Just the crazy dazes!

coffee, my love...

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:20:27 -0600

While considering improvements in my diabetes treatment, diet is always first on the list. Going low carb is a no-brainer for me. But what about the peripherals? Coffee, for example. I’ve given up soooo much. Must I mourn this, too?
Ok! Enough drama. When I was diagnosed with Type 1 D, I was recovering from neck and shoulder surgeries, taking many pain medications. Things just would not heal well while having the super high blood sugars. So the combination of the onset of D and the surgeries sent some interesting signals to the medical community. My heart... Yeah, not the one that laughs with my grandchildren or cries with a hurt friend, but the one that is in charge of pumping, lub dub, lub dub and so on. Enter the cardiologist in my life... Many tests, inconclusive results, repeated tests. They have my attention. I’m scared. I’m a bottom line gal, so I asked what I could do? Dr. “Lub Dub” advised me to be at the proper weight and quit caffeine...because after all, your heart, as a machine can only handle so much stress. She also recommended a bowl of oatmeal a day, but I can’t handle the carbs! I forced her to define what number my weight should be and finally came up with her weight. We were identical height and body frames. I needed to be thin. Big surprise on that one. I’m working on it...
Back to the coffee. My trusty google search is enlightening.
The odds of having a stroke may be lower for tea drinkers and coffee drinkers.
That's according to two studies presented today in San Diego at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2009.
At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.
Admittedly, most benefits are for T2 D’s, but I’d qualify for the reduced tooth decay! I won’t list all the happy news, but even drinking 4 cups a day, on a regular basis, seems to have the greatest results of slowing onset of T2. It can raise BG’s, too, but for me, looking at carbs does that. Chewing sugarless gum raises my BG’s. Come on! Big coffee drinkers also had less incidence of Parkinson’s. My dad suffered with Parkinson’s and was a big lifelong coffee drinker. He gave up smoking when a doctor told him it was wise, but his scale had already been tipped toward strokes, etc. Sorry, Dad. I miss you.
So my personal choice is to drink coffee. It does not carry the evils once thought. What joy. What comfort. And how wise of me! I’ll rest easier at night knowing I’m doing something good for myself. And it will compliment (for some time to come), the case of Torani Sugar Free English Toffee Syrup I received for Christmas from my daughter! Thanks for the thoughtful gift.
My husband just stuck his nose in my screen and offered his medical two cents worth...Coffee, or caffeine is a vitamin, Vitamin J (java)
His prescription...
Strong Java
Disp: 32 ozs.
Sig: 1 cup 4 x daily.
One year refills.

today is NOT tomorrow!

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

There are big gaps in the education we receive to manage our diabetes. There are gaps in our very own understanding of how to manage year to year, let alone hoping someone in our personal circles get it. But I don't want to diminish what we do have. We have access to diabetes forums and gifted writers and bloggers. I get weary hearing the blame game, too, when diabetes is truly hard to manage. We blame our doctors for not doing enough. We blame the nutritionists for continuing to teach a diet that has too many carbohydrates. CDE’s can be more concerned with their protocols than what is really good for us. Without expecting our doctors, diabetic educators, insurers or researchers to come hold our hands 24/7, we have to fill the gaps ourselves. I'm not a joiner by nature, but when T1 came to visit, I looked for support groups that ended up being geared for T2. Since finding some diabetes forums, I feel less alone. It takes the pressure off family and friends who truly will never get it. (My husband does, in his defense.)

I was deeply troubled by the recent link to a blog and wanted to respond to the writer, but thought better of it. It was written by a wife who completely raises herself up while complaining about/beating down her husband who is a non-compliant type 2 diabetic. I don't expect good health or good relationships to fall in my lap. That said, I hope my family doesn't give up on me in disgust...if I get too depressed to make good choices...if I get a secondary illness that caused a domino effect to undo my good intentions with diabetes. Furthermore this woman gave a young husband advise to put up with(expect nothing) or get out of his young marriage to a non-compliant type 1. Wow. It was harsh. To those who have relationships with family or friends with hard to manage diseases I would say things may be bad and perhaps you can't see a way out, but keep looking! This day will NOT be the same as tomorrow or 10 years from now. No one is stuck (not even the angry wife who blogs), it just looks like it. Doesn’t everyone like to hear about the heroic efforts of someone who has stood by someone in truly hard medical situations? Or do you think these long-suffering types are idiots?

