Diabetes Art (DArt) Day 2010

Sep
01
2010
By Courtney | 1 Rookie Mark »

Today is Diabetes Art Day (DArt Day).

diabetes art day

I almost missed it because I’ve been so disconnect from the D-community lately because diabetes has been an epic aggrevation in my life as of late. Luckily, I still talk to Lee Ann, the brains behind Diabetes Art Day and in talking to her, I was inspired to pick up a piece of art that I had started in December but had gotten aggrevated by it. You see, I see things in my head and I had an idea for a fine piece of art using diabetes trash supplies, but because I couldn’t get what was in my head onto the canvas I got frustrated and walked away from it (do you see a pattern here).

So, I picked up the canvas I had begun and went to work. I scrapped a large piece of what was in my head and looked at what I had in ways of diabetes trash supplies.

Art Supplies

With the predetermined idea of what my piece was going to look like thrown out the door I laid some paint on the canvas and went to work. It turns out that art can take out the frustration of whatever’s going on without adding more frustration if we don’t have any predisposed ideas of what we’re doing. And that’s just what I did…I headed in a direction where I half knew what I was doing, and half didn’t know. And this is the final result:

Whale Of A Tale. DArtDay 2010

I’ve entitled it “Whale of a Tale”, but you’ll have to stay tuned for tomorrow to hear the whale of a tale is. In the meantime, you’re welcome to give your own insights on the whale of a tale that the picture imparts on you :)

Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon 2010

Aug
25
2010
By Courtney | No Rookie Marks »

When it comes to triathlons, the only person I can be concerned about beating is myself. Personal improvement is all that matters because trying to place in my age group means taking 35 minutes off my best sprint time and that’s not going to happen. Self progression is all that matters. That is my goal with each race I do, especially the Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon. The Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon is the one triathlon that I’ve competed in every year since I started tri-ing. It is my mile marker in self improvement. If I improve on this race, I’ve improved my overall game.

That was the case on August 7th. I went to the Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon knowing that all the prior tris I had done this year I had improved on. My bike was faster, my swim could be faster if I worked hard at it, and my run was most definitely faster. The only difference was that in the tris I had done earlier this year the run was first, at Socorro the run was going to be last. Still, I aimed not only to set an overall sprint tri PR but a Socorro Tri PR. I knew if nothing else I’d more than make a new Socorro Tri PR.

Starting Blood Sugar: 226

Swim

The swim is easily my most disliked part of the tri, I don’t train for it (yes, I should, but I don’t). It’s one of those things, were I used to hate reverse triathlons because I felt like I was drowning in the pool, to where, I’d rather have a reverse tri because I’d rather drag myself through the water and have great legs for the run as opposed to using my legs to get through to the swim and then not having them for the run. This swim, I didn’t use my legs very much because I knew I wanted them. I got in and straight off the bat decided I was back stroking, that way I could breathe while I swam. Freestyle produced too much want to all out sprint and I couldn’t afford that, it’s almost cost me more time in the end. I was passed by one person, but I passed 2 people, so I considered my swim good.

Swim Time: 11:35

Transition 1

My transitions suck, but I have to take time to check my blood. A friend told me my transition times may always suck…My blood sugar was 224 and I had to take a shot of long acting insulin because I was off the pump. I bypassed nutrition because I didn’t want to have to draw a shot of short acting insulin. I kindof paid for that later.

Transition 1 Time: 2:53

Bike

Bike is my favorite, we know this, and I’ve become a stronger cyclist this year. I didn’t go as fast as I wanted, but I still went fast. I averaged about 15 mph. It was a much better ride than in years past. I think I could’ve gone faster though, so there’s a goal for next year. A large part of me wants to blame performance issues on blood sugars and the choices I make because of those blood sugars (like not taking in nutrition), but I’ll just go with, I can and will do better in the future, and it was better than the past.

