Thanks for the idea, Manny. :D
Five things I wish people had told me when I was first diagnosed with diabetes.
Some of these... maybe they did, but I just didn't listen.
1. "You will feel like a failure, but you aren't.". Diabetes is very difficult to control, You will have difficulty getting your BG under control and you will feel out of control, and maybe, sometimes, you will be out of control. It's OK, bad things happen. Life happens. Don't give up!
2. "Diabetes doesn't just effect our bodies; it effects our minds and emotions as well.". The emotional and psychological effects of diabetes are just as devastating as the physical. Go ahead and cry. Go ahead and scream and yell. Give this disease a good cussing out! Don't bury and deny the hurt and frustration. We all experience it, we all go through it and deal with it. We know how bad it is, we feel it, too. You are not alone!
3. "It is life-long. There is no getting out of it. Settle in for the long-haul.". Diabetes is forever. It is a moment-to-moment struggle. There is no breaks, no vacations, no room to breathe. It's all day, every day, 24/7/365. Get it?
4. "Ignore the advertisers and the pushers." There is no cure. There is nothing more effective than balancing diet, exercise, and medication. Keep your A1c in line, just like the doctor tells you. Yes, there are things that can make life a little easier, help keep things in line. But, THERE IS NO CURE.
5. "You are still human.". Diabetes can make us feel like aliens sometimes, and even worse, it can make us feel sub-human. You are still human, you can still do everything any other human being can do...except make your own insulin! You still have all your worth and value! Take the ignorance and bad actions of others and use them to make you stronger. Don't let them grind you down.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Cinnamon...what?
I started my blog, Cinnamon, on October 26, 2012. "Getting Off My Ass" was my first blog post, ever. The post was to set up my blog and let people know what I intended the blog to be about. Originally it was supposed to be simply a tool to help me practice and improve my writing skills. I had no idea what to write about, but a few friends made it easy for me.
"Just write."
"Write about whatever is on your mind."
"Write about what you like, it doesn't matter. Just write!"
So I did. I've written about things like stress and laziness. I've written about weird and interesting dreams I've had. I've written about my writing. I've written about my life in general. But one thing I didn't even touch on at first was my health and type I diabetes.
Why? If I'm writing about what's on my mind then you would think that something so important, something like type I diabetes would be the main thing on my mind all the time! I would like to say, nope, no diabetes on this mind! But in reality it is never not on my mind, but at the time in my life when I started this blog, I was living with zero health insurance and had zero dollars to spend..on anything. So I spent all my time trying not to freak out and worry about my type I diabetes. I ignored it as best I could. So, of course, I never wrote about it.
But then things changed. I started to have bad chest pain. I thought (and hoped) it was just acid reflux. The complicated explanation is that, yes, it was acid reflux...but only part of it was. The main part, the most painful part was that it was also heart failure. The heartburn was so painful and "loud" in my mind that I just had to write about it. April 26, 2013 was the first time I ever mentioned type I diabetes in my blog; the post is titled "GERD, Or Better Known As, "Oh, My God, Just Let Me Die Already!".
It wouldn't be until June of 2013 that I would have health insurance and be able to see a doctor. And it wasn't until October 18, 2013 that my plans on what this blog is all about would begin to change forever.
October 18th was the day I had triple bypass heart surgery. I didn't even know there was anything seriously wrong with my heart and then, in the blink of an eye, I was in the hospital. I didn't have a heart attack, no, they caught my problem before that happened. But all that chest pain had been caused by blockages in my heart. Only a tiny bit of the pain had been from acid reflux.
As I recovered from heart surgery, I blogged about it. Those posts started out being about my hospital stay, and then I started talking about my history with type I diabetes and how my rebellious nature and hatred for the disease..and fear of it, lead to all these health issues (see post "I Am Living Proof..." April, 22, 2014). I started to think...
"I can reach out to all those young type I's out there and let them know they aren't alone, that others understand their struggle. I can show them through my blog just how true those warnings their doctors give them are. I can show them why they need to take control. I can help them take control! I can help them overcome their fears. I can do so much with this blog!"
