clutch in Imperial Yellow - I really do! 
It’s functional and beautiful and id defies Murphy’s Law when it comes to diabetes and blood letting.
Also, I used it as actual clutch a few times (wish it had a wristlet so I could swing it around my wrist :) and non PWDs were like: I LOVE YOUR BAG and I was like: THANKS, ME TOO! 
And it was wonderful to go out with smart looking clutch sans the worry of “where will I put all my diabetes crap!” 

Now for the giveaway part of this post: You guys have a chance to win an Adorn Clutch!

Here's How: Leave comment saying why like to win one. 

If You’re A Dude: No worries, you can choose from one these fine cases!

Who Can Enter: Anyone with diabetes or who loves someone with diabetes.

RULES: The Adorn winner will be announced on Monday morning, December 22nd, which means you have until Midnight Sunday the 21st to leave a comment. 
And please, if you leave a comment under “Anonymous” or under your Google+  account, make sure you leave your email address. If you win and I can’t contact you - The Adorn bag goes to someone else. 

Bonus: Even if you don't win, you can still get 15% off your Adorn Designs purchase by entering 15off at checkout - So you everybody wins!

All comments are approved before published. 
Winner chosen by Random.org

My Carry-On Bag at a glance. 

Yesterday's Wild Blood Sugar Ride From Hell.

Post by Diabetesaliciousness.

As you can see from yesterday's Diabetesalicious Facebook status, late Saturday evening into Sunday afternoon involved a rarely occurring and out of the blue blood sugar ride from hell, a test in patience and a few reminders along the way. 
Sometimes wild blood sugar rides come out of the blue and can take you forever to extricate yourself from. 
Said BG ride from hell leaves you with a continually filling bladder that refuses to empty, small ketones and a long sleepless night that leaves resembling a character out of the Zombie flick. 
Except you don't want or need to eat brains, you want, need and require sleep and the ability to eat your breakfast without fearing ketones and blood sugars in the mid 260s.
And you NEED COFFEE. So against your better judgement, you bolus for and drink a small cup around 9 a.m., so you won't go completely off the deep-end. And regardless of the high blood sugars, you're glad you did. 
You find that you've entered a weirdly Zen state, where you've completely detached yourself from the infuriating numbers on the screen in order to stay calm and conquer them. And because you live by yourself, you're really glad for that weird Zen thing happening and embrace it, because you're afraid of what will happen if you don't.
 And finally, you win.
You feel like you've gone 12 rounds with the devil and fell down a lot. But you crawled back up and you finally won. 
but instead of doing a victory dance around the ring, you circle back to the kitchen, bolus for and eat a slice of toast with peanut butter and then crawl into bed and take nap at 3 pm. 
And as you drift off to sleep, you try not to think about the four zombie infusion sets you went through during the ride and focus on directing thanks to the fact that the blood sugar ride from hell happened on a Saturday night into Sunday, instead of during the week. 
And you're incredibly thankful to be off that fucking ride and vow never go back on it again..... but of course, eventually you will... and you know that. 
And you'll handle it, because you don't have a choice not to. 

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The Winner of Friday's KINDSnacks Giveaway is Abby Travis.

Congrats Abby, I'll be sending you an email today to get your shipping address!

And if you didn't win, thanks for entering and keep trying - There are new giveaways on the way!!

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Giveaway: 5 Lenny The Lion Plush & Pump Carrying Cases

Today's the first in a series of blog giveaways that I mentioned last week and I'm really excited! 

I LOVE giving gifts because it makes me happy - And today's giveaway fits the happy bill for sure! 

Today's Giveaway: 5 seriously cute Lenny The Lion plush pump carrying cases. 

Lenny The Lion is Medtronic's official ambassador for children with diabetes and
he's awesome! 

Why I love Lenny: Because he's super cute and functional and if I was little, I'd snuggle up to Lenny when it was time to take a nap or go to sleep.

I know he'd be a great friend and make me feel safe and there's a good chance that I'd tell him all my secrets and tuck my insulin pump and tubing, all snug as bug in his secret zippered pouch~ 

How to Enter: Super easy. You have from now until Friday December 12th to leave a comment saying why you'd like to win a Lenny The Lion pump carrying case. 

I'll announce the 5 winners on Friday afternoon on the blog and the Diabetesaliciousness FaceBook Page. 

Who Can Enter: Anyone living with diabetes or who loves someone with diabetes.

Important Info: Make sure that you check back on Friday to see if you win, because if you are winner, I'm going to need you to email me your mailing address so we can get your Lenny out to you, ASAP. 

