In[sulin]dependence Day!

On this Fourth of July weekend, I'd like to start off by saying this: fireworks rule. I love sparklers, those little bomber snap thingies, party poppers full of streamers, anything that "gives off showers of sparks". That's a direct quote from some novelty fireworks fountain package. Please go out and support your local roadside fireworks tent. My good friend Jon's family has operated one for years--he hardly remembers a summer that he didn't have to go work there for at least a couple of days. Just remember to be safe, kids!

I want to thank Kerri for making me the featured blogger over at SUM. That's pretty effin' cool! In exciting quasi-blog-related news, I have purchased a laptop which should arrive early next week. This hopefully means more steady blog updates from me, as I will no longer be fighting my beloved hubby for the internet. This also means that poor Matt can finish his Masters' thesis without me always asking to borrow the computer for two minutes, y'know, to check for blog comments that I might need to approve.

This is going to be a full, road-trippy holiday weekend around here. Tomorrow night, Matt, Nigel and band will be playing yet another show in Delaware at Mojo 13. It's a pretty big honor to be playing the July 4th show. Hopefully no one will be trying to set off fireworks in the parking lot, as I think that may end with someone getting arrested. Yikes.

Saturday, it's off to see the family for a bit at the surprise picnic for my Aunt & Uncle's 60th birthdays. I finally get to meet my [not so] new [anymore] baby cousin! I'll keep a tally on how often someone asks me if I should be "eating that", and I'll let you know on Monday if it's out of control. From my cousin's house, near Lancaster, PA, we'll drive up to Williamsport to stay with my mom, then Sunday we're going with Matt's dad and I think my bro-in-law Jim to Watkins Glen, NY, for the Indy Car race.

From there, we'll head back home to Blue Bell, because guess who has to work Monday morning? Ha, no, not my husband. He took the day off. Monday is the first day of summer classes at DeVry, so I am going to be busy, busy, busy! It's all worth it to make the students (and my co-workers) happy. Whew!

I think of so many summer picnics in days gone by, where I was never without "the Young's bag". TYB was an insulated 6-pack sized cooler that my grandfather gave us from one of his company picnics. He used to work for Young Industries, so most summer picnics or outings of my childhood were often accompanies by the phrase, "Hey, do you have the Young's bag?" and, subsequently, "Is your meter in it? Juice? Is there enough insulin? Do you have everything? Are you sure? Let's go, then."

TYB successfully held multiple boxes of Junior Juice (or the really little Juicy Juices, whichever was on sale), a few packs of peanut butter crackers, and all the diabetes supplies I required, including that tiny new meter, the One Touch II. It was so small and sleek compared to the original One Touch, which had cost my parents $500, by the way. When my mom got the new meter from my endo's office for nothing, I'm guessing she almost fainted. Look at its compact size!
Ahem...blogger's note: I realize this isn't actually tiny, nor is it a One Touch II. It's a One Touch Basic, but I couldn't find any pics of the One Touch II in Google image search! Oh, if you can find me a pic of the original One Touch meter, or a One Touch II, I'd be almost willing to give you a prize! Honestly, I swear I'm getting to the point here. Yeesh!

Test strip prices are still outrageous, but we have come pretty far in a lot of ways. Thank goodness my blood samples don't involve me squeezing what felt like a quarter-teaspoon of blood from my little fingers anymore!

Summer trips and picnics seem to bring a lot of diabetes-related memories into my mind. Maybe it's because I was diagnosed around this time of year. Maybe it's because every summer we'd go to the closest amusement park, Knoebel's, and I would generally spend the day forgetting I even had diabetes except for the brief forays into the first aid station to give myself shots. That was almost a welcome solace--a few minutes of air conditioning and I'd be ready to hit the kiddie rides again. (Okay, yes, I admit it, I was a wussy who didn't get off the kiddie rides until I was like 10...) Of course, someone else would have to hold The Young's Bag.
Food times were a little rough. That park is not only full of delicious carnival food like funnel cakes and Sno-Cones, but they have this awesome candy shop that was always making fudge...and of course, I wasn't allowed to eat it. Apparently, Knoebels has won some kind of award for Best Amusement Park Food for 7 years in a row.

I think I need to get back there and eat some fudge. And ride The Phoenix. I might even visit the First Aid Station for old times' sake.

For me, diabetes and summer somehow go hand-in-hand.

I wish you and yours a fun holiday weekend! Blow stuff up! (Legally, please.)

CGMS Denial of a Different Kind

Call me old-fashioned. Tell me that I'm just like the insurance companies. Go ahead.

But I personally do not fully believe in CGMS technology yet. I don't have good faith that it's accurate enough for me to want to even attempt to get insurance coverage for a device of my own.