So this is what it has become. This is my mission now. I do so hope that I can help so many. Diabetes doesn't just hurt our bodies, it hurts our souls even worse. And I want to help.
"Just write."
"Write about whatever is on your mind."
"Write about what you like, it doesn't matter. Just write!"
So I did. I've written about things like stress and laziness. I've written about weird and interesting dreams I've had. I've written about my writing. I've written about my life in general. But one thing I didn't even touch on at first was my health and type I diabetes.
Why? If I'm writing about what's on my mind then you would think that something so important, something like type I diabetes would be the main thing on my mind all the time! I would like to say, nope, no diabetes on this mind! But in reality it is never not on my mind, but at the time in my life when I started this blog, I was living with zero health insurance and had zero dollars to spend..on anything. So I spent all my time trying not to freak out and worry about my type I diabetes. I ignored it as best I could. So, of course, I never wrote about it.
But then things changed. I started to have bad chest pain. I thought (and hoped) it was just acid reflux. The complicated explanation is that, yes, it was acid reflux...but only part of it was. The main part, the most painful part was that it was also heart failure. The heartburn was so painful and "loud" in my mind that I just had to write about it. April 26, 2013 was the first time I ever mentioned type I diabetes in my blog; the post is titled "GERD, Or Better Known As, "Oh, My God, Just Let Me Die Already!".
It wouldn't be until June of 2013 that I would have health insurance and be able to see a doctor. And it wasn't until October 18, 2013 that my plans on what this blog is all about would begin to change forever.
October 18th was the day I had triple bypass heart surgery. I didn't even know there was anything seriously wrong with my heart and then, in the blink of an eye, I was in the hospital. I didn't have a heart attack, no, they caught my problem before that happened. But all that chest pain had been caused by blockages in my heart. Only a tiny bit of the pain had been from acid reflux.
As I recovered from heart surgery, I blogged about it. Those posts started out being about my hospital stay, and then I started talking about my history with type I diabetes and how my rebellious nature and hatred for the disease..and fear of it, lead to all these health issues (see post "I Am Living Proof..." April, 22, 2014). I started to think...
"I can reach out to all those young type I's out there and let them know they aren't alone, that others understand their struggle. I can show them through my blog just how true those warnings their doctors give them are. I can show them why they need to take control. I can help them take control! I can help them overcome their fears. I can do so much with this blog!"
So this is what it has become. This is my mission now. I do so hope that I can help so many. Diabetes doesn't just hurt our bodies, it hurts our souls even worse. And I want to help.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
A Note To Doctors
Being a person who lives with an incurable disease, I have spent my life, save for the several years spent without insurance, sitting in the doctor's office. I have been the patient of many a doctor and have experienced the many different personalities of doctors. They are all human, and therefore they act human, faults and all.
What advice can I offer doctors? What advice can a patient with an incurable, life-galling, and often heartbreaking disease offer to doctors? A lot:
1. Be compassionate. And always show it! There is nothing more terrible to someone who is already suffering and struggling than to have to sit in an office and listen to someone who is supposed to be helping you tell you how you are a failure, how bad you are at doing what you need to be doing. There is nothing worse than a doctor who is harsh, malevolent, unfeeling, and just plain mean. What we need is someone who is on our side and kind about it. Someone who does all they can to show empathy, and share their knowledge. What we need is kindness and help. And we really need to know that you see us; look into our eyes when you speak to us, say our name without having to look at our chart first. And, please, be understanding of our constant struggle. We aren't just sick when we come into your office, we live with this illness all day, every day.
2. Be knowledgeable, not a know-it-all. Be willing to share your knowledge. We have to live with this disease everyday, all the time. Not just when we are in your office. So, please, if you have the knowledge, send us home with it! Don't just order tests and prescribe medication/treatment, but not tell us why or explain what it is we have to deal with. I need to be able to understand what is going on with my body. I need to be able to say "I'm on this medication because of this problem and the medication helps by doing this for me.", etc.
