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1 Day Until World Diabetes Day

Chris Stocker

Ok, so I did jinx myself with yesterday’s post.  Thursday night I hit 375 on the meter.  I knew this was going to happen.  From now on, I will never mention ever again when my blood sugars have been good because as soon as I do that, it ends up shooting up sky high and going out of control for a few days.  Well tomorrow is the big day.  There is going to be so much going on and so many people doing so many wonderful things, that it’s going to be great.  I am going to enjoy my world diabetes day 2009.

World Diabetes Day means a lot to me.  It is basically the only day, other then my birthday, that involves me.  I am going to handle World Diabetes Day a little different than probably everybody else.  I am so happy with what everyone has planned and has done leading up to this day.  For me, I’m not going to do anything, I am just going to sit back and relax and enjoy my WDD.  Why would I do such a thing if I am such a diabetes advocate you may ask?  Because I want to continue to do this every single day of every single month, so on WDD I am going to take a break, take a little vacation if you will.

I will participate in the Big Blue Test, even though I will be restricted on the amount of exercise I can do because I will be driving most likely at that time because I have some places that I have to go to.  Thank you all advanced for everything that you are all doing for WDD.

How Diabetes Has Changed Me

Chris Stocker

I was diagnosed in April of 2004, that’s almost 6 years ago.  Diabetes has changed me in so many ways, even though I always say that I am not going to let this disease affect me and control me.  Well in reality it has controlled me and affected me, but in positive ways.  Of course there are some thing that I don’t like about the disease that I have to do, but overall they have made me more health conscience, it has introduced me to so many new great people, and it has changed my outlook on life.

Going back to my high school years and freshman year of college before I was diagnosed, I had a completely different outlook on life.  I didn’t care about things as much, I didn’t appreciate the little things in life.  I would always say, “whatever, I’ll do it tomorrow” or talk about things that  will do in 5-10 years from now.  The night I was diagnosed that all changed.  I then started talking about doing things that same day because you never know what could happen.  I know that goes for anybody, not just somebody with diabetes, but it really sunk into my brain at that time.  I have become a little impatient at times, especially when it comes to work and making a lot of money because I want to travel the world and I want to do it now!  I don’t want to do it later on in life because you never know what may happen in the future.

Since diagnosis I have become a lot more health conscience.  Sure, I may not always eat as well as I should, but at least now I know what the complications are.  I used to eat a burger and fries, well probably 3-4 burgers and fries and a milkshake and didn’t think anything of it, because I was young, skinny, and worked out everyday so what did it matter.  I never thought about the fat getting stuck in my arteries and clogging my veins that could lead to heart problems later on in life.  Now, before I decided to eat that burger, fries and shake, which I do at times, I at least think about the consequences and what I will need to do to make up for eating that meal.

I also made a decision to become an expert in the field of diabetes and know everything about this disease that I could.  My definition of expert here does not mean knowing how to do research in the field, but to become a diabetes management expert.  If I can manage my blood sugars and keep my A1C at good levels, then in my mind I am an expert.  I have read more books about diabetes then I have any other field of category of books.  I read blogs, articles, magazines, journals, essays, whatever is out there to better myself and to possibly lower my A1C but just a tenth of a point.

The people that I have met, whether just online or in person, have been incredible.  I have learned so much more about diabetes than these books could ever tell me.  Other d-bloggers have made me feel comfortable living with diabetes.  At times when I thought I was the only one in the world that was going through this stuff, they made me realize that I wasn’t the only one.  Also, they made me stop feeling sorry for myself.  There were times that I would get down and feel sorry for myself and want a pity party because I was the lonely diabetic that nobody knew what I was going through.  Shut up Chris and get over it.  You’re diabetic and so are millions of other people.  But now I was able to connect with these people and a lot of them have become personal friends.

These are a few of the ways that diabetes has changed me and I am thankful for these things.  They outweigh some of the negative things that may have changed my life, like checking my blood sugar, worrying about what the food I’m about to eat will do to my blood sugar, and counting carbs.  But these are all things that I do to manage my diabetes, so in my mind they are good things to do because I have become healthier since my diagnosis.

I hope everyone else can see the positives of diabetes and focus more on them, then the negatives that are out there.

Football Sunday

Chris Stocker

Today is going to be a relaxing day for me.  After this post I am going to close my laptop and not open it back up.  I am not going to do any work, nothing.  I am going to just lay here all day and watch football.  I haven’t done that in such a long time that I am not going to know what to do without popping open the laptop and doing work.

So, on that note, I will see you all on Monday!

Short and Sweet

Chris Stocker

Today’s post is not going to be a very in depth one.  This morning I went down to the Diabetes Research Institute’s 2.o Conference, Connecting the Community.  If you were following the #dri20 hashtag on Twitter, you probably know majority of what was going on.  I will be writing an in depth post of my 2 cents from the conference on Monday.

