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D-Blog Week: Admiring Our Differences


Though each of us has a different diabetes type, we all share many of the same diabetes gifts.


Each of us, regardless of our diabetes type, has found our hearts, our courage, our home, and our brains in the Magical Land of the DOC ~

The first assignment of the Second Annual D Blog Week is to write about a different type of perspectives among the ginormous number of diabetes blogs/bloggers out there. Blog authors run the gambit from Former children with diabetes who blog as adults with diabetes, newly diagnosed adult type 1's , LADA/ Type 1.5's, type 2s, parents of children with diabetes, spouses, you name the type of diabetes and I guarantee there's many a blog about it.

For some reason when I read about this particular assignment topic, I kept thinking about the imagery & lessons taught in the movie, The Wizard of Oz - For many reasons.

All of us have moments when we long for a better world, a world where our diabetes "troubles melt like lemon drops." And yes, I'm aware of the lemon drop reference is slightly ironical.

All of us have "the diabetes monkey on our backs," and while our diabetes monkey doesn't have wings or interesting outfits, they still drive us crazy!

In Diabetes Land, "Lions and tigers and bears," sometimes are represented by: http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/2008/07/blood-sugars-insulin-pumps-needles-oh.html

Each type of diabetes, be it type 1, type 1.5, type 2, or type 3 represents a "Diabetes horse of a different color." FYI: There's a strong contingency that those horses are actually unicorns (diacorns? ) but I digress.

Each of us gets to be Glenda from time to time, allowing others to see themselves the way others see them - And that is a beautiful thing~


But the real lesson of the Movie is about the power that lies within each one of us.

At the end of the movie, Dorothy and company received for their courage, brains, a heart and a home.
Unbeknown st to them, each of them already possessed the things they never thought they had.

And each of those things reminded me of every single one of us in the DOC.

WHY? Because whether we know it our not, much like Dorthy & company, we possess all of those very same gifts.

HEARTD Parents & siblings have heart, because they put their children/siblings first and fight the good diabetes fight, 365 days a year.
D Spouses have heart because they take the whole "sickness & in health" vow VERY seriously and love their spouses & their spouses pancreas'.
Type 2's have to have heart because they go through diabetes discrimination on a daily basis and having heart is what allows them to see the good in others in order to see past the negativity and focus on diabetes.
LADA/ Type 1.5's 's require the gift of heart in order to accept a new and different way of life and run with it.
Type 1's must have heart because many have grown up with type 1. Growing up with a chronic illness has the potential to close off your heart from the world. Type 1s hearts are wide open & that's a wonderful thing.

COURAGE
D Parents & siblings have courage, because it's damn scary to be a D parent. It's scary & difficult to say no to your child when all you want to do is say yes. And even though the goal of every d parent is to eventually hand of the diabetes reins to their child when they become an adult, It's scary to prepare your child to eventually take over the reins of their diabetes management and it's even scarier to watch them do it.
I have the unique perspective of also being a d sibling - and I'm here to tell you - it can be very scary, but it teaches you to love and take care of the people that you love.
D Spouses have courage because it takes courage to love and it takes courage to sometimes be the one that has to be leaned on.

Type 2's have courage because it takes real courage to deal with being blamed for something that's not your fault, even though many who lack brains, think it is. Type 2s teach continually teach me that their diabetes struggles are just as trying as my own.

LADA/Type 1.5's have courage to be the person with a new category of diabetes, that many don't know even exist.

The bloggers who grew up (or who are growing up with) type 1 have courage. It takes courage to be a child with diabetes. It takes courage to see how your disease affects your family, and it takes courage to grow up and live a great life with your diabetes.