Bike Time: 47:41

Transition 2

This is probably my favorite transition because of the flying dismount I do when I get off the bike. I come into the transition area still going fast with no shoes on and it’s a beautiful thing. My blood sugar post ride was 311. I had to take the time to take a shot. Also, since I was taking a shot, I took enough to cover some Carb BOOM! so that I had energy during my run.

Transition 2 Time: 1:20

Run

Usually, on this course, I walk a lot, run a little for the run. When I started running I couldn’t catch my breath (I forgot my inhaler for this race, point in the idiot column for that one), so I didn’t run but a quarter mile before I started walking; but then I was passed by an old man so I started running. Then I got lazy/tired and started walking. Then my friend Misty passed me and I started running. I continued with the walk run and ended up doing a little over a 12 min/mile pace. I was very pleased with myself.

Run Time: 37:19

My total race time ended up being 1:40:44.2 which was 11 minutes and 14 seconds faster than last year. I was so excited, I set an epic Socorro Tri PR for myself. It wasn’t my fastest for this year but this was also the hardest course I’ve done this year and it was less than 2 minutes slower than my fastest race this year so that’s huge for me.

Ending Blood Sugar: 288

I know there’s room for improvement. I’ve trained this year but not regularly, so if I train regularly where can I get. If I actually get in the pool and swim, where can I get… If I can reign in my blood sugars I know I can do better, I ran considerably higher than I like. I like to be in the 150 range. I can feel the effects of high blood sugars so much more when I’m exercising than when I’m sitting. It’s a gross feeling, if I can figure out how to control them while racing, I think that will increase my performance as well.

Search For Cheap Product Results In Scam

Aug
04
2010
By Courtney | 1 Rookie Mark »

I haven’t ever taken the time to blog about my affinity for Carb Boom!; but let me just say, it’s awesome. It’s all natural, it doesn’t disturb my stomach, it makes me a happy camper. I like to buy it in bulk and I like to buy it for cheap.

My search for bulk and cheap took me to GotBody.com where it was $18.79 for a a box of 24. I was happy with my purchase, it was immediately received. I was pleased…but there was something I missed. The oversight on what I missed was costing me $29.95 a month.

Upon checkout, on the screen where we’re sitting there going “yes, all my data is correct, I entered it, no I don’t ever verify it, where’s the button to complete my purchase” was an ad and above that ad was a check box that was prechecked and therefore automatically included something that most of us wouldn’t check. Below the ad was some fine print stating “We are offering you this membership to help you achieve your fitness goals. By checking the acceptance box, you will be enrolled in the [enter random program here] program”.

Thanks for checking it for me, thanks for randomness showing up on my bank statement, thanks for making me call the bank to say my card has been used and I didn’t use it and I’ve never been to that website before, thanks for making me do the work to get my money back that I didn’t agree to shelling out, (but did indeed inadvertently agree to because you’re sneaky). It’s not very cool nor ethical for you to be automatically roping us into something that we don’t agree to.

And then, here’s the kicker…I made my order on June 6th, on June 23rd I get my first 29.95 charge. Checking my email and the spam box shows that on July 15th I get the thank you for my order email. If that email had come when I had submitted my order as opposed to 38 days later, I could’ve at least canceled in advance and I’d be less likely to be complaining here right now. It’s dirty business.

So here’s to the people at GotBody.com:

I appreciate that I found the lowest price with you, I appreciate that my items were quickly delivered, but I can’t support scandalous ethics. The right way to do it would to make it obvious that you can connect us to someone that can help us with our diets and don’t check the box for us. Let us choose. Let it be straightforward. The method that you’ve chosen to get us to sign up for 3rd party knowledge is destroying the trust base that can be developed with your customers and based on reports like mine, it could impact future sells.

As for me, especially after the lecture my bank gave me, I’ll be far more cautious in where I go shopping online, I’ll make sure that they’re vendors people trust and shop from often, and I’ll especially pay attention to ads that I’d much rather ignore.