In regard to depression, burn out, diabetes treatment updates or even loneliness, it is too bad there is not an approach/component to managing diabetes like sports psychology does or labor coaches or life coaches. I have to say that to this point, I’ve found few authorities in diabetes who want better for me than I do myself. That’s a sloppy way of saying I’m my best advocate.

But any encouraging word and every avenue of support means the world to me. And that includes my faith in God who provides the greatest Hope in living well on this earth with diabetes.

the holidays and such

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

There is a world like no other that I often visit. It is the world of diabetes forums. No where else in the world is there an assembly of every age, every walk of life or stage of diabetes. Like so many other ‘neighborhoods,’ greetings of warmth and kindness fill the forum threads this December. You may even get a Christmas greeting private message from a good friend you’ve made on the forums. This is a safe house of sorts for diabetics. A place where you are accepted, and for the most part, understood.
Celebrations having to do with food are a big topic now. To break the rules; to not break the rules. To eat or not to eat, that is the question. Food is hard. Taking insulin is hard, but the alternative is...well, there is no alternative for a Type 1. Some diabetics are planning their vacation from their day in, day out disease. Some view this as a necessary evil to avoid the burnout so common to those who have to manage this relentless foe year upon year. Others counter they would not risk the feeling in their feet or their eye sight for such reckless eating. I’m a bit in the middle of the road. I consider eating too many carbs and a big spike in blood sugars a failure. That’s just me. It is easier to walk away from all temptation than to taste and have an appetite awakened that I cannot control. Such tension while trying to celebrate!
I’d like to set aside the food problem for a minute and tell you what this Christmas means to me. This is a reverently, joyful time to celebrate. I’m a Christian. I love the music, old movies, the get togethers and gift giving. Take away the commercialism and you have a Baby in a manger, born to save us. He brings peace. I don’t want to go through this Christmas without mentioning the Christ child, Jesus.
Here’s to wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderfully Healthy New Year!

yawn...diabetes awareness month

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:38:44 -0600

Subtitle would read: temporarily misplaced my sense of humor. Apparently three years of type 1 diabetes is not long enough to remember that November is Diabetes Awareness Month. An email generated from the ADA reminds me. What do we get for our moment in the sun? Apparently we need a reminder that diabetes is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease. We are reminded of the millions upon millions in the US that live with diabetes.
Reading the promo I find this year’s “bolder...approach” needs us to become involved. Buzz words like share, act and learn invite us to, yes you may well have guessed it, STOP diabetes!
STOP DIABETES conceptualizes the “movement.” On and on. I’ve been feeling cynical lately and a bit irritable toward the ADA. The dietician who trained me while I was still in the hospital being diagnosed with Type 1 was equipped with the ADA guidelines. It was and remains a horrible diet in my opinion. It is horrible in the sense that you eat so many carbohydrates that giving yourself the insulin required often results in under or over dosing. These are dangerous mistakes that can have bad consequences. There were other holes in my education that caused me some angst such as the ADA’s blending of type 1’s and type 2’s talking points. They are very different.
I don’t like to hear myself complain. As a child I was a bit of a Pollyanna. Since college I remained an optimist. My faith in God provides hope that is the medicine on which I most depend. All this to say, I don’t depend on the ADA for support in treating my type 1 Diabetes.
To give the American Diabetes Association it’s due, many forlorn parents of children with T1 and adults counted on their advice for years. At its conception in 1940, the ADA membership included physicians, other health professionals and certain corporations. In 1970 membership was opened to the general population. Being a newcomer to diabetes, I feel no allegiance to the ADA. I would like to see them more pro-tight control, low carb.
I know the general public has little correct knowledge about diabetes. I was there not so long ago. It is what it is.
Diabetes is my way of life. It’s complex, yet doable. While I have a grudge with the ADA, I long for a brilliant advocate of type 1 diabetes to shine a light on it’s problems and inspire researchers for medical innovations, improvements in drugs, devices and correct food management. Sometimes it’s the simplest solutions that carry the greatest improvements. So Happy Diabetes Awareness Month!
To celebrate, I’ll share Neil Greathouse’s latest YouTube offering. I found him at a time when I was coming out of the stunned phase having learned I had type 1. The Betes Part 6. Don’t forget to look up Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, too!
Happy Thanksgiving!