I wore a DexCom Seven a few months back, and it was definitely a fascinating, enlightening experience, but it also left me somewhat irritated. What's everyone making a fuss over? Why doesn't this work better? I am two freakin' feet away from the receiver, and it's not picking up my numbers. WTF?

I think the sensors are bulky, and I find it a little irritating to know that in order to use a CGMS of any kind, I have to have two chunks of plastic stuck on my skin to bump into things and cause me unhappiness.

It's amazing to be able to see if my blood glucose is trending up or down, and it's fascinating to see how fast your sugar levels shoot up if you eat carbs and forget to bolus. I have no qualms about wearing one again. I can get loaners at Gary's office which I can fortunately cover using the FSA that Matt and I have set up through his work.

But owning one of my own? I am not ready for that yet. I know they work wonders for some, though, so on this CGMS Denial Day, I just want to say that I think all insurance companies should definitely offer coverage of this ever-advancing technology. It's important to a lot of people with diabetes, and even though I don't feel like it's something I'm ready for yet, that could all change in a short amount of time.

When I want to get my own CGMS, I expect some coverage, dammit. I'm just not adamantly interested right now.

In Memory.

This beautiful, vibrant young woman's name is Shannon Leigh. She was a fellow poet whom I've met only twice, and somewhat briefly. She is around 21 years old, and I am in awe of her talent. She was the only woman to make it to the last round of individual finals at the National Poetry Slam in 2007, and many people agreed that she deserved to win.

Perhaps that's why I'm so dumbstruck to find that she is dead.

On June 14th, she was in a diving accident. Cave diving was one of her passions. An amazing team of good Samaritans came to her aid, including a couple of doctors who just happened to be diving that day as well. She had no pulse when they pulled her from the water, but they brought her around.

She was in the hospital. She was in a decompression chamber. She was in a coma. We all knew she was a fighter, and I think we all expected the best to happen. Her mother was posting Livejournal updates about her, remarking at how Shannon would react to hearing recordings of her own poems or episodes of South Park, how she would try to open her eyes or shed a tear. When I saw Shannon last, at a poetry feature in Delaware, we talked about poetry and South Park. I made some kind of obscure silly side comment, and she wrote it down, because she told me it would make a great idea for a poem.

I don't know if she ever wrote that poem.

I didn't even know her that well, but I am just so angry and sad that she's gone. She seemed sweet and sassy, and I was often wondering what kind of conversations we might have at future poetry events.

I will be donating at least something to her family in these harsh times. Her health insurance supposedly was only covering 80% of the $10,000 a day cost of the ICU.

Why Am I Not a Philebrity?

If you want to see a classic moment of me in action, this is the moment to look to:

Comic book t-shirt, uproarious cackling, and yes, you can see my molars. I've never had a cavity, thankyouverymuch. That belly dancer had it in for me, but I'm glad to see she was smiling for the picture as well. I may be laughing my ass off, but in the end, I wanted to take belly dance lessons.

The diabetes meet-up in Philly was a smashing success. Not only did I get to have lunch with some really great people, but I then got to spend the rest of my day with many of them. I was not planning on having such a long, amazing day, but it was honestly one of the best days I've had in a long time, not to mention the longest such day. I got up at 9am to take my car to the garage. I came back, had some breakfast and was ready to go out to lunch. At 12:30, we met up at the Applebees on City Line Ave in Philadelphia. We had me, Matt, Allison, Kelly, Kelly's friend Emily, Scott Strumello, Scott's partner Joe, Gary and Betty. They are not pictured in order, but here they all are:
How silly of a group was this in the end? Well, let's just say that we actually figured out a gang sign for Type 1...D-1, ya'll! Yeee-yuh! My personal note on this pic...tell us how you really feel, Scott. Haha. I am such the suburban gangsta. Check out my tough girl face. Diabetes don't raise no sissies. From left to right, that's Scott Strumello, Allison Blass, Kelly Kunik and yours truly, Hannah McD. I seem like I'm really short, but I just tend to lean a lot.

What a crazy day! Matt went home to prep for his studio time, so Allison was kind enough to give me a lift to Kelly's apartment in South Philly. We relaxed for a bit, strolled up to South Street, then joined Scott and Joe for Moroccan food at Marrakesh. Delicious food was had by all, and massive boluses were taken by all except Joe, but he knew what it was like. Also, I don't know how she did it, but Kelly succeeded at tipping the belly dancer.

After all of this, I enjoyed an eventful ride back to Ardmore thanks again to Allison and Kelly. I joined my boys i, fanblades at Range Recordings, where they were already about halfway through their all-night recording session. I managed to stay awake through the whole thing, and I am totally thrilled to say I will appear in background vocals on one of their tracks! I can actually sing, but in this one I'm just yelling/chanting along with the guys. It's still really cool to know that I got to record in an actual studio.