3. Remember that you are not my only doctor. People with chronic and incurable illnesses often have multiple doctors for multiple reasons. So take into consideration that I may have medications prescribed by another doctor, I may have tests, procedures, treatments that have been ordered by other doctors. Study my case, get all the facts, and make sure your course of action for whatever you are treating me for doesn't nullify or react badly with something else being done to me or taken by me, etc., or agrivate some other illness or condition I have!
4. Remember, I don't want to be sick! I don't want to suffer! I don't want to trade my current suffering for the suffering of drug side effects, living in a hospital, or complications of surgeries! I come to you to be helped, to feel better, to get healthy and stay that way. I know you are not a miracle worker, and I don't expect you to twitch your nose and cure me. So, please don't see me as anything other than a fellow human being who is trusting in you to not make things worse for me.
5. Listen. I don't know how many doctors I've had that just go through the motions. They walk in the door and ask, "How are you doing?" And then don't even listen. Give me enough time to explain why I have come to you, listen to what I am tell you. I know you just want to know the facts, but sometimes there is a back story, something linked to the current problem, or maybe it is a recurring issue. Who knows, but please, listen. I know you don't have all the time in the world to spend with me, but sometimes it's better to take a few extra minutes to listen than to pay when you go to court for malpractice!
6. Being a doctor is tough. Living with an incurable disease is tough, too.
What advice can I offer doctors? What advice can a patient with an incurable, life-galling, and often heartbreaking disease offer to doctors? A lot:
1. Be compassionate. And always show it! There is nothing more terrible to someone who is already suffering and struggling than to have to sit in an office and listen to someone who is supposed to be helping you tell you how you are a failure, how bad you are at doing what you need to be doing. There is nothing worse than a doctor who is harsh, malevolent, unfeeling, and just plain mean. What we need is someone who is on our side and kind about it. Someone who does all they can to show empathy, and share their knowledge. What we need is kindness and help. And we really need to know that you see us; look into our eyes when you speak to us, say our name without having to look at our chart first. And, please, be understanding of our constant struggle. We aren't just sick when we come into your office, we live with this illness all day, every day.
2. Be knowledgeable, not a know-it-all. Be willing to share your knowledge. We have to live with this disease everyday, all the time. Not just when we are in your office. So, please, if you have the knowledge, send us home with it! Don't just order tests and prescribe medication/treatment, but not tell us why or explain what it is we have to deal with. I need to be able to understand what is going on with my body. I need to be able to say "I'm on this medication because of this problem and the medication helps by doing this for me.", etc.
3. Remember that you are not my only doctor. People with chronic and incurable illnesses often have multiple doctors for multiple reasons. So take into consideration that I may have medications prescribed by another doctor, I may have tests, procedures, treatments that have been ordered by other doctors. Study my case, get all the facts, and make sure your course of action for whatever you are treating me for doesn't nullify or react badly with something else being done to me or taken by me, etc., or agrivate some other illness or condition I have!
4. Remember, I don't want to be sick! I don't want to suffer! I don't want to trade my current suffering for the suffering of drug side effects, living in a hospital, or complications of surgeries! I come to you to be helped, to feel better, to get healthy and stay that way. I know you are not a miracle worker, and I don't expect you to twitch your nose and cure me. So, please don't see me as anything other than a fellow human being who is trusting in you to not make things worse for me.
5. Listen. I don't know how many doctors I've had that just go through the motions. They walk in the door and ask, "How are you doing?" And then don't even listen. Give me enough time to explain why I have come to you, listen to what I am tell you. I know you just want to know the facts, but sometimes there is a back story, something linked to the current problem, or maybe it is a recurring issue. Who knows, but please, listen. I know you don't have all the time in the world to spend with me, but sometimes it's better to take a few extra minutes to listen than to pay when you go to court for malpractice!
6. Being a doctor is tough. Living with an incurable disease is tough, too.
Health Dwellers
Why do I post the posts I post?
Most diabetics dwell a lot on their health. Why wouldn't we? We have to monitor our health so closely...ALL the time! And those of us who have diabetes related complications and/or multiple health issues have all the more reason to be health dwellers.
