blood sugar love

graduated

2010-05-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

i graduated from college.

with diabetes, even.

mwahaha :D

-checkin in-

2010-03-30T22:49:00.001-07:00

haven't posted in awhile
but i wanted to assure you that i still have diabetes
and i'm still kickin' it's ass everyday :D

health insurance update

2010-02-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hey hey! I posted a few months ago with concerns about obtaining a reasonable individual heath insurance plan -- a near impossibility with a pre-existing condition. For now, I've found a nice solution! I recently got a job as a barista at Peet's Coffee & Tea. Peet's offers a benefit plan for part-time employees after having completed 500 hours of work. I should be wrapping up these 500 hours just as my times-run-out on my parent's insurance. There may be a tiny bit of overlap, which could end up costing us a few extra dollars but I'm sure everything will work out. In the meantime... swing by for a latte? if you're in the hood! 37th & J in east sac :)

continuous glucose monitoring

2010-02-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

just sent in an application for this... to get more information & to see how much it'll cost:

Dexcom 7Plus - Continuous Glucose Monitoring

lucky

2010-01-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

i am very thankful for my glucometer.

without it i'd be lost.

or maybe....

2009-12-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

... we'll have a health care reform in the United States of America.

[follow up to last post]

insurance [INSURANCE!!!!]

2009-12-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

well, i'm not so savvy when it comes to insurance talk, however, what i do know is this...

In May of 2010, due to policy rules, I am officially off of my parents health care plan. At this point, a 'healthy' person of my age could easily pick up their own individual insurance plan for as little as $60-$100 per month. However, I've got a little crisis on my hands because no insurance company has the balls to take on a diabetic.

It happens to be that this will all be taking place approximately 2 weeks before graduation, when I'm sure to be knee-deep in finals and photo projects and senior portfolios etc. etc. So, I'm trying to think about this all now so that I have a solid plan when the time comes. So here are some options.

pay an extra fee of $500+/month to stay on my parents health insurance plan... OH HELLZ NAW
obtain a finnnne husband with a health insurance plan ... MUAHAHAH
within the next few months acquire a part-time job that offers an insurance plan (i.e. companies like trader joes, nordstrom, borders). then, in this case, post-graduation i could:

-transfer to, say, a Nordstrom in San Francisco, a Borders in Seattle or a Trader Joe's on the coast. This would then become a part time job to supplement my freelance photography income until i feel ready to indulge in a full-blown career ... I COULD ROLL WITH THAT

-or it could buy me some extra time to continue working on acquiring my American-Italian dual citizenship. Then I could move there, to Italy, where for 400 Euro per YEAR you get a little card and no matter who you are or what disease you have... "Once you have your card you will be able to visit doctors, dentists, eye doctors, hospitals, clinics, etc. You will sometimes pay a small co-payment. Prescriptions will be covered for the most part (small co-payment sometimes) and doctors will do house calls." ... OHHH YES PLEASE!

anyways here begins the process of exploring my options..... let me know if you have any ideas..... im new to all this real-world bull-shizzle!

update!

2009-12-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

hey it's been awhile. all is good here in betes land :)

i've been running and strength training consistently 4-5 days a week for almost two months now.

i'm at the point where if i go more than a day without a workout i start going a little insane.

we had a few days of snow and i slapped on my snow boots and still got my jog in :)

also been trying to eat healthy and moderately but these last few days have been a nonstop eating fest...

sicilian dinner with the family tonight followed by a christmas party with an enormous amount of homemade hors devours. the day before it was this incredible platter of cookies at a get-together with schwarzenegger and tony hawk and some otha' cool cats.

whatever. i'm ready for a little detox though!

this weekend i will be doing a 2 day fruits-veggies-tea vast.

looking forward to it!!!

peace :D

world betes day!

2009-11-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

tonight the state capitol got lit up blue for world diabetes day!

ALMONDS!

2009-10-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

i've always been into almonds but lately i seem to be real crazy about 'em: raw almonds, almond milk, almond butter...!! i had heard they were good for you but decided to look into it for myself. as it turns out almonds are a perfect food for diabetics. for starters, they hardly contain any carbs, which i already knew. but what i didn't know is that when eaten with carbs it actually decreases the glycemic index of those carbs. a lower glycemic index equals a lower surge of sugar in the blood post-meal. check it out:

"Eating almonds reduced the glycemic index (GI) of the meal and subjects' rise in blood sugar in a dose-dependent manner - the more almonds consumed, the lower the meal's GI and the less the rise in subjects' blood sugar after eating.

When one-ounce of almonds was eaten along with white bread, the GI of the meal (105.8) was comparable to eating white bread alone, but when two ounces of almonds were consumed with the white bread, the GI dropped to 63, and when 3 ounces of almonds were eaten, the GI was only 45.2 - less than half the GI of the white bread only meal.

Subjects' blood sugar rose 2.8 mmol/L after eating only white bread. When one ounce of almonds was eaten with the bread, blood sugar rose 2.2 mmol/L. Eating two ounces of almonds with the bread resulted in a rise in blood sugar of 2.0 mmol/L, and eating three ounces of almonds caused blood sugar to rise only 1.6 mmol/L - less than half the rise seen after eating white bread alone."