Santa Fe Triathlon 2010 Race Report

Jul
23
2010
By Courtney | 2 Rookie Marks »

There are race days where everything is wrong. You wake up late, you don’t get what you wanted for breakfast, you forget your inhaler, your blood sugar is running in the 300s, and within in the first tenth of a mile of the race you pronounce, I’m done.

That was my 2010 Santa Fe Triathlon race.

I was done before I even began. For the first time ever I had very active thoughts of a DNF (for the non racers out there that’s a Did Not Finish). I was fully prepared to not complete the race, even worse, I didn’t care. (Which begs the question, who was this person that showed up for the race on Saturday, because come hell or high water, I’d never DNF. I might finish dead last crawling across the finish line, but I’d still finish.)

Despite an episode of mental quitting, I continued on. Despite everything that was against me: stupidly high blood sugars and not having my inhaler; I had the best race I’ve ever had.

The Santa Fe Sprint Triathlon is a reverse tri. Run is first, swim is last. I used to curse these reverse tris because by the time I got to the swim I had poured all my energy out on the road that I couldn’t see straight to swim. Now, they’re my favorite. I’ve decided that I’d rather not have the energy for the swim than not have the energy for the run, because I can run when I apply myself but because I’m lazy and have no desire to train, my swim always sucks whether it’s first or last.

Run
We’ll ignore the fact that when I started running my blood sugar was 300. We’ll ignore the fact that I forgot my inhaler.

I was about a tenth of a mile into the run when my head went to a deep dark place. I was done. I didn’t want to do the race. I had every intention of a DNF. I was going to turn around, go pack up my stuff and go home and back to bed. But my body just kept running. Racing really is a mental thing…because the body will keep going until it can’t.

My body running turned out to be a good thing. It was a mile and a half before I got lazy and I started walking, but then people starting passing me and I got pissed so I started running. Then I got lazy and started walking, and again I was being passed so I started running. The third time I had to stop because my shoe was untied and I was lazy so I was walking, but I got passed and started running. It’s not that I can’t run, it’s that I’m too lazy to run, I don’t want to run. But I did run, and my walking was minimal, we’re talking a total of less than a tenth of a mile minimal.

I ran 3.2 miles in 30:34. That there is an excellent run for me, because in the past running anything less than an 11 minute mile pace was too much work and I don’t typically want to exert that much energy. I averaged 9:33 miles…that is a rockstar moment for me, I was so excited.

Run time: 30:34

T1
There are races when I have really good transition times (<1:30) and there are races where I have sucky transition times. This race wasn't sucky, but it wasn't great. What's funny is that as I'm in transition, I'm thinking about how my time is sucking. I've decided that checking my blood is taking too much effort and that I have to streamline it. I think it's because I don't multitask while checking my blood.

Blood sugar post run: 312

T1 Time: 2 min

Bike
Bike is my specialty and my favorite. I got on my bike with high expectations. The last 12 mile ride I did in a race I did in 44 minutes, I was fast; so I figured I’d be at least as fast or faster on this ride. I went out and I went out strong, I came in strong as well. It was a rolling hills course which I’ve never really experienced in NM; usually it’s a couple large hills, but not up hill down hill repeat and repeat again. There was really only one part where I was miserable and that was on a hill right before the turn around. I blame my miserableness to me not taking in my normal CarbBoom between swim and bike and I blame that on my high blood sugar.

The cool thing about the bike was that there was this one girl Amy, and her and I would pass each other regularly so we’d always call out to each other and that was huge encouragement.

My bike wasn’t as fast as my race in May, but this course was harder. I finished in 49:12. At first I was depressed, but upon reminder that this was a harder course, I am happy with my bike time.

Bike Time: 49:12

T2
Another transition, and again it sucked…When I think of proper placement in the transition area it goes something like this: do I want my bike close to the start line so that I don’t have to run it down the transition area before my ride or do I want it close to the finish line so that I don’t have to run it down the transition area after my ride. I’ve come to the conclusion that they equally suck.

