Tag Archives: doc

What do you get a diabetic for Valentine’s Day?

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LoveSo I don’t usually get really excited for Valentines Day because like Halloween (Samhain), it’s usually surrounded by candy and chocolate.  So if not chocolate or candy, what?  What could you get a diabetic, that would convey your love, friendship, or affection.  What you get someone might depend on the level of your relationship with them.  Of course flowers would be a good choice.  Even some guys I know enjoy flowers.  One of my guy friends even breeds champion orchids.  Most girls I know like flowers and especially red roses, well . . . 1 girl I dated didn’t.  She liked black roses.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to find black roses?  OMG!  (I’m so busted if she reads this.)  Anyway, so flowers are nice.  A heartfelt card, with some poetic words that convey something you can’t convey in your own words.  These are all nice non-food gifts, but I think what really makes a Valentine special, is a small token made by ones own hand.  Something you’ve put your loving energy into.  A flower or plant you’ve grown yourself, a piece of jewelry you’ve hand crafted, a poem you’ve written, a piece of art you’ve created.  Those are what I think make the most meaningful Valentines gifts . . . for anyone . . . and they work great for a diabetic friend or loved one since they have no carbs.  *chuckle*

In the DMSA blog carnival this month, it was suggested that we offer YOU . . . our readers, commenters, and lurkers (Do I have lurkers?!  COOL!), a special valentine.  So here is a collection of my nature photography, selected just for you . . . . .


Happy Valentines Day DOC!!! by richthediabetic

Thanks for all of your support and encouragement in the last year.  Thanks for your comments, tweets, and posts.  You let me know that I’m actually making a difference in someone’s life.

 

May you find the love your looking for this Valentines Day . . . . . 

This post is my February entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/february-dsma-blog-carnival-2/

The Diabetic Tribe or Diabetic Online Community

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Tribes by Seth Godin on AmazonI like to call the Diabetic Online Community the “Diabetic Tribe”, or #diatribe.  I say this, because we’re much more than just a community, we – are – a – TRIBE.  I once had the privilege of seeing Seth Godin speak, who is the author of a book called “Tribes”.  A tribe is a group of people who want to be connected, and who want to share ideas.  Tribes have become a powerful force of change in our world, thanks to the internet, as demonstrated by our own Diabetes Hands Foundation and their Big Blue Test last year.  Our tribe connects people who might otherwise feel desperate and alone.  It offers hope and support to those struggling to live with diabetes.  It lets us know that others struggle just like we do.  Our tribe, is international, and without boundaries.  Our tribe brings about change, in a massive, and wonderful way.  Everyone one of us, introduces friends to the tribe.  Every one of us has participated in a “movement” to bring change, to bring hope, or to fight for a cure.  Our tribe provides information and advice for our diabetes, and allows us to live healthier.  And finally, our tribe fills a need that every human being has.  To be missed.  We all want to be missed, and when we are absent from the DOC, we are missed.  One of my favorite quotes is from Seth Godin.  It’s “Don’t strive to be heard.  Strive to be missed when you’re not heard.”  

I have been type 1 diabetic for 42 years.  I have never had a close friend that’s type 1 diabetic.  I never really felt the need to meet other diabetics.  I’ve known a few type 1′s over the years, but just really didn’t connect with them about diabetes much.  I’ve never been to a support group, never did a diabetes walk until a couple years ago.  I’ve always been a rather solitary diabetic all my life.  I was ok with that too.  Thanks to the DOC though, now I have more diabetic friends than I can count.  I only discovered the DOC about a year ago.  I discovered it via Twitter, and when I first started trying to use Twitter, I absolutely hated it.  I even quit for a few months.  Then I tried it again, and when I discovered the DOC, I didn’t even know what it was.  I had to ask someone what #doc means.  I started to realize how the DOC communicates with hash tags (#), and slowly started to become more and more involved.  Meeting new people all the time, making new friends constantly, started posting regular daily motivation and tips, started blogging for diabetes and health the way I used to blog for photography.  People started asking me for advice.  Telling me how much my words and advice helped them, or their diabetic children.  The DOC filled a need I didn’t realize I had.  Helping people.  Teaching people.  I’m 44 years old, and I’ve never really had that feeling of “I’m here for a reason”, . . . until now.  I know why I’m here, and I know why my life spared in 2003 when my heart stopped.  I have to help diabetics.  There are many sleepless nights now, that I wouldn’t trade for the world, where I sit here blogging because I NEED to help someone, through my writing or my videos.  If I’m helping just 1 person with diabetes, I’m making a change for the better in someone’s life.  That’s why I’m here.  That’s why I found our tribe.

