I'm all about support and carbs! or DBW Day 3&4

Sorry I missed yesterday. I was coming off a 72 hour final paper writing session, and all I wanted to do was sleep when I got home from class. Yesterday was all about support. Here's my two cents:

I have a love hate relationship with support in all arenas of my life. Seriously. It's bad. I'm the first one to help any of my friends in times of trouble, but don't ever expect me to ask a single one of them for a thing. Some people are just givers. My parents think I'm a pushover. I disagree. Anyway, I'll get to my point.
My biggest D supporters are my mom, sister, and the D-OC. In the beginning my mom was the only person I allowed to give me shots or participate in the management of my diabetes. She did what she could given the circumstances often going above and beyond, she kept me alive. I'll always be grateful for what she's done for me over the years. Never pushing too hard, always letting me have my say even if I was probably wrong. Letting me lean on her for as long as I needed to. Sometimes I still look to her as a guide. We have gone from my complete dependence on her, to her saying things like; "You know what is best, I trust you'll make the right decision." Then, a few years ago I stumbled upon a blog. I can't remember whose it was, but I know what I was looking for. I was thinking about going on a pump. I wanted more information, from real people. I felt like I was reading about old friends, with stories just like mine. So I did what any logical person would do...joined in! It was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made for my diabetes management. I credit the D-OC with so much of my success. I never knew that a simple google search would lead me to a community of people who care from miles and miles away.

Today:

Okay. To put it simply. I eat carbs. I do what I can to cut them out, but I'm not one of those "OMG this massive amount of insulin is going to kill me AHHH the carbs" kind of people. I eat what I want, to a certain extent. I always drink diet drinks, but I rarely eat anything labeled "sugar free". I don't like straight bread & butter, but I'm not opposed to sandwiches. I like ice cream, but I don't eat it often. I like chocolate, and I eat it more than I probably "should". I hate vegetables. I don't even like fruit. I have a very limited diet. I've got issues with food texture. I occasionally read labels, but I've got carb counts memorized for my staple foods. I eat pizza. I like Chinese food. I really don't know what I would eat if I tried to eliminate carbs. It works for me. "Let me eat carbs! And Cake! And wash it all down with Diet Coke!" I'm all about whatever works. So don't hesitate to invite me over to your house for a low carb dinner. I won't even expect you to supply the Diet Coke, I always bring my own!

Off to write another 5 page paper! Maybe I'll see you tomorrow.

Making the low go...up and away.

Day two is going be a quick one. It's been a long day. My low treatment of choice is the classic, the tried and true: juicy juice 4 oz juice box! Or little Swedish fish snack packs. One of my most unusual low cravings is pretzels soaked in orange juice. Sounds so gross, but it is so delicious at 2 am when your blood sugar is 48. The other day I really wanted Chipotle when my blood sugar was low, the cravings are unpredictable.

A Day In The Life...The Routine Sounds.

You know the sounds, the ones you have become deaf to. The familiar movements, you could do them with your eyes closed, in the dark, one hand tied behind your back. The steps for a blood sugar test. I've done this 11 times in the past 24 hours.

5:06 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 164.
6:38 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 157.
8:57 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 92.
11:50 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 104.
6:21 AM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 205.
7:29 AM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 139.
8:20 AM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 83.
9:52 AM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 118.
11:30 AM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 234.
3:16 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 136
5:05 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 218

Those are just the numbers. Here are the thoughts...

5PM - 9PM...I should change my site before I eat that Chinese food. Why is Chinese so delicious, but so annoying to deal with when it comes to blood sugar. I hope I don't take too much or too little insulin. I hate when my blood sugar fluctuations make me sleepy. Ugh I really need to get a dent into this 2,500 word essay. My blood sugar feels low, I think I'll drink some orange juice....
9PM -12AM...I hate school. This paper is a waste. I feel a little fuzzy. 104 Oh my blood sugar isn't low? Weird. I'll turn my pump down a bit anyway. I'm going to bed.
12AM -6AM... Toss and turn...blood sugar is probably on the rise from turning my pump down. 5 more minutes of sleep. 205 Damn. I knew it. Why do I always do this?! Correct!!
6AM-10AM... Ugh I don't want to get up. I have an orthodontist appointment at 8:30. Gotta get to class by 10. I'm not hungry...Oh wait 83? I'll have a juice and turn my pump off. I can't deal with a low while I'm at the doctors or while I'm driving.
11AM-3PM... Ugh shouldn't have turned my pump down. Why am I so afraid to go low? Correct!!! Oh my friends want to go get lunch! I'll drive. Hmm my blood sugar feels low. Lemonade instead of Diet Coke. Bolus for half the food. Drive back to school. Back to class. Yeah I didn't check my blood sugar...well it worked out. Next time I have to check it before I eat!
3PM-5PM... Yumm. Chinese leftovers...Pretzels! I'm hungry today. Insulin cartridge is low...what a surprise. 218...hopefully that will be down by dinner.