- from The Worlds Healthiest Foods website

not to mention, they help lower cholestoral, reduce your risk of heart disease and promote weight loss. They're also packed with amazing amount of vitamins, protein & antioxidants. SO! eat yo' almonds!

And Justice For All!! ;)

2009-10-12T20:10:00.001-07:00

a good betes laugh from a court-room scene in the Al Pacino film, "And Justice For All"...

Officer Leary: I told him to move on, but he continued to use profanity and he refused to leave the premises.
Judge Rayford: What sort of profanity?
Officer Leary: You know, the normal kind.
Judge Rayford: Officer Leary, we've all heard these words before, now for the record what did he say?
Officer Leary: He used..."f***" a lot. ..."piss on you" ...then said he was gonna..."bung-hole the short order chef"..."cream on the waitress" ...stuff like that, Your Honor.
Dapper Defendant: There's a very good reason for all of that, Your Honor.
Judge Rayford: Oh? What is that?
Dapper Defendant: I'm a diabetic.
Judge Rayford: I fail to see the connection. I've never heard of diabetes causing foul language!
Dapper Defendant: That's because you're a douchebag.

:D

a girl and her betes bag

2009-09-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

within this quirky floral print bag are the contents of my diabetes care.

so we're talking a matter of life & death.

in just one little bag.

how incredible.

isn't it super cute

and quite efficient, really, with all its different compartments

in it i carry all my testing equiptment & supplies

shedding a little blood 8 times a day never hurt nobody

an assortment of needles

two insulin pens: humalog & lantus

yummmmy in my tummy ;)

sorry, that was gross of me to say that muahah

even a portable trash can :)

there she sits, my love. heehhh

workout forecast!

2009-09-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

as i may have mentioned a time-or-two, staying active throughout the day is the heart & soul to keeping my blood sugar levels steady, especially with less insulin intake. i am taking half the amount of Lantus-long-acting-insulin that I used to and essentially exercise makes up for that other half. so it's super important for me to stay on schedule with working-out! however, this does not mean that i have to do the same thing every day at the same time. variety is the spice, babay! so here's a look at what i'll be doing to stay active this upcoming [exciting but super busy] week!

Monday:

hula hoop ~ 30 minutes
run stairs & sprints ~ 30 minutes

Tuesday:

zuda yoga ~ 75 minutes
walk to & from campus ~ 3 miles ~ 45 minutes

Wednesday:

jog with dogs ~ 2.5 miles ~ 20 minutes
walk to & from campus ~ 3 miles ~ 45 minutes

Thursday:

walk to & from campus ~ 3 miles ~ 45 minutes
jog @ capitol park ~ 1.5 miles ~ 15 minutes
walk to & from campus AGAIN ~ 3 miles ~ 45 minutes

Friday:

boating/wakeboarding @ the lake

Saturday:

run & yoga @ the seashore in Point Reyes ~ 60 minutes

Sunday:

hula hoop ~ 30 minutes
run stairs & sprints ~ 30 minutes

So, as you can see I'm averaging about 1 hour of exercise everyday :)

always keepin' it fresh n funkayyy~

blood sugar luv

2009-09-01T00:41:00.001-07:00

the epitome

post-italy chat :)

2009-08-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! It's been awhile hasn't it?? Let's catch up!

Sadly, after two glorious months, I have left Italy. Italy was fantastic in every single way. I loved every minute of living in Amelia and I am so soo happy to have returned home with such beautiful memories. Good times were had, great friends were made...... and amazing food was consumed.... which I suppose is what I'm really here to talk about on this betes blog!

While abroad, I picked up some very good habits... and maybe a bad one or two or three ;).

Let's start with the good:
-Eating incredible amounts of fruit! Especially melons, blackberries & saturn peaches! We had a grand bowl overflowing with fresh fruit in the kitchen!
-being stress-freeeee
-Walking 7 miles (with lots of hills) each day
-Also, running up the hill from the river on a daily basis
-ZUCCHINI. I ate so much zucchini.
-Indulging in at least 2 salads everyday
-Scouting out the places that sold intergrali (wheat) products. My favorite was the 5-grain bread from Cinsina's Alimentari. Holy smokes! Amazing flavor!

And now for the (seemingly) "bad":
-Pasta everyday
-Pizza everyday
-Dessert(s) everyday

But I tell you what, these indulgences were some of the most memorable eats of my lifetime and I don't regret 'em for a second :) Like the crepe with pears and dark chocolate and cinnamon! And the banana gelato for breakfast that one morning! The gigantic canoli at the restaurant at the top of the mountain in Toscana. All those times we got creative in our own kitchen. Ohhh and let's not forget the lasagna on the patio by the lake that evening. Or the fried sage leaves that the boys made for us after the big storm! And certainly that gnocchi fest will go down in history books; right there next to calzone the size of my head. Yep. It was all truly amazing!

