My American Diabetes Association Alert Day Interview

American Diabetes Association Alert Day:
Click the link above to watch my interview on KTUL News Ch. 8 with meteorologist Mike Collier on Diabetes Alert Day! I was so honored to be asked by the Tulsa American Diabetes Association to speak about the Risk Test on Type 2 Diabetes and to spread awareness about this disease.

As 2011 comes to an end..

I know it's cleshay to say, "this year has flown by"...but Holy Moly...it has. One of my New Year's resolutions is to get back to writing on here on a regular basis. Not about anything in particular, and not to put myself in a corner. This is my blog, I write about diabetes, life, shoes, food, exercise and anything else. My passions. Actually, that's why I'm writing today. Passion....that is why I was put on this Earth. No one can take it from me, no one can tell me that I can't have it, no one. My passion for life is why I'm alive. Starting off 2012 is going to be amazing. I have ONE, count it ONE semester left (actually, 18 weeks and 5 days) TILL GRADUATION. Which means, 18 weeks and 35 lbs....2 lbs a week to lose! Um, done. Easy.

I have so many things to look forward to. I love my job, I love my life, I love my pets...so nothing can get in my way!

Happy New Years everyone!

Disasters and Diabetes

Where will you, your family, your friends or personal care attendants be when an emergency or disaster strikes? You, and those you care about, could be anywhere – at home, work, school or in transit. How will you find each other? Will you know your loved ones will be safe? Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning and can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services – water, gas, electricity or telephones – were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. You are in the best position to plan for your own safety as you are best able to know your functional abilities (though we may not want to admit it--- People with Diabetes need to plan AHEAD!) and possible needs during and after an emergency or disaster situation. You can cope with disaster by preparing in advance with your family and care attendants. You will need to create a personal support network and complete a personal assessment. You will also need to follow the four preparedness steps:

1. Get informed
2. Make a plan
3. Assemble a kit
4. Maintain your plan and kit
Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.

Diabetes IS NOT a Diability, but we have to deal with the "government wording" during a disaster, and YES, Diabetes is classified under a "Functional/Special Need" population.

THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE A DISASTER:
Those with disabilities or other special needs often have unique needs that require more detailed planning in the event of a disaster. Consider the following actions as you prepare:
• Learn what to do in case of power outages and personal injuries. Know how to connect and start a back-up power supply for essential medical equipment.
• Consider getting a medical alert system that will allow you to call for help if you are immobilized in an emergency. Most alert systems require a working phone line, so have a back-up plan, such as a cell phone or pager, if the regular landlines are disrupted.
• If you use an electric wheelchair or scooter, have a manual wheelchair for backup.
• Teach those who may need to assist you in an emergency how to operate necessary equipment. Also, label equipment and attach laminated instructions for equipment use.
• Store back-up equipment (mobility, medical, etc.) at your neighbor’s home, school, or your workplace.
• Arrange for more than one person from your personal support network to check on you in an emergency, so there is at least one back-up if the primary person you rely on cannot.
• If you are vision impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, plan ahead for someone to convey essential emergency information to you if you are unable to use the TV or radio.
• If you use a personal care attendant obtained from an agency, check to see if the agency has special provisions for emergencies (e.g., providing services at another location should an evacuation be ordered).
• If you live in an apartment, ask the management to identify and mark accessible exits and access to all areas designated for emergency shelter or safe rooms. Ask about plans for alerting and evacuating those with sensory disabilities.
• Have a cell phone with an extra battery. If you are unable to get out of a building, you can let someone know where you are and guide them to you. Keep the numbers you may need to call with you if the 9-1-1 emergency number is overloaded.

A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND WHAT TO HAVE IN YOUR FAMILY PREPAREDNESS KIT: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/pfd_all.pdf

And as always, social media (Twitter and Facebook) are all becoming prevelant during disaster situations. It may be your only way of communication. Texts and tweets are the easiest to get through! Just FYI :)

Diabetes Blues....Diabetes Shoes?

To anyone that knows me, you know this to be true: I LOVE SHOES!

These are just fabulous!

Some say I might have a slight obsession....

Just to show, these are the shoes I have recently purchased...



Such cute booties!









This go with something...I know they do!



A true SATC Fan-- "Carrie" shoes!



I know Miss America, so I must own Miss America shoes!
(It is only logical)




Every girl must own Red Patent shoes!





If you live in OK, you must own Cowboy boots!














Oh, and I just got in my new Coach shoes to match my purse and a 5 1/2 inch  heel Jessica Simpson that will look amazing this summer! :)







All of this leads me to my ORIGINAL point...I promise I'm getting to it....Promise!



Women's "Diabetic" Shoes

 I DO NOT WANT TO END UP IN THESE!!!!

I am to completely in love with my shoes and my future Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik's to ever have to wear these. I might be COMPLETELY selfish in my motivations....but this is why I must take care of my Diabetes!!

Do I want to live a long and normal life? YES
Do I want to grow old with the man I love? YES
Do I want to wear fabulous shoes for the rest of my life? YES

I might have the wrong idea here, and I'm a little wacky, I admit it. But I want to be around, healthy and have my feet and legs in a state where I can wear these fabulous things.

DIABETES, YOU WILL NOT HOLD ME BACK!

Diabetes: It scares the ever lovin' crap outta me

OK, here it goes. I've always (I mean ALWAYS) tried to have a positive outlook on my diabetes...and not make it seem to anyone around me that I battle with my emotions on it, every single day of my life.

I was the "poster child" for Type 1 Diabetes....as you can see. I had to be an example to everyone else....See? I can do it- So can you! I talked the talk and walked the walk...still do. I can tell you upside down and backwards anything about Type 1 (Type 2 for that matter as well) and insulin pumps, pods, where it goes, how it does it and what I do about it everyday. I put on a VERY good face when people make ignorant comments about my diabetes.

