Happy World Diabetes Day!

Hello everybody and happy World Diabetes Day! Why November 14? It's the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin, a very important medicine for diabetics. This month and day are all about awareness, to just know that this disease does exist even if you can't point it out easily, many don't realize they have diabetes. MSN NBC article says that the american diabetes association says daibetes "kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined."( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40130337)Some signs to look out for that i have actually experienced are increase thirst, frequent urination, unexpected weight loss, extreme faitgue and irriabitlity. (for some, like  type 2, there is no signs). There are also more then one type of diabetes: type 1, type 2, gestional diabetes, type 1.5 (LADA). You don't have to be overweight or young to get diabetes, people of all sizes and ages can get diabetes. Doctors aren't sure what causes it but our genetics play a big part as well as our sedentary lifestyles and the processed foods present in our culture.

Diabetes is aauto immune disease (think good guys kill the good guys on accident because they look like a bad guy). I am type 1 diabetic, which means my pancreas doesn't produce insulin, and get this it's just little tiny part of the pancreas that doesn't work!! When you eat food, or carbs, the digestive system breaks it down into glucose, now insulin is a hormone that helps use glucose to energy. Without the insulin to help, the glucose builds up and starts using body fat for energy and then ketones build up in the blood and urine which result in high blood sugars. This happend to me and they call it diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), this happens when the blood sugar is high for to long and the end result could be a coma or death. Luckily for me i was able to visit the ER and get fixed up and that's when i was introduced to insulin. Without this life saving hormone i wouldn't be able to live a normal life. It's been three years since i've been diagnosed and i have learned so much about diabetes. To keep your sugars in check i constantly check my sugars and go see my doctor. I use a pump (omnipod) to help give myself insulin without using needles, and soon i'll be able to usea continuous glucose monitor (CGM, think gps for your sugars, all day  long).

You can find more blogs about my diabetes in my past blogs, everything from dealing with depression, why diabetics don't care of themselves, haikus and some humor. Now that i know about diabetes i can help others because just like me in the beginning i knew nothing about this disease.

I hope i was able to educate and show little about diabetes today, maybe one day we can have a Hug A Diabetic Day in November. Go ahead and hug one anyway!Remember diabetics don't get a day off from the disease, but it's the most manageable disease of them all. So go find the diabetic in your life and tell them how awesome they are!

Some great sites about diabetes:
http://www.diabetes.org/ is the American diabetes association website, join their Stop diabetes Campaign at http://stopdiabetes.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SD_homepage/ and use My Health advisor to determine your risk at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/my-health-advisor/

Need a social network to connect with other diabetics then use www.tudiabetes.com, create your own page and participate in the forum or write a blog. Diabetes Hands Foundation runs this site and other unique ventures like the fun application called Health Seeker on facebook (it helps you create goals, rewards you points, introduces information, and you can challenge your friends to healthy conquests at http://apps.facebook.com/healthseeker/?ref=ts).  This year they came out with a book of poetry written by members on tudiabetes, it follows the diagnosis and hardships as well as the good times that can follow (buy the book here http://store.diabeteshandsfoundation.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NSAP). And last but not least their BIG BLUE TEST(http://bigbluetest.org/) which encourages everybody around the world to check their sugar and post the results, also this year everybody who watched the video Roche Diabetes Care donated money that DHF used to give to Internation Diabetes Federation and Insulin For LIfe, two organizations that give diabetic medical supplies and insulin to children in poor countries. As of today over 100,000 will be donated!

Also visit the social network www.diabeticrockstar.com, there going to have a cruise!! Here's their mission statement, which i love, "Diabetes isn't a death sentence--Life is a death sentence. Stop with the excuses: Start living, or start dying, the choice is yours."

My friend just started a social network to at http://brdiabetics.ning.com/ called Bat Rough Diabetics, it's for everybody though :) Also props to another friends site, https://1diseaseworldvoice.org/ their name is "1 Disease! World! Voice!" help them get million members!

