There's a Turkey next door

I live in a townhouse in the suburbs of DC. It's not unusual to see people walking their dogs, or to see a cat sitting in the window. I was surprised this weekend when Scott asked me to come outside and look (through the privacy fence - ha!) into our neighbor's yard. On their back porch was, I kid you not, a live turkey. I can only assume that it won't be around after Thursday, but I wonder, should I contact some authority? I'm not sure whether it's illegal or not, but I know there's something about zoning and farm animals, and I'm sure that our little row of townhouses is not zoned for having live turkeys. Not only that, but there's a frozen pile of turkey poo sitting on their steps. I wonder what kinds of diseases you can catch from live turkeys and frozen turkey dung? And, perhaps most disgustingly, I wonder where they're planning to kill and clean it? I don't even want to think about it. Now, where did I leave that HOA contact phone number...?

Cautiously Optimistic

This news clip is referred to all over the diabetes blogosphere today.  It provides cautious hope for Type 1 diabetics around the world.  Researchers have found a cure for Type 1 diabetes in mice using drugs that are already on the market (for cancer).  This is notable because since the drugs are already on the market, the time from mouse testing to human testing is greatly reduced.  Other reasons we're excited about this story are because they properly differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (unusual for mainstream media!), the research could move into human testing within ONE YEAR as opposed to the 10+ years that many studies promise, and because it seems that after treatment for a short period ("a few months"), the disease is cured.  Not controlled.  Not improved.  Cured.  I am hopeful about this news.

(And I wouldn't mind a party with lots of chocolate, a large tent, and Johnny Depp to celebrate, either!). ;)

World Diabetes Day TODAY!

I've donned my blue apparel (including socks and shoes!) and am telling people that today is World Diabetes Day.  I shared with my (fairly new) coworkers earlier this week that today was coming, and to wear blue in support, and they actually did it!  Yahoo!

Now, you may ask "what is WDD?".  I think Kerri from Six Until Me did a great job of explaining it in an interview with Getting Better:

"It’s a global awareness campaign that was started in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation. The United Nations recognized the event for the first time in 2007. It’s a day that directs the world’s attention to diabetes and the epidemic its become and the effort it takes to manage it. On World Diabetes Day bloggers want to spread the word that diabetes is not an invisible disease. It affects lives every day, and it deserves the world’s attention."

So, I'm spreading the word.  Today is a day to support the Diabetes community and Diabetes research.  You can do this by donating to the JDRF or DRI, you can read and better educate yourself on the truths and myths of the disease (check out some of the blogs on my blogroll over there on the left for some good places to start), or you can show your support to a PWD (person with diabetes) who you care about.  And in case you don't know how to show support, here's a good Do's and Don'ts guide to help you.

Finally, one of the coolest things (I think) about WDD is the number of international buildings and monuments being lit in blue to commemorate this day.  You can see a map and list here and here.

World Diabetes Day is November 14 - Wear Blue to Support the Diabetes Awareness Campaign

This month, I think all (4) of my posts so far have focused on diabetes, and believe it or not, there's a reason for it!  November is Diabetes Awareness month.  We've already passed the "D-Blog" day, where I talked about my diagnosis.  This Friday, November 14, is World Diabetes Day, where companies and monuments around the world are lit in blue in support of diabetes awareness.  We also tried, unsuccessfully, to get Google to do a "doodle" for the day, but apparently diabetes isn't a "quirky" enough issue to warrant one.  Maybe next year.  For this year, though, you can show your support by wearing blue on Friday.  Any shade will do, just as long as you wear blue! (you didn't know I was a poet, didya?)  Also, check out my cool new banner over there on the left.  You can light a virtual candle!  Cool!

Find out more information about World Diabetes Day here: http://www.worlddiabetesday.org

I'm a Type 1, son!

This video cracked me up! (and look who learned how to add a YouTube video to a blog post!)

D-Day - Diabetes Blogging Day, My Diagnosis Story

In the summer of 1987, I was 6 years old, living in Kentucky.  Typically during the summers, I ran around outside playing with my friends.  However, in 1987, I didn't do quite as much running.  I also wasn't eating much, and I lost a lot of weight.  I was tall and skinny, and after my mom TRIED to get me to eat anything...even ice cream, and I wouldn't, she decided to take me in to the doctor on August 10, 1987.  I don't remember getting my blood drawn, or even seeing a doctor.  I just remember being in the hospital, and there was a nurse named Jennifer who I really liked.

At one point, a doctor came into my hospital room and talked with my parents and me.  He told us that I had a disease, and that the disease was called "Diabetes".  I began to cry when I heard this news, because in my 6-year-old-mind, I believed that a disease ment that you were going to die.  I don't remember a whole lot of the medical details beyond that.  What I do remember is that I missed about a week or two of first grade, and I had to do my homework in the hospital to keep up.  Also, my classmates all made cards for me while I was there.  My cousin, Josh, had a birthday while I was in the hospital and I was allowed out to go to his party.  The party was a pool party and he had a chocolate chip cookie cake in place of a normal birthday cake.  I think I may have been allowed to have a little bit of this, but probably not much.  I wasn't allowed to have sugar again until much later - once I started wearing a pump in college.

Before leaving the hospital, my parents had to learn to give me insulin shots (pork insulin at that point) and test my blood sugar (twice per day), and I think I had to give myself one shot before they'd let me out.  

It took a few years before I started injecting myself regularly, and even longer for me to test my bloodsugar more than twice a day.  Now, I test my blood sugar 10-15 times per day and rather than avoiding sugar entirely, I now count carbohydrates and give insulin accordingly - enabling me to eat whatever I want.  

Things have come a long way in 21 years, and I have a lot more freedom than I had with 2 shots per day, 2 blood tests per day, and my "no sugar" diet, but even with all of the gadgets and advances in technology we diabetics have now, we don't have a cure.  If you agree that we need a cure and want to help, please donate to the JDRF or DRI and support research that hopefully will lead to a solution that is more than just "diabetes management".

Off the Wagon

Do you remember that big list of goals?  And the followup of what a good girl I've been?  Well, traveling, parties, and laziness have gotten the better of me, and I'm falling short of several goals, and just plain ignoring others.

I'm testing often, because I'm high often.  I haven't faxed bloodsugars in over a week and I haven't been logging them because (get this) they're so bad.  Why are they so bad?  Partially because I've been eating total crap: cupcakes, pizza, cheesey sausage balls, potatoes with velveeta, etc.  I have not been cooking as much (or eating enough veggies) since I've been either a party of one or literally at a party for the past week.  The other reason I'm running high could have to do with a new medication I'm on, but, I take most of the blame on this issue as I'm not even sure if said medication messes with blood sugars.

Breakfast?  Breakfast, when I was eating healthy (for all of what? 6 weeks?) was a boiled egg, yogurt, grapes, wheat toast with peanut butter, etc, etc.  Lately, I've been lucky if I even get in a yogurt!  It's ridiculous.  I have eggs at home...I just need to boil them!

I have been PRETTY good about drinking only water and tea, though this week alone I've had 2 Diet Cokes (the previous weeks I've had none).  

I've avoided artificial sweeteners entirely (except when we accidentally got artificially sweetened yogurt...but that was a mistake).

So, I need to climb back up on the wagon.  Life at 100 mg/dl feels a LOT better than life at 400 mg/dl, which is where I've been living since the election-watch party with Caitlin and Ian last night.