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.