Finding my "Place in This World"

As I was doing work around the house, I was listening to some of my music.  The song "Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith came on.  It really spoke to me, because just yesterday I was driving and thinking that God had a calling for me, but I'm not quite sure what it is yet.  Is it full-time teacher?  Small business owner?  Diabetes advocate?  Something else altogether?  Honestly I don't know.  I did feel as if God does have a plan that I can be excited about though.  I'm anxious to see what it is.  The plan will be revealed to me when God chooses.  Honestly, I'm probably in the midst of the path I am to take, but it's hard to know.  Things feel right, so it probably is right.  Maybe.

For now, my path is substitute teacher, nursery worker, small business owner, diabetes advocate, and above all wife and mother to the precious gifts that live in our home.  "Grow wherever you are planted." -unkown

Something in common

Yesterday I was subbing in a kindergarten classroom.  Great group of kids.  Very energetic (as kindergarteners should be) and lots of fun.  In the afternoon there was a local university student who came into the classroom.  I'm not sure why, but soon after meeting I notice her medical identification bracelet.  I complimented her on the pretty beaded bracelet.  She didn't realize that I had already seen the tag on the other side, so she told me it was a medical bracelet.

Of course I had to ask her where she got it.  Lauren's Hope.  Honestly I wasn't surprised.  I've been drooling over their bracelets online ever since I found out about the site.  My middle daughter's friend has a great dog tag style necklace from the same site.  The university student almost seemed surprised that I knew about the site.

During afternoon recess, we talked a little about diabetes.  Although she has Type 1 and I have Type 2, we had a lot in common.  We both go through periods of denial.  We both feel the need to talk to others who have the same condition and really understand.  It didn't matter that she had been dealing with diabetes since she was a year old and was on an insulin pump, where I've only been dealing with Type 2 for 3.5 yrs with diet and exercise.

Before receiving her pump, my daughter's friend was excited when she found out that we had the same meter.  Even though we have different types, we made a connection through diabetes.  It gave us something in common.

I've noticed that most of my online friends with diabetes have Type 1.  Honestly, the type seems to fade into the background as we talk about the same fears and frustrations.  The DOC (diabetes online community) is never divided by types.  It's a strong, loving, welcoming family.  If you see someone with a diabetes bracelet or taking out a meter, there's an instant connection that is hard to describe.

I found it interesting that today, when I got online, I notice that Lauren's Hope is having a drawing for a free bracelet.  I admit that the only reason I haven't purchased one is because I'm a mom - a mom who does things for her family but rarely for herself.  If you've read my dentist posts, you know that I've put off going to the dentist because I feel guilty for spending money on myself.  It took me a while to break down and buy an inexpensive prepackaged drugstore medical bracelet.  Why didn't I wear one before?  Even though I'm "only Type 2", medical personnel need to know of my condition if I'm ever in a condition where I can't speak for myself.

If you have a medical condition that others should know about, please wear a medical identification bracelet.  It speaks for you when you can't.  And if you want a nice looking bracelet, check out the free drawing at Lauren's Hope!

Another trip to the denist (vlog)

 After my first numb face vlog and then a check up, I went back today to get some more work done.  I got two fillings and two temporary medicated fillings.  Just for fun, I shot a quick video on my phone.  I told my dentist and his staff about the last video and about my blog, so I thought I'd share in case they decided to check it out.  Remember, laughter is the best medicine.  Being able to laugh at yourself keeps life fun!  And a big shout out to the You Can Do This project!

Remembering 9/11/01

I was at home, pregnant with my fourth child, playing on the computer.  A friend of mine sent me a message online and said something about a plane crash on TV.  I brushed it off, saying that I didn't want to know about the crash.  I was eight months pregnant and commercials made me teary.  Why would I want to watch a story about a plane crash?

Obviously she didn't tell me the significance of where the planes crashed, otherwise I probably would have turned on the tv.  However being an emotional (and hormonal) pregnant woman, I chose to be ignorant for at least a little while.

Then my husband came home for lunch... Of course he knew what was going on.  He immediately turned on the television.  It took less than 30 seconds for me to turn into a blubbering mess.  I didn't know who did this.  The first plane could have been an accident, but two planes made it obvious that it was not.  Who would do this?  Why would anyone do this?  Oh, please God, please let everyone get out safely.  I knew the answer to that was something I didn't want to hear.