Today is going to consist of primarily watching football and that’s pretty much it.  Not much diabetes stuff going on lately, blood sugars have been good and haven’t been eating very healthy either.  On Monday I will be getting on the phone and doing some serious research about getting set up on Cobra.

Until then folks, have a great weekend.

Changing Jobs – Diabetes Style

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Like I mentioned briefly yesterday, I am in the process of changing jobs.  I am no longer working at the diabetes supply company that I used to, so I guess I can take that out of my disclosure of the website now.  I won’t get into details of why I am no longer there, but the most important part is that both sides are happy and it’s time to move on.  I am still running CSI Marketing Solutions LLC, but due to the fact that I have this thing called diabetes I can’t work solely on this, I have to work for a corporation as well in order to have health insurance.  I am currently seeking a new job, and I would love to get a new job doing what I love to do, social media and internet marketing.  If not, then I will find something that I don’t mind doing.

While changing job for most people can be difficult, but when you have diabetes there is a whole other game added to it.  Sure, everybody has bills that they have to pay and families they have to take care of, but when you have diabetes, you have one of the most expensive diseases to manage it and there really isn’t much help out there for you if you don’t have insurance.  There are resources, but they are limited and they can still be way too much for those without a job.

Then when you finally do get a new job, some places don’t give you health insurance right away, let’s say for example a 90 day period before health insurance kicks in.  Well since we have this pre-existing condition BS, we have to prove to the insurance company that we have had credible insurance coverage within 63 days, and if you haven’t then you will not receive insurance for 12 months due to that pre-existing.  So if you have 63 days to prove your coverage, but your insurance doesn’t kick in for 90 days, what are you supposed to do?  If you’re married, which I’m not, you can try to get insurance through your spouse.  Amanda is not working full-time because she is finishing up her degree, also we’re not married so that’s not an option.

The next option is to pick up Cobra.  I don’t know too much about it, but when I had discussed with them two years ago when I thought I was going to have to pick it up, it was going to cost me nearly $650 a month.  How the heck are you supposed to pay for that.  I’m not even sure what it covers, but I’m guessing you still have to pay for strips, insulin, pump supplies, doctors visits, and even blood work?  If you have answers, please let me know.

Gee, I would sure like to have a new health care system that didn’t force you to work for  a corporation in order to get health insurance.  How about you let 50 uninsured diabetics get together on the same insurance plan, just like a small business with 50 employees, and even let their family members on board as well, so let’s say it ends up being 100-150 people on the plan and they pay a premium just like anybody else would for a small business.  Why can’t we do that?  It would be the same thing as a small business.  Oh, I know, because when 50 employees at a small business get a group plan, there is only a few diabetics, so the insurance company still makes their money from the “healthy” people that are just paying a monthly premium.

I better stop now, I’ll get back to this another time.

Tax on Soda, Relocating Fast Food Joints, all in the name of Prevention

Chris Stocker

I’ve been seeing on some news stations and on the internet lately about the idea of putting a tax on soda and other added sugar drinks.  The idea of this is to cut back on obesity problems and ultimately be a good prevention of diabetes.  I think this is a great idea.  Probably because I don’t drink any sugar drinks, except for orange juice, so I won’t be affected by the tax.  Amanda doesn’t really drink things with sugar in them either because we usually share drinks, so she gets something diabetic friendly.  Now people will think twice before purchasing a regular soda compared to a diet or sugar-free beverage.  Diabetes prevention programs like this can save millions in healthcare costs.

I’ve also seen some articles being written about the relocation of fast food joints and zoning regulations going up for new fast food places.  The idea is simple, keep fast food restaraunts away from schools and little league ball fields.  This again sounds like a great idea to get kids to stay away from fast food and opt for healthier options.  This doesn’t sound too good for the “soccer mom/dad” that may want to just pick up a quick bite to eat before or after a baseball game, or swing through the drive-thru after school in order to get to a parent/teacher conference.  There can still be a quick stop place, but let it be a healthier option, not a greasy burger and fries.  How bout a grilled chicken wrap with some fresh veggies on it, that can be quick and eaten in the car as well.

Obviously there are some big financial implications that this can cause.  It will take a lot of lobbying and local government hours to get these zoning policies passed.  But in the long run, it will be beneficial to all.  The amount of money that beverage companies MAY, and I stress may, lose will be made up in lower healthcare costs.  I don’t think that the berage companies would lose much money in the first place.  All major brands have a diet version of their drinks or at least a reduced sugar version that can be easily substituted for.

What are your thoughts on this, good idea, bad idea, don’t really care?

Thanks.

