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I Am Poster Girl With No Poster - I Am 32 Flavors & Then Some~

I Am Poster Girl With No Poster - I Am 32 Flavors & Then Some~
Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am thirty-two flavors and then some.
Ani DiFranco


I am a funny, smart, empathic woman with a large voice that I'm not afraid to use when it comes to my community. But I still have moments of being shy - and that comes as a surprise to many who know me.

I clean up more than nice and much like "Lucy in the sky with diamonds, I am the girl with kaleidoscope eyes." Seriously, my eyes are hazel so they change color depending on what I wear & my mood.
I laugh from my belly, deep and loud. And sometimes I laugh so hard my whole body shakes and I cease to make noise.
At times, I think with my heart and other times I think with my head.
But good or bad and regardless of which, I'm always thinking - Except of course when I'm not.

Animals like me, most kids adore me, the majority of teenagers I've come in contact with respect me, and senior citizens still call refer to me as "as a young lady." And I'm Ok with all that.

As far as reading maps - I'm almost completely incapable.
As far as North, South, East, or West, I'm totally incapable.
As far as writing, some say I'm OK, others think I'm more than OK, but everybody agrees that I need more work in all aspects of editing.

I've embraced sushi and have learned to bolus for it - because I am a Diabetes Savant~
I like my food spicy and savory and everything else in between!
I love Vanilla and chocolate ANYTHING as long as it's not those disgusting, cheap vanilla/chocolate candles/room fresheners.

Every aspect of the the ocean makes me happy.
And I will wear a red dress over a beige dress any day of the week.

At times I wear my heart on my sleeve and I always wear my pancreas clipped to my hip, except when it's hidden on my thigh - all sexy spy like.

I don't shy away from being a person with diabetes - I've embraced it - and for more than awhile, it's worked for me quite nicely.


But I'm always surprised when someone shies away from me because of diabetes.

The amount of times this has actually happened to me in the last 30+ years of living with diabetes adds up to less than the amount of fingers on 1 hand - in this case, let's say the left hand, because I'm left handed. For the record, I have 5 fingers on my left hand.

OK, it's happened twice in 30+ years - which is just so minuet in the grand scheme of Kelly.

Anyway, on those very rare occasions when the memory of someone deciding not to move forward and get to know me because of a busted pancreas pop into my head, a big part of me wants to shake those morons (whose names I can't even remember) to their very core and tell them: Good riddance and I feel sorry for you - because seriously, you don't know what you missed!

And the the other part of my brain is like: First of all, what the hell made you think of that train wreck? Which is immediately followed by:THANK YOU GOD FOR LETTING ME DODGE THAT BULLET!

And then I never think about them again - Except of course, when I do, And then I breathe a sigh of relief.

Posted by Mr. Boy at 10.21, Add Comment
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What I'd really like to do 2 my Blood Sugar Log

What I'd really like to do 2 my Blood Sugar Log
I'm great at taking blood sugars, really I am. One might say I'm almost addicted to taking them. But when it comes to actually keeping blood sugar RECORDS - I'm not so good.

I try to record them for a few days, and then I get all frustrated and my Record Log gets tossed aside like yesterdays news - which is also what I want to do to my Blood Sugar machine when my readings are "High" for no apparent reason!

Anyway, I was watching the Family Guy the other night and the following scene played out. And for some strange reason all I could think about was doing the very same thing to my Blood Sugar Log - Call me crazy - who knows, maybe I was just running high and my Diabetic High Blood Sugar Biotch was in the house!
Posted by Mr. Boy at 09.52, Add Comment
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What Diabetes Has Given Me

What Diabetes Has Given Me
So instead of complaining about Diabetes, I felt that I needed to make a statement about the positive, (yes positive) things Diabetes has given me in my life. Let me know if you agree.

1. Diabetes has given me Humor. When I was diagnosed at the age of 8 - on Halloween and my parents anniversary no less, I don't remember crying, really I don't. I do remember trying to make my mom and dad laugh so they wouldn't cry. I remember spending 3 weeks at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia injecting saline solution into an orange and doing my best to make the other patients on the 3rd floor smile and giggle so they wouldn't be scared of needles; x-rays, and upcoming surgeries.

