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Month: January 2010

How Diabetes Created My Business

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Growing up I always had dreams of owning my own business in New York City in a big high rise building. When I was hit with the diagnosis of diabetes when I was 19 those dreams still were there. After a few years of having diabetes and realizing what the insurance side of diabetes was like I started to become discouraged about owning my own business. How would I get insurance if I owned my own company. These are still my biggest concerns.

Diabetes introduced me to blogging which led me to social media. I started blogging everyday, going on social media sites, started working on design, started learning about search engines and how they work and different marketing techniques. I started to think to myself damn this is awesome, I would love to do this for a living. But, how will I pay for insurance.

So while still working for that old company I began to do some consulting, giving advice to people on how to rank better in Google and then teaching them about Twitter and showing then how Facebook = easy money. So then popped up CSI Marketing Solutions, LLC.

Right now I have insurance through Cobra for the next 18 months so the insurance part of owning my own business is not as much of a concern. So this is how diabetes has led to me owning my own business. If it wasn’t for diabetes who knows if I would have created a web design an search marketing consulting company.

It’s times like this that make me thankful to be diabetic.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Why There Will Never Be a Cure

Chris Stocker 4 Comments

This is a conversation that I had today at lunched.  Now, some of you may agree and some of you will disagree, strongly.  The discussion was brought up about the $100 million Obama is going to send to the care of Haiti.  The question was posed to me, “Doesn’t that piss you off that they send $100 million to another country, and that money could be spent on diabetes research?”  Now, I didn’t know how to answer this question at first.  Of course I don’t want to see anybody have to suffer, but I also see the side that my tax money could go to something like research instead.  So, my answer was, “well, there will never be a cure.”

And then the conversation went on with my explaining why, which I will here as well.  And it can be summed it very easily.  You think we are in a recession now?  Find a cure to diabetes and see what kind of recession we hit.  How would scientists that spent their whole life searching for a cure and doing studies about diabetes get a paycheck if there was a cure?  How would they pay their bills.  How would the stores they shop at be affected.  How would the people that work for diabetes companies and products make a living?  It would hit our economy harder than just about anything.

Do I hope for a cure, of course!  Do I still donate funds and do volunteer work, of course.  But realistically, no, I don’t think it is likely.  There will be advancements in the management of it and there will be tools that may make it easier to live with diabetes and maybe even ways to rid yourself of all complications, but never a cure.  Companies can still make money off of advancements, but not off of a cure.

But like I said before, this thought will not stop me from doing what I can to help find one.

Do any of you share this same feeling?

My Three Words of 2010

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

I have been extremely busy since the end of the year up until just the last couple of days.  I was either sick, spending time with my family up north or just doing regular holiday type things.  During this time I decided to step away from the computer and take a break, just get away if you will.  I have been catching up on e-mails that I have just been flagging that I wanted to go back and read.  I subscribe to Chris Brogan’s blog.  He writes great material if you are into the whole social part of social media.  He came up with his 3 words for 2010, as he has done over the past few years and this has inspired me to do it as well.  In today’s blog on here, you will read about how these words affect my personal life.  On my business blog today as well, I am writing about how these three words affect my business.  If you would like to read that as well, go to my Chris Stocker Inc blog.  Now, onto the three words: growth, dedication, health.

Growth

When I sat down to think about words that could describe what I want to either accomplish or work at this was one of the first ones that popped into my head.  Even though I have been 6′ tall since the 8th grade and haven’t grown since, well not vertically at least, that’s not the growth that I mean.  I want to grow as a person, a human being.  Over the years I have caught myself saying to myself, “how would you feel if somebody did that to you” and I look back at situations and feel horrible.  Whether it is yelling at a customer service rep over the phone, it’s not their fault, they are just doing their job, or getting impatient at an elderly person driving in south Florida (for those of you that live here you know that’s at least once before every stop light!), or even being short or rude with Amanda or family or co-workers.

In 2010, I want to work hard to not be that type of person and to grow into becoming a bigger and better person at heart.  Be more considerate, take others feelings into affect more often.  I don’t want this to sound like I’m some inconsiderate prick right now because that’s not the case, but there is always room for improvement and that is where I want to be.

Dedication

What’s the point of having goals and setting benchmarks if you don’t have the dedication to stick with these things. How are you to lose weight when you can’t dedicate 30 minutes a day to exercise or eating a healthy meal.  In 2010 I plan to work hard at dedicating myself to tasks that I put my mind to, no matter what it is.  Exercising, work, business, relationships, anything.  There is no more laziness in my life.  Sure there will be things that I have to give up, but what I gain from them will help me get back what I am missing.  What do I mean by that?  Here is a perfect situation that usually happens every day.  I have two options, watch tv and spend time with Amanda or work out and be healthy.  If I make the decision to work out then I am losing out on that 45 minutes of spending time with my girlfriend.  Well in the long run, by working out and spending that 45 minutes to exercise, I am saving myself who knows, maybe 1-2 days or even months added onto my life in order to spend more time with her in the future.  Dedication is about being able to see the long term goal and pushing yourself to get to it.  Knowing that what you are missing out on now will come back ten-fold in the future.

Health

I think this word pretty much summarizes the entire thing.  This year I have set some goals for my diabetes, in regards to my weight and A1C.  With plans that I have worked out already, this should be manageable.  Becoming a healthier person will make me happier, feel better about situations and I feel grow as a person.  I will need dedication and growth within myself to get to this healthiness that I am seeking.