BRAINS
Dparents have brains - because they have to think not only for their needs, but their child's. They have to know carb counts and basal rates, and they have to continually think of new ways to encourage & educate their children with diabetes. D parents also must master the language of diabetes when most humans have given up on learning a new language.
D spouses have brains because they learn everything about diabetes they can so they can help their spouses.And Type 1, type 1.5 and type 2's have brains because brains are a MUST in order to deal with diabetes math & to get a grip on their diabetes. We are continually being bombarded with diabetes facts, figures, and calculations that would make a typical person sans diabetes heads spin. But we do it, and roll with it, and incorporate those diabetes facts into our every day diabetes reality.

YEP, each of us has a Diabetes Degree in Thinkology!

So basically, we are all are different, diabetically speaking. But each of us have incredible hearts, brains, courage and are living examples of those qualities.

And finally, each of us has found our HOME.

All of us, regardless of our type has found a home in the DOC, without ever having to click our heals 3 times. All we have to do is log on and log in!

Still..... I wouldn't mind a pair of ruby slippers- cause lord knows I love my some sparkly shoes!
Posted by Mr. Boy at 19.31, Add Comment
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Dear Mom - THANKS.

My mom The Glamazon - long before she was my mom.


Mom - Long after she became my mom - And still a Glamazon!



Dear Mom -

Just a note to say that I love you & to say thanks.

I love you more than you could ever imagination, and even though there are times when we disagree and argue, having you for my mother is something I cherish and give thanks to every day.

Thanks for loving me despite all my flaws.

Thanks for worrying and always putting my siblings and I first - that couldn't have been easy.

Thanks for measuring out grapes - even when I bitched about it.

Thanks for calling in my numbers on a weekly basis and keeping my readings in a a big read "Diabetes Workbook."

Thanks for letting me participate in my diabetes as a child.
Being asked to read the diabetes exchange poster on the kitchen wall out loud and allowing me to choose if we had a baked potato or rice as part of our meal.
It's those little things that gave me confidence regarding my diabetes at a very young age.

Thanks for pointing out that bangs weren't my best look and that red lipstick instead of iridescent was indeed the way to go.

Thanks for FORCING me to wear sunscreen.

Thanks always asking me if I have my diabetes meds" whenever we say goodbye.

Thanks for telling me when I was 13 that I was beautiful, smart and talented.
I felt like I was none of those things - But it meant the world to me that you believed I was all those things.

Thanks for putting up with me as a 15 year old who knew absolutely everything.

Thanks for helping me to pick up the pieces when my heart was broken.
You were right, I deserve so much better.

But your strength and courage during that time and after continues to blow my mind whenever I think about it.

Thanks for instilling in me a love of reading (John, stop telling her "NO BOOKS AT THE TABLE" and just be happy she's reading!); music and performing to get over both my shyness & attempt to give me some grace in the process. Sorry that the latter didn't really take ;)

Thanks for teaching me to love gardening, soup making, straw beach hats, drinking tea from china cups and the occasional ice cold beer from a frozen glass bottle.
Thanks for always making me laugh every time you attempt to say Pinot Grigio, and for occasionally humoring me by indulging a nice glass of red.

Thanks for giving me tap dancing lessons, introducing me to hot peppers, ice shows, sparkly jewelry that can be seen from the last row, and embracing my inner Glamazon."

Thanks for being strong when I wasn't.

Thanks for your bravery and you're Atlas like strength and for always showing me that it's OK to fall down, but it's not OK to stay down.

Thanks for showing me that the most beautiful woman in the room can also be the most kind and loving.

And thank you for always believing in me and loving me no matter what.

Posted by Mr. Boy at 07.52, Add Comment
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Why Do You Do That???

Why Do You Do That???
So I was on my way out the other night when my tubing got caught - not on the doorknob, but on the other side on the actual door frame where the door catches.
It caught and pulled my pump backward, which caused said pump to loudly clanked it against the wall.

" OH MY GOD, Why do you do that?" my friend asked all annoyed and stuff.

Me: SERIOUSLY? WHY DID I DO THAT? I can't believe that you just said that! It's not like it feels great on this end. I don't care if you went to grad school, sometimes you ask stupid questions.

Friend: I mean why not just tape it up or tuck it in? Why not just look around and look at your spacial boundaries.