diabetes expo vs sunshiny day

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:43:09 -0500

Having lived through last week I was ambivalent about my plans to meet up with some Diabetes Daily acquaintances at the Minneapolis Diabetes EXPO . The sun was shining, after all. I dragged myself around and got ready, telling myself I would decide whether to go after I finished getting ready. It’s a complicated thing being me! Matt returned from errands and we headed for Minneapolis. Diabetes EXPO here we come!
I didn’t feel the same excitement/horror (no, horror is NOT too strong a word) I’d had three years ago at my first D Expo. Type 1 D had only been with me for one month. My eyes were wide open. I saw every walking cane for the blind, all manner of wheel chair accommodating every size and shape of amputee or other degree of lameness. I saw people standing in line to have their blood tested, clamoring for freebees and I saw the faces of family and friends who accompanied their pancreatic-ly challenged loved ones. Not too much had changed this time, except the horror had turned to mourning.
I recognized something new this time, however. People. Many people came to find a specific answer for their predicament: better walking stick, scooter, meter, pump, diet, insurance, test strip, you name it! And I heard comments: How old does my son have to be to be on a pump? Can I hold it? What is CGMS? How old do you have to be for that? Oh, I don’t know if Billie could handle that...can I see it again? Can you imagine parents trying to figure out the best path for their child with diabetes? It is intense. Or- a very thin twenty something man accompanied with no less than three multigenerational women behind him looking at meters: the rep asked how often he checked his BG. Answer, never. He didn’t own a meter. Wow. How I wish he’d take my glucometer! You know what the women in his life were hoping for- a diabetic rebirth of some sort.
It seemed there were fewer vendors and definitely fewer freebees this year. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. We did run into one person from our monthly Twin City Meetups. I had fun chatting with the Rep from Medtronic who did my CGMS training. I ran into my Endocrinologist. (he did a Q&A session). BMOC! He was surprised to see me because of previous comments I’d made regarding ADA nutritional guidelines. He remembered rightly and I explained my mission to meet some people. He thanked me for sending a patient to him. I was glad it worked out.
My goal to find people from Diabetes Daily was a bust for the most part. And when we left a few short hours after arriving, it was cloudy. The sun was gone.
The moral of this story? Diabetes is a horrific disease, but there is a tremendous body of work that is represented in the form of the Minneapolis Diabetes EXPO to give hope to those who seek it. It is not an easy road. Many today are enjoying lives lived well with diabetes. No complications. Some are not. I think the EXPO has something for everyone. I came away with what I needed.

things that come in threes

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:11:58 -0500

Things that come in threes: here is a little list to get us started.
Faith, Hope and Love.
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Rings in a binder
The Three Stooges
Little Piggies
3 Dog Night
Triangles
Musketeers
Bad News

Today I have come under the spell of threes. Last week I had two MRIs. The phone rings this morning with an ill-equipped caller who tells me I need cervical spine surgery and please to call a surgeon. She didn’t have the diagnosis in front of her to enlighten me. What about the shoulder MRI? After shuffling papers she found results that showed a shoulder tear, not rotator cuff, but it would require a repair and a call to yet another surgeon. She would send me a list of referrals. Among them was an ankle and foot orthopedist. I won’t be calling them, but it casts a doubt on the seriousness of the rest of the list. Wouldn’t you think?

That’s one and two. Three. I’m recovering from H1N1. It’s a mild case, but it is still here and didn’t help the emotions of the day.

I have to say there were tears of frustrations with my morning phone call. I’ve already had a cervical spine fusion a short three years ago. A month later I had shoulder impingement surgery, while still wearing my cute neck brace. A month later I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. But I digress.

Back to my tale of woes. I was teary, shaky, forlorn and stunned. I decided to check my blood glucose. It’s 56. Well, of course it is! No vacation from diabetes. I had some peanut butter and high fiber crackers.

I don’t have the full reports, so I have some hope the caller was overstating the findings. The shoulder seems more pressing. I was hoping it was a frozen shoulder and a little physical therapy to take care of everything. My sister reminded me of a tussle I had with a couple horses and that might have done the deed.

This is not the worst news, but it is my news. H1N1 has been light, so far. And tomorrow is a new day.

