Bitter~Sweet Chips: 2010 Wrap Up

Before we bid a fond farewell to 2010 and head off into 2011, here are some fresh tasty morsels you shouldn’t miss  . . .

• Do you use Apidra brand insulin?  Or are you considering giving it a try and looking to hear from others who already use it?  Well Lorraine of This Is Caleb has created a fabulous Apidra Linky List.  Here Apidra users can link blog posts they’ve written about Apidra, and those seeking info can find just what they need.  Visit Lorraine’s Apidra Linky post to learn all of the details.
• Are you looking to take your diabetes management to the next level in 2011?  You might consider attending Type-1 Diabetes University, an on-line school offering live and pre-recorded classes that go beyond just the basics.  T1 University founder Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, explains “This is nothing like a basic diabetes education class. These courses are for insulin users who want focused, expert information on specific topics that are relevant to their daily lives.”  There are quite a few courses listed already that will start on January 4th, with plans for more to be added over time.  I may check out Blood Glucose Control During Sports & Exercise or Weight Loss for Insulin Users myself.
• How about ending the year right by supporting some great diabetes organizations?
  
• TuDiabetes and Diabetes Hands Foundation, who have done great things in 2010 including The Big Blue Test, need help reaching their end of the year goal.  Donate before we ring in 2011 and you’ll be eligible for some nifty thank-you gifties.  (I’d like to thank WEGO Health for a panel opportunity I was able to participate it, which resulted in a donation to DHF made on my behalf.)
• Diabetes Research Institute is wrapping up their Be Part of the Cure campaign, which I posted about earlier in the year.  It’s so exciting to see how much the collage has filled in over the past two months.  There are still a few spots left, so be sure to make your donation and upload your picture before we bid adieu to 2010!
• Have you heard about the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conferences held each year?  You do know that in 2011 there will also be a bunch of sessions that are geared specifically to adults with Type 1 diabetes, right?  And you’ve seen the list of 2011 FFL Faculty?  It sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful event and I’m all signed up and counting down the days!!  If you are thinking of going too, remember that early registration (with a bit of a discount) ends tomorrow.  Check out all the details and let me know if I’ll be seeing you there!
• In case you missed it yesterday, I was honored to do a guest post for Kerri over at Six Until Me.  Click on over if you want to find out why I always carry glucose tablets.
• I want to say a big thank you for the wonderful responses to my Wish List post, both in the comments section and by email.  Seeing the enthusiasm is very encouraging and there are so many great suggestions I never would have thought of.  We’re compiling a list for our next meeting, so if you haven’t left your ideas please do.  We appreciate your help as we work to gets this local T1 Adult Outreach Group up and running!

Thank you all for your friendship in 2010.  It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of the D-OC Bubble after feeling so isolated with this disease for most of my life.  I look forward to all of the great things we will do together in 2011!!   HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wish list . . .

I’m hoping you can help me out with a little wish list of sorts.  No, I’m not talking about what you wanted to see under your tree on Christmas morning.  Or what you hoped for during the eight nights of Hanukkah.  I’m not even asking about what you’d like the New Year to bring.  Nope, what I want to know is this . . .

If a brand new Adult Diabetes Outreach Program was starting up in your area, what would you wish for it to include??

You see, the dinner meeting I referred to in my last post was with a small group of T1 ladies and our local JDRF Outreach Coordinator (who is also the fabulous mom of a T1 daughter).  Our mission?  To work with JDRF to coordinate a local T1 Adult Outreach Program.  Our area is lacking any kind of group like this and we’re all very excited to be working on getting one up and running. 

Our first step - besides spending a large amount of time just socializing and enjoying each other’s company - was to brainstorm for ideas on what this program can and should include.  Obviously, we are hoping to make this group a huge success!  And who better to help us brainstorm for ideas than all of you?  Some of you may already be involved in programs such as this, and I’d love it if you would share your advice and experiences.  And most of you probably have thoughts about what a great Adult Outreach Program should or shouldn’t include, and I'd value your input!  Please leave your comments here - or if you’d rather go “off-the-record” you can email me at Karen@bittersweetdiabetes.com.

As we work to bring our T1 Adult Outreach Program though the planning stages and into reality, I’ll continue to blog about the process.  I’m hoping others will be interested to hear what we’re doing . . . and perhaps inspired to start up an outreach group in your own area!

Force of habit . . .

Last night I was out for a dinner meeting.  (More to come on this, we’re working on something I’m excited about.)  Pete was left to fend for himself for dinner and decided to cook up some ravioli.  And when I got home and looked at our memo board, I had to laugh.

Click to enlarge!!

Even though I wasn’t home and wouldn’t be eating the ravioli, he worked out the carb count!  Silly boy, he can eat all the carbs he wants.  (Such a show off with his working pancreas.)

And yes, we need to stick the E-Z-Pass to the windshield of the not-so-new car.  And we’re out of Triple Sec for Pizza and Martini Fridays.

True love???

“True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself.”  ~Honore de Balzac

Diabetes is eternal.  Diabetes is infinite.  And I suppose Diabetes is always like itself . . . because it sure is different from anything else.



In any case, my “true love” and I are celebrating our 31st anniversary one day this month - although in all honestly, I’ve been saying we’ve been together for 31 years since about September or so.  Maybe that’s because it just seems like diabetes has been with me for-freaking-ever!!  In any case, we may have officially passed our big day last week.  Or maybe it is next week.  Or possibly yesterday or tomorrow.  As I’ve said before, the unfortunate fact is that I don’t know exactly when my Diaversary is, but we know I was diagnosed in 1979 and we think it was in December.  I usually pick December 15th to “celebrate” because it is smack in the middle of the month.  This year I suppose I need to push the party back a bit because Pete has an important meeting today and I’d hate to leave my REAL true love out of the celebration.

So tell me, what is a suitable 31st Diaversary gift for my so-called true love to get me?  Perhaps good health after 31 years with my life partner is the best gift I could have asked for!

If Santa had a crew of diabetic elves . . .

one of these peppermint sticks we saw while shopping on Saturday could treat their hypos for the next decade!!  Ho ho ho!!

Dear Shadow . . .

Don’t like pump tubing on your head?  Of course you don’t . . . who would??  After all, pump tubing is so much better between your teeth!!



Happy Weekend!!!!

Love,
  K.C.

Paranoia or Diabetes

Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night, listening to strange noises in my house.  It was very windy, and our house is almost 90 years old, but these didn’t sound like the normal creeks and grunts of an old house.  My imagination flew straight to the assumption that a prowler was trying to get in . . . . or already had.  I stared into the black night, wide awake, scrutinizing every sound.  (In my defense, my house was robbed about seven years ago, so when I hear a strange noise in the night my mind goes right there first.)  After a little while, K.C. jumped down from her favorite sleeping place (aka: on me) and ambled downstairs.  Once I heard the crunch-crunch of her midnight snacking, I knew all was well with our house.  If a crook had gotten in, my little fraidy cat would be cowering under our bed!

Since I was now wide awake, and since I haven’t done a middle-of-the-night finger-stick in a while, I decided to get up and test my blood.



Which made me wonder - how much of my late night paranoia is caused by diabetes throwing me a low, and how much is just me being a fraidy cat?