Wednesday, November 21, 2012

[Almost] Wordless Wednesday: The Big Yellow Test

Now, for only $1 plus sales tax, where applicable, a urine glucose test! Kind of nice, but who picked yellow for the box color? Is that so people know you have to pee on it?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Oh, You Know, Just Being Awesome.

I've talked about writing poetry.  I've talked about performing poetry.  If you've been waiting to see me actually do a poem, here it is!  Thanks to all my Philadelphia poetry family. 

And thanks to Warren, who is a great friend and a fantastic poet.  His editorial suggestions for poems are usually quite good, and his compliments are among some of the most sincere and well thought-out I've received regarding my writing in the past year. 

And now, on with the show!  Diabetes Online Community friends, welcome to hearing the sound of my voice!  (At least my poetry performance voice.)

Monday, November 12, 2012

New Pump Consideration Post 2012

My Cozmo is finally out of warranty.  If you've never realized how long my blog has been around, I definitely blogged about getting it four years ago.  Honestly, it's been four-and-a-half.  My little Cozmo has been well-loved, but it's time to move on to the next pump. 

This is where I am having a little bit of trouble.  I want a Tandem T-Slim.  I think it looks great, and I love that they still have potential to integrate with Dexcom in the future.  (Dexcom G4 = drool.  Not yet for me, but maybe early 2013?)  A lot of things I read about it and the handful of things I actually know about it just make sense to me.  Is it going to be as fabulously intuitive as an iPhone or a good Android phone?  I'm not sure, but hey, I've been dealing with regular clunky insulin pumps for so long, I just think you can't really get any worse, right?

On the other hand, a Medtronic would also be a practical option for me.  I've had a Medtronic in the past.  Two of them, in fact--my first and second insulin pumps were from Medtronic.  I know they are durable, but I also know they can be sensitive to static shocks.  I know I would have to use proprietary supplies.  I know I would be wasting their technology by using my Dexcom instead of their CGM system.  Yet, I can't shake the fact that I should be considering Medtronic.  They've been in the business a long time.

For practicality's sake, I am limited to a larger-sized reservoir, 300 mL plus, otherwise I'd be refilling my pump every day or every other day.  This makes my options very limited.  I can have a Tandem, a Minimed or an Accu-Chek combo.  I have not had my hands on a Accu-Chek.  I am not sure how I feel about the pump itself.  I personally think it still looks a bit clunky, although I do like the Bluetooth meter-remote concept and the 315 mL reservoir capacity.

Why am I saying all this?  Well, since it's National Diabetes Awareness Month, it seemed like a good time to talk about this and get your feedback.

Do you love your T-Slim, Medtronic or Accu-Chek?  Have you blogged about it somewhere?  I'd love to see some DOC feedback on these pumps so I can work toward a more educated choice for myself.  Post away in the comments, friends!  I want to know what you love and what you don't.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

And so November begins...

It's Movember!  It's NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo!

It's National Epilepsy Awareness Month!

And most importantly, for most readers of this blog (as well as the author), it's National Diabetes Month.

JDRF declares the first day of November to be T1D - Type 1 Day.  Wego Health has also declared this month to be National Health Blog Post Month.  Whew!  That's a lot of stuff.  It's in the spirit of Wego Health's post suggestions that I start this month.  I am going to aim to follow them for all 30 days, but we'll see what happens, eh?

Wego says one of the Day 1 topics is "why I write about my health", and what better day to say something than Type 1 Day?

I write about my health because it helps me immensely to be a part of a community that really "gets it".  Having diabetes isn't easy.  Keeping it in control isn't easy.  If you are the type of person who doesn't need to talk about what's going on in their life in order to feel happy, you probably would never feel the need to blog about anything.  I am a writer.  I am compelled to write about everything--what I ate for breakfast, who I have a crush on, what my blood glucose is right now.  Many people do not understand that latter fact.

The people who understand the most about having Type 1 Diabetes also have it themselves, and while some of these people live near me, many of them don't.  Many of us took to the internet in the hopes of finding community, insight, and the occasional bit of advice.

I write about my health because sharing my story with diabetes is cathartic for me.  I love storytelling, both real and fictional.  There are days I feel my life revolves around telling stories, and if I can't involve diabetes in these stories I am, in essence, denying a part of myself.

I actually wrote about this a bit here as well.

If you are reading Dorkabetic for the first time, welcome.  These are my stories.  They are sometimes better when accompanied by a beverage of your choice or a bowl of ice cream.  Stick around for more.