After the whirlwind of awesomeness, I finally collapsed into my bed at about 6am Sunday. I still haven't really caught up on sleep, hence the delay in this post. Hence the fact that I'm headed off to bed again.

I just want to thank all my bloggin' friends out there for being so darn cool in person, at least the few of you I've met so far.

And for the record, there is nothing more hilarious than making a restaurant waitress nervous:

Applebee's Server: So do you guys want dessert?
Kelly: Really? You are offering dessert to an entire table full of diabetics? What are you thinking!?
Applebee's Server: Ummmm...I'm...
Kelly: We're kidding! Just kidding you! Who wants dessert?
Most of the Table: ME!!
Applebee's Server: (finally smiling) Oh, okay. You had me worried there.

Monday Should Bring Pictures

Not my gang sign. I'm not sure where I first saw the "blog" gang sign on the internet, but it stuck with me. If anybody can learn to do it, I'll give you a nickel.

My hands don't seem to want to make the shape. It probably has something to do with that incident where I broke my finger when I was 10 or 11.

Why are blog gang signs important today? Because this weekend, I am meeting up with other d-bloggers in Philly! Who, you might ask?

Well, looks like Allison, Scott S., Kelly and possibly even Seonaid. Other d-friends and various type 3's will be joining us, so it should be really fun to recap on Monday.

This weekend, I'll be taking all the pics I can snap. Tonight i, fanblades is playing yet another show at the awesomely divey MOJO 13 in Wilmington, Delaware. Tomorrow afternoon marks the bloggin' meetup, and then tomorrow night, I'll be spending even more quality time with the boys in the band as they head into the studio for the first time ever. A real recording studio! My boys are growing up! (Um, now when I say boys, remember the youngest of the four in the band is 20...)

It may be cause enough to resurrect my old Flickr account, which I probably haven't touched in like two years! Okay, I better go change my clothes. We need to head to Delaware as soon as Matt gets home from work, which should be super-soon.

Off to another flurry of weekend fun! I hope everyone else has an awesome weekend. I'll see a few of you tomorrow, and I can't wait!

Ladies to Lighten the Mood

Thanks everyone for your kind comments and love on my last post. It really means a lot to know I have so many friends out there in Blogsville--not just readers, but real friends.

Much like any week of my life, I can't dwell on the bad stuff forever, so I have the following music-related nonsense to bring to those of you who might be interested...

It's time for some fluff to lighten everyone's mood!

So apparently, this chica named Katy Perry has a song out called "I Kissed a Girl". It is not a cover of Jill Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl". While I think Katy's song has an almost addictive faux-electro sugar coating, I still think Jill Sobule wins for the better song. Let's compare:

Katy Perry:



I think Ms. Perry is capitalizing on something I'll call the "Girls Gone Wild-ization" of America. I'm not sure she's real sincere in her desire to kiss girls. Sure, she says she liked it, it's casual, she's just trying it out...but it sounds to me like she likes it because she likes attention.

Jill Sobule:



On the other hand, Jill's story relates a rather adorable incident of discovering more about one's own sexuality. Both girls in this story have beaus, and they just happen to find out they certainly have more than a friendship. I dunno, call me old-fashioned, but in terms of content, this one wins it for me.

And just for good measure, one of the best songs about boys kissing each other ever, "He's Kissing Christian" by that dog:



I love that song so much. That Dog is one of the most underappreciated bands of the 90's if you ask me. Of course, I didn't discover them until something like 2001 or 2002...because of a boy. But that's another story for another time, and it involves yet another band. Someday, blog friends. Someday.

Dirty Words.

That's it.

I am convinced that the dirtiest word in the English language should be pancreas.

Why?

Because mine hasn't worked in nearly 20 years, yet suddenly that seems so minor for the moment.

Combine pancreas with that other word that some think should be equally taboo and dirty: cancer. Pancreatic cancer. I called my dad yesterday to wish him a happy Father's Day, and also to learn the results of some tests he had done. His health has been not great over the past several months. It's pancreatic cancer.

Right now, I don't want to dwell on it. I know it's serious. I know treatments like chemo will help, but I also know the truth of the matter is nothing but grim. I'm not sure what to do or say.

I know I'm going to be okay for now. I didn't want to hold this back. I needed you all to know. Thanks for listening.

Count Your Lucky Stars.

It must be nice to be a "real" Type 1. This is the thought that crosses through my head when, on day 2 of my newest infusion set/reservoir change, I need to refill my reservoir. It's what I think about when I hear people raving about their Omnipods, or I read that an insulin pump company is coming up with more ways to dose even more precise amounts so they can make pumps with smaller reservoirs.