Most important site that has helped thus far though is Partnership for Prescription, a assitance program that helps determine your elgibitly for possible free medicine for the big companies. Lilly Cares makers of Humalog and Sanofi Aventis makers of Lantus have programs as well on their websites. (http://www.lilly.com/responsibility/servingpatients/programs/ and http://www.sanofi-aventis.us/live/us/en/layout.jsp?scat=A1268951-5BF1-4287-BB19-2F0A9D64F93E) Also don't forget alot of the major companies involed with meters give away free meters, and you can always visit a diabetes educator for more help and possible free test strips (http://www.diabeteseducator.org/)

Here are some super cool diabetes blogs i frequent: www.diabetesmine.com,http://ninjabetic.squarespace.com/,http://www.bradleyandme.net/,http://www.sixuntilme.com/,http://www.diabetiville.com/

and a big thanks to the official website of world diabetes day where you can find information about why it started as well as pictures, stories, and videos about today at
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/

Nov 9, D-blog Day!

This month is the official month for diabetes, i'm not sure why November was picked but i do know that November 14 is World Diabetes Day, and the symbol for that is a blue circle. There will be lots of info going around, contests like stop diabetes at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihYgLPfGTkM&feature=player_profilepage, buildings turning blue, blood sugars being tested (visit www.tudiabetes.com), and most important of all beach body and the american daibetes association are working together to stop diabetes.

Today I will be participating Diabetes-blog day!
What are 6 things you want people to know about you having diabetes?

1. Just because i have diabetes doesn't mean i can't eat sweets, just so you know i actually love sweets and i can have them, yes me! I just choose not to have them as much as i can because i know it's not good for me, buy hey wait again there not good for you either huh? I won't starve myself, but i will practice self control when i can. Which leads to number two...

2. If i mess up don't point it out, i'm only human and i'm not always going to at the top of my game. Wouldn't you agree it gets boring being perfect all the time? Sometimes that's how i feel about diabetes, i get tired of checking, i get tired of figuring out healthy edible stuff to eat, i get tired of worry about diabetes. So when i slip up i usually know it, but please keep your comment to yourself because when you slip up i never say anything.

3. If your scared of needles or you hate the thought of needles, please be a little bit more sympathetic to me at least. When you say you would rather die then have a shot, i hope your exaggerating because i know for a fact if it depend on your life you would do it, it would be hard but you would do it. Pain is part of life, but needle technology has gone a long way and they are alot thinner and smaller then you think.

4. Thank you for the diet tips but you have to realize that not all diet tips work for me, and i'm not referring to my diabetes, i'm referring to how I AM with MY diabetes and MY BODY. It's okay to give me some ideas, but don't give me the "you HAVE TO do this line.".Everybody is different, no one person is the same, so just like you i have to find what works for me.

5. Diabetes is a lot harder then you think, sometimes people don't understand why it's so hard when all you have to do is take your medicine. Well breaking news it's alot more work then taking your insulin, it's constant testing and moderating  with changes happening all the time from stress to exercise. I can't just do A + B and get result C. I wish it worked like that but every day is different and figuring out my sugars is more like the math problem in school that gave you headache, because sometimes no matter what numbers i plug in i still don't get the answer i want.

6. I don't want pity and i don't want sympathy, but you know sometimes lending a ear or hugging a diabetic can go long way. It would be nice to be able to lament my troubles to somebody without them thinking i'm going over board with one bad day. If your going to help a diabetic just listen to them and just offer them this one piece of advice, tomorrow is another day to star anew. Don't judge them and don't tell them what to do, just be a friend, sit back, relax, and don't be afraid to ask questions about diabetes.