My blood sugar rang in at 278 and my total time was 3 minutes. I attribute the longer time to the longer run from transition to the swim…

Blood Sugar Post Bike: 278

T2 Time: 3 minutes.

Swim
I don’t train to swim. I don’t care much for the swim. If I’d apply myself, I could have a good swim. But I don’t apply myself. I hate being in the water, with people in my lane, touching me, swimming over me, being butts about their position in front of me.

I decided this swim I wasn’t even going to free style it, it was an olympic size pool and I knew that I go out too fast and then I’m exhausted half way down the lane, so I got in, flipped onto my back, and backstroked the entire swim. I kept running into the lane dividers because there was no straight line of flags to guide me and the pipes in the ceiling ran diagonal to the pool. I didn’t much care. My only real goal was to be faster than the last miserable swim I did in my last race. And I did just that. My last swim was 15:37…I beat that time by 1:42 seconds. I was pleased. Maybe next race I’ll do even better, or at least, I’ll aim for that goal :)

Swim Time: 13:55

Total: 1:38:41

InSight Foto took our pictures and I really like this shot that they captured:

Tour de France Thoughts

Jul
20
2010
By Courtney | 1 Rookie Mark »

I’ve been a fan of cycling for 3 years now, but this is the first year that I’ve shown much interest in the Tour de France. But really, my interest isn’t all that much because all you hear is crap about how everyone’s doping, about how peeps of past times are blaming peeps of doping, about how uncool of a move this cyclist or that cyclist made. It really just takes all the fun out of enjoying a race for a race. With all that said, here’s some of my thoughts…and questions which I’ve not gotten around to googling yet.

1) I’m tired of hearing about Lance, it’s always been about Lance, and yeah, he’s won the Tour de France 7 times, but still, new guys are rising up and yet it’s still all about Lance. He’s done an amazing thing but it’s time for a new era of cyclists to rise up in the news.

2) Why is it a team sport, why would any cyclist want the job of setting someone else up for a win. Why not pushing to win it for yourself? Someone please explain to me why anyone would want to be the person that holds someone’s hand to the finish line and then lets go so that the other person can take all the victory.

3) For as much as I’m tired about hearing about Lance, I do have one comment, why save his legs. It’s most likely his last Tour de France and he wants to “save his legs”. Why not go out with a bang? It’s more exciting that way.

4) What’s with respecting the peeps in the yellow jersey, why does everyone have to stop if the yellow jersey has to go potty or has a mechanical problem? It’s a race and the goal is to win the race, so why does the rider in the yellow jersey hold so much power…isn’t the goal to have the yellow jersey for oneself?

5) I like the polka dot king of the mountain jersey…I don’t like climbing hills much but if I had a chance to get a polka dot jersey I think I’d try my hardest.

6) Why are there no women in the Tour de France?

7) Since Lance is no longer a podium contender why isn’t he supporting his teammates in getting them to the podium?

8) Next year I’m gonna find me a fantasy Tour de France league and choose my cyclists the same way I choose my teams for march madness: jersey colors and location.

9) If the riders have to pee while racing, do they pee while cycling like ultramarathon runners pee while running?

10) What would happen to the Tour de France if some of these cyclists couldn’t have their crazy “i’m eating but i’m not eating” habits to keep their body fat nonexistent? When I say crazy habits I refer to “i’m gonna chew my food but spit it out instead of swallowing”…and how is that even useful to the body?

Valles Caldera Half Marathon 2010

Jun
16
2010
By Courtney | 6 Rookie Marks »

6 weeks ago I decided I needed an adventure. So, I signed up for the Valles Caldera Half Marathon. One should note that I haven’t done any kind of serious running since I was training for the Disney World Marathon back in the winter of 2008. So, for me to decide to take on not just a half marathon, but a half marathon in the mountains was huge. It was even huge-er (yes, that is a word, ask me I’ll tell you so) because there was this thing right in the middle of my half marathon that I so lovingly refer to as the “space needle”. What that translates to for a normal person is a “Mount Gigantasaurus is in my way and I have to go over it”.

