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I have vivid dreams. When I close my eyes at night, a whole new world appears, in living color. My dreams hold smells and sounds and sights that often rival the sensory reality of my waking life. There have been times when I could swear I've seen people, had conversations, and done things in real life, when these memories were simply creations of my sleeping mind. I know that I talk, run, laugh, and cry while I sleep; something that makes sharing a bed with me a real challenge. I suppose that the vividness of my dreams might be a reflection of the constant activity in my brain. (READ MORE)

There. I said it. I have been saying that a lot lately. When The Mr. wants to know what's wrong I can often sum it up by saying, "I hate diabetes."

I'm having trouble dealing lately. I know people want to help. I know that when someone says, "It's a way of life," that they're trying to help. I know that when someone suggests I take a walk that they have my best interests at heart.

So why does it just make me want to cry? Why does it make me want to put my head through a wall? Why does it make me want to ignore diabetes and curl up in a ball in a corner? Why can I accept help from people some times and not others?

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I was reading through the dLife Viewpoints section today and saw a post that really hit home.

It's called "Bested by a Can of Tomato Soup" by Scott Johnson and I think it should be required reading for type 3's and other people without diabetes.

Counting carbs can sometimes be a difficult and maddening situation.

And we do it for virtually every meal every day. I mean, we are supposed to.

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Those who live with type 2 diabetes, and those who have lived with diabetes since before rapid-acting insulins and home glucose monitoring, are familiar with lists of dietary restrictions. If we are diagnosed early enough in life, and our families adopt our diets, there may be little difference between our feelings about "forbidden" foods and those of someone whose diet is mandated by religious observance. For those who are diagnosed later on, the adjustment can be a bit more difficult -- especially if the diet is imposed with a heavy hand and a sharp whip, and if the foods we must now eschew are not replaced by foods which are equally sensorily fulfilling.

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I've gone back and forth about whether to wear a medical ID bracelet. Part of me says I shouldn't bother because once a paramedic friend of mine told me one of the first things they do to a person who has passed out is to check their blood sugar. Part of me says I should wear one as an extra measure of caution.

I wore a medical ID bracelet throughout my third pregnancy. I don't think I ever took it off -- not in the shower, not for exercise, nothing. I don't remember why I stopped wearing it. Perhaps I lost it. In fact, now that I think about it, I think that's exactly what happened. I had removed the ugly silver chain and replaced it with strands of colorful beads to match whatever I was wearing. Well, the chains and clasps were cheap and ...

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Did anyone catch the new TLC show, "I Can Make You Thin"? I saw the commercials for it and thought it sounded a bit wacky, but I wanted to check it out anyway. I set the DVR to record it, but it recorded Jon & Kate Plus 8 instead.

I watched part of the show as a rerun this weekend and I have to say it really does sound like such a common sense approach to eating. On the first show, he premiered his 4 Golden Rules, which are:

1. When You Are Hungry, Eat. This sounds like such a no-brainer, doesn't it? But I have to admit, there are plenty of times when I'm hungry and don't eat because it's not meal time and I'm "on a diet." I didn't see the whole show, but I have to guess part of this is if you aren't hungry, don't eat. And I'm sure many of us have eaten when we weren't hungry. (READ MORE)