And, for the most part, using the correct calculations I was able to keep my blood sugar levels normal :) yayyy insulin! Of course, now that I am back home and no longer in the country of my stomach's dreams... it's time to get back to it!

Less carbs. Less insulin. Ready, go! :)

oh but first, here's some food-ish shots from Italiaaaa:

pizza-by-the-slice for 1 euro...

but usually for free cus pizza man, Davi, was one of our bestest budz!

it don't look like much but... IT IS

A regular dish I made with wheat pasta :)

i'm telling you man, the zucchini was off the hoook

made by Fabio, with love :D

that larger-than-life calzone i mentioned

we also made best buds with gelato man, Michele... oops :D

oooooh the crepes, the crepes :D

our favorite place to get fruit, all grown in Amelia

a little homemade creation

gnocchignocchignocchi

to die foorrrr :)

ONE YEAR!!!

2009-06-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

Hello from Italy-land! I've been enjoying myself so much that I completely missed my one year Betes Anniversary! Hahaha! I think it was on the 17th of June that I got diagnosed! SO... happy belated betes birthday to me???? ;) ;)

"splurge day"????

2009-05-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a travel day between Mammoth and Leucadia. Along the way we kept coming across some of my all-time-favorite restaurants. I could have chosen more healthy carb conscious choices at the restaurants but I decided to try doing a spiratic splurge day. I figured it was innocent enough since i hadn't done so in at least a month and I did my daily run/workout session in the morning. However it turned out to be a mess and a half :( It went like this...

For breakfast we ate at The Stove in Mammoth and I got a belgian waffle with strawberries and a large dose of insulin. Afterwards my blood sugar ended up in the high 200s. I tried to bring it down with a few extra units of insulin but it still hovered in the high range.

For a late lunch we went to California Pizza Kitchen where kelly and I split a Chinese Chicken Salad and Pepporoni Pizza. A couple hours after that meal I checked and was still high, this time in the high 100 range.

By dinnertime we had made it to north county San Diego. Land of the best taquerias on the planet. I indulged in chips and guacamole and a simple classic: the bean and cheese burrito. Compensating (I thought) with plenty of insulin once again. Before bed I checked and was in the high 100s still so I took 1 unit to level out. However, while sleeping a few stored carbs must've kicked in and I woke up this morning in the mid 200s.

So, basically, the whole day I was HIGH, even after a total of 30 units of insulin! I felt fine physically... but mentally I felt horrible. I could have opted for much healthier choices and ended up much more fulfilled, happier and healthier throughout the whole day.

Live & learn!! This morning I got myself right back on track. Sister Kelly and I went for a run on the beach. Afterwards we ate breakfast at my favorite place in the world, Pannikin. We shared a delicious fruit bowl and I also had scrambled eggs (skim milk, no cheese) and whole wheat toast. It was fantastic :D

No more splurge days, it'a really not worth it!

sometimes...

2009-05-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

somtimes the last thing i want to do is check my blood sugar againnnnn.... blahhh

Skin - Update

2009-05-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well guys!... The condition of my skin has improved tremendously since the post from 2 weeks ago. it's not yet perfect by any means but it feels tremendously better!

what i've been doing to treat it:
- first and foremost, I took myself off the horrible medication the dermatologist had prescribed to me
- keeping a tight watch on my blood sugars ... staying away from foods that are high in sugar or empty carbs
- eating TONS of fiber... about 30 grams per day
- avoiding stress whenever possible :)
- applying aloe vera to squeaky clean skin 2-3 times a day
- taking a Zinc vitamin to promote healing
- keeping my hair pulled back and off my face 24-7, especially while i sleep

it's time!

2009-05-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

tomorrow i embark on a 70 day journey! first, a week split between Mammoth & San Diego and then 2 months in Italy. i feel fortunate for this whole opportunity; i really feel so lucky. i want to make the best out of it ... a big part of that is continuing to make an effort to be as healthy as i can be. it's really far too easy to slip out of routines when away from home, so it will be a challenge. finding a rhythm 'on the road' will take dedication. im sure i will do it and i will do my best to keep this updated along the way :)

<3 xxoo

a summers-worth!

2009-05-21T02:39:00.001-07:00

finally! after battling it out with doctors offices, insurance companies & pharmacies I got a sufficient amount of supplies for the summer abroad! gettin' it all packed up and ready to goooo!

insulin count

2009-05-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

it's been almost 3 weeks since i started increasing the exercise, improving my diet and DECREASING THE INSULIN DOSES.

3 weeks ago I was taking as much as 45 units (15 lantus, 30 humalog) of insulin per day and my blood sugar levels were fair-to-good. i have been lowering that number everyday ... today, i took 15 units (9 lantus, 6 humalog) and my blood sugar levels have been excellent :]

i am only taking 1/3 the amount of insulin i used to take. i am being very conscious about what goes into my body and my activity levels and because of this my blood sugar has been so easy to control.

i plan to continue working towards lowering my insulin intake. by the time i get back from italy in August i hope to be down to 10 units (5 lantus, 5 humalog) per day.

diabetes abroad.

