Category Archives: Holidays

Something Funky.

Emotions, Fitness, Holidays

I realized today that I’m in some kind of funk.  I don’t know if it’s a touch of the winter blues.  I’m not sure if it’s from the sinus crud that has been plaguing me lately.  I don’t know if I have a bit of burnout.  But I do know that I haven’t really been feeling myself and can’t seem to shake it.

I have zero energy.  If I didn’t have real life obligations, I think I would stay in my pj’s and robe and watch tv on the couch all day.  I’m finding it very hard to get out of bed in the mornings, even when it’s 10am on the weekends.  I don’t feel like doing anything at all.  I’ve only worked out a few times in the past 2-3 weeks and I was doing so good.  While my blood sugars haven’t been terrible, they haven’t been stellar either.

I’m trying to determine the cause of this so that I can work on the solution.  But I can’t seem to pinpoint it on any one thing.  I believe my sinus issues may play a part – while I don’t have an infection, I have been suffering a lot from allergy symptoms for some reason and I know lethargy is a big symptom of many things sinus.  I know I need to push myself but I can’t seem to find the motivation to do that.  What I’m really hoping is that this is only temporary.  Because I would like more than anything to feel like me again.

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Recap of 2013.

Advocacy, BG, Community, Education, Emotions, Endocrinologists, Events, Family, Holidays, Milestones

Hi friends!  It seems like I’ve had a lot going on this year and my posts have been sporadic. But I’m still around and I’d love to recap what my year was about.  When I DID post that is 🙂  I’d love to call them highlights but honestly a lot of them don’t seem so exciting to fall under that category!

December: 32 years ago today I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

November: Oops.

October: What I am very glad about is that I am an empowered patient and have the wisdom to make this sort of determination.

September: Have you ever felt that something in your life needed to be “recharged”?

August: This is a fairly new collaboration within the diabetes online community to spread knowledge about the fact that the glucose test strips we use today, yes in 2013, are not completely accurate.

July: Talking with a true inspiration.

June: This isn’t really diabetes related.  But it’s about a huge part of my life – my twin sister.

May: Like the past conferences, I had a wonderful time.

April: I am honored to be hosting the Best of The ‘Betes Blogs for the month of April.

March: It was a little after 1am when I woke up kind of suddenly.

February:  Lucky for me, the great people over at Sanofi Diabetes asked if I was willing to share some advice or tips if you will, on traveling with diabetes.

January: When I was growing up with diabetes, there weren’t many books around that I knew of on the topic.

I cannot believe that we are getting ready to say goodbye to another year.  Is it me or did this one just fly right by?? I want to wish all of you a very happy and healthy new year.  May 2014 be good to all of you 🙂

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Year in Review. A Tad Late.

Community, Fun, Holidays

Technically, the year is still new right?  And 2012 not that far away?  Good.  I’m getting a late jump start on the year in review meme that was circulating earlier in the week 🙂

January – “Since I know that many of you have been keeping an interest in my OmniPod trial (which I greatly appreciate by the way), I thought it fair to share with you my decision.”

February – “I have made two rather major changes to my diabetes management recently.”

March – “When I was at the JDRF Research Summit last month, the main focus of the presenters was the progress, current efforts and complexity of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.”

April – “If you know me, you will be well aware of my interest in new things that come out.”

May – “Vacation.  I think everyone needs one once in a while for the sake of their mental health.”

June – “One of the things about living with diabetes is that there are a lot of medication and supplies needed on daily basis.”

July – “I got home tonight from my first ever Roche Social Media Summit in Indianapolis.”

August – “Wordless Wednesday.”

September – “Wow.  When you haven’t cried in a while and something sets you off, it’s kind of hard to stop.”

October – “My last A1c about 6 weeks ago was not only one of my lowest ever but also close to a 1% drop in 3 months.”

November – “When Dexcom announced their new G4 continuous glucose monitoring system last month, I was ecstatic.  And anxious to get mine.”

December – “On Christmas eve 31 years ago, my life changed forever.  And my family’s.”

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope the new year is off to a good start so far!

Goodbye 2012.