"Well, I guess my decision is an easy one," I said to Gary a few months back when we compared the two insulin pumps that would best suit my needs. "If I can have a pump that lets me take more than 25 units at a time, that's absolutely the solution." My new Cozmo is still treating me well.

At Gary's insulin pump support group meeting last week, there was a really neat guest speaker. He was a practicing endo who also does a lot of research at UPenn. His topic of discussion was complementary therapies for type 1 diabetes, and it was very interesting. I found out that Byetta can be an effective, helpful treatment in type 1, but since it was primarily studied for people who have type 2 diabetes, it wasn't approved for people with type 1. Then, I found out a trick to not feeling like crap when you take Symlin.

The room at Gary's was packed, and everyone was very interested in Symlin and Byetta, of course, because who doesn't want to lose weight and not be hungry all the time? Then the guest brought up type 1's with insulin resistance. I was fascinated to learn that there may be a predisposition to becoming insulin resistant as a type 1 if there are a lot of Type 2's in your family history. So let's see...both of my great-grandmothers had it. My late aunt had it. My dad now has it. It felt like something of an A-Ha moment for me. (No, not THAT A-Ha...)

Cue the moment that nearly ruins the "support" part of the support group for me. Some pumpers at the meeting did not even realize there were insulin resistant type 1's. This isn't all that surprising--I don't think it's terribly common. But when our guest speaker said that there are definitely insulin resistant type 1's, and many of them have a total daily dose of 75 units a day at the very least, some people sitting near me were absolutely shocked. I guess I expected them to be surprised, but I was not prepared to hear someone say, "Oh my God" in pretty much the same tone of voice I use when I hear tragic news about someone or something.

I knew it wasn't any kind of derogatory remark directed at me, but it still stung. It hurts to know that you're just never going to be completely understood, whether it's by people who are your peers or sometimes even your doctor. It's a little disappointing to feel like a freak among people who are supposed to understand you, but I guess I shouldn't expect most type 1's to know what it's like having a 120-unit total daily dose on a good day.

If you're reading this, and somehow you're from a pharma company, please know this...not all type 1 diabetics need only a few drops of insulin to get through the day. Not everyone can buy two or three vials of insulin to get through a month. (Try 5 or 6 here.)

I plan to go back to Symlin. I was feeling pretty good when I took it before. Maybe I'll try metformin again, but I feel like there's some kind of invisible stigma in taking too many kinds of medicine. Then again, maybe too many of my friends are weird hippies who won't even take Tylenol for a headache, and I'm just feeling the silly influence.

My kudos go out to my Philly d-partner-in-crime, Kelly. We were sitting together, and when the guest speaker mentioned the insulin-resistant type 1 and how much insulin that person could take, I leaned in and whispered, "He's talking about me! That's totally me!" She looked a bit surprised, but more in a "Wow, I don't know how you do it, girl!" kind of way. Then she offered me a copy of the notes she was taking. That's a good kind of surprise.

So, type 1's out there, the next time you find yourself taking that "huge" 10-unit bolus for a high carb meal (or whatever you take, I don't want to pretend like I know since I'm no authority), count your lucky stars. Think about how you could be taking 35 units, or even more. If you lived in my body, that's the normal you'd come to accept.

Dorky Reader Mail!

Hello fellow d-bloggers and readers! It's not every day I get reader mail, and this particular reader has a question, so I thought I'd give everyone out there (myself included) a chance to support a fellow person with diabetes. I've edited it a tad for space, but here goes nothin':

"I am recently diagnosed Type 2-- I need some advice.

...I was doing great with dietary changes...no meds needed.

But then things changed... diabetes "nurse police" wanted me to participate in a study of compliant ones, people like me who were doing everything the way they wanted. They would call even on Saturdays. I think that is what started me on the defiant path-- them chasing after me to be a study participant...I think I am still a bit of a non-compliant teenager!

One of the nurses laughed when I told her I was in training for a 2-mile walk for a humane society. Imagine being laughed at.

That was it for me.

Am forcing myself to get a dr. appointment soon-- haven't checked my BG in a year, or been back to the clinic-- in a year! I know!

I ask you, someone half my age, about this because you have a sense of humor like I do. ***And I suspect you have good advice.***

Any ideas as to why I am not being compliant?

Any tips on how to deal with the doctor? Tell him I was abducted by aliens? Tell him that I like myself being so sweet and didn't want to become less sweet? LOL!"