Shoulders, Cervical Spines and Flu, Oh My!

the good, the bad and the ugly

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:09:44 -0500

What a day this has been. The 3:30 AM bedtime didn’t help. Bad, bad, bad. I used to have trouble sleeping in times past, and here I am again. I drag out of bed mid morning and hit the computer, trying to get through as much work as possible. All the while my sister downstairs is calling up to me, “Did you remember to call the doctor?” Not yet, I will... Called Medtronic, my insurance, the pool dudes, the sprinkler dudes, the fireplace dude, the refrigerator repair-dude, my daughter reminding her to call her doctor... Hmmmm. I make my doctor appointment. My husband calls and I put two more things on the calendar. A trip to Kentucky and Washington, DC for business. Chicago is in there sometime before Christmas! Sent email reminders to a dozen people, so they will be on track. Did some desktop publishing...
The good. Wow it is 2 PM already and I haven’t eaten yet. BG 78. So I make the above lunch which was a small pleasure in the middle of the day. My grandson’s egg in a 8g. carb-5g. fiber wrap with saute’d ham and fantastic cheese from Seattle. I’m trying to get caught up on the news, so it is humming in the background.
My grandson calls and asked if he and his brother can come and spend the night. I know these times are numbered as 12 and 13 year olds, so I say yes.
They arrive, we go to the Cadillac Diner to eat dinner.
The bad. I ate two eggs, bacon, sausage, part of a pancake and sugar-free syrup. We do some geocaching before heading to DQ. They are watching Groundhog Day, their Papa’s favorite movie. While my BG’s have been flat all day I was too tired to guess right on my dinner. So my8:45Pm 198 BG is being beat back down. I bolused (not a real word) twice what I normally would and set a temp basal for 30 minutes of 150%
The ugly. 10:30 PM 204!!!!! I hate this. It is rare. It happens when fun things have distracted me from being vigilant. Ok. I gave myself .7U of insulin. My poor iPhone diet...you don’t see any picture of the pancake...with sugarfree syrup or baby ice cream cone, but here is the evidence. I rarely eat anything high in carbs and this is why!
So I’m ending the day very tired, upset with myself and waiting, waiting for my numbers to come back down. I guess I’ll go downstairs and watch the end of Groundhog Day with the boys. The theme of the movie is repeating the same day until you get it right. Not a good sign...

calling it as I see it

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 18:12:39 -0500

All my time, lately, has been spent giving summer it’s last hurrah. A big deal if you live ‘up north!’ Enjoyed a trip to the north shore with good friends, (one has type 2 and strictly uses Bernstein’s books), a niece’s wedding, did some geocaching, canoeing, horseback riding, bird watching and the Renaissance Festival. My sister and I joined the State Park Passport club and are trying to visit each park, getting our passport stamped. We even saw a black bear in the wild, my first! This is the lead-in to the last of my book reports. These two books have given me tools to avoid the highs and lows that plague so many type 1 diabetics and enabled me to have such successful adventures.
Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution, The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars written by Richard K. Bernstein, MD. Published in 1997, Revised 2003 and 2007. Dr. Bernstein shares my type 1 diabetes. He lived his life following the advice of the day and was suffering major complications with diabetes. He had family support, yet was unable to gain ground to good health. He researched papers, purchased one of the first glucose meters, before available to the public. He experimented on himself and made some startling discoveries. Discoveries, that while in his 40’s, prompted him to enter medical school to obtain his MD degree! He published his findings and developed a treatment for normalizing blood sugars.
This book is worth reading for the forward! His method works for both type 1’s and 2‘s. Oversimplified, low carbs leads to low incidence of blood sugar highs and lows. I have read and reread this book. I have also read Dr. Bernstein’s book The Diabetes Diet. The focus of his career is to provide an explanation of how to normalize blood sugars, reduce complications due to uncontrolled BG’s and why his approach works. It would stand to reason if one could mimic the blood sugars of a non-diabetic, your complications would virtually disappear. Written in a calm, matter of fact style, it does not detract from the exciting possibilities for a better quality of life as a person with diabetes.
I’ve heard many, many say this is too extreme for a lifestyle. I counter with: It is extreme to choose a plan for living with diabetes that leaves you in poor health and suffering. I admit I cannot live this plan without some failures, but it has allowed me the freedom to have very stable BG’s when I do follow the Diabetes Solution. I recommend this book whole-heartedly. If you can follow the regimen 80% of the time, you are ahead. If you followed it 50% of the time, you are still ahead of what the ADA offers in diet management and reduced complications. We diabetics are in love with our food. My experience with trying to cover high carbs with high insulin is dismal. Over shooting, under shooting: guessing and babysitting my blood sugars until they normalize. Miserable. Where Think Like a Pancreas gave me courage to manage my own disease, Diabetes Solution gave me permission and hope to live without the constant threat of complications hanging over my head. WOW.
I know this author has been debated over and over. I recommend you read for yourself, if you haven’t already.

