The Corner Booth

On this final day of Diabetes Blog Week 2012 (boo, so sad!), we're ending the week on a high note by blogging about our "Diabetes Hero." As Karen suggests: "It can be anyone you'd like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3 . It might be a fabulous endo or CDE. It could be a D-celebrity or role model. It could be another DOC member. It's up to you — who is your Diabetes Hero?" Well, I wasn't sure what to write here. My mind wandered... It might depend on whether we're talking Avenger-like heroes, who save the planet and have cool gadgets to fight crime (do pumps, meters or awesome suits like Caleb envisions count?). Or whether we're talking more sentimental "role models" who we look up to for the life lessons they've taught us? Maybe it depends on the definition of a hero. Merriam-Webster gives us some food for thought: a mythical or legendary figure with gre...

This is the seventh and final installment of Diabetes Blog Week, created by Karen over at Bitter~Sweet Diabetes . This 7th prompt: What We've Learned . Last year, Wendy of Candy Hearts made a suggestion for this year. She commented that “Day 7 should be a post about stuff we've learned from other blogs or the experience of coming together online...”  So today, let’s do just that! We're writing about what we've learned from other blogs, this week or in full since finding the DOC. What's the experience of blogging been like, and what's the DOC done for you? This post could even be used to look ahead and talk about what the future holds. - - - - - - - - - - Newly-married and just after we'd moved into our first house back in 2005, I began scouring the web looking for "real stories" about people Living With Diabetes. Not just the horror stories as I'd heard my entire life or those that were covered by the media. Not the older Type 2s or the ki...

This is the sixth day of Diabetes Blog Week, created by Karen over at Bitter~Sweet Diabetes . We're supposed to have a Snapshot Saturday here today. While some will likely tell little stories with their reels of photos, I've got nothing... The brain is tapped. So, here are some random photo highlights from my recent D-Past. Enjoy. One of the many many cool things that happened at JDRF Government Day in March was meeting Olympic gold medalist Gary Hall Jr, who I looked up to as being a Type 1 swimmer who swam all four years of high school. Snapping a photo with this guy was simply awesome - it was great meeting you, Gary! Recently attended this awesome event that raised thousands for the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana... AND my loving and wonderful spouse got up there on stage for an act with a few others. While they didn't win the ultimate prize, they were all 10s in my book! My meter is pimped out. And that's just cool to say. Usually, this is how I wear my ...

Here we go, the latest post for Diabetes Blog Week ! Yes, it's Friday The Thirteenth. I get it. But fully aware that I risk jinxing myself by offering this thought, here goes: Awesome Things . That's the assignment we're writing about today. Back in February the #DSMA Blog Carnival challenged us to write about the most awesome thing we've done DESPITE diabetes. Now, we'll put a twist on that topic and focus on the good things The D has brought in life. What awesome thing have I done BECAUSE of diabetes? Well, I think joining this community is probably one of the most awesome things I've done as a direct result of Living With Diabetes. Friendships made, different perspectives discovered, more appreciation for my own D-Life and how we're all connected and part of a bigger picture. That's enabled me to become more open and honest and accountable about my own D-Management, and that's led to better health overall. But this is not about ME; it'...

This is the fourth installment of Diabetes Blog Week created by Karen at Bitter~Sweet Diabetes . Today we're supposed to write about those Ten Things We Hate About You, Diabetes. Um, wait... only ten? As in 10? Not like, a glucose-saturated gazillion va-million?! Ok, fine. While many more could be on the list, the assignment calls for 10 and we wouldn't want this list to go on forever. So, I'll limit those items that rise to the top notches of the list. But this won't be a list of Ten Things that I hate about diabetes. No, it's not about ME here... rather, this list will be Ten Things To Hate About Diabetes, Through The Eyes Of... ( drum roll, please... ) 1. The Riley Dog : You aren't my friend, diabetes. You make my daddy not want to play with me. Instead of tossing the ball, taking me on a walk, or running around the backyard with me, he sometimes needs to just sit down and rest and eat some of that yummy people food or apple juice. And sometimes, at...