The first thing that came to mind after reading this was, "What kind of medical professional actually laughs at you for wanting to exercise?" I mean, maybe this nurse is some kind of uber-jock who thinks it's hilarious that one would need to train for an itty bitty 2-mile jaunt. Still not everybody has great knees, lungs, or muscles. We're not all distance walkers/runners. Your medical professionals, in my opinion, should know this is nothing to laugh at.

Definitely get yourself to a doctor who you trust. You need a doctor who can really listen to what you have to say. I also think it's great to have a doctor who understands that you're not a perfect patient. Many of us have trouble trying to balance our normal lives with our diabetes lives. So maybe you didn't know the exact carb count of that donut you ate at the breakfast meeting...what do you think will cause more damage: the fact that a cruller might make your blood sugar high if you didn't cover it correctly, or the guilt you'll lay on yourself for the rest of the day about how you "never do what you're supposed to do"? Me? I can test later and correct for my mistakes with insulin. The guilt will carry over for probably every carb you ever look at ad nauseum.

As for what to tell your doc, I'm not sure. I'm an advocate for being as honest as possible. If the reasons you haven't been taking better care of yourself are completely unrelated to your diabetes, say so. Stressful events at home or work? Let them know about them. Don't use them as excuses, but do let your doctor know you'd LIKE to be treating yourself better, and that you'd love to have a great A1c, but you feel like something is holding you back.

And if necessary, go to someone who isn't your doctor for some diabetes management help. Maybe there is a diabetes management program near you where a CDE (certified diabetes educator) can help you out. This is why I talk about Gary all the time--the advice he gives me and the patience he has for me is immense and helps me tremendously.

I think a lot of us end up "noncompliant" by nature. The repetitive details of our daily diabetes routines wear us down. Sometimes, you just need to take a break before you lose it. Some people can go on a break for a few days, then get it back together. Some people take a break, and it will take quite some time to get into the swing of things. Honestly, that's where I am now.

College and the couple of years after were a big break for me, and I've fallen into some habits I'm not too proud of. I started this blog. I enlisted as much help as I could, and it's a slow re-learning process.

I think the key to becoming "diabetes compliant" or whatever you may want to call it is to simply take it one day at a time. Push yourself to form some new good habits; however, personally, if I try to do too much at once, I feel a bit overwhelmed, and then I get upset at myself for not being able to achieve what should be completely reasonable goals. Find out what goals are reasonable for you. Build up from there.

And most of all, find a great support system. The Diabetes OC and sites like dLife and TuDiabetes have become invaluable tools for me to vent, to make friends, and to find that I'm not as different or noncompliant as I think I am.

Fellow readers and folks with the Big D, now's your chance to sound off! Help a reader out!

Attention Fellow Dorks and Techies!

I am in the market for an inexpensive laptop of reasonable quality. Now that I have a job, I think I'll be able to afford my own computer so I don't have to compete with Matt when I want to be online or writing or whatever. Also, it'd be cool to pop into someplace with WiFi at lunchtime so I can blog and eat a sandwich at the same time without having to worry about whether it's against company policy.

I do have an old iBook, but the thing is slow to surf and quick to overheat. Also, wireless internet isn't an option here. We've had a good run, but I need something new. Not even brand new--I know there are great refurbished deals out there.

I am looking to you, oh world of internet friends, for suggestions and advice. Also, directions to any Consumer Reports-esque websites comparing PC laptops would be appreciated. My dream laptop is a MacBook Pro, but honestly, I just can't afford it right now, and what I need the most is a computer I can write on, do internet stuff on, and of course, upload all kinds of diabetes data on.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, and stay tuned to Dorkabetic for a better blog update. I've actually got some good posts in mind for the week, including a reader question! The job is going great! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Breaking Out the Big D at Work

I don't want to make it a habit to blog while I'm working, at least not until I know it's cool, but I need your help today.

What have you guys done in your places of work to tell people about your diabetes? Do you send people a note? I work in a small office, and I'd like the co-workers I see on a regular basis to know about it. Our schedules kind of rotate, so many evenings I will only be in the office with one other person, and that person could change from day-to-day, so it seems important to give a subtle broadcast of info. I know some of you keep it to yourselves, and I know others tell everybody.

So what might I want to say? What's the best way to deliver the message? Help!

*frantic arm-waving*

*meatier blog post to follow later today, or maybe tomorrow...not to worry, it's fun!*

My One-Man Support System

It seems to be the time of year, or maybe just the time of life, when a lot of people I know are getting married. For some, like in the case of both of my in-laws, it's a re-start. For others, mostly my friends, it's something they've been dreaming about for a while, or at least hoping for. I sincerely hope, for everyone I know, that it's the best decision they'll ever make.