Also help With each view until Nov-14 a child with diabetes in need gets insulin. Help us get to 100,000 view, the video is on www.tudiabetes.com

Rockin Body

Whew I am on day 5 of Rockin' Body by Shaun T! I'm kind of mixing it up but i'm trying to stick to the schedule as much as i can! I'm loving the dance movies, and i am by no way a dance person i don't go kick it at the club or anything like that... BUT i do know that dancing makes it feel like your not working out!!! And with these hip hop club moves i am definitely burning calories and sweating like crazy. I love it so much that it's now my instant mood lifter and helps get my day going. Because it works you hard you feel like your having fun instead! I am all over my living room having my own personal party :) I also like the background ont he dvd, shaun and his dancers are on a stage dancing to a live audience so it's like your on stage. I know all this dancing is great stress reliever and my sugars are always awesome if i do a workout like this! I would recommend this anybody who just wants to let loose and have fun, if you hate exercise then you have nothing to worry about because this is a great workout. The above picture is me after a rockin body workout, it may not be insanity but i was sweating like crazy!

here's link to the video for you to check out:
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/Type1Rockstar?bctid=25227680001

diahaiku

DEAR DIABETES
PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE TODAY
I DESIRE SWEETS

to tired for meds
just want sleep,energy, and
normalness for once

thank god for small things
I mean like sweets and naps and
antidepressants

brush yo teeth

Okay today was a very good day away from home today! I got to chill with my coach and a friend, did some brazil butt lift. It has moves i think i've never done before or even considered to for my "bum bum." Brazil butt lift is taught by Leandro Carvalho, the coach to the victoria secret models!! I won't be walking on the run ways anytime soon but i know it's important to keep certain body parts in shape!! His accent will keep you going as he tells you "don't settle for less" and you find your self doing some salsa, hip swaying, booty lifting moves. It's kind of a back to the basics of exercise, like floor moves, but with some new twist. Maybe one day my booty will pass the pencil test!!!

I've been thinking alot about motivation and human desire to make choices that can be either good or bad. As a diabetic i feel like failure is always around the corner, and even though failure can be a learning experience it's not a great one to feel physically in your numbers. That's why it's so important to start each day is new, but hey even that's hard for you normals out there.

I feel i don't have much of choice on what i eat because of my diabetes, but wait a second that's not true.... because couple months ago i was making the bad decisions, eating unhealthy, and consciouly making that decision to do so! I made a decision/choice to change and now that thinking that i don't have a choice because of my diabetes is more like " i choose not to eat this or that because i know i have diabetes and i want to live longer/feel good today"

Granted diabetes isn't like something you can just fix in a day, and nothing in life is like that. It's really easy not to do what your suppose to do with diabetes or your heatlh because nothing happens... right away. Complications never bothered me because i got to eat burger king and make my stomache happy in a second without much thought! Diabetes is full of baby steps, so many i hate them really. I mean it used to be a chore, and can still be one, to just even check my sugar. You have no idea how much i would love to just run free all day exercising like a manic, eating pizza, staying up late, not sleeping, to sleeping all day long! But i can't and won't because i have to be in the best shape sugar wise to just to do something as simple as exercise for a half hour.

These baby steps are the same ones everybody has to do just to start a new goal in life, and making them stick like glue or stick like your daily routine of brushing your teeth can be just as exciting as putting on your clothes in the morning. But i'm proof that even the simple stupid testing of the sugars and taking my insulin, made dramatic changes in my apperance, my attitude, and my passion for life.

I like to compare it to a big gaping black hole, when your sugars aren't good for years like mine was (seriously think rollar coaster with lots of steep hills and terrifying plunges) then it's really hard to find self worth or even a reason to get up everyday. It was to the point where feeling tired, depressed, just down right horrible was NORMAL for me. Nobody should find struggle NORMAL, nobody should find depression and self hate NORMAL, nobody should find themself with a1cs of 12 and 13. You konw what's so shocking about this all, is that i knew this wasn't normal but i did it anyway... because it became easier not to do, yes it was easier to just let myself shrink away becuse i didn't care anymore so why fight why resist al lthe delicious food that could make my sugars sky rocket , why care if they burned my insides up.

Now i didn't feel like this all the time, but this where the hole analogy is so important, because even though i might have been smart enough to now better or even have had a good week or two of sugars the black hole kept sucking me down. One important reason that hole kept on sucking me down is becuse i didn't see resulrts like i wanted. Everybody wants results NOW, we want money NOW, we want to lose weight now! Well believe me when i say i wanted good sugars NOW NOW NOW.

