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Category: Diabetes Awareness

Diabetes Hand Foundation’s Big Blue Test

Chris Stocker

Yesterday I posted about the Diabetes Research Institute’s Be Part of the Cure campaign during the month of November and December.  I also mentioned that there are multiple programs and campaigns all going on at the same time, and this is great because there is a large movement for diabetes going on and I love it.

Today I am going to discuss the campaign from Manny and the Diabetes Hand Foundation.  This project also started yesterday and runs until November 14, 2010.  Manny has described two parts of the event.  The first part is helping spread the word because without all of us getting the word out, it’s just not going to work.  On November 14, you are urged to participate to test your blood sugar, exercise for 14 minutes and then test again and share your results with the diabetes community or Twitter.

How can you help spread the word?  Easily.  E-mail everybody you know and ask them to watch the video and spread it along.  The video can be viewed at the Big Blue Test website.  If you are going to tweet about this project, the official hashtag is #bigbluetest.  Pleas visit the BigBlueTest website for more information and more details on this great event.

Now, why do I think this campaign is important also?  That is a no brainer.  This creates an opportunity for all of us to test our blood sugar and share our experiences with each other.  There are many benefits to this, with one being that some people may not normally test before and after exercise and you may figure something out that you didn’t know about the patterns of your blood sugars.  The viral aspect of this is also going to help spread more information about diabetes and creating an awareness amongst non-diabetics of what we go through on a daily basis.  Only two days in to November and it’s busy, busy, busy.

Diabetes Research Institute’s Be Part of the Cure

Chris Stocker

Today is November 1, so that means a lot of different things.  First, it is my birthday today.  I don’t do much to celebrate my birthday because I don’t see the point of it.  Today is also my nieces birthday as well.  She is 11 now and I can remember the day she was born, so that kinda freaks me out that she is already 11.  Finally, today starts a full month of Diabetes awareness and projects and advocacy and as much other stuff as you can possible think of.

There are too many projects going on to get into details about every single one of them in one post, so I will start out with just one today and get through as many of them as possible.

Today is the start of the Diabetes Research Institute’s Be Part of the Cure campaign.  This campaign runs from today to December 31, 2010.  Basically what this campaign is all about is with a minimum donation of $10.00, you can upload your photo and submit your story about diabetes and your image will appear in a collage of images from others spelling out the word “CURE”.

With a donation of $50 you will be able to receive a mousepad with the CURE final image on it.  With any donation that you make you will also be entered into a raffle to win two tickets to a concert in your area of your choose.  This campaign needs all of our help to go social and spread across to as many people as possible.

Now, why am I blogging this and why do I think this is important?  Easy.  The DRI does so much for diabetes advancements that they need all the help that they can get.  I have been lucky enough to visit and tour their facilities in south Florida and it is one of the most amazing places I have ever been to.  The DRI is always on the front end of new diabetes developments and research.

For more information on this campaign, please go to BePartoftheCure.org or DiabetesResearch.org

Diabetes Projects All Over Now!

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

It seems that lately over the past few months there are more and more diabetes projects and awareness campaigns and chats either starting, or just becoming a lot more popular with more and more people.  And ya know what?  I LOVE it!  I absolutely love that there are so many different awareness campaigns and chats.  The part that I don’t like and what sucks the most is that I can’t keep up with all of them.  Remember the diabetes blog week?  Yeah, I’m STILL trying to read through those freaking posts.

So this is what I want, and I know this post is going up late at night, so I will re-tweet it out tomorrow as well, but I want you to just leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail with diabetes related things that you have either started or actively participate in.  For example, TuDiabetes or #DSMA, or whatever the heck else you have going on.

Thanks all.

Diabetes at a Disadvantage

Chris Stocker

Diabetes is at a disadvantage and there is one large reason why.  Bad information!  How many times do you hear people talk about diabetes cures and just lose weight and you will lose your diabetes.  How about you stop breathing and you won’t lose your life?  There were some tweets the other day from some “askdroz” or something of that sort that really pissed me off, and I know it was pissing off a lot of you as well.  Do I think it was anybody that had something to do with Dr. Oz, no I don’t.  I think it was one of those people that just create a fake twitter handle and act like a  celebrity, by the way, those people should get a life!