As you can see all three of these words fit together in the end.  Do this exercise yourself if you haven’t already.  Also, like I said if you would like to see how these three words relate to the other side of my life and how they all interact with each other than check out my other blog as well.

Have a great day everybody.

Getting Serious with Wii Fit

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

On Saturday I decided to set up my Mii character for the Wii fit. My girlfriends mom wanted the Wii fit Balance board for Christmas so that is what she got. I wanted to start losing weight and getting back into shape but we just moved out of the condo so I no longer had the free gym to go to anymore.

Why not use the Wii fit then? I wasn’t sure how I was going to utilize it so I went through every game, exercise, stretch, a strength and made a plan. I made a simple plan. Do 3 options from every category. This is a total of 15 exercises whether it be yoga, cardio, or strength training. I jump rope for about 10 minutes total and also do abs or about 10 minutes. It’s taking me about 45 minutes to complete everything.

I’ve started to eat better as well. Smaller portions but eating carba and protein and lots of fiber. I’ve been eating a snack at night peanut butter sandwich with some sort of fruit whether it is a banana or strawberries or kiwi, something to get that sweet tooth satisfied. It’s been working just within the 3 days of doing it. I feel a lot better already. I’ve been doing it at night so I’m wide awake until Bout 2 am again but it’s allowing me to catch up on a lot of stuff. I just cleared out 60 emails last night dating bal to Thanksgiving.

Ut-oh Almost Out of Infusion Sets

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Ut-oh, those were my exact words when I went to put in a new infusion site tonight.  You know why?  Because I only have less than one box left of them.  I used to have a lot when I worked for that supply company last year.  I will never call them or use them for supplies ever, not just because of the way I was let go from them, but for other reasons as well, so I’m not sure where to call.  I am getting set up with my Cobra some time next week.  Let me get into that quickly as well.  I was expecting to pay almost $600 some dollars a month for Cobra, wow was I wrong!  The statement came in and said that it is about $300 something a month, but with the new law that came into affect, I am only responsible to pay for 35% of it, so you can do that math on that.  I was extremely happy about that.

My questions will come once I get Cobra.  Does it act just like my old insurance or is it a whole new insurance, so my supplies and insulin come from a different place again?  I haven’t had to order pump supplies in almost 2 years so I don’t remember how to do it.  I might go straight through Medtronic, but I’ve had nothing but headaches from them and bills that I never expected, so I’m not sure if I want to do that.

Well once I get it all set up on Monday, I will figure it out.  I just need to get some more infusion sets before it is too late.

Have a great weekend everyone.

My top 10 goals of 2010

Chris Stocker

Does anybody use the term resolution anymore as in New Year’s Resolution?  I stopped using that term because resolutions are always broken.  Instead I started to use the word goal because to me they are more achievable and I can set smaller goals to get to one big goal.  here is a list of my top 10 goals for 2010.

  1. Lose 40 pounds
  2. Be a better person
  3. Test blood sugar more often
  4. Grow my business
  5. Be more active online
  6. Travel to 3 new cities
  7. Lower A1c every quarter
  8. Become a larger community voice for diabetes
  9. Spend more time with JDRF
  10. Do whatever I can to help cure diabetes

Feeling Better Today

Chris Stocker

Today is the first day that I felt somewhat normal.  I am not going to say that I felt perfect because that would just be a lie.  I was very careful with what I ate today because I am just tired of feeling like crap and being sick.  For breakfast I had a granola bar and then for lunch I had a 6 inch oven roasted chicken breast sub and felt fine during the day.  Today was my first day back to work since December 23, so I knew that was going to make me feel like crap as well.  Oh yea, I didn’t drink any coffee at all.  And for the record, I drink 10 cups between 8-5, so this was a big difference for me today.

I just finished eating dinner about 30 minutes ago, spaghetti and a garlic stick.  I am trying not to eat anything that will mess with my stomach that much, like greasy, dairy, spicy food.  Hopefully I can’t tell you how it all turns out before this post is over because than that pretty much means it wouldn’t be good.

Now, onto other things.  I am extremely tired right now.  First day back to work, no coffee, not a lot of sleep last night, so much stuff to do tonight, and my body is just drained!  My head hurts from the work.  I also think my body is a little weak from getting over food poisoning and eating less today as well and from being drained of energy, have I said that I’m completely drained right now?

Time to get off the computer and watch the Panthers for the first time in almost 2 weeks.  I will eventually get my “internet” legs back and be able to be on Twitter and read other blogs and do all the fun things that I once did.  Until tomorrow, have a wonderful day folks.

Just Got Back From PA Today, Not a Great Start to New Year

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Well today is my first day back to south Florida.  My trip home was good for the most part, however the end of it was not so great.  Starting New Year’s Day night, I felt a little sick.  I thought it was just a sinus cold so I took some Claritin and went to bed.  Halfway through the night I woke up and my body ached so bad, so I thought it was just the uncomfortable bed that I was sleeping on.  In the morning, it was even worse, and to add to it, I felt like I was coming down with the flu.  You know the symptoms of the flu, so no reason for me to get into it.  The highest my fever ever got however was 100.6.

This lasted Saturday, Sunday, and still going on today.  My flight on Sunday was delayed which meant that there was no way that I could catch my connecting flight to West Palm Beach, so I had to come back in the morning and catch a different flight to Charlotte and then to West Palm.  My stomach feels a little better, but everytime I eat, it starts to feel the same exact way.

I am almost 100% convinced that I had some sort of food poisoning from some cold shrimp that I was eating on New Year’s Eve.

I don’t know, all I know is that my New Year has not been off to a great start.