This is the third day of Diabetes Blog Week created by Karen over at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes , and today's prompt is all about D-Bloopers. My mind first went to the obvious choices: Poking finger for blood test without putting a strip in the meter. Eating without bolusing. Or vice versa, where you bolus then forget to eat (both leading to same result -> Glucoaster). Putting a new infusion set in, and then walking away with the pump still sitting on a table so that you pull out the newly-inserted set. Or you collide instantly with a sneaky doorknob, open drawer, or wall corner. Or those days where I'm wearing a white work shirt and manage to get a gusher. Drawing up a bolus in a syringe and injecting it in your leg, only to realize you'd already done that and now doubled up the dosage. Or a variation: giving a shot of quick-acting when you actually meant to inject long-acting. Bloopers abound. We know them well. I've done all of the above, been in...

This is the 2nd day of Diabetes Blog Week, created by Karen over at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes . Today's prompt is Letter Writing Day, where we are supposed to write a real or fictional letter somehow connected to diabetes - to an endo, an actual meter or pump company, or maybe a letter from one's adult self to the D-Child you were. Whomever the letter's recipient may be, this is the day to tell that person how you're feeling. At first, I'd seriously pondered writing a letter from my current Adult Type 1 self to my younger self. But that theme seemed like it might be a common one, and mine might lean more toward the serious end. Plus, there's that country song Letter To Me that already goes there. So, I opted for another choice. That led me to this: Letter To The Unknown Guys & Gals of My Diabetes Past . Those strangers who, at one time or another, briefly came into my world and made an impression. Now, this multi-point letter is a collection of thoughts to t...

It's that time of year again.  You may recall from 2010 that a phenomenon known as Diabetes Blog Week sweeped across this community, with dozens of bloggers giving their own spins on a single topic. We have a prompt for every day of the week, thanks to D-Blog Week creator Karen over at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes . You can find all those participants listed over there. Today's Topic: Admiring our differences   - We are all diabetes bloggers, but we come from many different perspectives. So, what have we learned from those diagnosed at different ages or with another type of diabetes, or those D-Parents who might be considered heroes? Pick a type of blogger who's looking at The D from a different perspective tell why they inspire you, why you admire them, or why it’s great that we are all the same but different. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -    I'd hoped for some origina...

Today is the final day of Diabetes Blog Week. More than 100 of us D-bloggers have written about a specific topic each day, as coordinated by Karen over at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes . In this last installment of the Diabetes Online Community series, she asks us to: Dream a little dream about Life After A Cure. To wrap up Diabetes Blog Week, let’s pretend a cure has been found. We are all given a tiny little pill to swallow and *poof* our pancreases are back in working order. No side effects. No more insulin resistance. No more diabetes. Tell us what your life is now like. Or take us through your first day celebrating life without the Big D. Blog about how you imagine you would feel if you no longer were a Person With Diabetes. On the First Day of Life After a Cure... I'd wake up and have a bowl of Cheerios. Because the Os rule. Then, I'd have a bowl of Fruit Loops - generic Fruity Os style, because once again Os rule. And I wouldn't have to take a shot or pump a bolus. And I...

This is the fifth installment of Diabetes Blog Week, as envisioned by Karen at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes . Our regularly assigned topic today is to offer some snapshots of this chronic condition in our lives. However, in that I've stopped my D-365 Project on Flickr thanks to the free account limitations and my non-desire to purchase the larger account size, I'm tapped and somewhat burnt out on the D-Photo train of thought. So, I opt to take advantage of the Wild Card option available in just this kind of topic-blocked moment. I offer one photo before jumping into the Wild Card Topic, which also goes to the heart of simply trying to have what one might consider a BG Nirvana Moment(s)... With that, the topic is: Blood Sugar Nirvana or Moronic Moment.   Blog about the time you ate a meal that tends to spike you to the moon, but your perfectly calculated and timed bolus kept your blood sugar happy. Or tell us about that time your brain had a little diabetes-blip and you ...