But this information is being spread, and there is a lot of bad information out there.  So from now on, if you hear or see any bad information about diabetes, do not hesitate to correct that person.  Even if it is the CEO of your company, tell them the truth about diabetes.

Enough said, have a great day!

Starting a New Job with Diabetes

Chris Stocker 5 Comments

Well, yesterday I mentioned that I had some exciting news.  This probably isn’t exciting news for you, but it is for me.  I have put the independent work to the side and decided to get back into the office / team environment and get a “corporate” job.  After a good search, I was given word last Thursday that I am now hired.  So, that’s the news.  I will be starting a new job next Monday as an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Specialist.  I am so excited to get back into an office environment and start working again.  The hours are long and it is going to be tough at first, but it is doing something that I love, so you can’t go wrong with that.  The hardest part of starting a new job with diabetes is introducing diabetes to everybody.

It can be like the first day of starting at a new school.  I don’t know what that is like because I never moved and had to change schools in the middle of the year, but I was always nice to the “new kid” in the classroom, because I couldn’t imagine how hard it was to leave your friends and go somewhere near.  Anyway, getting off subject, back to diabetes.  There are so many things that you have to prepare for when starting a new job with diabetes.  I feel that it is my responsibility to let as many people know as possible that I am diabetic and what to do in case something bad happens.  I put candy in my desk, I leave a meter and strips at my desk and I usually keep some infusion sets, reservoirs, and an emergency vial of insulin there as well.  The office is a 30-40 minute commute, one way, so it’s not like I can just come home at lunch break to change out an infusion site.

This also means more questions I am going to be asked, and I love that.  I can educate people on diabetes, what else is better than that.  I remember at my old office when people asked me questions when I was refilling a reservoir at work.  It felt to educate them and let them know what I was doing, and what that loud priming noise was.  I don’t know if there are any other diabetics that work there, but I’m sure I will find out quickly.  It is awesome to meet a co-worker with diabetes.

One thing this does mean is that there will be less time I will be spending on Twitter during the day and being able to read blogs.  I won’t be  getting home until about 7-8 and won’t have much time to do anything else.  I will continue to keep up with my blog and try to read as many of yours as possible.  I am leaning towards doing more video blogs because it only takes 3-5 minutes to record, about a minute to upload and post, since there is no editing in it.

Well, I hope you are all as excited as I am!

Have a great day.

It’s An Insulin Pump, You Idiot!

Chris Stocker 7 Comments

How many times have you heard yourself use this phrase, or something close to it?  Sometimes I use words a little more intense then idiot.  I don’t like to call people idiots because you don’t know there education background and where they grew up.  So  they may have never heard of diabetes, I know I knew nothing about it before I was diagnosed.  But there are times when people just piss me off about it.

Last week when I went to a country concert and was patted down because God forbid you actually sneak in some liquor instead of paying $12 for one beer.  He felt the insulin pump and asked me to take it out and I explained it’s an insulin pump.  This guy was trying to do his job, I understand, but just because you are wearing a yellow jacket that says “Security” doesn’t give you the right to act like a flat-top cop and think you control things.

I took it out of my pocket and he actually touched it to feel it, for what, I have no idea.  When he handed it back to me, I noticed that a button was pushed.  What if he pushed the button 3 times and set a bolus for me, who knows, maybe a max bolus of 25 units and I had no idea about it?  Then I’d have to go and knock down about 5 hot dogs and 5 fries which would probably be more expensive then a trip to the ER!

I’d love to hear your experiences of people giving you problems of an insulin pump, or when you have been asked if it’s a “pager” and to “turn it off”.

Have a Great Day!

How Do You Explain Diabetes to a 4 Year Old?

Chris Stocker 7 Comments

Last week when I was home, one of the most important things that I wanted to do was spend time with my 4 “nieces” and also my niece.  Let me explain that in detail quickly.  My “nieces” are actually my cousins, but my aunt was more like a sister to me because of our closeness in age so her 4 daughters have always called me uncle.  My actual niece is almost 6 months and she is my brother’s daughter.  Ok, that is clarified.  My “nieces” are 10, 8 and the twins are 4.  The 10 year old knows that I have diabetes, but doesn’t totally get it (but I’m 25 and I don’t either).  The 8 year old knows I have something, but not really sure, she used to just say that “Uncle Chris is sick.”