Ten years later, as everyone shares their memories, I think of what my parents felt at the time of JFK's assassination.  Everyone alive at that time can tell you exactly what they were doing, where they were, who they were with when they found out that the President was shot. 

My prayers go out to the victims, their family and friends, our country, and the people of this planet. I am thankful for an interfaith service that I was able to attend today where many religions and denominations were represented.  May we find peace in our world through understanding!

Fill in the _______. Finding humor in diabetes.

From DSMA: Diabetes is hard, but finding the humor in things goes a long way toward helping us cope.  So this month we invite you to giggle a bit and finish the following sentence:

If I didn’t laugh about _________ then I would ________. 

Wow.  That is an easy one, but yet difficult because it's so easy.  Of course the easy answer is:
"If I didn't laugh about diabetes, then I would go crazy."

It seems a little too easy.  But is it really that easy?  Is it really that easy to laugh at diabetes?  Diabetes is scary!  My grandfather lost both of his legs to diabetes.  I recently saw a rerun of Extreme Makeover Home Edition that featured a couple that are both blind (one totally, one legally) due to diabetes.  Diabetes is a silent killer.  A person with diabetes might look perfectly healthy while fighting for his/her life.  It's a disease that is misunderstood and often dismissed as a well-deserved punishment for poor life choices.

How do I find the humor in diabetes?  It's not always easy.  If I'm eating too many carbs for a snack or meal, my husband teasingly calls me a "bad diabetic."  He says it with a snicker and love in his eyes.  He's not trying to turn into the diabetes police, but trying to find a humorous way to say, "Hey, I love you and want you to take care of yourself."  How many people can talk about being "high" legally?  Don't take things too seriously.  Have fun and find something positive out of every challenge.

Have fun with diabetes.  Laugh at it!  Yes, diabetes sucks.  Yes, we're all sick of it, but until a cure is found we're stuck with it.  Humor helps relieve stress.

I found this video before I got to know these two awesome people online (Cherise and George).  It was the laugh and understanding I needed at the time.  Humor is good medicine!



This post is my September entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2011/september-dsma-blog-carnival/

Dentist check-up

Yesterday I went for a cleaning and check up at the dentist. See, I told you I'd go back and get on top of things.  I seemed to have clicked with this office, which to me is more important that what tier they are under our insurance.  I'm willing to pay a little more if I feel comfortable there.  I got all the tarter scraped off my teeth, which was pretty hard since it had been a while.  She also polished and flossed my teeth as well as took x-rays.  The dentist and hygienist both were happy with how my teeth, gums, and bone structure looked for someone who hadn't been to the dentist in a while who also has diabetes.  I even got a bag full of goodies!

I get to go back in a little over a week for the first couple fillings.  Although I'm obviously not excited about it, I am looking forward to getting this work done and being pain-free.  I'm proud of myself for setting up my next cleaning in March already.  I'm also getting better at brushing and flossing how I should vs. when I remember.  (Remember that I already admitted to not being the model diabetic.)  Hopefully in the next few months I'll be totally done (should take about three appointments) and move on to other things.

Happy Labor Day!

First of all, I'd like to thank those who are working today so that we can enjoy our family time.  This would include (but not limited to) military, medical professionals, emergency services, utility workers, and those working in retail.

Like most of the country, hubby and I have the day off from work.  We've enjoyed some tv watching time with the kids. After lunch, a nap was in order.   For dinner we had homemade tacos instead of the traditional bbq.

Holidays can be tricky when there's food involved. My hubby is an amazing cook and is great at making low carb versions of my favorite meals.  He seasons the meat himself instead of prepackaged seasoning. Hubby and I use low-carbs tortillas and lots of veggies. The kids get regular carb tortillas since they are still growing.

It's always easier to manage food temptations when we eat at home on holidays. I spent two days this weekend at a local festival. Surprisingly, I skipped the shoe string onion rings and funnel cake. Hubby packed me some healthy snacks which made it easier to avoid temptation.

However, I did get a scoop if chocolate ice cream, because we all know that diabetics love ice cream.

Diabetes Art Day 2011

Below us my submission for Diabetes Art Day 2011.  The words in top are the "good" things about the disease, while the words on the bottom are the things that bring me down.  It made me happy that it was easier to fill the top if the page.