I've been extremely frustrated with my health lately. I'm usually at a heightened sense of frustration, but the past few weeks have hit me hard. To the point that I'm feeling hopeless, desperate, and just plain lost in the sea of chronic conditions.

My diabetes isn't the main issue, even though it's always a source of stress in my life. Mostly, I feel like I'm just going along with my diabetes at the moment until my doctor's appointment later in the summer. I'm keeping up with my insulin, eating normally, exercising, and all that...just not focusing on making changes. I feel like I don't know where to make the next change, so I just want a break to absorb what I have right now (which are averages in the 150's).

  (READ MORE)

The past week has been terrible on my blood sugars. I'm scared that I have/had another ovarian cyst. It seems to be pointing in that direction, or else my insulin and whole life has gone bad.

For about a week, my blood sugars have been high to no avail (well, about 3 numbers below 185 in 5 days). I've been stuck in the 200-260 range and I'm incredibly frustrated. Because it seems like there is nothing that I can do about it.

I've used extra Humalog and Lantus the last few days, but still nothing except for a random drop to 121 Friday that soared back to the 200's within a few hours. I've worked out several times this week, which usually causes a decided drop for a little while. And I've tried to watch my food intake by avoiding "bad" foods and relying on the foods I know don't prove a challenge to my averages.

  (READ MORE)

I've always loved my hair. I used to say it was one of my best features. Once I understood and appreciated my curls, I learned how to take care of them. Throughout college and before having kids, I had long (mid-back length), curly hair.

I started cutting my hair shorter around the time No. 1 was born. I would go back and forth between wanting it short and wanting it long. The Mr. has always liked my hair long, and I think for the most part I prefer it that way.

  (READ MORE)

I'm one of those folk who pretty much ignores the standard footcare information for diabetics. The bottom line for me is that I have other, overriding footcare concerns.

Without going into the sordid details, health reasons require me to choose my shoes for support, rather than fashion, and to wear extremely ugly compression hose almost any time I'm on my feet. The end result is that I'm not particularly interested in having pedicure-pretty feet when those feet will rarely be publicly displayed. I'm more interested in being able to walk comfortably.

  (READ MORE)

I’m generally not a jealous person (at least I don’t think so), but “jealousy” is the only way I think I can describe what I’m going through right now.

Every time I see an ad for the breast cancer three-day walk — which is about every 30 seconds these days — I want to hurl the TV across the room. Why? Because why can’t that much attention be paid to people with diabetes?

Yes, I know there are walks for diabetes. But are there commercials with people dressed in blue saying “Save the ta-tas”… er, “Save the pancreases of the world” and “If I can walk 20 miles a day in support of my mother/sister/aunt/uncle/son/daughter then anyone can?” No, there aren’t.

  (READ MORE)

I feel a shift taking place in the world today.  Its happening as we speak, and I feel it happening within me, on this site and others, before the world.  Slowly, more and more people are realizing the power of their minds.  The power to be at peace with life and whatever happens in it, the power of the ability to watch our thoughts and to not be affected by them completely.  I watched another documentary recently called, “The New Medicine”.  It touches on this very point.  More and more, people who fall ill to various things are finding the healing benefits of their own thoughts and states of consciousness while enduring the sicknesses their experiencing.  (READ MORE)