Well one day that I was there I took my pump out to bolus and one of the twins saw it and she said, “what is that?”  So I thought, should I say, “it’s an insulin pump” or should I say something that it is medication for me. I decided to tell her that it was an insulin pump for my diabetes and that it keeps me healthy.  I didn’t know exactly how to explain it that it would make sense.  I thought about coming up with a way to use a Disney movie or something that she liked to have it make more sense for her, but the question never came back up again while I was home.

How do you explain it?  I know there are mothers out there that read the blog, and fathers as well.  How are you able to explain diabetes to small children, especially your children that are not diabetic.

Thank you in advance.

Refilling a Reservoir at Work

Chris Stocker

Yesterday I had to refill my insulin cartridge at work and it made me think about a couple of things.  First, what reaction am I going to get from people who walk by? Why do I have two vials of insulin in my laptop bag and both have 2 refills left in them?  Why is this thing so damn loud when it is priming?

Well here were my answers to all of those questions.

Reaction from People

First and foremost, I don’t  really  care what their reaction is to it.  I am doing something that I need to do in order to survive, so get over it.  Do I look at you weird when you breathe or when you drink water or when you eat?  No, didn’t think so, so keep on walking.  But I do find it funny what most people say.  The most common phrase I hear is, “What are you shooting up or something?”  Some people mean it in a sense of am I shooting up insulin, but I think we all know what most others are referring to, obviously a joke.  I usually say, “Well, I’m already high, so I need to shoot up some more.”  That is when the other person doesn’t get the insulin and high blood sugar reference and thinks that I am just making a drug comment back to them.

What kind of reaction do you get?

Two Vials of Insulin

When it comes to insulin, I try to have only one open vial at a time, but that tends to not happen very often.  The reason is usually that I open one and put it in my laptop bag because that thing goes with me to work, home, and travel.  That way the insulin will be with me at all times.  Then there is usually one on my desk at home, maybe it’s empty and I forgot to throw it away, so when I see it, I think that I just finished one and go and open another one.  As soon as I used it to refill the reservoir, I throw it in my laptop bag and now I have two opened in the same location.

Do any of you do this as well, or am I just being a bad diabetic?

Loud Priming

The last part of what was going through my head was why this insulin pump is so damn loud when it is priming.  It beeps so many times, and it is extremely loud, so when my co-workers are working, they hear it beeping and then all the questions start.  Normally I don’t mind the questions, but when I am busy and trying to get work done so I can get home and start working on some other clients work, I’m not usually in the mood to lecture on diabetes.

Do you all refill right at your desk or do you go to restrooms or cars, or somewhere else to take care of it?

Diabetes in Daytona

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

This past weekend I went up to Daytona Beach, FL for the Daytona 500 race.  This was my second consecutive year going.  I met a guy up there who said that he has gone to 42 straight, this year’s was the 52nd so he only missed the first 10 races.  That sounded like a great idea to me, and I think I am going to do it.  Amanda, her brother, friend and myself all packed up Friday morning / afternoon and made sure we had everything ready to go for about a 3:00 departure for the 3 hour drive.  Everyone was packed to go and I of course was doing the diabetic thing and triple checking.  Having type 1 diabetes isn’t always the easiest thing to pack for.  I made sure that I had everything that I would need and we were set to leave.  I tested before I got in the car, 345, not a good start.

I had eaten two bagels for breakfast that morning, I know probably not the best idea.  It was about 3:30 and I didn’t eat lunch and there was some Little Ceasar’s pizza, so of course I ate some.  I bolused enough for the correction and then again for the pizza and I felt like I was going to be just fine.  About two hours later I tested again and I was down to 180, not bad at all since I ate pizza.  We finally arrived in Daytona and were going to get Subway for dinner.  Blood sugars didn’t go so well Friday night.  At one point it was up to 425.  This high blood sugar gave me the opportunity to educate some body on diabetes however.  The kid we were staying with didn’t really know anything about diabetes, he just knew that his grandmother had it and that his mom had told him that it skips generations.  Let the lecture begin.