Each day is different, and that's one of the hardest things about living with Diabetes. I can do it all over again tomorrow, and it will never be the same. One thing is always constant, the sound... 6:07 PM Zip. Pop. Shake. Snap. Slide. Beep. Pull. Click. Squeeze. Beep. Count. Beep. 244.

So you're still reading!

It was great to "hear" from some of you after my last post. You are all so kind. I can't say it enough. I love the D-OC!
Thankfully Karen has come up with a timely idea that will get me back to blogging. I'm in! How about you? The first topic is great because a friend recently asked me to explain what goes into a day with Diabetes. Killing two birds with one stone as they say.

Also! Creating a resume sucks. I'm applying for a scholarship and I've realized that I have done absolutely NO volunteer activities since 2008. I feel like I need to go out and serve soup, build a house, and walk dogs before the June 1 deadline. Ahhh! See you Monday!

Is this thing on?

Hey! If you're still out there reading, thanks! I'll be honest I love the days when I get a little Blogger email in my inbox telling me that I've received a comment on an old post. Honestly the D-OC means so much to me. You all gave me something I never had, a support group. One made of people who didn't need me to explain the intricacies of living with T1 Diabetes, but knew them because they were living this way too. I LOVE YOU! This community is a seriously a virtual home for me. Even if my real life friends and family still kind of think it's weird that I've actually met some of my internet friends in real life. Basically, I miss you! I know I want to start writing again, but where and about what is still to be determined. I've been playing with the idea of putting excerpts of posts on this site and then directing you to the new place to read the rest. I've never stopped reading your blogs (yay Kerri! yay Suzanne!), but I wasn't commenting. I've made it a personal resolution to at least be active in the community in that way until I decide how to return to the blogging side of things.

So here's what I've been up to:
-Community College: Year 1 is almost over!
-I'm applying for summer jobs...watch out working world!
-I feel like I'm getting old :(
-I'm happy.

Be back soon!

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

So I thought some of you would enjoy this little story:

I'm taking a class this semester called "Writing About Issues and Ideas" and the professor loves to send emails. Like seriously everyday after class we get an email. It's nice, but somewhat annoying. Anyway the emails are usually just tying up lose ends from class, but sometimes if you actually read them and respond you can get extra credit points.
The latest one was:
Which of the following statements is NOT an arguable factual claim:

1. People who are obese run a heightened risk for diabetes.
2. In the long run, dieting may be more harmful than moderate
overeating.

Supposedly the answer is 1.

Long story short I never responded because I was too lazy plus she sent it to us over a weekend. I had better things to do than worry about 3 silly points. We get to class Tuesday and she decides to review the answer. For some reason it catches my attention that even if statement is not arguable in her opinion, to me it is. So I raise my hand and ask her to read number 1 again. I then flat out say that she's she's wrong because her statement is a sweeping generalization. I tell her that by saying simply "diabetes" it makes it arguable, because I have Type 1 Diabetes and that has nothing to do with weight it's auto-immune. She admits that she is wrong and tells me to see her after class. Guess who got 2 extra credit points? ME! I'm not usually the most vocal when it comes to addressing Diabetes misconceptions in real life. I get flustered. I get frustrated. I feel like it's too hard to change the preconceived notions everyone has about Diabetes. But I did it, and it paid off. It should be noted that the book for this class is called "Everything's an Argument", maybe that's where I got the courage to speak up.

Also in the school realm, I'm taking a black and white film photography class this semester. The professor said that if you happen to have a cut on your hand and you touch the stop bath solution the cut will magically disappear in 2 days. Today I dipped all my over pricked fingers in just to experiment. If it works I'll let you know.

On a totally different note. Since I switched to Animas I have somewhere between 2 -4 boxes of unused Cozmo pump cartridges. If you or someone you know could benefit from free supplies, please let me know so I can get them to someone who needs them. My email address is available in my profile.

Happy Monday!

(Almost) One year away.

Whoa. It's been almost a year since I've written here. The adventure at the new place hasn't gone so well. I've missed writing and the feedback, but I just haven't had the time. If anyone is stilling reading this. A little update:

I started community college...let me tell you it is NOTHING like the show on NBC. It's good to be back in the classroom. I've kind of settled into the routine, and it's not terrible. I even got into the honors program. Still undeclared major. HELP!
I turned 18 in September. Got a new car! Bye bye buggie :(
My sister moved back home :)
I got a new pump, the Animas Ping! It's pink. I still miss my Cozmo.
The Endo and I are talking CGMS. I'm skeptical, he's progressive. We'll see what happens at my next appointment in March.

Don't worry D-peeps, I've been keeping up with you. How awesome is it that Kerri and Chris are having a baby? I'm so excited for them. And from everything else that I'm reading it seems that most of you are doing well.

Also Oprah's having a show tomorrow about Diabetes....I wonder if it will be informative or just more BS (and not the blood sugar kind) about how sugar and fat is going to kill us all because (Type 2) Diabetes is on the rise!

Anywho. I guess I'll see ya when I see ya! Happy belated new year!