My family has always been about EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. People only make those comments because they don't know better. (At least in my mind that's why..) I mean, we (the Type 1 Diabetes community as a whole) have to deal with the typical jokes about "diabeetus" -->

There has always been role models that I have looked up to about my diabetes:

 I mean, how appropriate that Anne Rice writes about Vampires and blood? :)

And I would hope you know, if you know me for any length of time that Bret Michaels is not only a Rock God to me, but a person that I can truly identify with and understand that ups and downs of Type 1 diabetes.







But recently, I haven't had such a great attitude about my diabetes, to be perfectly honestly. I hate this disease. I absolutely !@#$%^&*( hate it. I hate having to think about it, deal with it and know that no matter what I do that sh!t can still happen to me. I know, I'm one of blah blah million people that have it, I'm not the only one. But once in awhile I just need a release. Do you know what irritates me the most?? People (to remain nameless...) who say I want to help you, I wish I could do it for you. Thank you I appreciate your understanding, but I know that they can't do anything. They can't take it away, they can't prick their finger for me, they can't take an insulin shot for me and they can't know the guilt that I carry every single day with this dang disease.

I was told that the cure was "right around the corner" in 1988....great. Goody. Now 23 years later it's still not here. I have hope...I really do. But today, I'm just not feeling it. I'm scared of the low blood sugars. I'm scared of not being in control of my body. I'm scared that no matter what I do to be in control, that it's still not enough.

My career is my life...my education is everything I've ever wanted. I'm in the job and the field that I am absolutely in love with....Emergencies make my world go round. But the worst thing that I could imagine has happened. I want more then anything to be able to go help in a disaster (mostly help the animals...but people possibly too!) But anyway, to be able to be on OK-DMAT 1 you cannot have Type 1 Diabetes. No matter that I am completely self efficient, no matter what I do, I cannot be deployed. I feel defeated. I feel like someone pulled the rug out from under me. I feel like everyone in the Emergency Management world is pointing and laughing at me and saying...."HAHA! You just thought you wanted to make a difference"

I am just trying to deal with these thoughts one day at a time. I'm trying to be the best damn person with diabetes that you have ever met. But just today, let me HATE it.

Snake Skin Boots and a Whole Lot of Awesome

Honestly, it's hard to get more badass than a pair of snake skin boots. I haven't even owned a pair of boots, outside of the hiking variety, since I was probably 12 or so (Dad, help me out here, I'm sure you know.). Anyway, Megan and myself found our way to the local neighborhood Drysdales just to look around and we both ended up walking out with a pair of boots. Hers are great, I'm sure after seeing this she'll post up about hers too, and mine are...well mine are freakin' snake skin!

Also, loyal followers, you may have noticed that my wife posted something epically fantastic last night. It really meant a lot to me so you should definitely go read it if you missed it.

Other than the all consuming awesome of my new boots, the theme of the past week has been snow storm and how much a city that doesn't get much normally isn't prepared for 20+ inches of the crap. Our neighborhood is still barely passable, especially in the 'Stang, and we've got like 8 to 10 more coming tonight. Joyous. I'm just naturally assuming that tomorrow, and possible the rest of the week, work will be from the comfort of my nice warm sofa.

It has also become very evident that I miss having a 4x4 hanging around. I'm in the market and it doesn't have to be pretty. While cheap and nasty may not work in some cases, it makes for a good 4x4 vehicle.

Almonds - the healthy choice!

Ok, here goes my crazy creative side - NOT. This is purely for educational value - NOT. Actually, I don't know what this is about other then I like my almonds!

DID YOU KNOW:

The almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is native to the Middle East and is also commercially cultivated in California. An almond may also be the edible seed of the almond tree and is an important food crop. You can eat almonds whole as a snack and they have many other culinary uses, especially in desserts. Almonds contain very few carbohydrates, so the flour is commonly used in baked products for diabetics. (OH I HATE THAT WORD - Don't you know it's pancreas challenged, people?!)

Serving Information

Calories

Almonds may be prepared for consumption in a variety of ways. This nutritional information is for the whole kernel of the almond seed. The almonds are raw and the outer shell has been removed. The following nutritional information assumes a serving size of 1 oz., which is equal to approximately 23 whole kernels.

A serving of almonds contains a total of 164 calories. Fat accounts for 129 calories, carbohydrates contribute 11 calories and proteins provide the remaining 24 calories. A serving of almonds provides 8.2 percent of the daily value (DV) for calories, assuming a diet of 2,000 calories per day, which I am not -- I'm on about 1,100! GO ME :)

Fat

A serving of almonds contains a total of 14.3 g of fat, which is 22 percent of the DV for fat. This total includes 1.1 g of saturated fat, which is 6 percent of the DV for saturated fat. Almonds don't have any cholesterol.

Carbohydrates

A serving of almonds contains a total of 5.6 g of carbohydrates, which is about 2 percent of the DV for carbohydrates. This total includes 0.9 g of complex carbohydrates, 1.4 g of simple sugar and 3.3 grams of dietary fiber. This provides 13 percent of the DV for dietary fiber.

Protein and Minerals

A serving of almonds contains 6 g of protein, which is 12 percent of the DV for protein. It has 206.4 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is about 5.9 percent of the 3,500 mg DV for potassium. A serving of almonds also contains 70.3 mg of calcium, which is about 7 percent of the 1,000 mg DV for calcium.

So, as I'm eating my delicious snack this morning, I just wanted to remind you of how good these little suckers are. BTW, Thank You Granma for roasting me such a delightful treat!