Twenty years ago at this time and on this date, I was being told that I had diabetes. I'd been sick since I returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for my second semester in graduate school, and didn't seem to be getting better. It was a Monday, and I was back in the doctor's office because the results of my blood draw done on Friday showed a high sedimentation rate and that caused my doctor some concern. Well, enough concern that she called me back and insisted that I come in first…

Do you remember where you were twenty years ago? Twenty years ago....1993....It seems at once both long ago and as if it were yesterday.

Twenty years ago, I was twenty six. I had received my M.A. in general psychology in December, having finished my thesis on reading comprehension and the "rapid serial visual presentation" technique (you know those flashing signs you see on the road? That's rapid serial visual presentation and research like mine helped show that people could grasp…

/define rant On

Ok, so I know that not all doctors are stupid, nor should they be called blankety-blanks. However, there are some who truly deserve this and at the moment, my mother's doctor is one who has earned this title.

My mom had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me all those years ago and then again when she was pregnant with my brother. About 15 years ago, she developed type 2 diabetes. Metformin was the hot "new" drug back then and it caused her loads of…

It's Thanksgiving Day here in the states, meaning it's time once again to reflect upon past year, the things that have happened and to remember the good things in our lives. Having diabetes, this is not always an easy task.

Nineteen Thanksgivings ago was my first Thanksgiving with diabetes. Thanksgiving always meant loads of food, especially mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pies. I remember feeling very depressed and again, deprived. My Thanksgiving traditions…

Well, I had my 6 month check-in with my endo last week. Blood pressure was great, the monofilament test on my feet went well, and we agreed to continue my current treatment for my osteoporosis, since my bone density still isn't where it ought to be. Oh, the other good news is that I've been having fewer lows than before. In fact, I don't think I've really had a low since last December. That was the good news. The bad news? Well, it looks like I've shrunk 1/2" since 2008 -- down to 4'7 1/2".…

Since I got my sewing machine for Christmas, I have been learning to sew. So far, in addition to the little meter case, I've also made a book cover, some pillows (LOTS of pillows), and a few other little things before I started on the big stuff: Clothes for myself. So far, I've made sweat pants, shorts, pajama bottoms, a simple top, and then a couple of more complicated tops, all of which look pretty good on me. It's the last two projects, though, that have got me thinking the most and that…

I went to see my endo -- a new one, since mine had twins and decided to move on to a job where she could have a bit more freedom -- earlier this month and just got the results in the mail today.

The good news: My A1c is 5.8 -- I'm back in the 5 club! My thyroid levels, kidney function, liver function and protein levels in my urine were also "normal", though she did not specify what that means. So, diabetes-wise, that looks good!!

The other good news: My vitamin D levels are up!…

Christmas here was a very interesting affair. Quiet, with my brother for the first time in years, had fun watching my mom peel back layer after layer of wrapping paper and newspaper to get at her new Kindle, got to have my other brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephews listen over the phone while the rest of the family sang "Happy Birthday" to me on my birthday....all pretty cool stuff!

The best Christmas gift I got was an unexpected one: A Brother Sewing Machine from my mom! My mom…

You may or may not know, but back in 2009, one of my cousins, Theo, was cast in a movie that the director was hoping to release around the country. The movie chronicles the life of Ultimate Fighting Championship wrestler Matt Hamill. Matt, like my cousin, was born profoundly deaf and he faces a number of struggles as he tries to fit in with both the Hearing and Deaf communities. This past April, I went to Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Film Festival to view the movie and I have to say, I…

Final Exam P572 – Introduction to the Learning Sciences Fall 2007

To borrow a phrase from Kerri of Six Until Me, I've been "real person sick" for the past few days. Yuck. Nose stuffed, dizziness, head feeling like a helium balloon, and nausea. That last one hit yesterday. Thankfully, bgs have been behaving themselves (thank goodness for small favors). I even checked for ketones just in case the meter wasn't giving the right reading. Good news: Only small amount of ketones.



My biggest issue right…

While participating in Richard's thread on Starvation Diet from 1916, BSC brought up a point about tight control, the founding of the ADA, and the DCCT. This stirred a memory of something I had read in James Hirsch's book, Cheating Destiny. I found what I was looking for and, so as to not hijack that thread, decided to post my findings here.

The diabetes controversy that led to the founding of the ADA and the DCCT (information found in…

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! No matter where you are, may all your dishes be "bolus-worthy"!