2009-05-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving on my two-month adventure to italy soooo soon! I am excited for so many reasons, one of them being the diabetes end of it. It's almost been a year since I was diagnosed and my most shining superstar diabetic moments took place in italy last summer. i suspect more of the same this year.

the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle are brilliant for health conscious folks:

-TONS of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, I'm talking upwards of 10 servings a day
-healthy fats like olive oil and small portions of nuts
-very little red meat, lots of fish & chicken
-whole grain pastas
-lots of homemade and natural products without all the processed bullsh*t
-bread eaten without butter/margarine and there is no salt in the bread in the region i'll be in
-moderate amounts of red wine
-tons of walking throughout the day

okay so what about the gelato? here's the deal! the gelato in italy is made with fresh fruit. it's also made with skim-milk or water... containing a lot less butter-fat than the cream used in ice cream. and it is not homogenized! annnnd it's absolutely the most delicious thing on earth so there's no denying it :)

and the pizza. oohooohho the pizza! i really can't say anything here to convince you or I that it is healthy in anyway. except for the fact that the crust is brilliantly thin, making a slice or two almost obsolete as far as carb-count goes. i really will be making an effort to eat moderate amounts of pizza but please have no doubts, the occasional slice will be happening :D

anyways, back to the good stuff. i can't wait for my daily dose of prosciutto e melone!!!! and several salads a day! also, last time we bought a blender for the apartment so i'll be making some smoothies with fresh fruit from the open market. i also plan to continue running every morning as I have been doing religiously now for nearly a month :). i'd rather die then stop running at this point, it feels so good!

'tis all for now!

high fiber foods

2009-05-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

Recommended fiber amounts for women is 21 to 25 grams a day and for men is 30 to 38 grams a day.

Fruit

Raspberries (1 cup) = 8 grams fiber
Pear (1) = 5 grams fiber
Apple (1) = 4-5 grams fiber
Avocado (1) = 12 grams fiber

Veggies

Artichoke (1 cooked) = 10 grams fiber
Broccoli (1 cup boiled) = 5 grams fiber
Potato (1 baked) = 4 grams fiber

Grains/Cereal/Pasta

Whole wheat spaghetti (1 cup) = 6 grams fiber
Bran Cereal (1 cup) = varies, as much as 20 grams fiber
Oatmeal (1 cup) = 4 grams fiber
Quaker Fiber Granola Bars (1) = 9 grams fiber

Beans/Nuts

Split peas (1 cup) = 16 grams fiber
Black beans (1 cup) = 15 grams fiber
Pecans (1 ounce) = 3 grams fiber

EAT UP! :)

folk remedies

2009-05-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

it's crunch time at school and every-time i don't feel like studying i turn my attention to health research. i'm really wanting to kick this acne in the ass so that's been my main research focus lately. i've been finding some great information. of course, you can't believe everything you read but i'm filtering through the information and wanted to make a list of somethings that seem promising i will be trying:

-detoxify my system with a cleansing diet:

staying hydrated by drinking sufficient amounts of water (cucumber water supposed to be especially great).
increasing my fiber intake... shortly after being diagnosed with diabetes i went on a fiber craze. during this time i (and many others) noticed how clear my skin looked. i am realizing now the correlation between the two... time to get back into fiber mode: tons of fruits and veggies and complex carbs!! yummay!
eliminating caffeine & artificial sweetners
limiting intake of milk/dairy

-apply aloe vera gel to my skin 2-3 times a day to promote healing

-steam cleanse and/or apply very warm wash cloth to affected areas several times a day

-start taking zinc supplements which is considered by some to be more effective in healing than antibiotics

-begin adding brewers yeast to my smoothies, oatmeal, etc. brewers yeast contains chronium which is an essential mineral in processing sugar. i will need to watch this one closely and make sure it doesn't effect my blood sugar levels too much.

-continue cleansing with benzoyl peroxide.

-change my pillow case every night.

-KEEP MY HANDS AWAY FROM MY FACE (this is going to be the hardest one).

experimentz!

2009-05-11T21:06:00.001-07:00

i had a nice quite evening at home tonight and decided to do a little experiment while i had the chance! i usually only check my blood sugar right before eating a then 2-3 hours after. but i always wonder whats happening in that time in between. it's certainly going to be different with every food and with every circumstance but this is how it played out tonight.

At 7:00 it had been several hours since I had eaten or taken any insulin. I decided to make a blueberry smoothie. I checked my blood sugar level at 7:00 and it was 89. I took 4 units of insulin for the smoothie. I proceeded to check every 10-15 minutes for the next couple hours.