I was explaining to him that it is difficult for anybody with type 1 diabetes to drink because when you get low, you feel light headed and woozy and when your blood sugar goes high, you pee a lot.  So, since we were heading out to a bar, he realized the difficulties and the confusions that can come of this and the dangers behind it.  Throughout the night, the blood sugars came down and I was ready to go Saturday morning (except for the little headache I had from the night before.)

Saturday night led to another conversation with this same kid about diabetes, but not about drinking this time.  It was just diabetes in general.  I explained how I became diabetic [or how I was born with it, according to Dr. DipShit(OZ)].  I took him through the whole night, the 858 blood sugar, the issues, the problems, ways to avoid problems, and discussed with him about the skipping a generation issue.  I am not a scientist or doctor, but I didn’t think that was true because there is plenty of people that I know whose parents are diabetic and so are they, but I don’t know, correct me if I’m wrong please.  After the conversations with him, it felt great!  I love teaching people about diabetes or eliminating their ignorance or mis-understandings about it.  Explaining the insulin pump is always the best and then asking them if they want to test their sugar is funny.

The answer is always the same, “Hell no, get out of here”

Lack of Sleep Catching Up and A Visit to the Clinic

Chris Stocker

My lack of sleep over the past few weeks is finally starting to catch up on me.  I seem to always be dragging and not at full strength.  I am getting a lot of work done and staying focused on my work, but as soon as I step away from my desk, I can’t seem to funcition.  So I guess it is good for business, but not good for personal.  However, I will need to rest up a bit because I am a tad bit sick.

Last week Amanda’s mom was a little sick with a cold and sore throat, guess who caught it?  That’s right I did.  The other night I was starting to feel a little stuffy and like a sinus cold was coming on because there was a big drop in temperature, so that was normal for me.  Then on Sunday night my ear started to feel like it needed to pop, and when I woke up yesterday morning it felt that same way.  I was told to try some Claritin D because it was probably just my sinuses acting up.  When I woke up this morning and felt even worse, throat hurt more, ear felt more clogged, I decided to go to the clinic. This is where the adventure began.

I am without health insurance right now, I am in the process of getting Cobra, but that’s a whole other story by itself, being held up because my former employer isn’t playing very nice with me and my insurance provider to smooth the process, that’s a different story in itself.  So I called around to see how expensive different clinics were and they all averaged about $100-$150.  I then came across the CVS Minute-Clinic.  It was only $65, so why not go there.  Let’s first discuss this name, should be more like CVS 60 minute-clinic to get seen.

After waiting for nearly an hour, I was finally seen by the person, not sure what her credentials were.  I explained the situation, so she checked my throat and my ears.  She then proceeded to open up an operations and procedures binder and started asking me yes / no questions, like she was just going down a checklist of things I could have done on WebMD.  After about 5-10 minutes of that she started to collection some information from me.  Once I told her I was diabetic, she instantly started to freak.  “Well, I have to follow different procedure since your diabetic, I have to refer you out to another clinic, I can’t prescribe anything for you because you have diabetes.”

She made a phone call to ac colleague I guess and they decided to refer me to an MD Now clinic in Boca Raton.  Guess what, I called that place this morning and it was $130, exactly why I didn’t want to go there in the first place.  After about a total of 90 minutes inside CVS I said, I’m not paying for this visit because you’re referring me somewhere else and I didn’t’ get anything out of the visit, and she agreed and said she wouldn’t charge, finally something good out of that place.

I went over to the MD Now and signed in and was asked for my insurance cards.  “I don’t have insurance, I’m paying out of pocket.”  Receptionist replies with, “Ok that will be $130 and additional fees for any services or tests ran during the visit, I can take your payment now, credit or debit.”  Well, ok good day to you too.  So I paid the $130, even though I was trying to avoid that, but no options here.  I only waited about 5 minutes there and was brought back and was speaking with the doctor within minutes.  So this is what I paid $130 for.

Sinus issue going on with your ear, take Mucinex D to loosen it up.  It looks like it could be turning into an infection so here’s a prescription for amoxicillin.  The best part about it was that I got the prescription for free from Publix (grocery store) because they give free generic prescriptions for up to 14 days.  I was able to save money there which helped out, but still out $130.I guess it is worth it to have that piece of mind to know exactly what the issue is.  Still sucks though because I can barely hear out of my right ear and feels like I have been flying for 24 hours without being able to pop my ear.