So it is no surprise that many of us are obsessed with diabetes/ healthy eating/ exercise/ wellness topics, etc. and we post a lot of these things on our Facebooks, Tumblrs, twitters, blogs, Google+s.
WHY?
I can't speak for all diabetics, but most of us:
We don't want pity.
We don't want personal attention. Yes, sometimes we do want suggestions or answers to questions. We do appreciate them a lot!
We are not whining and complaining about anything.
We are not intending to be pessimistic.
We are not exaggerating or making things up.
We ARE trying to help other type I's to understand that they are not alone in their struggle. There are so many other type I's out here who feel the same way you do. We are scared, frustrated, feel like we're failing. We know how daunting and difficult it is. We can help each other, we can sympathize and empathize. We can share our experiences and knowledge. And we can share the triumphs, joy, and good times as well! www.TuDiabetes.org
When I post via my blog site, TamraGarcia.blogspot.com, I am trying to help non-diabetics understand the day-to-day life of a type I. So many people live in ignorance and assume that what they see on T.V. and read in magazines is how it really is. So many people want to think that it's "not that bad".
I know I can be blunt, I know I can sound negative. That's just who I am. I am not afraid to point out and talk about the depressing, angry, dark, and sad side of things. I have never been a "flowers and puppy dogs" kind of person, and I'm just fine with that.
I am happy despite the things I write about. Writing is my way of decompressing, getting it all out, blowing off steam. Yes, I am going through a lot of bad health issues, but I am still happy.
My writing is personal. As it should be. I may be writing to help others, but it's help through personal experience...so it is personal! This doesn't mean I am asking for others to feel bad for me; I am not trying to be an attention monger, either. The only attention I want is the attention to diabetes...attention to why it is important to take care of yourself.
I know I am not the best writer and sometimes, perhaps, it gets lost as to the reasons I post what I post. But I do try to keep improving my writing.
Diabetes is an all consuming disease. Even when we try to not think about it, it is there and it can seep through and come out in just about everything we do.
So this is why I post so many diabetes related things. It's for educational purposes, it's for "reaching out" purposes, and it's because it is what's on my mind most of the time.
Stephen King says to "write about what you know." I know diabetes! I know health issues! I know me! So these are what I write about.
Most diabetics dwell a lot on their health. Why wouldn't we? We have to monitor our health so closely...ALL the time! And those of us who have diabetes related complications and/or multiple health issues have all the more reason to be health dwellers.
So it is no surprise that many of us are obsessed with diabetes/ healthy eating/ exercise/ wellness topics, etc. and we post a lot of these things on our Facebooks, Tumblrs, twitters, blogs, Google+s.
WHY?
I can't speak for all diabetics, but most of us:
We don't want pity.
We don't want personal attention. Yes, sometimes we do want suggestions or answers to questions. We do appreciate them a lot!
We are not whining and complaining about anything.
We are not intending to be pessimistic.
We are not exaggerating or making things up.
We ARE trying to help other type I's to understand that they are not alone in their struggle. There are so many other type I's out here who feel the same way you do. We are scared, frustrated, feel like we're failing. We know how daunting and difficult it is. We can help each other, we can sympathize and empathize. We can share our experiences and knowledge. And we can share the triumphs, joy, and good times as well! www.TuDiabetes.org
When I post via my blog site, TamraGarcia.blogspot.com, I am trying to help non-diabetics understand the day-to-day life of a type I. So many people live in ignorance and assume that what they see on T.V. and read in magazines is how it really is. So many people want to think that it's "not that bad".
I know I can be blunt, I know I can sound negative. That's just who I am. I am not afraid to point out and talk about the depressing, angry, dark, and sad side of things. I have never been a "flowers and puppy dogs" kind of person, and I'm just fine with that.
I am happy despite the things I write about. Writing is my way of decompressing, getting it all out, blowing off steam. Yes, I am going through a lot of bad health issues, but I am still happy.
My writing is personal. As it should be. I may be writing to help others, but it's help through personal experience...so it is personal! This doesn't mean I am asking for others to feel bad for me; I am not trying to be an attention monger, either. The only attention I want is the attention to diabetes...attention to why it is important to take care of yourself.