7:00 = 89
7:10 = 98
7:20 = 117
7:35 = 135
7:47 = 157
8:00 = 146
8:15 = 132
8:30 = 119
8:45 = 95
8:53 = 90
9:04 = 80
9:17 = 84

So, my calculation was correct. I took the correct amount of insulin to exactly counteract the smoothie. I started at 89 and ended up at 84, perfect! But, as you can see, the carbs kicked in quicker than the insulin. A smoothie, while healthy, is pretty high on the glycemic index so it the carbs DO kick in very fast. That's something I need to watch, especially in trying to improve the health of my skin... because it's those quick little spikes that are causing me trouble!

one more reason

2009-05-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

lately i've been having some severe problems with my skin. the sides of my face are just absolutely covered in acne like some middle school kid. yea, it seriously sucks. it's hard to pretend it's not there and i just feel gross all day and it makes me want to diiie from time-to-time. i've been to several dermatologist and they've been prescribing me all sorts of stuff. It's not getting better at all... matter of fact, it's getting worse. Something is seriously not right. So I decided I'd start doing some research and maybe try and find some natural solutions since the side effects of these meds are awful (ie: vomiting). while researching i stumbled upon tons of information on how problems with blood sugar levels can cause acne. so, while the dermatologists love to tell you that diet has nothing to do with it.... i'm thinking it probably DOES. while i am never hypo or hyperglycemic for long periods of time i do sometimes quickly spike in either direction. i am starting to believe that these spikes are playing a huge role in this corruption of my skin. so, this is all just one more reason to continue down this road of improving my carb regulation and keeping a really really tight leash on my blood sugar levels because this is just retarded! i want healthy skin sooooooo badly! & this just ain't gonna cut it...

blah!

birthday-ness!

2009-05-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

so i've been keeping up on exercise really darn good but i did have me a little birthday celebration and indulged a reaaaaaal yummy feast of carbs (etc.) tonight at Il Fornaio:

-Freshly Baked Rosemary Bread
-Insalata del Fornaio: mixed greens, garlic croutons and shaved parmesan
-Pizza Margherita: mozzarella, oregano, tomato sauce, basil
-Vanilla Latte
-Rosina al Cioccolato: chocolate mousse, fresh raspberries and sponge cake soaked with triple sec

all in one sitting babay! oooopsies! ;) ;)

staples.

2009-05-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

things that i eat/drink pretty much everyday:

- flax seed waffles w/ smart balance flax oil omega-3 butter spread (no syrup)

- green tea hot or iced, unsweetened [biiiatch]

- salad my favorite is real simple, just some mixed greens with goat cheese, fresh ground pepper, olive oil & vinegar. sometimes i add some apple slices tooOOO.

- blueberry smoothie 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 cup blueberries, 1/3 cup of orange juice and hey maybe a few slices of banana or some strawberries, neva' know.

- clif builder bars loaded with protein and made with all organic, soy & wheat products

other healthy choices that i <3:

-alternative grain pastas farro, spelt or quinoa. whole wheat pastas are delicious too. put a little homemade pesto on top and boo-ya!

-prosciutto my favorite deli meat, very lean and rich in flavor ... great wrapped around melon too! ah!

-oatmeal with cinnamon on top! 'nuff said!

-edamame soy beans babay babay!

poundage!

2009-05-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

you know how i mentioned that i had actually started running on a regular basis 2+ weeks ago? well it's really been paying off in tons of ways! for one thing, the dogs join me and they are lovvvvvvin' it! my energy level throughout the day is much improved! blood sugar levels have been great even with less and less insulin! annnnnd... I lost, like, 6 pounds! sweeet :]

day 2

2009-05-05T00:10:00.001-07:00

okay i gotta make this quick cus i need to get some sleep..... but here's the specs on day 2!

-Ran 3 miles!

-Walked 6 miles!

-Ate delicious food... including this amazingly prepared broccoli at il fornaio! and the juciest orange ever for dessert! lots of green tea too :)

-ONLY 3 UNITS OF HUMALOG! + 13 UNITS OF LANTUS = 16 TOTAL! I achieved and even surpassed todays goal! :)

-Blood sugars ranged from 60-120... a bit low still so it looks like I can even bring the Lantus down a little bit more!

:) now i'm gonna go fall asleep to the rain :)

day one!

2009-05-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

so here's a play-by-play on DAY ONE of my new challenge!

7:00 wake up . blood sugar level (bsl) = 83

7:30 run 3 miles on our trail with the pups... in the pouring rain

8:30 bsl=150 (sometimes spikes real quickly right after a workout)

breakfast: 1 flax waffle & green tea . 1 unit of humalog .

10:30 bsl=68 . small blueberry smoothie .

12:00 hula hooped for 30 mins (hey, you try hula hooping nonstop for a half hour. i was dripping sweat)

12:30 bsl=87

builder bar . 1 unit of humalog .

3:00 took whiskey for a 30 minute hilly walk

3:45 bsl=64

4:00 bruschetta .

6:00 watermelon, chicken, salad, 1 small piece of garlic bread . 3 units of humalog (some extra to make up for bruschetta) .

8:00 bsl=81 . nonfat latte & 1/2 brownie .

10:00 bsl=144 .

sorry, i know thats a lot of numbers. don't feel bad if you didnt follow it. basically... i accomplished my goal of 1 run plus 2 additional 30 minute workouts. I also stuck to my goal of only 20 units of insulin all day! for the most part i did okay with food. there were instances where i did not stick to my goal of a max of 30 carbs within a 4 hour period but that was mostly due to the fact that i needed to intake more carbs because my sugar was low... notice the BSLs in the 60s. SOOOO! what that means is that it's time to start backing off on the long acting Lantus insulin so that does not happen! So, instead of taking 15 units tonight, like i usually do, I will only take 13. So my daily intake of insulin will now be 13 units of Lantus and 5 units of humalog... 18 units total... getting closer to my goal of 5! :) yee haw!