My initial post on this Day 5 of Diabetes Blog week, " Exercise... Not So Much " made me feel lazy. By no means am I lazy and without any activity in my life. I don't want to give out that impression. So, in order to set the record straight (if even in my own head), this Second Post was born. You will see that I do, indeed, get exercise. But please, don't take my word for it. Hear it straight from those in my household who know best... my cat and dog. The Wise Shadow Cat: Full disclosure: I'm not a willing participant in this blogging event - I was bribed with tuna, and I firmly believe the keyboard may have been laced with catnip. However, since I'm here, I might as well make some use of it and spread my wisdom... Plus, any other cats ( Siah, Siah ???) who may be reading as part of "The Plot" for World Domination... Yes, the Moron who calls himself Daddy sometimes does move around and get exercise. I've witnessed it, sadly. You can't call...

We are asked by Karen today to write about the wonders of exercise... Love it or Hate it? Do we have regular exercise routines? Trouble finding the motivation to exercise? How are food and insulin intake managed to avoid bottoming out during a workout? This is the day to tell all about exercise habits, or lack thereof. When I was 5, my exercise activity was playing baseball. Did it as part of a league. Tee Ball at first, then moved up the ranks as the years moved on. My dad was the coach. Good times that gave this little Kid With Diabetes the needed exercise. When high school hit, the ball and bat got traded in for the swim team. Did that for all four years, in addition to all the other regular exercise tasks this teenager had going on. College brought a more sedentary likestyle without swimming or regular sports activity, meaning the exercise routines were getting fewer and farther between. Sure, there was the regular campus walks and such, but the team sports went away. ...

This is the fourth installment of Diabetes Blog Week. Today, I blog about what I eat, as that's what Karen asked us to do in setting the foundation for this whole thing. The point in her mind is that some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. She wants us to talk about meals, snacks, special occasions... Whatever we deem food and bolus worthy. To Carb or Not to Carb? That is the question Shakespeare didn't ask, but should have as it would have given us food-calculating diabetics some guidance. In my opinion, the problem with so many in this country is that we don't respect the mantra of "good in moderation." Whether we're talking about food or alcohol beverages, this is a key. Yet, so many are afraid of things all together. Carbs are evil, I've heard some say. Just stay away. It's an old-school thought that doesn't deserve a place in our mod...

This is Day 3 of Diabetes Blog Week. Today, the topic is entitled "Your Biggest Supporter." As Karen pitches it: "Sure, our diabetes care is ultimately up to us and us alone. But it’s important to have someone around to encourage you, cheer you, and even help you when you need it. Today it’s time to gush and brag about your biggest supporter. Is it your spouse or significant other? Your best friend, sibling, parent or child? Maybe it’s your endo or a great CDE? Or perhaps it’s another member of the D-O-C who is always there for you? Go ahead, tell them just how much they mean to you!" I'd planned on some elaborate post being the end-all-be-all tribute to the wonderous person I consider my biggest supporter. Words. Poetry. Picture prose. Something grand, as that's what is deserved. Heck, even in realizing that it wasn't going to play out that way and it was self-defeating behavior to even think I could write something eloquent to capture it all, I pon...

This is Day 2 of what's being dubbed D-Blog Week by the Diabetes Online Community. No need to read them in order, but here is Monday's post if you're interested. The second installment: Making Lows Go Away. This is where we get to talk about our favorite ways to treat a low, whether it be by juice, glucose tab, or secret candy stash. You just might find a new trick to add to your D-Arsenel Belt in treating a Low, learn what brings blood sugars up fast without spiking too high, or even just getting a laugh at common tales or stark differences between us People With Diabetes. Glucose Tablets have always been my thing. As a kid, you had those little white squares that just resembled hardened sugar and came in little silver-wrapped packages. They were "for emergencies only..." But that didn't stop me. Even without a Low, sometimes I'd go for one. If you were watching, you might notice that the numbers dwindled and the squares would just magically d...