I know I am not the best writer and sometimes, perhaps, it gets lost as to the reasons I post what I post. But I do try to keep improving my writing.
Diabetes is an all consuming disease. Even when we try to not think about it, it is there and it can seep through and come out in just about everything we do.
So this is why I post so many diabetes related things. It's for educational purposes, it's for "reaching out" purposes, and it's because it is what's on my mind most of the time.
Stephen King says to "write about what you know." I know diabetes! I know health issues! I know me! So these are what I write about.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Diabetic Dreams
When I fall asleep at night I know I am bound to wake up the next morning with the memory of an extremely vivid dream. This is who I am, I have always had the most vivid dreams, and I love it. My dreams feed my imagination, and my imagination feeds my dreams.
The last thing I want to follow me into my dreams, though, is my diabetes. I spend all day with this disease breathing down my neck like an overbearing boss, I don't want to dream about it. The good thing is that I've only had a handful of diabetic dreams in my lifetime.
One such dream I had when I was in the sixth grade. At this time in my life I was having a really hard time dealing with my diabetes (I never haven't had a hard time of it!). I was constantly wishing, hoping, praying to be cured. I was also dealing with constant and really strong cravings for everything deadly that was made of chocolate. And I was also noticing (and being teased about) the fact that I was gaining weight. So it's no surprise that one night I dreamed that I found a genie lamp on the beach and rubbed it. When the genie asked me my three wishes I wished to be cured of diabetes, have a lifetime supply of chocolate, and be at my ideal weight forever.
One time I dreamed that I was taking my shot and the needle broke off inside me and started to travel around my body. I was frightened that it would travel to my heart and kill me. I kept chasing it around my body and trying to stop it and figure out how to get it out. But nothing I did worked! I panicked more and more until the fright woke me up. I remember when I woke up I was drenched in sweat and my heart was pounding.
Another dream took place in a post apocalyptic future. The world was ruled by an evil tyrant. This tyrant decreed that all persons who were not perfectly healthy and able to create perfectly healthy offspring were to be put to death. I spent the dream running and hiding from soldiers searching for unhealthy people. I watched many people beheaded for their illnesses and was so frightened I would be caught and put to the guillotine as well.
In another post apocalyptic dream I was in a world sparse with people and resources. I struggled to find food, and struggled even more to find insulin. In this dream I resorted to killing any living creature I could find and ate their pancreas' to stay alive!
My most recent diabetic dream was a bloody one. I was checking my blood-sugar and the prick sight wouldn't stop bleeding. It sprayed blood all over the room and me. It gushed with the force of a fire hose and covered the walls, ceiling, floor, and me in red, sticky blood. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding and feared I wold bleed to death from a tiny finger prick. I cursed Plavix with a string of cuss words as I squeezed my finger as hard as I could to stop the spurting red river, but nothing stopped the blood, it just kept coming.
The last thing I want to follow me into my dreams, though, is my diabetes. I spend all day with this disease breathing down my neck like an overbearing boss, I don't want to dream about it. The good thing is that I've only had a handful of diabetic dreams in my lifetime.
One such dream I had when I was in the sixth grade. At this time in my life I was having a really hard time dealing with my diabetes (I never haven't had a hard time of it!). I was constantly wishing, hoping, praying to be cured. I was also dealing with constant and really strong cravings for everything deadly that was made of chocolate. And I was also noticing (and being teased about) the fact that I was gaining weight. So it's no surprise that one night I dreamed that I found a genie lamp on the beach and rubbed it. When the genie asked me my three wishes I wished to be cured of diabetes, have a lifetime supply of chocolate, and be at my ideal weight forever.
One time I dreamed that I was taking my shot and the needle broke off inside me and started to travel around my body. I was frightened that it would travel to my heart and kill me. I kept chasing it around my body and trying to stop it and figure out how to get it out. But nothing I did worked! I panicked more and more until the fright woke me up. I remember when I woke up I was drenched in sweat and my heart was pounding.