For a time, I think I was in denial. I met Matt when I was 16 at a friend's Halloween party, where I pretty promptly lured him into the blacklight room for some smoochin'. That's right, I've always been ballsy. Then it was just conversation after conversation on the phone where I felt, for the first time in my life, that someone actually GOT me. He was really interested in all the weird things I said, all the time. But I was in denial--how could it be possible to find a soulmate when you're still in high school?

I guess stranger things have happened in this world. Matt and I will have our two-year wedding anniversary on September 30, and we'll have been together for 10 years on October 30. I still couldn't be happier. He puts up with my mood swings, my high-blood-sugar induced crankiness, my demands to look at the kittens when we go by the pet shop, even my general laziness when it comes to housework. I can take him with me to doctor's appointments. I take him to Gary's office, and he asks even dorkier questions than I do. He certainly knows his way around a set of data.

But when times get tough, or when I feel like I'm at my lowest, that's one time when having a great partner matters the most. When I start crying because I feel like my blood sugars will never be normal, my A1c will never come down, my self-care will never be good enough, I hate my body with its cankles and dysfunction and lazy attitude...he just hugs me as tight as he can and tells me it'll be okay. He tells me he believes in me, I'll be able to do better if I just stay strong and positive. Hell, he says I'm so sexy, he never even notices my swollen ankles.

I hope everyone out there who's getting/gotten married recently has a partner who is perfect for them. I hope we all can find our special someone who always knows the right things to say, and more importantly, always means them.

Oh, and one more thing about my husband? His wallet is more disorganized than my purse, and I scold him for not keeping his money in numerical order; yet, in that bi-fold leather mess is a ratty old Post-It note folded in half. On it is my name and my phone number, hand-written by me, circa 1998, October 30 to be exact. Maybe this year, on our anniversary, I should get it laminated so it'll at least last another 10 years.

LOL Until Cats.

Today, I had to chuckle to myself, because of all the pricey luxuries to be found in and around the King of Prussia Mall, I had to find some gas for my car. Thanks to not exactly estimating the location of the gas station I could see from the road, I had to drive about halfway around the entire mall just to get back to the Exxon. Oops. Note to self: next time, Gulph Road, not Mall Boulevard.

This, paired with some pointless slow traffic, made me late for an appointment with Liz, the new dietitian, but only by about 15 minutes. She seems really nice, and we worked out a plan for some small steps and changes I can make. More logging is in my future. Maybe I should just do my logging here and you all could hold me accountable? Maybe that's too public. We'll see.

Anyway, I just wanted to share something with everyone out there who, like me, religiously reads Six Until Me. Leave it to the fine LOLcat folks to publish her submission while she's on her honeymoon. Don't believe it? Click on the pic to see the photo with its credits! Maybe this is the internet's way of giving our good friend a wedding gift? I dunno. Make sure you LOL until you can't LOL no more. I think we could all use it.


more cat pictures

A Job and an Animal

There are two things you need to know, and this is all I really have time to tell you at the moment, since it's midnight here and I should be sleeping.

1. Started the new job today. Think I'm going to like it.

2. We got a hamster. His name is M.C. Hamsta. The M.C. stands for "misogynist c**kface", because in the course of about 2 days, he impregnated both of our friend's female hamsters. He had to be stopped, so now he's living with us. The cat is simultaneously fascinated and terrified. It's fun.

More on things later. Take care, blogosphere!

What's Up, Doc?

I am considering switching general physicians. My family doc, who I've mentioned before, is a really nice lady, but at the same time I feel like whenever I'm sick, my diabetes gets in the way. For example, today I went in because I think I have a UTI brewing, and I wanted to get a jump on some antibiotics before I start work next week. Nothing worse than pelvic pain to start a new job!

I go in, do the usual pee-in-a-cup test. I hope that my blood sugar isn't too high, because I'm gonna get called out on it as if it's something I was clueless of.

It could also be those good ol' ovarian cysts acting up again, but the pain isn't nearly as sharp or unbearable. I'm thinking UTI. I'm thinking bladder infection. I'm thinking it's going to be obvious, in-out-done.

The nurse comes in with a dinosaur of a glucose meter. "There's, like, a TON of glucose in your urine," she informs me. She's a nice, friendly nurse around my own age. She looks baffled by her equipment, but asks me if I want to test my sugar myself. She then says I can use my own meter and also tells me she doesn't know why the office meter is so old--it's pretty unfamiliar to both of us. She said in nursing school, they'd used newer equipment, so she was glad I was willing to do things myself. 5 seconds count down. 235.

The nurse leaves to tell the doc and comes back again. She wants to take my blood. I just had an A1c...what? 2 weeks ago at most? They want to do a CBC and a Hemoglobin A1c, she says. She's not quite sure why, but since my blood sugar is so high, I guess it's some kind of office policy.