Community, Events, Holidays

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I want to thank all of my readers for sharing The Girl with the Portable Pancreas with me.  I truly appreciate your reading and feedback.  This past year has been a tough one for so many of my family and friends.  So it is with wishes for health, happiness and good fortune for all of you that I say goodbye to 2012.  I hope the new year is a good one.  ~Stacey

My Diabetes is 31 Today.

Emotions, Events, Holidays, Milestones

31 years going strong.

On Christmas eve 31 years ago, my life changed forever.  And my family’s.  Instead of celebrating Christmas with family and gifts like planned, I was brought to the hospital by my parents for a type 1 diabetes diagnosis.  To this day, I am grateful that my parents recognized the symptoms of insatiable thirst and never ending trips to the bathroom as soon as they did.  They saved me from becoming seriously ill.

I dislike having to live with diabetes.  There are days or moments when I absolutely hate it.  I’m not going to hide it.  But as I am reading “Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle“, I cannot help but feel extremely thankful that I live in a time where there are treatment options.  Back in the early 1900’s, the prognosis of being diagnosed with diabetes was a death sentence.  And a short one.  In my first years of being a person with diabetes, we relied on urine testing and only 1-2 daily injections of insulin to manage blood sugar.  But it was still better than nothing at all.  And today, 31 years later, even though I have some mild complications, I am still overall a healthy person.

So happy birthday, Diabetes.  I’m sorry to be stuck with you but in a way I hope we get to celebrate many more together.

Happy New Year!

Events, Holidays

As 2011 draws to a close (and I try to believe it’s that time of year again), I wanted to wish all of you a very happy new year.  My hopes for 2012, aside from happiness, health and prosperity, are advancements in diabetes technology as well as opportunities to attend more diabetes related events and keeping up with the advocacy that is so very important to us. 

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow ~Einstein

I wish you all the best in the new year.

*Stacey*

The Big 3 0.

Emotions, Holidays, Milestones

It was Christmas eve, 1981. God had other plans for a little 5 year old that year, other than spending time with family, opening gifts, waiting and wishing for Santa to come and leave gifts for the next morning. Instead that little girl was taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. That little girl was me. Thirty years ago today.

Now that I can say that I have lived with diabetes for a full 30 years, I can’t quite explain what an achievement that feels like. I’ve carried out my life the way I would have otherwise. Despite the fact that I’ve poked my fingers over 65,000 times. That I’ve had over 32,000 injections. That I’ve had countless low and high blood glucose readings. I am a reasonably healthy adult. For that I am extremely thankful.

So much has changed since those days of learning how to give injections to an orange. Having my parents give me my shots. Having to use urine strips to determine glucose levels. Fighting with insurance to cover a blood glucose monitor for us to use at home (a gigantic, slow, super expensive one at that!) Taking only one or two injections a day. Not counting carbs but eating a restricted diet. Testing just once or twice a day. For the past five years, I have been using an insulin pump. For the past three, I have been using a continuous glucose monitor. These two things alone are something that I never would have imagined using growing up. Having diabetes, I am so appreciative to be around in the days that these things are available. That things like the artificial pancreas are in the works. These things have helped me get to where I am today.

I wish, with all of my soul sometimes, that I didn’t have this disease. I would give anything to not have to test my BG before everything I do. Everything I eat. Every time I am active. Each time I go to sleep. And in between. Even more so, I would give anything not to have fear about losing my vision. About having nerve damage in my legs or hands. About my food not digesting properly. About the functions of my kidneys and heart. But God had other plans for me. Thirty years ago today I was diagnosed with this disease. And I will make the best of it. I will test my BG frequently each day. I will force myself to exercise even when I really don’t want to (still working on this one). I will go to a myriad of doctors to be proactive about the complications that have begun in my body. And most of all, I will fight diabetes with every ounce of my being. No matter what is in store for me after 30 years, I will not let diabetes destroy me.

Wordless Wednesday. Sort Of.

Holidays

With the start of Hanukkah last night and the craziness before Christmas in the next few days, I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a very happy holiday season.  I wish for all of you memorable times spent with loved ones; happiness, health and prosperity going into the new year and most of all cooperating glucose levels to enjoy lots of holiday treats! 🙂