See:

valles caldera space needle

Enough of the backstory. We’re moving onto the good stuff…RACE DAY!!!

Any good race is done with my Outlaws and there were quite a few of us there. We were all doing different distances. Some were doing the full marathon, some the half, and some the 10k. But we were all out there and that’s all that matters.

DSC02442

We were supposed to start at 8:30 but because of a fire near the start line, we were delayed. I would’ve stopped to get a picture except it was at the start and I had to behave like a serious runner (for all of a quarter mile, haha).

Here I am milling around at the start with Misty.

DSC02450

When the gun went off, I took off running. It wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but it’s what start lines do to me. But that first mile-ish we were running through smoke. It wasn’t long before I couldn’t breathe. It took 2 miles for me to even out my breathing. But then I was good to go and happy. When I got to mile 4, I was averaging a 13 min per mile pace which at that elevation and in the mtns, I was ecstatic with.

But then, I had to go up space needle.

Remember Space Needle:

valles caldera space needle

It took me 50 minutes to go 1.75 miles. The climb was crazy.

This was one part where I stopped to take a picture (yes, I stopped to take pictures, how often do you get to run in a national preserve?)

DSC02454

At about 5.75 miles, I was having myself a bad attitude moment because I thought I had to ascend another 1000ft (that’s a lot!)…so I stopped and took a picture because taking pictures makes me happy…nevermind that the picture doesn’t look happy ;)

DSC02456

After I was lamenting the fact that I thought I needed to climb another 1k feet, I turned the corner and there was a rest stop where I got told I was at the top (this was mile 6). I did a little dance and got excited and continued on my way.

Then, at mile 6.25, I caused a rockslide (little rocks, but dangerous rocks). I almost fell, but instinct kicked in and falling wasn’t an option so I twisted myself to not fall. I proceeded to pull my groin, hip, and outside of knee muscle. It was a sad state of affairs. It hurt to run. But being the bonehead that I am, I only half listened to my body and would proceed to run as much as possible until it hurt too much to run over the next 7 miles.

When I got down the mountain and off the service road we were in a beautiful meadow with a little creek we had to jump over. I took this picture long after I jumped over the creek. There were no logs for me to walk across, so, I jumped and landed on my feet and hands, I think it probably looked pretty funny.

DSC02458

The meadow was beautiful. There was a bit of an obstacle course as I wove across it. There were places there there were downed trees and I was hopping on tip toes through them. Much of my crossing the meadow was in a tree-y area, but then I came to a clearing that was so awesomely beautiful, I had to stop and take a picture (this was somewhere between miles 9 and 10).

DSC02459

The final climb for the last couple miles was pretty brutal but I had come across some peeps by this time so we all encouraged each other along. I did go running the last quarter mile or so just so that I was running when I passed all the peeps that were waiting around for their loved ones and so that I was running across the finish line (there’s not point in walking across a finish line, it’s not all that fun, I know that for a fact).

The End

We got a nice finishers medal, which I always appreciate. It’s so nice to have a new piece of race bling because I haven’t had one since January 2009.

vallescalderafinishersmedal

My garmin had me finishing in 3:30, the official race results are saying 3:38:59. I’m more inclined to go with what my watch said because we didn’t have timing chips, they were manually entering our numbers on the computer as quickly as they could be called out and our tags ripped off. Whichever one you want to go with, I’m all kinds of happy. It was a very difficult course and I did very well. There is room for improvement and next year will see that improvement when I do the race again.

A Brief Look At The 2010 Albuquerque Century Tour de Cure

Jun
05
2010
By Courtney | No Rookie Marks »

As I was riding today in the Albuquerque Century Tour de Cure I was tweeting and txting a friend who was also riding. This was a recap of my ride (stuff in parens is my commentary):

6AM 1 hr to ride time

7:55 13 miles down

9:10 30 miles in, have yet to see 2nd stop station

9:36 35 miles. 2nd rest stop. half way there. blood sugars holding up. still feeling good. starting to get hot.