Me: Why don't you exercise more, or make good on your threat to cut back on the caffeine??

Here's a question, How much do you way and are you happy with the number on the scale?

Here's another thought, do you really want me to answer you honestly the next time you ask, was I over reacting Kel??

Friend: Ummm, none of your business and NO.


Me: EXACTLY. Look Trixie Mcghee, sometimes It's about time management, & other times I just don't think about it. To be quite honest, every other time I tape the tubing, it ends up kinking. It doesn't always work for me. So please, just mind your own business regarding my pump and "spacial issues," please.

And then when we went out, because good friends don't hold grudges.
Posted by Mr. Boy at 06.39, Add Comment
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The Health Debate (2). The effectiveness of Big Pharma drugs.

The Health Debate (2). The effectiveness of Big Pharma drugs.
So what are the elements of the health debate that the mainstream media is refusing to consider, and almost entirely ignoring? What are the questions that an open, honest and 'free' media should be informing us, and asking searching questions about?

Drug Effectiveness
  • Why are there so many ‘good news’ stories coming from the Conventional Medical (ConMed) Establishment? And why is the Media happy merely to slavishly report Big Pharma news releases without serious question. Indeed, why does the Media continually fail to question how realistic, or how honest ConMed's claims are for its drugs and treatments?
  • What is known about the effectiveness of current Big Pharma drugs, and other ConMed treatments, being prescribed to us, in ever-increasing amounts, through our GPs, and the National Health Service (NHS)? Why is research that raises questions about drug effectiveness is routinely ignored by the Media?
  • Are the claims for ConMed drugs and treatments reflected in real patient outcomes? And If such treatments are as effective as the Media is happy to report them to be, why should the levels of chronic disease continue to increase in such epidemic proportions in this country?
  • Why are so many ConMed drugs eventually found to be ineffective, although usually only after being prescribed to patients for many years, often at great expense to the public purse? 
  • Why does the Media not ask why Drug Testing procedures, and the statutory process of Drug Regulation, both regularly fail to discover that pharmaceutical drugs are ineffective, and why are they apparently unable to do so before the drugs were introduced and marketed?
  • Why is it that the Media is content, regularly, to report Big Pharma propaganda concerning new 'medical breakthroughs' that promise effective new drugs - in 5, 10, or even 15 years time? And why does the Media not ask what has happened to the medical breakthroughs, and ‘effective’ drugs, announced 5, 10 and 15 years ago?
  • Why, if Big Pharma drugs are so successful in treating illness and disease, has there been epidemic increases in a wide variety of chronic disease (Arthritis, Heart disease, Alzheimers, Autism, Depression, et al) during the past 50-60 years?
  • Why does the Media not tell us when ConMed drugs and treatments, during their lifetime, are reported to be failing. Indeed, why does the Media often fail to tell us about the failure of ConMed treatments when they are found to be useless, and are withdrawn?
  • If ConMed treatment cannot deal with disease effectively, what can alternative therapies, such as homeopathy, offer patients for treating their illnesses and diseases. How effective are these alternative treatments, especially when outcomes are compared with ConMed drug treatment?
These issues are regularly raised in this blog, and indeed, elsewhere on the internet, and in magazines such as 'What Doctors Don't Tell You'. 

However, they are rarely, if ever raised or discussed within the mainstream media

The third part of this series will focus on the safety of Big Pharma drugs, and other forms of ConMed treatment. Whilst the effectiveness of treatment is crucial, the safety of treatment is more important. Ineffective treatment raises hopes, and wastes out time. It also costs the country vast sums of money. But if medical treatment is also unsafe, it it causes illness and disease, if it can actually lead to death, then this is even more serious, and the failure of the Media to tell us, more shameful. Part Three will be published soon.

If you would like to be informed when the third part of this series is published, why not become a 'follower', and sign up for this blog; or subscribe to it by email - and join the Health Debate.

Posted by Mr. Boy at 04.31, Add Comment
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