Another dream took place in a post apocalyptic future. The world was ruled by an evil tyrant. This tyrant decreed that all persons who were not perfectly healthy and able to create perfectly healthy offspring were to be put to death. I spent the dream running and hiding from soldiers searching for unhealthy people. I watched many people beheaded for their illnesses and was so frightened I would be caught and put to the guillotine as well.
In another post apocalyptic dream I was in a world sparse with people and resources. I struggled to find food, and struggled even more to find insulin. In this dream I resorted to killing any living creature I could find and ate their pancreas' to stay alive!
My most recent diabetic dream was a bloody one. I was checking my blood-sugar and the prick sight wouldn't stop bleeding. It sprayed blood all over the room and me. It gushed with the force of a fire hose and covered the walls, ceiling, floor, and me in red, sticky blood. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding and feared I wold bleed to death from a tiny finger prick. I cursed Plavix with a string of cuss words as I squeezed my finger as hard as I could to stop the spurting red river, but nothing stopped the blood, it just kept coming.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Just Because
A friend sent me this and I'm bored so I figured, why not?
- 1:Is there a boy/girl in your life? Lots of them.
- 2:Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? Yes.
- 3:What do you think of when you hear the word “meow"? A Cat.
- 4:What’s something you really want right now? Good health.
- 5:Are you afraid of falling in love? I am in love.
- 6:Do you like the beach? Yes, but only to visit.
- 7:Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? Napped, yes.
- 8:What’s the background on your cell? A picture of my dog, Agape.
- 9:Name the last four beds you sat on? My own, my mom's, my mom's guest bed, and...IDR.
- 10:Do you like your phone? It does what it's supposed to, that's all that matters. And it's not an Apple product, so that's a huge plus.
- 11:Honestly, are things going the way you planned? Nope, but that's why life is interesting.
- 12:Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? Nathan.
- 13:Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? Neither, but if I had to choose, rottweiler all the way. Never been a fan of poodles.
- 14:Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? Emotional.
- 15:Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? Tough choice, but right now, zoo.
- 16:Are you tired? Always.
- 17:How long have you known your 1st phone contact? 8 years
- 18:Are they a relative? No.
- 19:Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? No, they are ex's for a reason and I'm not stupid.
- 20:When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? Minutes.
- 21:If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? I am married.
- 22:Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? All the time.
- 23:How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? 0, I don't care for bracelets.
- 24:Is there a certain quote you live by? "First things first, but not necessarily in that order."
- 25:What’s on your mind? Everything, I like to think, a lot.
- 26:Do you have any tattoos? "Lee" on the outside of my right ankle.
- 27:What is your favorite color? Eh, deep purple I guess.
- 28:Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? All the time.
- 29:Who are you texting? No one right now, but usually my hubby.
- 30:Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? All the time.
- 31:Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? All the time.
- 32:Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? A few.
- 33:Do you think anyone has feelings for you? I know they do.
- 34:Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? They used to, but then I had to have eye surgery and it all changed.
- 35:Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? Divorce! LOL
- 36:Were you single on Valentines Day? Not for the last 16 years.
- 37:Are you friends with the last person you kissed? Um, yes...
- 38:What do your friends call you? Tam, Tiki, Tamra...
- 39:Has anyone upset you in the last week? LOL, yes.
- 40:Have you ever cried over a text? Many times.
- 41:Where’s your last bruise located? ROFLMAO, I'm on blood-thinners, my whole body is a bruise!
- 42:What is it from? Blood-thinners + clumsiness = bruises galore
- 43:Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? Everyday, but it's not really wanting to be away from where I am, it's wanting to be away from what I'm going through.
- 44:Who was the last person you were on the phone with? My hubby
- 45:Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Two or three.
- 46:Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? Sometimes
- 47:Would you ever go bald if it was the style? Sure, I've been just an inch from it already.
- 48:Do you make supper for your family? Yup, I love to cook!
- 49:Does your bedroom have a door? Uh, yeah...
- 50:Top 3 web-pages? Facebook, TuDiabetes, Tumblr
- 51:Do you know anyone who hates shopping? Me
- 52:Does anything on your body hurt? ROFLMAO, Me...