10:46 42 miles in. out in the middle of nowhere. my joy is gone (had been riding for 7 miles at a 7-9mph pace in an atrocious headwind at this point, and there really was nothing out there, couldn’t even shortcut the route)

11:56 not done yet. 56 miles in. cramped up and hurtin. i want ice cream.

11:58 it’s really bad when riders are lookin for gas stations to get water

11:59 oh. but I got to go fast down a hill (37 mph) so I’m good and my blood sugars are still holding up

12:08PM 57 miles. rest stop 3

1:06 69 miles done. i do not want to see a bike for a very long time

1:47 ok. i’m all better now. & I look forward to the next time i see my bike. a rockstar (recovery, love that non-carbonated lemonade stuff) and a good positive convo with the race director fixed me

2:06 hahaha covered in salt. i think that means i had a good hard ride.

2:31 i have a salt stain on the crotch of my shorts. lol

3:47 my butt has “hey i was riding my bike for 69 miles” scrapes. that’s a first. (it actually isn’t my butt, it’s more like my thighs, and they hurt, and they’re not so much scraped as they are rubbed raw)

More in-depth posts to come soon, but I wanted to post this while it was fresh on the brain :)

Racing Is Like Christmas

Jun
04
2010
By Courtney | 1 Rookie Mark »

Race days, charity ride days, any sporting event day that I had to pay to participate in …those days cause inordinate amounts of excitement.

I’m like a little kid at Christmas time who’s all giddy because they know they’re going to get something great under the Christmas tree. They can’t sleep, they can’t wait till everyone else is awake, they stand at the tree jumping up and down until they get a gift in their hand. Can you see it? It’s possible you were one of those kids.

The excitement begins with packet pick up which is typically the day before the race. We go, sign our lives away on waivers and get our race bib and goody bag. At most races we get a tshirt of some sort and a water bottle. But for me, more exciting than the tshirt and water bottle is the race bib. The race bib is like that one present you get to open on Christmas Eve. It’s the one that starts you thinking “oh man, tomorrow’s gonna rock, I got a great gift today I can’t see what’s under the tree tomorrow.”

Then tomorrow comes and we’re racing. There’s all kinds of excitement. You drive to the place where the event starts and get all excited to see other vehicles with bikes on them, or maybe stickers that say: Ironman, 26.2, USAT, 140.6, My sport is your sport’s punishment, etc. People are getting out of their cars and getting ready to race and we’re jumping around or stretching to warm up. We’re pulling the gear out of our cars. The adrenaline rush begins.

We move to the start line and hear the gun and we’re off. There’s something about being in a large pack of people that are doing what you’re doing, enjoying it right along side you that makes race days like Christmas morning.

The gift of it all is knowing that you went out there and did something that so few people do when you look at the whole world as a whole. It’s knowing that you went out there and accomplished something. It’s knowing that there’s something exciting about knowing that your race results are posted on the web for all eternity. It’s just a beautiful thing.

It’s exhilarating, it’s hard to contain, and you can’t wait till the next time you get to be there with “your” people, doing it again. It’s a craved thing. It’s an exciting thing. It’s an adrenaline pumping thing. It’s a thing, a Christmas day like thing.

Pillars In My Life

May
13
2010
By Courtney | 1 Rookie Mark »

Diabetes Blog Week 2010

This post comes a day late because instead of writing about my biggest supporter, I kicked around and tried to think about who, in my 18 years of diabetes has been my biggest supporter. The problem was that for 15 of those years the most often heard words were “you can’t”. I have yet to find support in those words. If at any time in all of the “you can’ts” something positive was said, it got buried in anger, resentment, and hate; or maybe it never even got heard.