Boy, that was deep wasn’t it?  Whew.  I hope I haven’t lost ya yet.  So anyway, the DOC has helped me too.  I’ve been a brittle diabetic all my life.  I’ve been insanely lucky that so far I’ve only had 1 big complication after 42 years, which could be corrected.  Well, since discovering the DOC, I’ve felt the need to improve my diabetes control if I’m going to be a diabetes advocate.  In March of 2012, my hemoglobin A1C was 11.4.  Yeah, I know.  I said I was always brittle, right?!  In October it was all the way down to 8.9, in just 6 months.  I’m hoping for a score of 7.5 by next month.  So that idiot Dr. that said the DOC doesn’t help with our diabetes, . . .  IS WRONG.  Being a member of the DOC, and an advocate for all of you, has improved my health more than I could have imagined.  It’s also made me feel like I belong.  It’s allowed me to make a difference in the lives of individuals, and to make a difference in a worldwide cause.  It’s made me feel like I’m missed when I’m not there.  It’s been great meeting you all, and I look forward to meeting even more in 2013.

Dr. Jason Bronner from UCSD Medical Center obviously has no concept of the power of our tribe.  He’s quoted as saying in an NPR interview “There’s no proof in diabetes that social networking is helpful.”  Don’t underestimate the power of the force Dr. Bronner.  ———->  See Diabetes Advocates open letter to NPR regarding Dr. Bronner’s comments.

The universe really wanted me to write this tonight.  It bombarded me with multiple inputs today, all having a similar ethereal thread.  Since I like to refer to myself as a paleobetic cyborg pumper, I thought I’d leave you with a quote from my favorite android, that I heard tonight while listening to TV as I was writing this blog.  It was a huge coincidence (or fate) that I played THAT particular episode tonight on Netflix.

“As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them.  The inputs eventually are anticipated, and even missed when absent.” – Counselor Deanna Troi impersonating Lt . Commander Data.  

 

********** Now ya know, and knowing is half the battle.  Go Joe!!! **********

If you found this article helpful, please give it a LIKE and share it with others who might benefit from it.  Thanks for paying it forward!  If you’d like to connect with me, you’ll find my social networking profiles to the right:  ————————>

 

New Year with Diabetes : Striving for _______ in 2013!

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DSMA-logo-2012-LGThis is my first ever entry into the DSMA blog carnival.  Ok, so lets get this done.  In 2013, I’m striving for an A1C of 7.0 or below.  In all my life as a type 1 diabetic, I never really even understood what that A1C score was for.  Never paid attention to it.  I only got it checked every few years or so, by doctors that had no clue about how to treat type 1 diabetes.  I never really lived my life like a diabetic.  Didn’t even know what an endocrinologist was, until my cardiac arrest in the summer of 2003.  I didn’t even start to understand my diabetes until after my cardiac arrest, and it wasn’t my doctors that got me interested in understanding it, it was bodybuilders!  When I went through cardiac rehab, that got me hooked on exercising, so I found a trainer . . . . . that just happened to be a competitive bodybuilder.  TrainerThat’s him off the right.  That was in late 2003.  I surrounded myself in that lifestyle, although I wasn’t a bodybuilder.  It was those bodybuilders who began to teach me about insulin.  Bodybuilders understand insulin better than most diabetics, and even better than most endocrinologists.  I began to understand metabolism, exercise, nutrition, etc.  2011 rolled around, and I started a home business as a Team Beachbody coach, which made me become even more interested in improving my diabetes.  Then, in early 2012, I discovered the 2 things that have been instrumental in improving my diabetes.  The paleo lifestyle, and the diabetes online community (#doc).  Slowly over the last year, I’ve become even more of a nutrition nazi, and biochemistry hobbyist.  Reading book after book, learning more and more about insulin, metabolism, biochemistry, and more.  I’ve read more books this year than any other year of my life!  All of them on nutrition.  (I’m going to start a book review series on this blog as a matter of fact!)  Although I’m an online diabetes advocate now, that doesn’t mean I’m a perfect diabetic.  It does make me want to improve my A1C to a respectable level if I’m going to be an advocate though.  I struggle just like everybody else.  My A1C did drop by 2.5 points in 6 months last year, which I was really excited about.  Still a little way to go to reach 7.0, but I’ll make it.  I have a lot of people that have thanked me for what I do in the online community, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you.  Were it not for all of you, I wouldn’t be improving nearly as well as I have over the last year.  In helping you, I’m helping myself.  thanks Diabetes Online Community (DOC)!!!