- 53:Are goodbyes hard for you? Sometimes
- 54:What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? Water
- 55:How is your hair? Eh, it's my hair. Needs a good dyeing right now.
- 56:What do you usually do first in the morning? Pee
- 57:Do you think two people can last forever? So far, so good.
- 58:Think back to January 2007, were you single? Nope
- 59:Green or purple grapes? Green!
- 60:When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug? Prolly in like 30 minutes.
- 61:Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? Eh, I'm good at the moment.
- 62:When will be the next time you text someone? Whenever someone text's me first.
- 63:Where will you be 5 hours from now? Prolly asleep.
- 64:What were you doing at 8 this morning. Peeing
- 65:This time last year, can you remember who you liked? Just about everyone I know.
- 66:Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? A couple.
- 67:Did you kiss or hug anyone today? Yup
- 68:What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? "Maybe I'll die."
- 69:Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? Story of my life.
- 70:How many windows are open on your computer? 1
- 71:How many fingers do you have? 10
- 72:What is your ringtone? Nothing special
- 73:How old will you be in 5 months? 36
- 74:Where is your Mum right now? Home
- 75:Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? He just wanted sex.
- 76:Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? Yup
- 77:Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? Yup
- 78:Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? Nobody
- 79:Is there anyone you know with the name Mike? Lots
- 80:Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? Yup
- 81:How many people have you liked in the past three months? Just about everyone I know.
- 82:Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? Yes
- 83:Will you talk to the person you like tonight? Yes
- 84:You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? LOL, most of my friends.
- 85:If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care? Depends on the drugs, but mostly yes, I would care a lot.
- 86:What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? The movie
- 87:Who was your last received call from? Hubby
- 88:If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? Tough choice, but probably not.
- 89:What is something you wish you had more of? Money
- 90:Have you ever trusted someone too much? All the time.
- 91:Do you sleep with your window open? When the weather is nice.
- 92:Do you get along with girls? Mostly, but can't live with them.
- 93:Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? Nope
- 94:Does sex mean love? No, but love means better sex.
- 95:You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? Nope
- 96:Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? Nope
- 97:Did you sleep alone this week? Part of it.
- 98:Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? A couple
- 99:Do you believe in love at first sight? Yup
- 100:Who was the last person that you pinky promised? My hubby
Camp Chinnock
Not long after I was diagnosed with type I diabetes, my parents sent me and my brother, also a type I, to a diabetic camp called Camp Chinnock. I was both excited and worried to go away for two weeks. This camp, I was told, was just for type I diabetics and I could make friends that understood how I was feeling and what I went through every day.
So, the summer of 1988 came and my brother and I went away to camp. The camp was a fun experience. The point was to show young diabetics that they can do anything any normal healthy kid their age does. We hiked, canoed, danced, swam, made music videos, watched a play about the emotional effects of diabetes and how annoying people who don't understand diabetes can be, did crafts, etc.
"In 1957, a young physician from the University at Loma Linda Hospital contacted the then current director of the YMCA Camp Conrad, Jim Risner, and asked if he could start a summer camp for children with type-one diabetes. The young physician, Dr. Robert F. Chinnock, wanted to provide children with diabetes a positive camping experience and demonstrate to everyone that, when managed correctly, these children could participate in the same activities considered only possible for children without diabetes. It was through the joint effort of these two pioneers, that the Southern California diabetes camping program was born." - diabetescamping.org
Looking back, I really don't remember any diabetes education. There were no talks on how to eat healthy and balance exercise and medication. There was no talk about the complications that can happen if you don't take care of yourself. We had to line up several times a day at the infirmary to get our injections, and if I recall correctly, it depended on who was the nurse that day if you were allowed to inject yourself or had to let the nurse do it. I remember being upset that they wouldn't let me do it myself..., they should be teaching self-sufficiency and independence. We had set times to check our blood sugar and our group leader would record every reading and didn't properly deal with highs (send you to the infirmary for a bolus). Lows were treated with candy or juice.