Inspired.

2009-05-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

photo by Joshua Targownik

Yesterday I was surfing the web and came across the website of Jenna Phillips. Jenna developed Type 1 diabetes after suffering head trauma in a falling accident shortly before graduating high school in 2000. During the first few years of her diagnoses she gained a lot of weight, mostly due to having to eat extra to make up for miscalculated insulin doses. In 2004 she studied abroad in Europe and started to really learn the value of eating smaller portion sizes and exercising regularly throughout the day (sound familiar hehee). Before she knew it she was in the best shape of her life. She came back to the United States with a new mentality and a passion for nutrition and fitness. She is now on a mission to be almost-insulin free. She has dedicated her life to it by pursuing a career as a personal trainer in LA... hired by several celebrities (I highly suggest checking out that link). During the first couple years she was taking as much as 50 units of insulin a day and now only takes about 5. Which is about as low as humanly possible for a type 1 diabetic. Because our pancreases are completely dead we have to inject ourselves with at least a little squirt to get the party started but she has proven that with consistent exercise and very healthy/moderate eating throughout the day that 5 units can go a very long way!

photo by Todd MacMillan

Are you catching my drift here? I am greatly inspired by this chick! She kicks some seriiiious ass. And I am ready to undertake the same challenge. It will take extreme dedication and a lot of strategic planning but I'm going to do it. Currently, I take average of 40+ units of insulin per day. I would like to bring that number down to 5. This of course will not happen overnight. It will take a lot of time and experimentation but I'm going to get right to it. There is a reason why I'm telling you all this. I need your support! Greatly! And to start off here are my goals:

15 units of long-acting Lantus insulin per day
5 units of of short-acting Humalog insulin per day
So, a total of 20 units of insulin per day
3 mile run to start off the day every morning (have already been doing this for 2 weeks)
2 additional 30 minute workouts of my choice throughout the course of the day (have mostly already been doing this as well now it's just time to increase the intensity) (and i need some new workout clothes for surrrre)
limit carb intake to a maximum of 30 grams of complex-carbs within a 4 hour period (this is going to be the hard part)
get at least 7 hours of sleep a night

That should do it for now. I plan to make adjustments as I see fit. This will be trial and error for a while. I will surely keep you updated! <3

And who knows. This could be the perfect excuse to pursue that idea i've had of becoming a yoga teacher :)

HbA1c!

2009-04-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Every few months I have to get a couple viles of blood drawn to find out my glycosylated hemoglobin score. This score is commonly referred to as A1c and basically it's a number that tells us my average blood sugar level over a span of about 6 weeks. A non-diabetic's score is usually in the range of 4%-5%... which translates to an average blood sugar level of 70-100. They recommend diabetics to aim for the 6%-7% range (120-150). The day I got diagnosed my A1c score was 11% (270)...eek! That means for weeks and weeks and weeks i was consistently in the 200-300 range! Yuuuuckkkk. But after three months of being on insulin I brought myself down to a score of 6.7% (140). Oh the beauty of insulin :)! And I just got tested again early this morning! We'll see what it is this time when the results come in!

side effects

2009-04-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Usually when I post here I like to take the I-know-what-I'm-doing-it's-really-no-big-deal-attitude. Mostly because that IS how I feel and also because I hate to be a downer. However, I gotta step aside for a second and let some harsh vulnerable truths have their chance in the spotlight.

Since I've had diabetes my personality has changed in some ways for the worse. It's strange to think about that... because diabetes is not a psychological disorder. However high and low blood sugar levels do effect my personality in enormous ways. Yes, I manage to keep my blood sugar levels normal most of the time but even just a few minutes of hypo-or-hyperglycemia can throw my whole day out of whack. It's very frustrating because it doesn't always happen as a result of irresponsibility or a bad calculation. It could be shortly after a meal and the carbs and insulin haven't balanced themselves out yet... throwing me a little high or low momentarily. Both hyper-and-hypoglycemia make me irritable, unable to focus, really anxious, weak, confused and very overwhelmingly tired (thats not to say that those things don't happen on their own sometimes, i'm only human, but since I've had diabetes these instances have increased dramatically and are distinguished from everyday moodyness). If it happens to occur during a time when I'm trying to have a conversation with somebody or taking a test or on a photo shoot it can really mess things up.