That is the other reason i never tried to keep good blood sugars for very long, because how it felt trying to be normal actually didn't feel to great. My body went into battle mode trying to fight me on normalizing my blood sugars and it felt awful just to be in normal "blood sugars." I would feel so awful it felt like i was doing something worse when i tried to get normal blood sugars, Its like my body hated what i was doing to it! Why would something so good feel so bad? Because my body didn't like changes i was making, i was redefining normal and my body was just begging for the easy way out again.(easy to do was putting myself into this mess to begin with, easy not to do was never taking care of myself) But i had to reteach my body, and it took a couple weeks, some times i had good days and some yes were bad. I did alot of mundane boring stuff, that now is routine for me, checking my sugar and taking my medicine is normal now. Sometimes i do want to resist and sometimes i will resisit, but i find myself still being drawn to checking and taking insulin. Which is such a big leap from where i was before, far away from the big black hole.

They say that a diabetic can do anything (as good as you norms out there), but what they don't tell you is that diabetic can't do jack shit if their sugars are messed up. You might be wondering where did i get the motivation to do this? I'm sorry but sometimes "future" life with complications is just not enough, kind a goes back to that "NOW" mentality. I guess i got tired of being sick of tired. This is a path i have desperately tried to go down many times, but just felt like i could not do it i guess (stupid black hole) also part of me kind liked the easy way of life where i could PRETEND to act normal. I was always conscious that what i was doing was horrible i just couldn't bring myself to care. Think i just felt like it was time to DO IT, i got sick of my excuses and sick of not using the free tools around me, i had things i wanted to do but felt like i couldn't do. But if you must know the real reason it was two things

1. I got a job, and i thought i could wing it being my bad diabetic self, i also thought i could fix myself while working (some reason i think a schedule will cure all my problems, well it doesn't). I felt awful at work, i drank water like you wouldn't believe, i forgot the most simplist stuff, i had trouble concentrating on what they asked me to do, i constantly doubted my abilities and  said sorry more times then i can remember, also food didn't help my diet. Everything about what sucked before, now sucked at work,what sucked at work came home with me made things worse, then the same thing the next day and the next. I felt like i had less time to be diabetc, and you konw what i did b3cause all my energy went into getting though work everyday equaling wasted energy and even MORE lack of energy to do much else. I hated working and i felt so bad because i did want to do a good job i did want to make money! So i decided to quit.

2. Another reason i got motivated was because my doc said she could take my license away.... and no way in hell was that going to happen, that's how i get around!!! So all in all i decided, well if i want to work i need good blood sugar, if i want to drive i need good blood sugar, Dman't i just need to do it. ANd i guess i did...by changing my attitude/behavior/approach towards my blood sugars i  was able to start living the life i was meant to live.

I am still a work in process, and i have to make sure i don't fall into the black amiss of the diabetes hole with worry or negativity.

My sugars dictate my life, but it's only because i'm still noob i'm still trying to figure out what makes me go high and what makes me go low. Diabetes is along road of learning and then relearning, what you ask? oh gosh let's not even get into that. Let's just say everyday is never the same, and sometimes i can have a bad sugar day even when i do everything right. Everyday is truly starting over and i don't mean cleaning the slate i mean starting over by letting go of yesterday not worrying about the future and just staying focus on the present. And God please forgive me because i hate baby steps and i love easy way outs, but i have alot of little steps to do, and alot of hardships to stumble through but you don't get to the top of the success ladder by sitting on the coach. :D:D

Just so you know i do think being a beachbody couch is keeping me accountable, because there is one thing i've always wanted to do and that is work out. But there are alot of myths about insulin and diabetics trying to lose weight. I still have to battle with exercise and how TOO WELL it works on my sugars but since my mood has improved i have taken the desire to exercise more seriously and now do it everyday. And with beachbody products i can't get enough of their fitness dvds, and i'm loving working out with my new friends and meeting new people to work out with, and i hope to share the products with other people so they can find it in themselves to be the best that they can be.(and then realize it was in them to do it along, they just needed pointed in the right direction). Also learning the business side has be quite interesting, i'm becoming more adventurous in talking to people about it and comes so naturally because the products are so relatable and usable!

