Dream a little dream!
Well, since I was diagnosed at such a young age, I don’t know what it would be like to live without diabetes constantly in the back of my mind. I suppose the calluses on my fingers would eventually heal, and people would no longer think I was still living in the 80s since I wouldn’t have a “beeper” on my hip anymore. It would be great to go to work every day and NOT worry about going low in the afternoon. I guess I’d be able to scuba dive and workout without worry. Traveling would be easier, since I wouldn’t get stopped and searched while going through airport security (rant coming soon) and I wouldn’t have to worry about making sure I have enough supplies to last through my trip. I don’t think my diet would really change, and I’m not sure anything else would change much.

But… who knows? Maybe we’ll all find out a few years down the road! PLEASE support the research efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to make this dream come true sooner!
And now, here’s my airport security rant. Skip ahead if you don’t care to read it!
When I first started wearing a pump about 10 years ago, I would always get stopped and searched at the airport since people didn’t know what an insulin pump was. Then, after a few years, the TSA folks were trained to recognize them, and I was able to breeze through security, just like anyone else. However, within the past 18 months, another shift has happened. Now, when going through security, when the TSA agent sees my pump, they immediately call someone over. That person grabs all my belongings and I am swept away to be searched. And they search everything! My neatly packed bag with all my camera gear is soon tossed about the TSA table as if it were a case of Legos. Why? I suppose they caught on that liquid is stored in this little plastic case. It is extremely frustrating. As if traveling weren’t stressful enough, someone at TSA decided to make it worse by allowing all belongings to be searched simply because I’m wearing an insulin pump. Annoying! So, what’s my solution? I hide it. Yes, that’s right… I get around this search by temporarily putting my pump somewhere that the TSA personnel won’t be able to see as I walk through the metal detector. Pumps don’t set off the metal detector, so they don’t have any idea that (gasp!) a pump-wearing diabetic has just passed through! And… the thing is… it works! When I flew out on Wednesday, before going through security, I went to the bathroom and attached my pump to my bra. Then, once in the gate, I removed it and put it back in my hip pocket. Success!
Ok, rant over.

And that’s it for Diabetes Blog Week! Thanks to all of you who have stopped by to read a little more about the crazy life I lead! MANY thanks to Karen of Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog for getting this idea out there! I thought it would be tough to stick with the blog-a-day thing (have you seen my track record???) but it was easier than I thought, and I hope that it has brought a little insight to everyone who checked in.
We’ll now get back to our regularly scheduled programming. :)
Thanks again!
Lauren


Diabetes Blog Week – Day 6

Diabetes Snapshots

I started a D-365 project a couple years ago, but never finished it. You can check out some of those images in a D-365 set on my flickr.

I was planning to take some shots this week to show some current aspects of life as a diabetic, but I got caught up with hanging out with my family and forgot to take them! Oops! So, instead, I’m going to give you some verbal snapshots by telling you a couple stories about my diabetic childhood that my family reminded me of after reading the earlier posts this week.

My aunt Carol reminded me about how, when I was young, we’d go to Fuddrucker’s/McDonald’s, and I’d order a Happy Meal, but my diet only allowed me to eat either the bun on the hamburger or some of the fries. So, my mom would give me the option: bun or fries. I don’t remember this, but apparently I would always ask for the bun because my cousin Greg (Carol’s son) would sneak me some fries anyway. :)

Another story is about how my mom had trained by older sister, Kay, to cut the lines at restaurants to get me a Coke to treat a low. (This usually would happen at amusement parks or places where she would have to go to a snack bar to get something to raise my bloodsugar.) Mom had taught her what to say so that people wouldn’t get pissed off at her, and she would be able to bring me the Coke faster.