Anyways, let me give you an example of something that happened just yesterday:

I took a quick lunch break at work to eat a salad and a cookie. I had gone for a run in the morning so my insulin sensitivity was probably slightly increased. I did my calculations and took the insulin just a minute-or-two prior to eating, like always. About 20 minutes later my boss told me he had a quick photo shoot he needed me to go on. For some reason I immediately felt irritated by this ... I would usually be happy for an opportunity to get a break from sitting at the computer. As he was explaining the details of the shoot to me I was having a really difficult time focusing on what he was telling me and I could tell he felt annoyed that I wasn't listening. I packed up the photo gear and as I was walking across campus to the classroom I felt so anxious and shaky that I just started crying. I couldn't focus on what classroom I was going to and kept getting lost walking down the halls of a building I usually knew my way around. In the elevator a student was trying to make small-talk but I couldn't comprehend much of what he was saying to me and I just mumbled a weak response. He probably thought I was pretty lame. I could tell from the symptoms that I was experiencing hypoglycemia but I was on a time crunch so i just ate a few tootsie rolls I had in my pocket. I eventually made it to the photo shoot and luckily within the first few minutes I could feel myself coming back to normal. The photo shoot was over quickly and as soon as I was done I checked my blood sugar level and it was in the range of 90. At one point it had probably dropped as low as 40 or 50 but it looks like the carbs from the cookie (and tootsie rolls!) finally kicked in to counteract the insulin I had taken.

(i just want to mention that, although it has not happened yet, if I ever do feel symptoms of hypoglycemia while driving I will know right away and immediately find a safe place to pull over)

Anyways... even though things were back-to-good I was still feeling bad about my interaction with my boss and the kid on the elevator. I am way too sensitive about things like that and tend to let them eat away at me. I guess I didn't explain myself to them because I hate to use diabetes as an excuse, even if it sometimes is a valid one. So I carried feelings of guilt, embarrassment, anger, fear, and confusion around with me for the rest of the day... effecting my personality big-time and making me a less fun person to be around... unfortunately this has been becoming an endless struggle for me lately. I'm trying to turn things around.

Lantus

2009-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

I take two different types of insulin: short acting & long acting. The short acting is called Humalog and I take it along with every meal/snack as needed. The long acting is called Lantus and I take it every night before bedtime. I think Lantus is the coolest thing ever invented and if I didn't have it I would have to take two or three times as much short acting through the day. I have been totally dedicated to taking it every night but for the first time in forever ... I forgot! So as to not get off-schedule I have to wait until tonight to take it again. So, all day today I will be without my beloved Lantus running through my blood :( I will still be able to keep my blood sugar levels decent but it will just take different calculations and a bunch more Humalog to do so.

just to give you an idea... this morning i woke up and checked my blood sugar and was at exactly 100, probably because at this point i still had leftover Lantus in me. i wasn't feeling very hungry and having already realized I had brain-farted on the Lantus, I knew it wasn't crucial to eat a meal. so, all i had was two cups of green tea (which contains no carbohydrates whatsoever) and i also walked two miles. at 11:00 i checked my blood sugar level and was at 157. it actually went up!! any other day it would be down to about 80 by this point. so, apparently the Lantus has begun to wear off and my blood sugar levels are slowly starting to elevate even without bringing food into the picture.

type 1

2009-03-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

there are two major types of diabetes type 1 and type 2 and they are essentially two different diseases. the only thing they share in common are elevated blood sugar levels however the ONSET and the TREATMENTS are completely different from each other. i won't go into all the specifics on type 2 but basically it's the opposite of everything i'm about to explain here about type 1.

type 1 is a genetic autoimmune disorder that usually onsets in children and young adults. type 1 diabetes is never a result of leading an unhealthy lifestyle or eating one too many sweets. not ever. furthermore, type 1 diabetics have stopped producing insulin and (without a cure) never will produce their own insulin again therefore we must frequently inject insulin to sustain life. type 1 diabetes can never be controlled with diet.

it's unfortunate that type 1 and type 2 diabetes get grouped together into one disease. it often lumps us into a category we don't belong in. i'm sorry, i don't mean to bash type 2, but it's hard not to be resentful of those who brought it upon themselves and don't make an effort to reverse their disease when we should all be so lucky to have that chance.

i'm not the only frustrated one:

"I like to try and stick to the mantra, 'we’re all in this together' ...But… there is also the aspect that many Type 1s can’t help feeling resentful of healthy people (i.e. carrying no genetic defects) who 'brought the disease on themselves' through overeating and sluggishness." - amy tenderich

“I’ve had negative feelings about Type 2s for a while now. But I think it’s sort of like watching rich people waste money. I’d probably do the same if I were rich, but as I’m not, it’s annoying to see them waste something I’d love to have. In the case of Type 2s, that something is the opportunity to not be diabetic, which to me is more valuable than money…” - scott reynen

Martha writes: “It’s very demoralizing and disheartening for a child with a chronic, life-threatening and uncurable illness to be told he did something to cause this illness, when he did not.”- martha

Thanks Barack O!

2009-03-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

White House Overturns Restrictions on Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Published in JDRF's Research Frontline E-Newsletter, March 2009

United States President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Monday repealing an eight-year-old policy limiting federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide and the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research, praised the Administration for the Executive Order, which officially reversed the policy limiting federal research funding for embryonic stem cell research to cell lines established prior to August 9, 2001.

