bigevil600

Since becoming a "Weight Watcher," I have noticed the amount of stress in my life has increased. Having diabetes means I carry around a bunch of stuff with me where ever I go. I have my Glucose testing machine, strips, lancets, glucose tabs, and not to mention my carb counting book.

And now I have to add my Dining Out Guide which gives me the point values to restaurant food, my sliding scale for figuring point values, my tracker which I log my points in, and the Food Guide that has point values for all kinds of foods. So you see, I have more stuff to remember these days then I did before. (READ MORE)

ijsendoorn

For years I was a smoker. I smoked a pack a day at the very least for 15 years. Addiction is powerful.

I finally kicked that habit but realized that nicotine is not the only drug I am addicted to. The other is much easier to get and I am not sure I want to quit it yet.

Caffeine.

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I hate exercising. I should rephrase that. I hate typical exercise. You know what I mean. Stuff like lifting weights, stair steppers, treadmills, those scary machines, aerobics, jazzercise, and pretty much all the stuff you see at the typical "gym."

And that is the other part of it. Every gym in my neck of the woods feels like you can not enter until you are fit and trim. So yours truly who has a long way to go would feel very out of place until I was a total lean mean D machine.

Of course being a "born again diabetic" I know that exercise needs and should be a part of my daily routine. So how do I make the non-existent gym rat in my come out?

Simple, I find something that I actually like to do and run with that! (READ MORE)

Having diabetes has many challenges as we all know. Exercising, eating right, checking our blood glucose levels, taking medicines, seeing doctors regularly, and so many more that I cannot even think of. We are busy bees.

One thing I have found as a major challenge is not losing my cool with people who maybe don't understand this disease so I would like to clear up a few things.

1. Not all people with type 1 diabetes are thin.

I am on a weight loss program right now and frankly, the only time I have ever been thin in my life was the year or so before I was diagnosed and was losing weight like crazy.

2. Not all people with type 2 are overweight.

This one drives me nuts. It is true that weight loss can help your chances of not getting diabetes but there are other factors too. I think of my uncle who had lung cancer but never smoked a day in his life. Same sort of a thing.

3. People who take insulin are not out of control. (READ MORE)

Okay, I will warn you up front that this post is a total rant and has no other substance besides the fact that I need to let off some steam. I am also looking for some of you who have dealt with this annoying stereotype.

As I was minding my own business here at my desk the janitor comes up to me and asks me if I have to take shots everyday. I realize that he was listening to a conversation I was having with a co-worker about insulin and so on. A total eavesdropping moment right? So I answer, "nope." And totally leave it at that.

He says, "Oh you got off of insulin. That's good. Just a diet now or pills?"

"No I have an insulin pump."

"There is a gal in another office I clean that has to shoot up every day." Then he does it. He does this sort of motion with his right hand towards his left upturned arm. As if he is shooting up heroin or something right into his vein! (READ MORE)

CraigPJ

Last week I wrote about my experience with my new endo. Today marks a week from that first visit and the day I am supposed to fax over a weeks worth of BG readings and boluses from my pump.

  (READ MORE)