PLEASE: If you leave a comment under "Anonymous," make sure you include your name & email address in the comment so if you do win, I can contact you. 

If I don't hear back from you by Monday, December 15th, your prize will be forfeited to someone else - And don't want to do that.  

All winners will be picked by Random.org 

Lenny the Lion, Plush Pump carrying case/best buddy, front view.

Lenny's back view~

Take 5, Pick Your Battles & Cut Yourself Some Slack ~

The other night just as I was about to start my car, something made me check inside my handbag to make sure I'd brought my phone with me. 

And I did. 

But when I was looking for my phone, I realized I didn’t have a spare infusion set in my bag. I ALWAYS keep an extra infusion set in both my handbag and my car. ALWAYS.

But I’d used the one in my car the week before when I needed to do a site change kept forgetting to replace it. And for some weird reason, the one I thought I’d put in my handbag was nowhere to be found. 

I was already 15 minutes late to meet my friends for dinner and was slightly hungry, 
but I didn’t have a choice, because I don't feel comfortable not having a spare infusion set with me.
Also: I don't always carry backup insulin and a syringe with me - Especially when I'm going to a restaurant that's 10 minutes away, so I needed the extra set. 
I grabbed my bag, got out of the car and went back into the house and swiped two spare infusion sets from my D-stash and threw them in my handbag. 
When I got back to my car, I placed one of the sets in the side pocket of the driver side seat. 

All of the above only took me 5 minutes. 

5 minutes is nothing in the grand scheme of things. 

And You know what? I know that. 
I know that 5 minutes is NOTHING when it comes to little things like grabbing backup D supplies if you need it - But I was really made at myself for not prepared.

I also know that 5 minutes is EVERYTHING when it comes to the big stuff, like waiting for your blood sugar to crawl back up from a 45 low.
And 5 minutes is a fucking eternity when you're waiting for the Doctor to walk down the hall and into the ICU to tell you what he saw or didn't see on your mom's brain scan.

So I needed to get over it.  
And that's exactly what I did. I started my car, put on some tunes and headed towards the restaurant - I even found Jackpot parking. 
And I had great time with wonderful friends and we laughed until we cried. 

And for the record: my infusion site that I'd been wearing the since the day before worked perfectly~

Diabetes Forces Us To Try New Things When It Comes To Managing Our Diabetes - And That's A Good Thing~

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney

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Here’s the thing about living with diabetes. You're always learning new things about yourself and your diabetes - That never stops, whether you’ve lived with diabetes for 37 years or 37 months - And that’s actually a very good thing. 
I'm so grateful for the changes in diabetes medicine, technology and attitudes these past 37 years  - And I will fight tooth and nail to never go back to the Diabetes Dark Ages.
I can't even imagine managing my diabetes the same I did when I was first diagnosed 37 years ago - And I probably wouldn't be here if things had never changed - Or if my parents and I hadn't been open and receptive to those diabetes changes.

Now yes, sometimes exploring and trying new D management changes can be incredibly annoying and frustrating, for sure - because we all have our comfort zones - And our diabetes comfort zones & changing things up can sometimes make you want to throw your diabetes crap out the window and scream bloody murder.... or so I've heard. (COUGH, COUGH.)

But the fact that diabetes sometimes forces me/us out of our comfort zones (Yep, I had a slight freakout before I started the insulin pump,) and forces us to try, learn and adapt to new ways in our dealing with diabetes makes it easier for me/us to learn, adapt and try new things in other areas of our life. 

Look, I still have issues with change - especially big changes, like figuring out where I want to move and "going for it." But I'm really working on making those become a reality instead of just talking about it.

 I LOVE to try new things, except for foods made with liver and skydiving because the thought of jumping out of a plane FREAKS ME OUT. 

But HUGE kudos to our amazing Aussie DOC friend, Renza over at Diabetogenic for jumping out of a plane last weekend! 

I’m also open to and need change in my life, especially when it's positive. I love to travel and meet new people and try new experiences - even when the results aren't always fantastical. 
Because knowing what doesn't work in our lives and our lives with diabetes is just as important as figuring out what does.

Sidebar: I still haven’t attempted the boob infusion site and I’m not sure if I ever will, but I haven’t completely ruled it out either. So there's that~

So why what’s the purpose of this post: There are several. 

First: I recently tried something completely different re: bolusing for breakfast and it’s working for me! 

So much so that I’m blogging about it. 

Now, everybody is different  (your diabetes may vary, ;) but my new breakfast bolus regiment is working for me. The past couple weeks I've started blousing for my coffee first and bolusing for the carbs in my breakfast smoothie 30 minutes later. 