"We're very grateful to President Obama for setting in place a policy to fully explore this promising field of science," said JDRF president and CEO, Dr. Alan Lewis. "President Obama's Executive Order is a strong signal to patients, scientists, and the nation that we have his full support to pursue science that may accelerate progress to new treatments and possible cures
for diabetes."

Type 1 diabetes affects as many as three million people in the United States, causing the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas so that the body no longer uses sugar to create energy. There is no cure. Research into human embryonic stem cells could speed the development of a cure for diabetes by helping researchers better understand how the disease occurs and eventually derive insulin-producing cells that are safe to use for transplantation. These discoveries are years away, but federal guidance and funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will help speed scientific progress.

Embryonic stem cells are cells with two capacities believed to be unique: they are capable of seemingly limitless reproduction, and they can develop into any type of cell, tissue, or organ as they mature-an ability that scientists describe as "pluripotency." At the same time, embryonic stem cells cannot themselves develop into a full organism. Their ability to replicate themselves indefinitely while remaining in an "undifferentiated" state means that embryonic stem cells offer a potentially unlimited source of cells for organ transplantation, and prove a model system for drug discovery and the study of development.

"This is an exciting day for children and adults living with type 1 diabetes, their families, and everyone with a connection to diabetes who have worked for years to remove restrictions to this research," said Dr. Lewis. "Now researchers, physicians, and ethicists at NIH can make decisions on ethical research based purely on sound science."

The Executive Order directs the NIH to develop revised guidelines on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research within 120 days. At the White House ceremony announcing the order, President Obama also signed a presidential memorandum establishing greater independence for federal science policies and programs.

Stem cells--both adult and embryonic--have great potential because they might be coaxed into becoming insulin-producing cells that can provide insight into the biological pathways through which type 1 diabetes develops. That could lead to cures and therapies across a range of scientific disciplines.

In addition, stem cells could, conceivably, be used to replace islets destroyed in people with type 1 diabetes. While islet replacement shows great promise as a potential treatment for people with particularly brittle diabetes, the cells used for these procedures currently come from organ donations of deceased individuals. But there are, at present, only several thousand donated pancreases each year in the United States. An alternate source of islet cells, which stem cells could potentially provide, would be a major step in providing cure therapeutics to all people with type 1 diabetes.

the blog title

2009-03-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

blood sugar love by the real tuesday weld

sugar?

2009-03-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

hellllls yea i can still eat sugar! are you crazy?!!! i gobbled up this delicious little piece of heaven just yesterday...

the common misconception that there's 'no sugar allowed' for diabetics is just silly. first of all it's ALL CARBOHYDRATES that I must take into consideration, not just the carbohyrdates from sugar. and second of all, that's exactly what the insulin injections are for... to off-set the amount of carbohydrates consumed. so before I devoured the decilious strawberry cupcake I calculated the amount of carbohydrates and then injected myself with 7 units of insulin accordingly. i also took a short walk which helps to increase insulin sensitivity. about two and half hours afterwards I checked my blood sugar level and was in the low 100s. perfect!

it doesn't turn out perfect every time. sometimes i miscalculate or other variables come into play and send the blood sugar levels out of whack. so, there is some risk involved when consuming high-carb foods because it does make calculations a bit trickier.

the insulin injections

2009-03-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

okay so we covered the finger pricks... how about the low-down on insulin injections. non-diabetics have functional pancreases that produce their own insulin. it is the insulin that unlocks the cells to let the sugar in. if no insulin is being produced the cells do not get unlocked and the sugar stays flowing through the blood and causes high blood sugar.

short term effects of high blood sugar include extreme thirst, extreme hunger, extreme fatigue, etc etc. if high blood sugar levels are endured for long periods of times (months, years, decades) it can lead to more serious things like circulation problems and blindness. that is why i am forever thankful for these needles through which i can inject the insulin that my stubborn ass pancreas refuses to produce! using the power of science and math to keep my blood sugar levels relatively normal.

it looks like a lot of needles but i took this photo only two weeks ago and i am already getting down to the bottom of the barrel. it's hard to give an exact number of how many injections i do a day because it tends to be quite spiratic based on a number of variables: snacking, exercise, accuracy of initial dose. there are days where i do as little as three injections and some that i do as many as ten. and once again, no, they do not hurt but they do leave their mark. little tiny bruises... maybe imagine like a small cluster of blue freckles on my lower belly. eeehhh sexxxayy kindaaa

the finger pricks

2009-03-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

currently I do about seven finger pricks a day: when i wake up, 2-3 hours after breakfast, right before lunch, 2-3 hours after lunch, right before dinner, 2 to 3 hours after dinner and before i go to bed. i will usually go into the bathroom to do it but it's not unheard of for me to sneak one in in public. i always sanitize with an alcohol swab and then just a little poke on the fingertip so that i can extract a few drops of blood onto the test strip of my glucometer. the glucometer is the device that reads my current blood sugar level which is information that i need for my calculations. a healthy reading is between the range of 80 to 120 but i'll talk a crapload more about numbers in the future. and nahh, the pricks don't hurt... but they do have a tendency to leave a mark... mmm...