 

********** Now ya know, and knowing is half the battle.  Go Joe!!! **********

If you found this article helpful, please give it a LIKE and share it with others who might benefit from it.  Thanks for paying it forward!  If you’d like to connect with me, you’ll find my social networking profiles to the right:  ————————>

This post is my January entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/january-dsma-blog-carnival-2/

Waiting on Diabetes

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Inigo-Montoya-the-princess-bride-inigo-montoya-8411705-692-626Inigo Montoya: But, I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top.
Man in Black: That’s VERY comforting, but I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait.
Inigo Montoya: I hate waiting. I could give you my word as a Spaniard.
Man in Black: No good. I’ve known too many Spaniards.
Inigo Montoya: Isn’t there any way you trust me?
Man in Black: Nothing comes to mind.
Inigo Montoya: I swear on the soul of my father, Domingo Montoya, you will reach the top alive.
Man in Black: Throw me the rope.

If you’re a regular viewer of my blog, you’ll know that most of my posts are geeky, sciencey, biochemistry, diabetic health stuff.  Well, I’ve been writing all day and my brain hurts, so I wanted to take a vacation from the science.

Now that little exchange up there, is one of my favorite all time movie scenes, because I too hate waiting.  Now this isn’t a complaining post, it’s just going to be a little brainstorming for myself about all the things I have to wait for with my diabetes.  Lets see how many I can come up with:

  • Waiting for meter to show blood sugar
  • Waiting for blood sugar to come down
  • Waiting for blood sugar to come up
  • Waiting for insulin pump to rewind
  • Waiting at doctors appointments
  • Waiting on blood test results or A1C numbers
  • Waiting for insurance to pay the bill
  • Waiting for supplies to arrive in the mail
  • Waiting for . . . lets not talk about that
  • Waiting for a closed loop insulin pump
  • Waiting for a cure

Did I miss anything?  I know I did.  What else do we wait for with diabetes?  Comment below!

 

********** Now ya know, and knowing is half the battle.  Go Joe!!! **********

If you found this article helpful, please give it a LIKE and share it with others who might benefit from it.  Thanks for paying it forward!  If you’d like to connect with me, you’ll find my social networking profiles to the right:  ————————>

 

What Causes Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

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300Diabetic ketoacidosis.  Diabetics everywhere know this term, . . . I hope.  What is diabetic ketoacidosis?  How is it different than ketosis?

I’ll start by explaining ketosis, and try to keep the sciencey (Yes it’s a word.  It’s MY word.) stuff to a minimum.  Ketosis is a natural body process that occurs when your muscles require fuel, but there’s none in your system.  That fuel starts out as carbs.  If you don’t get enough carbs, your body will naturally enter ketosis when your body starts to break down your fat, thus producing ketone bodies which it can use as fuel.  Your brain and your heart actually run more efficiently on ketones, than they do on glucose.  Our bodies were built to do this, to survive when there was no game to hunt, no plants to forage, no food nearby.  This is NOT dangerous, . . . it’s natural, unless you’re diabetic.  Why is it only dangerous for diabetics?

Because ketone bodies are acidic, and when they reach a certain level, a non-diabetic will secrete insulin, which reduces the ketones just like it does blood glucose.  We of course don’t have this mechanism.  When a diabetic gets ketones, and their blood glucose is above 250, this is the formula for diabetic ketoacidosis.  I know what you’re thinking.  I still haven’t told you what causes it.  Well, here we go.

What causes it is simply a lack of insulin or fuel.  A lack of insulin caused by a faulty infusion set, simply not taking your insulin, being sick and dehydrated, or not eating enough carbs.  The reason your body would enter ketosis is that it doesn’t have enough fuel in the form of carbs, OR . . . it has plenty of fuel, but not enough insulin to get it into the muscle cells.  If the body cannot process or does not have fuel, it will create it by breaking down fat.  This is ketosis.  NOW, your body can’t use the carbs you’ve eaten due to lack of insulin, AND ketones are rising because of lack of insulin.  Rising ketones turn your blood acidic.  This is what can kill you.  If you’re sick and you’re vomiting or have diarrhea, it’s even worse because that creates dehydration which causes insulin resistance!  Ever had ketones while you’re sick, and wonder why in the heck you have to take 3 times the insulin to bring down your blood sugar and ketones?  You need insulin for the blood sugar, for the ketones, and to compensate for the insulin resistance.  Now I can see the wheels turning in your head.

When you go to the hospital, they’re going to treat you with a saline IV, an insulin drip, and electrolytes.  These treat all of the symptoms of DKA all at once, and bring you back to normal.  Your dehydration, your high blood sugar, your high ketones, and your low electrolytes.  So . . . clear as mud now?  Well, I hope it’s clearer than mud for you.

 

********** Now ya know, and knowing is half the battle.  Go Joe!!! **********

If you found this article helpful, please give it a LIKE and share it with others who might benefit from it.  Thanks for paying it forward!  If you’d like to connect with me, you’ll find my social networking profiles to the right:  ————————>

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