I get up, check my blood sugar, bolus for (18 carbs - I like my coffee with cream and sugar) and make my coffee. I gulp down the first mug in 4 minutes flat, prepare the second, hit in the shower and get dressed. 

This all takes about 30 minutes.

Then I bolus for my breakfast smoothie (anywhere between 18 & 22 carbs, depending on the ingredients) and make/drink it. I’ve found that by bolusing separately for each, my post breakfast/mid morning blood sugars are much better. 

They’re not always perfect, but for the most part, my mid morning blood sugars stay well within range and that really makes me happy because for the longest time, my midmorning blood sugars have flipped their bitchwitch in both directions.  

Of course now that I’ve shared, Murphy's Law, D style might indeed decide to throw a wrench in my new breakfast bolus routine, but I can handle it and I will figure it out. Because life with D MAKES us figure “it” out.  

Secondly, but no less important: I want to learn and become inspired by other peoples experiences about trying new things when it comes to their (YOUR) diabetes management. 

So if you’ve tried anything new when it comes to dealing with your diabetes, feel free to share and regardless of the results - because either way, we'll all learn from what you have to say  be inspired by your brave attempt~

Diabetesalicious Lite: December Blog Giveaways, FDA Deadline, The Cost of Diabetes, Vibe Approved & Diabetes Burnout

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What Happened When I Unintentionally Gave Up Caffeine/Coffee for Two Weeks

I swear this story is related to living with diabetes - At least part of it is~

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Same coloring, logo in the same place. OK, now I see the word DECAF.

But when I make my coffee, I normally just grab the bag, measure out my life in coffee spoons and be done with it. Also: See what I did there ;)  

I didn't intentionally plan to give up coffee for almost two weeks on purpose. Nope, that's not how I roll -I REQUIRE my morning coffee. 
It happened by mistake and FTR, I blame Starbucks packaging more than I blame myself. 
Backstory: 
A month ago, CVS had Starbucks 1 pound bags on sale for $6.99 instead of the normal $10.99 a bag. I dig Starbucks coffee, I love a bargain and I had 5 CVS Bucks burning a hole in my pocket so I bought 4 bags. JACKPOT. 
I emptied out the first bag within two weeks time and opened a fresh bag O'Joe two weeks ago.
I'd just returned from Northern California and I was dealing with jet lag and the tail end of wicked sinus infection, so I chalked up my extreme tiredness/feeling both spacey and bitchier then normal and for no reason, demeanor to jet lag and sinuses. 
I even mentioned to a friend last week that I felt like I'd been running on decaf as of late.
Cut to this morning when I took a really good look at the bag of coffee I was pouring into my coffee maker and realized that it was actually decaf instead of whole caf. 
FTR: I usually prep my coffee the night before, but not last night.
And then I was like: Well shit, no wonder I've been feeling like crap! And this totally explains why I've been  feeling both spacey and bitchy at the same time, the headaches & feeling like I've been walking around on decaf all day! 
SHOCKER - I had been. 
Also, damn you Starbucks graphics department for making your regular/decaf packaging look ridiculously similar to one another!  
So what did I learn about this whole experience? 
1. I'm not zippy in the morning until I have my two cups of coffee - I only need 2 cups a day, but I need them. 
2. Decaf doesn't do it for me, but Starbucks Breakfast Blend Decaf is pretty tasty.
3. Caffeine is a drug and caffeine withdrawal is a bitch. And in all seriousness and sincerity, I thank God I don't have a more serious addiction.  
4. I slept better. But I was constantly wanting to take a nap because I was super tired and sluggish and I had a continual headache. 
FTR: I'm not a person who gets a lot of headaches. 
5. The skin on my face was slightly less dry - I think.
6. Diabetes wise, and this is the real kick-in-the-pants part of it all: I didn't find that my blood sugars were better mid morning because I'd unknowing switched myself to decaf. 
As a matter of fact, there were more than a few unexplained mid morning spikes that I couldn't account for. 
Hell, you'd think if I was going to drink decaf, maybe my numbers might be better?! 

Anyway, I rectified the situation as soon as I realized what I'd done & I'm feeling all sorts of zippy today. Seriously man, it's like #Imrunningwithscissors!!

I  even without finishing  my second cup of fully loaded java, I still felt great and plowed through the day.

Did some good come out of it? Yeah.... but for the most part I felt craptastic during the whole "learning experience." 
So live and and take the lessons learned, but for God sakes make sure you don't buy decaf by mistake!