Don't worry i haven't been brain washed (they don't call it crackology for nothin), i just think we all want to be healthy so when something works we need to pass along the good beachbody word. (lol). Remember to human is error, so nobodys perfect, i'm stil me just a more healthier fitness wanna be eat right version now with bad ass tattoos to match the attitude.

fit club wednesday

FIT CLUB INFO HERE: http://www.meetup.com/Try-It-Fit-Club/
[tuesday and wednesdays at 6 pm at Rancho Bernardo, and Wednesday at 6:30 pm in Oceanside, must sign up on meetup.com]
I have been so busy busy this week, i have YET to look at my notes from the game plan event in bakersfield (from this weekend). I have definetly been slacking, but it's all for reason (not a excuse). Kind of been stressed last couple days, also had to clean the house for a inspection (which they never came), so i think i partied myself out from this weekend. Also i have been trying to work out alot, and it just makes me tired to work out i feel like i need more sleep then usual especially after tough workout!!

Sugar wise i am doing okay, not writing the sugars done but at least i'm taking my medicine, but today my omnipod decided not to work so i've been high all days (yes kiddies HIGH. (like 300), also found out i ran out of insulin after pod oculison-ed on me (stopped working basically). I'm on levemir now, diabetes is comparable to throwing a dart in the dark, you never know what number you will get or what kind of day you will have. Friday i'll start pumping again (thanks to arlene for helping me from sticky adhesive at cvs!! It is very stick indeed). Must admit it's nice to take a break from the omni pod pump, i don't have to worry about where i put it for exercise, but then i feel like i'm driving blind because i'm not used to mdi (multiple daily injections).

Eating!! Well i have been being a good girl i think, eating turkey sandwichs throwing whatever greens i can on it, blueberry oatmeal(only oatmeal i will now even dare try to eat), almond milk, salad, anything healthy i try to find my way to it. Now i have been drinking Shakeology Chocoalte the last couple days and i'm really starting to get used to the taste. I'm okay drinking it if all i add is water, but i will say it's best when you do mix it up with ice and a banana. I AM having trouble filling full, and most likely that's just me, so i'm going to try and introduce some protein. (i have been having trouble eating breakfast in the morning for a while now, before shaekology, i have trouble feeling full even though my stomach is full, it's like my brain needs something more like more protein i guess...). I will say that i think shakeology is helping with my cravings, i mean i think it's really combo of it all :exercise, eating right, keeping good sugars.... I mean i won't lie i would love curly fries or nice big juicy greasy burger, but i have to "pick my Posion" when it comes to my sugars, don't want to waste insulin on something that isn't going to benefit my body or have mucho carbs fat slow me down for a workout. I will admit i bought some twix bars :), but i'm actually really good about not eating them all at once (once again it goes back to the sugars, eating the whole bag will make me feel physically awful and have me shoting up more insulin later). I am going to keep on drinking shakeology, it taste awesome, and it definitely gives me a boost, can't wait to see where i am after a month of drinking it :).

Workouts of the week: monday turbo kick (which kicked my butt), tuesday Insanity (which was insane) and then today revabs(which i did well at, must be all that insanity :).

I know you guys don't know to much about me, but month ago i was running high all the time, staying up late till 4 am to 8 am in the morning (or sometimes just staying up period), and sleeping over 12 hours a day. I know diabetes depressed me and put me in dark super-massive black hole, but i found my way out and the good sugars keep me going every day. But i must also say thanks to Beachbody for giving me some great new friends and workout buddies, for giving me a little purpose, and for helping me be accountable for my fitness. I now go to sleep at 1 o clock now, still working on the waking up early part (no a morning person), i check my sugars and take my medicine. It's big change from where i have been the last couple of years, so thanks beachbody, thanks shakeology and coach Arlene!! Things may not be perfect in my life, but at least i'm laying down the foundation for a better healthier, complication free me.

Happy Halloween!!

As much as i wish i could hand out some samples, maybe this will have to do instead :) who's interested in some shakeology?? www.shakeology.com/type1rockstar