clean up on the book reports

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Just like everyone else in the world, I don’t like to be told what to do. Worse yet, is when someone tries to tell me ‘it’s good enough, relax.’ That really gets me going. What? I’m suppose to value some perfectly wonderful dessert over...say, good diabetes care? I’ve only had diabetes for three years, but if there is one thing I know; I can not habitually have my cake and eat it too! Well, I hear the arguments in the air, so on with the reviews!
Pumping Insulin Everything You Need For Success On A Smart Insulin Pump by John Walsh, P.A., C.D.E and Ruth Roberts, MA. Daniel Einhorn, MD writes his review ‘helps the reader learn quickly.’ Nancy JV Bohanon, MD writes, ‘best and most user friendly book I’ve read.’ It might have something to do with the MD behind their names. I was in my first weeks of diabetes, waiting for my pump training and in the grip of fear when I first read this book. I will probably reread this worthy resource all about insulin pumps to glean it’s pearls of wisdom. Carb ratios, BOB, TDD and basal/bolus balance here I come. I want to max out my pump’s abilities. Comprehension comes so much easier when you aren’t scared out of your mind!
50 SECRETS of the Longest Living People with DIABETES by Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, and Steven V. Edelman, MD. Well, secrets no more. This book literally spills it’s guts. Ten people are featured who have lived an average of 65 years with diabetes. The fifty tips are useful for type 1 and 2 diabetes. If you need to fine tune your diabetes management or a reminder why caring for yourself is important, this book is just the pep-talk you need. (‘50 Secrets’ was published in ’07.) Page 160 introduces Richard “Dick” Bernstein, age 73, living with Type 1 diabetes for 61 years. This is a great introduction to my final two ‘must reads.’
Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution; The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars by Richard K. Bernstein, MD. Book discussion still to come...

books that help

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I love the internet. I imagine if you are reading this, you do too! However, when first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I started with books. It felt more academically fitting and therapeutic to turn the pages as I panicked, mourned, pondered information and made new resolutions for managing this chronic disease. Here are the books read and what I thought of them at the time.
Bittersweet, Diabetes, Insulin, and the Transformation of Illness written by Chris Feudtner. Before insulin, Type 1 D followed the “natural history” of the disease, the natural progression of the disease and the natural death due to the disease. One sample graph tells the story of survival rates in percentage before 1920. 90% survive a year, 20% survive four years with many complications. You know what the rest of the graph said. When insulin came on the scene it changed not only the survival rates, but brought new, long-term complications and new treatments, hence the title, Bittersweet. The writer tells of physician’s meticulous case studies using the new insulin and the bravery of those first patients. It was a jaw dropping experience reading about the loss of so many to a disease with which I’d just been diagnosed! I’m grateful for this window into diabetes’ past. Some say you need to know the past, before you can plan for the future.
The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss. This is a book about the discovery of insulin. It not only tells a historical timeline, it talks about the players, the politics and mood of the medical community! This book was less depressing than Bittersweet, with more intrigue into what motivates research. Wow.
Know Your NUMBERS, Outlive your DIABETES by Richard Jackson, MD and Amy Tenderich. This primer of sorts motivates diabetics to monitor their health with five important tests; A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin and the yearly eye exam. It also advised diabetics in self care. I had to read all the way to chapter 14 for the information specific to type 1 diabetes. Written for all diabetics, it was helpful and encouraging, but not strong enough on tight control. Check out Amy’s award winning blog.
think like a pancreas; A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin by Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE. Always a sucker for a good title, I ordered it late one night while despairing. From the first chapter to the last, the writer anticipated my every struggle. Mr. Scheiner explains how to change your own basal rate, calculate exercise, getting insulin to cover your carbohydrates and much more! He writes with some humor and made me feel like I could do anything with insulin. I have horse sense, dog sense and now a pretty good working knowledge of the pancreas ! I have, since, ordered over a dozen copies and handed them out to other Type 1’s. Whether you do multiple daily injections or use a pump, like me, this book is my best recommendation to put in your ‘bag of tricks’ for managing diabetes. I like it that much! Here is his website!
Part 2 to come. Clean up on the book reports...