May 31st, 2010 by

I’m working to get my body back in shape after BSparl (ha ha ha ha ha – I hate the gym), so I think it’s a fitting time to rerun a gym post from January 2009, when I was still living in CT. Happy Memorial Day, all!!

*   *   *

Last night at the gym, I put my bag in the locker and took off my sweatshirt.  Wearing my black yoga pants, sports bra, and a tank top, I went into the bathroom section of the locker room to put my hair in a ponytail.

Two other women were at the sinks, chatting in Spanish and washing their hands.   They were standing to my left and as I raised my arm to put the elastic in my hair, I noticed that both women had stopped talking for a minute and were staring at my arm. Staring like I had moldy peach stuck to my arm, or maybe one of those bizarre happy spiders. 

Then I remembered that the Dexcom sensor is comfortably resting on the back of my left arm.  Facing them.  

I had a quick surge of "Grrrrr," as in "What are you staring at, woman?  Never seen a CGM sensor before?" … then I had to check my attitude.  No, they probably haven’t ever seen a continuous glucose monitoring sensor before.  Just because it’s something I’m used to doesn’t mean it’s something they are used to.  After yesterday’s post purge and your wonderful and inspiring comments, I felt ready to cast off some of this anger and try, instead, to help.

So I decided to smile instead.  

"I’m sorry, I don’t mean to notice that you’re staring."  Gestured to my arm.  "This thing – it’s for my type 1 diabetes.  It’s a glucose monitor."

"Oh my goodness, I did not mean to stare," said the woman in the green shirt.  "I was like, ‘Is that an iPod thing or something?’  I have never seen that kind of thing before."

Her friend with the glasses leaned in.  "For diabetes?"

"Yeah.  I know it doesn’t look completely natural, and I would stare, too, if it wasn’t something I was used to." Glasses and Green Shirt smiled back.  "It’s cool.  I just didn’t want you wondering if I was some kind of cyborg or something."

Green Shirt laughed.  "Cyborg?  No, chica.  It’s interesting looking.  I was waiting for, like, the music to come out of it or something.  But I didn’t mean to stare.  Lo siento, my friend."

"Not a problem at all.  Have a good workout!"

I left the locker room and went to do my workout.  After I was done, I went back in to grab my sweatshirt and saw Glasses and Green Shirt getting their gear together.  Flashed them a quick smile.  Glasses smiled back.  Green Shirt tapped her left arm and gave me a knowing nod.

Some people can try to bring you down.  But others, even strangers, can raise you up.  

Source: Six Until Me.

May 31st, 2010 by

I was going to wish you all “Happy” Memorial Day, but I don’t think that’s protocol.
Anyway, bloggers get the day off too — especially after all that Bat Mitzvah action. (It was wonderful! Such nachas!)
This seemed like a great day to re-visit this dLife success story of an Army Sergeant on active duty who was [...]

Source: AmyT

May 28th, 2010 by

You know you’re a diabetic mommy when …

• The bottle of glucose tabs is just as important as the bottle of breast milk in the diaper bag.
• You have already started wondering how you’re going to explain "juice" as "medicine" to the kiddo.
• When you wake up for 3 am feedings, they double as a 3 am blood sugar check.
• You start cooing sweetly at your meter when it gives you a result of 100 mg/dl.  ("Oooh, what a good meter you are!  Yes you are!")
• Your baby ends up with a dot of blood on the back of her pajamas from your middle-of-the-night blood sugar check that didn’t stop bleeding right away.
• When you talk about "the pump," you need to clarify "the insulin one, not the boob one."
• Sometimes you have to draw numbers to see who gets to feed the baby.  And by "draw," we mean blood samples.
• Nothing makes you happier than a full baby with a clean diaper and a full pump with a full battery.
• You need a diaper bag just for diabetes supplies.
• Your bedside table has just as many burp clothes as used test strips gathered at its base.

And when the Dexcom starts to BEEEEEEEP!, you wonder if it needs a diaper change.

Source: Six Until Me.

May 28th, 2010 by

* WARNING: OFF-TOPIC*
Tomorrow is my daughter’s big day!! Her Bat Mitzvah — the big Jewish coming-of-age ceremony — which it seems we’ve been planning forever.  I’m not sure who’s most nervous around here. (Even the cat’s been kind of jumpy.)
In accordance with Jewish tradition, my going-on-13-year-old will be up on the pulpit with the rabbi, [...]

Source: AmyT

May 27th, 2010 by

Windy is has been a Type 1 diabetic for 22 years and is the wife of Justin and mother of five year old Gabe  and two year old Zoe.  Every once in a blue moon, when she’s not chasing them around, Windy blogs at 
The Diabetic Domestic Diva, and today she’s guest posting here on Six Until Me.  (About sleep.  Sleep?  What’s that?) 

Thanks, Windy!    

*   *   *

I dream of more than four hours of consecutive sleep. 

I remember in college when I would sleep till noon on days I didn’t have morning classes.  I remember those sunny Florida days when I’d drive over to the beach and lay on the warm sand to my little heart’s desire.  Or those romantic weekend newlywed getaways we’d spontaneously galavant off to and lay in each other’s arms till the 11 am check out time.    