Before I can talk about support, I need to talk about “you can’t”. The words “you can’t” breed one of two attitudes in me: defeat or watch me. Defeat is where I was those first 15 years of diabetes. Sure, people tried to help by telling me to get help, but that wasn’t the support I needed. In fact, I wouldn’t call it support, it made me angry and frustrated. It wasn’t until I took on the “watch me” attitude that I can recall supporters coming out of the woodwork. Strangely enough, many of them were the same ones that had told me “you can’t”.

So, there’s my mom. She’s proud of me for what I do, for deciding that I could do all that I was told I couldn’t do with diabetes. She’s proud that I have taken the wheel and take care of my diabetes enough so that I can cycle for a cure, run marathons, and compete in triathlons. Nowadays, when I get down, she’s the reminder of all the stuff I can do when I can’t see past all that I can’t do. When I’m kicking and screaming about the hell that the inconsistency and unpredictably in my blood sugars causes and how it limits me; she’s the gentle reminder that I can still do what I want, just not the extreme that I was planning.

There’s Lolo, who has her head on straight because most times mine definitely is not. She’ll be the voice of reason, let me argue and go do my own thing and then a couple weeks time be the person that says “you should listen to me more often”. Which I should because she knows what she’s talking about. Lolo understands because she has diabetes, we’ve been the same places, she can connect with me and me with her. She works hard to keep me in a place of PMA (positive mental attitude).

There’s my tri-mom, who, besides supporting me in mutlisport racing, has helped me in a way I’m not sure she’s aware of. There’s so many different nutrition quirks related to racing that I thought I had to do because of having diabetes and trying to prevent low blood sugars while being out there. In talking to her and what she does when she’s racing an Ironman event, I learned that those nutrition quirks that I was so desperately fighting to avoid don’t exist because I have diabetes, they exist because I’m an endurance athlete. She’s the person I probably train the most with and if anyone knows me they know I don’t train. But it’s her and her husband that took me hiking in the fall and snowshoeing in the winter. It’s her that I cycle with the most. Throughout it all she has yet to express frustrations with having to stop because I’m fighting with blood sugars.

There’s a special friend who understands that I need to have things to work towards and things to look forward to, and when everyone else is verbally beating me down and telling me to lay off, she says just the right things. She encourages me, champions me to get out there and do things. She doesn’t have diabetes but she’ll listen to me, she won’t pretend to understand and she never says that she understands, she lets me unload without judging. Just in listening to me, she gains understanding for future events and she can piece things in my diabetic life together. She doesn’t sugarcoat things and she won’t say something if I’m in a frustrated place, she’s intuitive and waits till I’m in a good place to receive a tidbit of knowledge before she’ll give her opinion.

Of course, there are so many other supporters in my life, but these are the ones that came to the top of my mind. If you ask me on a different day or about supporting a different part of my life, you’ll get different names.

Higher, Higher…Making The Low Go

May
11
2010
By Courtney | 2 Rookie Marks »

*sings* the food just keeps lifting me higher and higher *ends singing*

One can’t think about making a low blood sugar go without thinking of the old treatments that we try to abandon in favor of new treatments. But when thinking about what I prefer to make the low go I really couldn’t nail a preference. What I did come back to time and time again was “who decided that we should eat 15 carbs and wait 15 minutes check our blood sugar and do it all over again?” I’m sure there’s a good answer for that question and for the logic behind what I like to call “that stupidity” but in thinking about “that stupidity” what I finally landed on was…

Wait for it…

There isn’t one particular food, snack, treat, indulgence…no, there’s just a want for food, a lot of food, an over indulgence in whatever food I choose. The choosing of the food usually begins by staring into the full but seemingly so empty cupboard because nothing sounds good. Then perhaps I move to the fridge. Then if I still find nothing I go to my room and look for my secret stashes. Eventually, I’ll choose something, and when I do, as previously stated, I’ll over indulge; eating far more than necessary, but loving every moment of it. Sometimes, I’ll go back for something else…eventually, I’ll stop eating and like any sensible creature, take a nap. Because really, the best cure for a low isn’t the food, it’s what follows the food :)

← Previous Entries