Here's a thought...if I actually have the beginnings of an infection, my blood glucose is gonna go through the roof whether I want it to or not! That's generally what infections do!

Apparently my quickie-UTI test only showed "a couple of white cells" (doc's quote), and she doesn't seem convinced yet that I actually have any kind of infection. She thinks maybe my problems are exclusively from the amount of glucose I'm peeing out.

I'm glad my doc seems conscientious enough to not hand out antibiotics like Tic-Tacs, but on the other hand, I'm hurting here. I don't want to get sicker. She did write me a script, but she seemed pretty reluctant to do so.

I don't want to have an A1c test every time my blood sugar is high at a doctor's office, and this is not the first time this has happened. On the other hand, my doctor is generally nice, has good hours, and the office location is really convenient. As long as I don't have to pee in a cup, I'm usually happy.

Maybe the next time I think I have a UTI, I'll call my endocrinologist.

KeyNote Speaking

About a week or so ago, I was contacted by a rep from AgaMatrix, makers of the WaveSense KeyNote glucose monitor. The aforementioned marketing rep is a reader of Dorkabetic and thought that I would be a great candidate to evaluate their product. I can't say no to a meter that is supposed to be really accurate and uses a smaller sample size than my current choice of meters.

The KeyNote sells internationally under a variety of brand names. Also, here in the States, if you sign up with Liberty Medical Supply, the free meter you receive is a Liberty-branded KeyNote, because Wilford Brimley is always reminding you to check your blood sugar and check it often.

I'm interested to find out if there are really any differences in the meters that I use. I tend to pick a brand and stick with it, because in my mind, sometimes glucose monitors are glucose monitors. I plan to update all of you readers on my experiences with the KeyNote as I have them. So far, my experience has involved pulling everything out of the UPS shipping box and looking at it. Already one thing has set this company apart in my mind--WaveSense packages their test strips in vials of 50, saving on packaging in a big way. Now if only some of the "big boy" companies would jump on that bandwagon...

In other news, I didn't get the awesome non-profit dream job, but it's okay. Next week I'll start at DeVry University, and it's a great job that pays well. The people who work there seem really nice also. It just feels great to finally be valued for my potential as an employee. Also, with the exception of a PA state inspection, all of the silliness involving my driver's license and my car registration is done as of today.

Lots of good things going on. If you see me walking, you might notice that extra spring in my step.

Double-Tagged!

So both Jillian and Ashley really wanted to see what I'd do with this meme, so here goes (and now Kelly, too)...
Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 6 people to be tagged, list their names & why you tagged them. Don’t forget to leave them a comment saying “You’re it!” & to go read your blog. You cannot tag the person that tagged you, so since you’re not allowed to tag me back; let me know when you are done so I can go read YOUR weird, random, facts, habits and goals.

1. While my own blog posts may not be grammatically perfect, I am a stickler for good grammar basics. My pet peeves are unnecessary quotation marks and misused apostrophes. (For example, "The book is your's" instead of "yours"; or "2 Bagel's for $1"--plurals don't need apostrophes!!)

2. I was in band and choir all through high school. I sang alto and played clarinet. In high school, I was in a selective co-ed choral ensemble at my school, and I also sang in the advanced-level chorus. Friends of mine from chorus in high school are now music teachers, opera singers and professional musicians! I even was in choir for a couple of semesters of college. I believe I inherited my late Grandma's musical talents, because goodness knows my parents can't sing!

3. I like taking pictures. I don't have a lot of formal photographic training, but I think I can compose a shot pretty well. Lots of friends give me compliments. Here, take this for example...














4. I love diner food. (Oh really? You ask, tsk tsk-ing because I mentioned that my cholesterol is high...whatever.) I just love going to diners in general. I think Guy Fieri from the Food Network has a great job because he gets to go around the country and eat at all the delicious dives the US has to offer.

5. Some women may prefer macho muscle men, but I like sensitive skinny boys. Frequently ones in glasses, but mostly I just like them fairly well-dressed.

6. In college, my roommate and I had a radio show that we called "The Two Dorks on the Radio". She graduated a year ahead of me, so the next year, I was "One Lonely Dork on the Radio". I also was the permanent guest co-host of my good friend Ryan's radio show. I remember one time breaking down into a ridiculous giggle fit reading entertainment news for Ryan because I was completely taken aback that JAG was still on TV airing new episodes.

7. Actually, speaking of Ryan, I think there were one or two people we worked with at the radio station who thought we were dating. While we were pretty much best friends and partners in crime, no dating or even making out actually occurred. Hugs, certainly, but Ryan's like a brother to me. We ate cereal together at dinner, discussed our latest writing projects, and tried [sometimes in vain] to make sense of Ryan's love life.