But then we had kids.    Glorious kids!!  

I wear many hats in this life… wife, daughter, sister, friend, piano teacher, chef, housekeeper, … the list goes on and on. One of my favorites, is now "Mommy." As the mother of a 5 year old boy and 2 year old girl, I hear it often, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" They always need something. Milk, snacks, diaper changes, a play mate, kiss for their boo boo, and often a referee!  I LOVE being a Mom, and I am blessed that I get to spend a lot of time with my kids, despite the fact that sometimes it’s exhausting, and I just want to get a friggin’ nap!

Last night something incredible happened.

They both slept all night.

No one had a bad dream.
No one wet the bed.
No one needed a 3 am sippee cup.

We spent the whole day at the beach and just wore them out silly with the swimming, sandcastle building, and burying each other in the sand.

But alas… I was still awoken.

Ah, diabetes.

The third red-headed step child I never wanted. Like a pre-schooler whose been locked in their car seat a little too long and is relentless with a high-pitched whiny voice, "Feed me. Change your infusion set. Charge your Dexcom. BEEEEEEEEEEP!!! Test! Pick up your prescription. Schedule your check up. Ketones? Drink water! BEEEEEEEEP!!"   

Get the picture?

People with diabetes are warriors.  
Members of the Diabetes OC are well aware of this.   
But diabetic moms and dads with young children?
They are Super Warrior Samurai Ninjas.  (You’d agree, Ninjabetic?)   

Kerri, congratulations on entering the amazing world of parenthood!   May your red-headed step child behave so you can enjoy your beautiful BSparl in all her glory!  :0) 

Source: Six Until Me.

May 27th, 2010 by

Community voting closes tonight at 6pm Pacific for the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge. Don’t miss your chance to weigh in on this year’s amazing diabetes innovations. Click HERE to vote!
Then what happens?  We will tally the votes, and determine our Top 10 finalists. Our full team of judges will have two weeks to carefully [...]

Source: AmyT

May 26th, 2010 by

In the airplane safety manuals, they instruct you to, in the case of an emergency, put your oxygen mask on first, before assisting others with theirs.  Makes sense.  Can’t help someone if you are in need of help, yourself.

Chris and I reference the "oxygen mask" all the time, mostly when I’m low.  During the course of the pregnancy, I had some wicked lows that kept me from attending conference calls, making it to dinner meetings, and even just meeting a friend out for coffee.  "I’m going to be late, but I need a few minutes.  Oxygen mask, you know?"  And Chris would nod, knowing that I was waiting until my blood sugar was stable before I headed out. 

But as I wrote about yesterday, I’m in the middle of The Suck.  Can’t wrap my head around what I need to do in order to take care of myself, because I’m too overwhelmed with what my daughter needs.  The baby learning curve is pretty steep, and both Chris and I being schooled on just a few hours of sleep.  My baby is well-cared for, but my diabetes management has seen better days.

… so I guess my baby isn’t as well-cared for as she could be.  Because I’m trying to put her oxygen mask on while fumbling with my own.  

Yesterday’s post had some good ideas in the comments section, and I’m going to try and implement them going forward.  Like the testing suggestion.  I’m already testing my blood sugar before I feed the baby, so now I need to find other benchmarks in my day to assign testing to.  I’m working off a mental "even numbers" schedule today, making sure that I test at all the even hours.  I’m awake around 6:15 am every morning, so that means I get a 6 am fasting, and then a test every two hours. 

Some other things I simply need to make part of the routine.  So it becomes natural(ish).  Like the Dexcom.  That tool is extremely useful to me … when I look at it.  For the last 11 days, I had a sensor in and the Dexcom was working great, but I wasn’t looking at it.  The receiver would sit on the dining room table while I worked on my laptop and I’d barely pay it any mind.  Then, one night when it was pinging because I was high, I turned off the high alarm so that it wouldn’t wake up BSparl.  Being the dingbat that I am, I left the high alarm off.  For four days. WTF?  What’s the point of wearing the device when I’m not using it when I need it most?  Today, a new sensor goes on and I’m determined to reset the alarms and to actually use the data.  (Otherwise, what’s the point?)

And then there’s what Chris and I call "life stuff." Like remembering to call in my reorder for insulin to my mail order pharmacy.  And then remembering to pick it up from the mail drop.  Or remembering to throw a bottle of glucose tabs in my purse or the baby bag, or grabbing a back-up insulin pen, or making sure I have enough test strips in my meter case to get through the day.  Maintenance.  Life stuff. 

But I can’t do all this stuff at once.  Baby steps, right?  Today, I’ll start with testing more frequently and rearming myself with the Dexcom.  I threw a bottle of glucose tabs both into my purse and the baby bag this morning, and I called in my insulin reorder a few minutes ago.  New bottle of test strips is floating around in my purse.  Small changes that will hopefully make a big difference in how things roll out, diabetes-wise.  Because the better care I’m taking of myself, the better care I’m taking of the little BSparl baby.

Oxygen mask, you know?

Source: Six Until Me.