I remember a girl getting in trouble because she was caught with candy she had brought from home. A bag full of chocolate candy bars and other stuff. I remember two boys got in a fight and one of them hit the other over the head with a rock. There was so much blood everywhere (or maybe that was my imagination) and the injured boy was sent to the hospital. The other boy, I don't know what they did with him. I remember a boy going unconscious from a severe low and being carried by a counselor to the infirmary.
I remember having a lot of fun. Spending so much time out doors and being active. I remember feeling a lot of good and bad emotions. I felt homesick. I felt like I wasn't so rare, that there were so many others like me. Type I diabetes didn't just attack my family, there are others out there just like us.
One thing I did notice is that almost all the other kids felt just like me. They were angry, scared, withdrawn, ashamed, depressed. Just like me.
And there was no emotional counseling.
I know I am pointing out a lot of flaws in the camp, but this was a long time ago and I am remembering from a ten year old's mind. I did have a ton of fun...I just didn't learn much about diabetes and how to manage it; and didn't get any emotional or psychological help. Thankfully I come from a family of type I's and didn't need any education, my parents taught me well (even though I didn't use the knowledge, it was there).
I'm not sure how much the camp has changed since 1988, but I think it would be a nice, fun, and hopefully educational place for a young diabetic to go. If only to learn they are no less capable than a normal healthy child, and to make friends with other type I's.
So, the summer of 1988 came and my brother and I went away to camp. The camp was a fun experience. The point was to show young diabetics that they can do anything any normal healthy kid their age does. We hiked, canoed, danced, swam, made music videos, watched a play about the emotional effects of diabetes and how annoying people who don't understand diabetes can be, did crafts, etc.
"In 1957, a young physician from the University at Loma Linda Hospital contacted the then current director of the YMCA Camp Conrad, Jim Risner, and asked if he could start a summer camp for children with type-one diabetes. The young physician, Dr. Robert F. Chinnock, wanted to provide children with diabetes a positive camping experience and demonstrate to everyone that, when managed correctly, these children could participate in the same activities considered only possible for children without diabetes. It was through the joint effort of these two pioneers, that the Southern California diabetes camping program was born." - diabetescamping.org
Looking back, I really don't remember any diabetes education. There were no talks on how to eat healthy and balance exercise and medication. There was no talk about the complications that can happen if you don't take care of yourself. We had to line up several times a day at the infirmary to get our injections, and if I recall correctly, it depended on who was the nurse that day if you were allowed to inject yourself or had to let the nurse do it. I remember being upset that they wouldn't let me do it myself..., they should be teaching self-sufficiency and independence. We had set times to check our blood sugar and our group leader would record every reading and didn't properly deal with highs (send you to the infirmary for a bolus). Lows were treated with candy or juice.
I remember a girl getting in trouble because she was caught with candy she had brought from home. A bag full of chocolate candy bars and other stuff. I remember two boys got in a fight and one of them hit the other over the head with a rock. There was so much blood everywhere (or maybe that was my imagination) and the injured boy was sent to the hospital. The other boy, I don't know what they did with him. I remember a boy going unconscious from a severe low and being carried by a counselor to the infirmary.
I remember having a lot of fun. Spending so much time out doors and being active. I remember feeling a lot of good and bad emotions. I felt homesick. I felt like I wasn't so rare, that there were so many others like me. Type I diabetes didn't just attack my family, there are others out there just like us.
One thing I did notice is that almost all the other kids felt just like me. They were angry, scared, withdrawn, ashamed, depressed. Just like me.
And there was no emotional counseling.
I know I am pointing out a lot of flaws in the camp, but this was a long time ago and I am remembering from a ten year old's mind. I did have a ton of fun...I just didn't learn much about diabetes and how to manage it; and didn't get any emotional or psychological help. Thankfully I come from a family of type I's and didn't need any education, my parents taught me well (even though I didn't use the knowledge, it was there).
I'm not sure how much the camp has changed since 1988, but I think it would be a nice, fun, and hopefully educational place for a young diabetic to go. If only to learn they are no less capable than a normal healthy child, and to make friends with other type I's.
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| Me wearing my Camp Chinnock shirt, 1988 |
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