Olivia handed out her information sheet to her teachers yesterday.  I just typed up something short, informing them that she has diabetes and what to do if she's running high or low. I stressed that she can treat in class and that she only needs to go to the nurse if she's under 60. 

I also stressed that she needs to be accompanied to said nurse.  I found out at the end of the year last year that one of Olivia's teachers wouldn't let anyone go with her.  Fortunately, Olivia's never passed out from a low, but that's not a chance I want to take.  Olivia informed me of this towards the end of the year and I talked to the teacher and the nurse about it, but according to Olivia, it didn't do any good.  

  (READ MORE)

i'm riding on the screen...

I woke up at 383 today. To say the least, I'm angry. I have a reason as to why it was so high, but it still doesn't make complete sense. I ate a late high-carb meal last night (back to college life) and thought I'd judged my carbs correctly. I actually figured to wake up low. But obviously, diabetes had another plan in store for me.

  (READ MORE)

I am shocked at how quickly it happened. The first Friday in August, I met with a new endo. A week later my pump arrived. No hassles. No paperwork. No out-of-pocket costs. Bing, bang, boom...it was on my door step.

Last week, I met with the diabetes educator who trained me with saline. And as of 12:14 this afternoon, I'm pumping with insulin. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm giddy. I'm overwhelmed.

I picked the Minimed Paradigm 722, because I'm familiar with it (my friend Lizzy has one) and because I want the CGM to go with it. Currently, my insurance company is not covering CGM, but my diabetes educator is confident that I can get it approved once I am actually pregnant. I'm tempted to buy one out of pocket and try to get it approved later, but I'm not sure I can swing it if it's not approved. I was considering buying a used one, but frankly, I have no idea where to find one.

  (READ MORE)

He lunges from left to right, securing his black Pumas against the goal post and suffocates the bright-orange hockey ball before the marauding yellow team can squeak it past him.

When the whistle stops play, he glances over to make sure we're watching. Happy as a clam behind his helmet's cage and bopping his head up and down like a parrot.

"Way to go, Cholly!" one of the fathers yells, slouching comfortably  in his folding chair.

"His name is Charlie," his son says, stressing the "arlie."

"Well here in Philadelphia, we say Cholly," he says proudly, adjusting his thick gold chain around his deeply tanned neck. (READ MORE)

I'll tell you another secret.  I kinda LIKE the Jonas Brothers. Laugh all you want since I am quite a couple decades away from their usual tween-aged fan base.  Disney signed them though, and from Annette Funnicello until Miley Cyrus and beyond, Disney has a proven eye for musical talent.  (Maybe not class, but definitely talent).

Nick is, at 15, the youngest brother of the singing group (they do have another even younger brother named Frankie - think Andy Gibb snubbed from the BeeGees for his youth).  As everyone with any connection to diabetes knows, Nick has had type 1 for almost 3 years.

  (READ MORE)

jhhwild

A question was posed to me the other day about diabetics and their highs and lows. The question was from the sibling of a diabetic, who is also a good friend of mine. I had just experienced an unexpected high (I'm now attributing it to my own negligence in keeping my infusion site fresh). He asked, "Why do you bounce from one extreme to the other?"

His sibling has had great success with the pump and is running stable after a period of prolonged highs on MDI's. For me, I do experience extremes. But mostly, I experience lows. I answered his question in a simple statement, "Because we're all different."

  (READ MORE)