8. I'd love to do some freelance writing. If anybody has any advice on how to break into it, feel free to send it my way!

9. My stuff is still not completely unpacked from the move back in October. We have boxes and boxes that are still loaded. Opened, yes, but still full of stuff. Now that I'll be getting a job, we can finally afford furniture to put everything in! Hooray for bookshelves and dressers!

10. I love mojitos. They are both tasty and delicious. I also like margaritas, cosmopolitans, and appletinis. Mmm, fruity drinks. Umbrellas are optional, but generally fun.


I'm tagging Amylia and Beth, as I figure most everyone else has been tagged at this point. If you haven't been tagged, feel free to say that I tagged you! ;)

The Late-Night Endo Wrap-Up

Today's visit with my endocrinologist had its share of ups and downs, but honestly, I walked away feeling good. I feel motivated. I know I can do this. Let's break down the lab work, since that's what I was most interested in...

Urine check: normal!
Thyroid: normal!
Blood glucose reading at time of test: 116!
In-between metabolic-related readings: normal!

Now the disappointments:

A1c: 8.7, up from 8.3. Gonna be working on that one.
Cholesterol: High. My LDL is 160, and it should be under 100.

Looks like I'll be focusing on healthier eating and remembering to check my blood sugar more often. I got a bigger test strip prescription to allow me to do this, because I definitely find myself avoiding checking my blood sugar sometimes because I'm nervous about running out of strips before insurance will pay for another month's supply.

Anyway, I am far from being where I want to be, but I feel like it's within my reach. I know what I need to do, now it's just a matter of the practical application of those things.

Tomorrow, I have my last job interview for [hopefully] quite some time. Send some good vibes my way, as this job is even a tiny bit more exciting than the one I've already been offered. Writing and creativity are part of the job description for this one, so it's incredibly appealing to me.

I've never been in a position where I could potentially have 2 job offers before. I already have one job in the bag (pending my pee test, which better be clean, or I'll be extremely puzzled), and yet I can't stop thinking about the other one I get to discuss again tomorrow. There is a flurry of activity in my little brain. What will happen? What, indeed?

Here's what's gonna happen--I'm gonna haul my butt to the DMV on Friday, because guess who found her marriage certificate! Hooray for official residence and voter registration, and a big hooray for the vehicle registration I will have soon after! And FYI...my important documents now have a permanent residence in my filing cabinet. No worries about that stuff ever again.

YES!

Everyone can commence the happy-dancing now. I have a job offer, a potential start date, and one interview left to go this week. If that goes well, hopefully I will get an offer on that job, but if not, I still have something cool lined up!

That is, after they run the background check and I get the drug test.

Finally! FINALLY!! YAY!

Oh, and um, endo appointment tomorrow. You'll hear all about that tomorrow. Got the bloodwork done today, and they only needed 3 vials. It was amazing--I thought it was going to require at least half a dozen.

I HAVE A JOB!!!!

Monday Meows

So in light of yesterday's more angsty post, today I'm feeling a bit better. My right leg seems to be back to normal, but I'm definitely going to ask about it at Wednesday's endo appointment. I also took a pic of my ankles so if they aren't that bad at appointment time, I can show Dr. Blackstone what happens and why it bothers me so much. I'm going to be proactive and get my problems dealt with properly this time.

Today I searched through boxes to try and find my marriage certificate. Note to any newlywed or about-to-be newlywed ladies out there (ahem, Kerri, Gina...), make sure you keep your marriage certificate somewhere where you ALWAYS remember where it is, even when you move. I'm trying to get a drivers' license here in PA, and they need to see social security card, current license from another state, birth certificate or passport and proof of address. Unfortunately, my Delaware license reflects my married name, and not the name on my birth certificate and previous PA license, so they want to see my marriage certificate. But where is it? What box is it in? I'll tell you what I did manage to find today: Nigel's Sega Dreamcast, Matt's skateboard helmet, a handful of books I've been meaning to read and a Fall Out Boy CD that I nearly forgot I owned, but no certificate yet. Sigh. I have to be close, I mean, Matt found the power cord for the printer, and we've only been searching for that for 5 months!

The weather is crappy today, and I'm jealous because Nigel has been in bed all day, snuggled up with his newest girlfriend. I mean, literally, all day. I'd be more than happy to spend all day canoodling with my husband, but he works normal business hours. Lucky Nigel just got switched to a 4-day work week. Not to worry, blogosphere, this new love interest has my approval. (You remember that crazy one from a while back, right?) But it's cold out today, and I want a twelve-hour snugglefest to call my own, dammit!

In the meantime, here's a video that I thought was adorable, but hey, if cats walking on treadmills isn't your cup of tea, you can feel free to ignore it: