After reading through and really thinking about all of the comments on my "Carbs vs Points" post I have decided that starting next week, I am going to begin the Weight Watchers Core Plan.

For those who are not familiar with the Core Plan, it's different than the Points plan or Flex plan as they call it. The Core plan has a list of foods that you can eat. You are only to eat from those foods and only eat until satisfied. I am going to do it on a 2 week basis and see how it goes.

So far I have lost 40 pounds using the Flex Plan which is the one with the Points so I have had some success. The problem is my BG and my need for change. I will do some major shopping this weekend to prepare myself for next week but I am actually looking forward to it. (READ MORE)

Sometimes I am shocked at how invisible diabetes can be. I was having practice at church the other night for the contemporary band when my Bass player asked us to pray for him.

"Of course! What is going on?"

He explains to me that he is having surgery on his eye to drain fluid in it and would just like us to keep him in our prayers. He started telling us about how he had this same surgery on his other eye and that it worked really well so he his hopeful that this surgery will be another success. I asked him what causes the problem he is having.

"Diabetes." (READ MORE)

LP

When I tell my "real-life" friends stories about my friends from the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), I'm often told that my stories make these people sound real.

"Well," I say, "They are real. In many ways more real than some people I've met face to face."

I usually get the look then. The one that says: Nicole has been spending too much time online. Nicole's friends all live in the box.

That's the furthest thing from the truth. I mean - really - who can spend too much time online? And my friends don't live in the box, they just talk to me through it. Right?

I'm getting to the point. Patience. (READ MORE)

Diabetes shows up in the most awful places. Take yesterday for example.

A little background first. Saturday night I was two hours away from home with my kids celebrating Hanukkah with old family friends. The Mr. was on call, so he stayed home. As we were preparing to leave and head to my parents' condo, No. 3 fell down a flight of stairs. No one saw her go, but No. 2 saw her at the bottom of the stairs. Actually, No. 2 saw No. 3's light-up shoes at the bottom of the stairs. This was a full flight of 10 to 12 stairs from a first floor to a basement. (READ MORE)

Last week I posted about my Insurance company giving me a scare about approving my insulin pump supplies.

Well, using a Minimed insulin pump in Southern California has its advantages since their products are shipped out of Northridge which is about 30 minutes from my house. Almost in my backyard! So my order which was sent via UPS 3-day select arrived at the Simmons house the very next day!

This made my stress level drop tremendously which we all know is good for the diabetes.

So that covers the first part of this post title. Now to the blogging.

I mentioned this insurance situation on my personal blog, where I often rant about my ups and downs with diabetes, and the coolest thing happened. (READ MORE)

My son came to me the other night and asked if he could ask me some questions about diabetes. One thing I never do is turn away an opportunity to talk to my kids about diabetes. I want them to understand, as much as they can, about what diabetes is.

Maybe this is not true for other people with diabetes but a part of me is waiting for this disease to go after my kids. I am guessing that it's normal to not want your kids to deal with what you have to but sometimes I worry that I worry too much!

When I asked what brought on this interview he explained to me that it was for a paper he is working on for school. And with that the interview began.

He asked me to tell him all about diabetes to which I responded with something like, "We do not have enough time for that dude. Tell me what you know and I will fill in and add from there." (READ MORE)