JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes - San Francisco, October 2012

This day was amazing. The shirts came out awesome (we got a lot of attention with them), San Francisco was beautiful, the Giants won the World Series, and we raised over $3,500 for the cause.  Not bad for our first year out there.  

Click the group photo below to see more event photos:

So this is just embarassing

To say i took a hiatus from writing would definintely be a reach. Let's just face the facts here - I stopped writing blog posts.  Sure I can blame it on being busy as I most certainly kept myself going at a rapid pace from my last post in late October until now in Mid- January.  

Ultimately however, I think I needed a break from the everyday-ness that came with keeping the blog up-to-date.  I think that processing the diagnosis out loud week in and week out was both therapeutic but also overwhelming in that some things just aren't anyone's business but my own.  I needed a bit of a respite.  

This is not to promise that I've got my act together and will now be a constant blogger with a regular posting schedule.  Let's just think of this as a resolution for the new year - and what are resolutions made for if not to be broken ;).

A couple quick things

Just a quick check-in to say "hello" to my blog.  

Now onto business. I'm taken note of a few things since my last post:

1. I am now about a week or so away from my six month mark on diagnosis.  Woah, where did those months go? I swear, this has been both the longest and shortest year of my life. With that said, aside from the obligatory dinner out to celebrate (heads up husband ;) ), I now get all these insurance related perks, including the option to get on an insulin pump. Got my paperwork all lined up and ready to submit. Paging cyborg Michelle! I think I might go whole hog too and try to get myself a CGM (continuous glucose monitor). Not sure if that will pan out though, as the insurance lady seriously told me that I needed to show poor glucose control. That's right ladies and gents, you control your blood sugars and they DON'T give you the tools to get and stay in tighter control.  Why isn't this being addressed in the election speak -- Hey insurance companies, there's this thing called preventative care and it goes a bit further than a co-pay free annual exam.  Just saying. 
2. Nano needles. That's right, nano.  So when I was first diagnosed I was prescribed BD mini needles to use with my insulin pens. This disposable needles are a wopping 31 gauge, 5mm long. This is actually really small. Some measure as long as 12mm to give you a basis for comparison.  Turns out though - there is something smaller. I just upgraded folks. The nano needle is 32 gauge (thinner despite the higher number) and only 4mm long, what a difference 1mm makes. If only I had asked (or knew to ask) for this 900 shots ago. That's not hyperbole by the way. 
3. I am addicted to chewing gum. Specifically, Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip flavored (sugarfree of course - although I've always chewed sugarfree gum when I do chew gum, so it doesn't count as something different to my routine).  I understand this is probably to some level a complusion because I am definitely churning through the stuff. We're talking like 5 strips a day at minimum.  I thought by now I would have major jaw issues but on the flip side (yes, I did just say that), I definitely working the muscles so perhaps they are growing stronger with every piece.   

         FYI - I can quit anytime I want.

Getting Ready To Walk!

In the home strength now. Tomorrow marks the one month mark before the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in San Francisco! It's super exciting kiddos, I think in some ways, it's like a diabetes coming out party for me.  I've done the small scale events and support groups and now I'm diving into the deep end of T1D activities.  

The best you ask? Is that I'm doing it with a crowd of people I love.  In addition to fabulous friends and my parents (mom, mom-in-law, dad-in-law), my sweet dog Jasper will also be in grad attendance!  I feel a lot of anticipation as the event nears.  Probably because I just started taking care of details such as ordering our shirts. 

The front will say:

As for the back:

You too can rock and represent Team T1DWTF in this shirt too as I've yet to place the order.  If you walk on the team, it's covered, otherwise the shirts run $17 each (100% cotton, men's crew, women's are v-necks, colors are TBD).  Hit me up if you want in on the order - which will be placed by the 10th of October (at the latest).  

The details to join are here as well: http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?team_id=50919&fr_id=1801&pg=team. The event starts around 9:00am and there will be carpooliing out of the Santa Cruz area. 

This is totally a shameless plug to get you involved and I hope you will think about. The JDRF is doing some amazing things and we can all play a part to help move the progress along while having a fun time together.  

Getting less hard

I'm hard pressed to say things are getting better so much as they aren't as hard as they were even just a few weeks ago.  I think that's part of the reason that my posts are much less frequent. My need to air my fears and seek support just aren't as pressing and raw as they were. I'm getting a handle on everything I guess.  

I went to my first 'support group' a couple weeks back and found it to be much more comforting and less intimidating than I had imagined.  I followed that with a girls weekend getaway. I came back from that feeling more hopeful and less upset and angry than I had been. I think getting great A1C results helped. But ultimately, I'm tired of being depressed and in a funk that becomes so suffocating at times. I don't think those days are done but I do think they are less frequent than they had been, which I consider a bonus.  

So on that note, onwards and upwards. I do think this blog will stray to my "normal" life, such as it is, as otherwise I think I will go mad or just never post if it's always about blood glucose and insulin. 

I've begun canning and preserving. Low/no sugar of course.