A pretty amusing story happened when I was sitting down for lunch one day at home. Mom had made me a hamburger, and I was in the middle of eating it when my bloodsugar unexpectedly dropped. I apparently had had many of these same hamburgers before and loved eating them (as I do most foods). Mom was on the other side of the kitchen when I suddently slammed my fist on the plate, breaking it in the process, and yelling, “I hate this hamburger!” It’s crazy what happens when your bloodsugar drops…. ;)



Diabetes Blog Week – Dr. Ian Smith

Hey everyone!

Earlier this week, I got the opportunity to speak to Dr. Ian Smith to ask him a few questions about diabetes. We went over the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining the health of a type 1 diabetic. Check out the video below!




Diabetes Blog Week – Day 5

Let’s get moving!

Oh, exercise. How I love and hate you. Right now, I am not in a good exercise habit. In fact, I usually am not. Every so often, I get into an exercise mode where I’ll hit the gym every night when I get off work. That lasts several weeks, then I fall off the train again.

Exercise is really important for me to maintain my health, and yet I still struggle to get moving. I enjoy going hiking and riding my bike, but I haven’t made those activities part of my regular routine. At the gym, I feel great after spending 30-45 minutes on the elliptical, but getting to the gym really is the hardest part for me. Besides being diabetic, I also have high cholesterol, so it is really dumb of me to not be in a better workout routine.

My husband is a great motivator to work out, but he often works out while he’s at work, so I find myself wanting to just chill out at home with him in the evenings.

Speaking of working out…. Hm… I think I’ll go for a walk. :)



Diabetes Blog Week – Day 4


To carb or not to carb; that is the question.

Well, my answer is: carb! I love my carbs. I know I shouldn’t eat refined sugars or refined foods in general, but it has been difficult for me to stick with eating only fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. One summer, I was on a South Beach-like diet, and felt fantastic. But, when I returned to school in the fall, my fresh food habits fell to the wayside. I do eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day, but I also supplement those with snack foods such as soy crisps (my snack of choice right now), granola/cereal bars (Larabars are awesome!), rice cakes, cereal (Banana Nut Cheerios!), and other carb-y goodies. Did I mention my love of chocolate? Recently, I’ve been getting my chocolate fix with pre-made, 60-calorie Jell-o brand pudding cups. I also eat my fair share of whole wheat or sourdough bread, since sandwiches are such an easy lunch to take with me to work.

For dinner, my husband and I are pretty good at balancing our meals. We usually prepare some sort of protein with a carb and a salad and/or vegetable. Since he works out a lot, he likes to load up on carbs, while I usually pile on the veggies a little heavier. We like making potatoes, pasta (I buy the wheat kind), rice/couscous, or just some toast. He really likes asparagus, so we’ll throw that in the broiler or on the grill with a little olive oil for a delicious side. We also eat a lot of green beans with almonds (from the freezer section). Lately, I’ve been eating a lot of Kashi frozen pizza. They are (relatively) low calorie, made with whole wheat crust, and really delicious! My favorite is the vegetable variety with broccoli and artichoke. Yum!

Having said all that, as you can see, I don’t deprive myself from enjoying carbs. I have tried to do so in the past, but always end up binging on chips or candy bars, which is not good for me. My new thought is to keep my diet balanced between the different food groups and between fresh fruits and vegetables and processed foods. Though I don’t stay away from refined foods completely, I do keep myself from pigging out on them, and I think that is working for me so far.

The other important part of my diet regimen is that I don’t eat out as often as I used to. Besides saving money, my husband and I are also able to keep our calorie intake down, which is important for the both of us. This weekend doesn’t count though! I am in Texas to go to my brother’s college graduation (yay Mark!) so I’m getting my fill of good Texas cooking while I can. Last night was Alamo Café, tonight we’ll be in Aggieland, and Sunday we’re definitely hitting up Rudy’s with my extended family. I joked that I might come back to California 5 pounds heavier… but it might be true. ;) However, I don’t punish myself for indulging like this. Even though I will be eating out, I’ll make smart choices about what I’m eating, and I’ll get back to my regular diet when I return home.