Was I scared? Yes, more than anything. Did I show it? No. I laughed at it because I didn't want anyone to see me cry. In my 8 year old head, I knew that my family was upset and that my diagnoses had changed the whole family dynamic. If they saw me cry, then they would cry and I didn't want to be the cause of that.

Sometimes at night, when the hospital was at it's most quiet, the tears would start to fall as I thought about needles for life and saying so long to my beloved Pixie Sticks and Peanut Butter Cups. But then I'd watch late night television and get lost in the magic. Johnny Carson and reruns of Hogans Heroes and Bewitched would make me forget just long enough to halt the waterworks and drift off to sleep.

When I finally came home from the hospital, I spent the next few weeks making my classmates laugh when it came to my new diagnoses. I did this in many ways. I would raise my eyebrows "A La Groucho Marxs" as I reached for my apple to eat in the middle of class, knowing full well that the substitute teacher has no clue that I was diabetic. Hilarity would ensue when she would start reprimand me and I would say sweetly, "But I'm a diabetic, I'll go into shock if I don't eat."
I would educate a whole school yard full of children on diabetes, by doing my Rosanna Rosanna Dana impersonation. It went a little something like this: "Dr. Richard Fader from Fort Lee NJ writes, Dear Rosanna Rosanna Danna, whats all this talk about Diabetes; what the heck is it, and can I catch it?" Then I would explain in my own way what it was and that it wasn't contagious. Thanks Gilda Radner - U taught me so much and always made me laugh!

Would I have a great sense of humor without the "big D?" Magic 8 ball says "Most Likely,"
but would it be as developed? Not bloody likely.

2. Diabetes had given me Empathy. I think all of us are born with a sense of empathy, but being a child or adult with diabetes most certainly hones that skill and allows most of us to be a good friend to all who need one.

Most kids who have diabetes, or have a family member with it, know what it's like to have a bad day. We understand the fear of not fitting in and sticking out like a sore thumb.
Diabetics become good friends and good listeners and these gifts last us for life.

3. Diabetes allows me to know my body's idiosyncrasies. I know when I'm going to be sick two-weeks before I'm symptomatic. My blood sugars run high for no apparent reason and I can start pre-treat. When I say pre-treat I mean, bolus and basal accordingly, get enough sleep, pop some zinc lozenges, drink some Airborne, and O.D on the chicken soup and
Vitamin C.

4. Diabetes allows me to pull myself up by my bootstraps on a daily basis, because Diabetes has taught me that everyone has issues and it can always be worse.
Posted by Mr. Boy at 07.52, Add Comment
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Animals, pets and Homeopathy

Animals, pets and Homeopathy
Homeopathy denialists always state that homeopathy does not work, that its effects are merely 'placebo'. Of course, this is nonsense - unsurprisingly, perhaps, as denialists have to resort to such mantras in  order to defend the indefensible!

Homeopathy applied to animals, pets and farm animals, has a long history of successful treatment. It continues to expand for three reasons;
(a) it works,
(b) it is safe,
(c) it is inexpensive.

But there is also a surprisingly large amount of scientific research supporting its effectiveness. This is outlined in a new newsletter produced by the Homeopathy Research Institute.

http://www.homeoinst.org/sites/default/files/newsletters/HRI_Newsletter10_Autumn2010.pdf

There are apparently 217 data entries, with over 50 to be added 'in due course'. The newsletter comes with words of caution about the quality of some of this work, and the need for more research to be done. No doubt, this is what homeopathy denialists will focus on! But these studies support what many of us have known for a long time, that homeopathy works as well with animals as it does with humans! And this new collection demonstrates that there has been considerable work done on applying homeopathy to animals that indicates its effectiveness.

There are several implications. Animals are not subject to 'the placebo effect'. Over the last 15 years, my dogs have had no idea that I was treating them by putting a remedy in their drinking water! Farmers who have treated their livestock with homeopathy, for conditions such as mastitis, do not tell them that their water has had a remedy added to it!

Help and guidance is now available for anyone wishing to learn more about the treatment of their animals and pets by homeopathy. There are several books on the subject, and more individualised support can be obtained through a new group recently set up by the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ARH-Animal-Health/

Conventional medical treatment of animals and pets is becoming increasingly drug-oriented, just as with humans, dominated by vaccination. So looking at homeopathy is not only advisable because it is safer; it is also more effective, and much less expensive.


Posted by Mr. Boy at 06.19, Add Comment
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