My Interview with Greater West Palm Beach JDRF

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Yesterday I was lucky enough to conduct an interview with the events coordinator of my local JDRF, Greater West Palm Beach Chapter.  I have worked with Esther on multiple events over the past two years and have come to have a great working relationship with her.  She also has an amazing story about diabetes and I wanted to share a little of Esther great heart, mind, and efforts with you.  This interview was conducted via e-mail.

1. How long have you been with JDRF?

  • I’ve been with JDRF for 10 years.

2. How did you get started?

  • I’ve worked for another non-profit in the past (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) and so I know how important it is to fight for children who are faced with a serious disease.

3. Explain how diabetes struck home?

  • One day after hosting a Walk to Cure Diabetes, I took my daughter to the emergency room because I had notice the warning signs of diabetes for a few weeks, but was in denial that this could indeed happen to me and my family.

4. One word to describe how you felt after your daughter’s diagnosis?

  • After her diagnosis, my head was spinning … literally .. I felt shock, disbelief and bewilderment.

5. One word to describe how you feel now about it?

  • Although one of the most serious diseases anyone can be affected by, I know that diabetes is very manageable and I remind my daughter that she can still to anything she puts her mind to.

6. Best part of working at JDRF?

  • I have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, filled with the same passion … to find a cure for diabetes and its complications

7. Scariest diabetes moment?

  • When my daughter first came home from the hospital, her blood sugar had dropped into the forties, so my husband and I gave her glucose tabs and a 15 gram snack.  This didn’t seem to move her blood sugar number up much after 20 minutes, we gave her an additional 15 gram snack and that took her blood sugar to about 350.  Yikes …we were so scared that we would never learn how to properly regulate her numbers.

8. Funniest diabetes moment?

  • Shortly after diagnosis, a little boy at my daughter’s school called her a “diabetic.”  Well my husband and I don’t believe in labeling her, so she knows that we never use that word.  So, in response to this little boy, my daughter said, “I am not a diabetic.  I am a little girl who has diabetes.  Would you call someone with cancer a “canceretic”? No, you’d say that they have cancer.  So, don’t ever call me that again.  To this day, no other student at her school ever uses that term around her.  🙂

9. Favorite movie, book, singer?

  • Favorite Movie:  Mask (with Cher); Favorite Book:  Misery;  Favorite Singer:  Michael Jackson (of course 🙂 )

10. If you could change one thing in the world today, other than the obvious of finding a cure, what would it be?

  • If I could do one thing, I would find a way to keep children and seniors, the most vulnerable people in our society, away from those who would intentionally do them harm, be it physical, emotional or otherwise.  And, I would want to see anyone caught harming them, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

If you have any questions for Esther, please leave a comment on my blog and I will make sure that they are answered.  If you live in my area, please let me know if you are interested in helping with any local JDRF events.

Busy Day Today, Interview with JDRF Tomorrow

Chris Stocker 1 Comment

Today was so busy that I didn’t even have time to open up my TweetDeck on the laptop or TwitFon on my iPhone.  I only have a few minutes here, I have to get back to work on some other things.  I will be posting an interview tomorrow with my local JDRF events coordinator, Esther Swann.

My blood sugars in the morning were amazing.  I woke up with a 105, 120 after breakfast, 109 right before lunch.  I switched out my infusion set right before lunch because it was almost falling out.  After lunch 225, two hours later, 301.  Ok what the heck is going on.  Around 5 when I left for work I was at about 350.  Before dinner I was 245 and just about 5 minutes ago I was 130.  I don’t know what all that was about, but it was a crazy day of blood sugars as well.

Top 5 Diabetes Things to Remember When Attending Conferences

Chris Stocker 2 Comments

I do attend a lot of conferences and do a lot of traveling so I was thinking about the checklist that I go through and how it has helped me with all of my traveling that I do.  Here is my top 5 things to do to prepare for a conference, Diabetes style.

1. Make a List

The first thing is to just grab a pen and paper and just start writing down every single thing that comes to your mind that you may need in the next few days or weeks.  Just look around the room and write it down.  Picture Steve Carrell’s character in “Anchorman” when he starts naming everything in the room that he loves.  “I love lamp”.  Everything that you see, write it down.  It’s a brainstorming session.  You can then go back later and make a decision on what things you actually need and which you won’t need at all.  Don’t organize, don’t worry about duplicates.  Obviously, you need your socks and undies, but I always start my list by sitting in front of my “diabetes cabinet” and just tart writing everything down.

2. Scrub the List

The next step is to scrub the list and go through the things that you actually need and get rid of the things that you don’t need.  Once again, I start with the diabetes stuff, “all I need is my pump and my wallet”.  That is my motto when I travel.  If you are only traveling for one day, you probably don’t 5 pairs of pants and shorts.  But you will require 4-5 infusion sets, reservoirs and about 2 vials of insulin.  Pack wisely because of the high costs of traveling with luggage now, so don’t put too much stuff in the suitcase.

3. Carry On Your Supplies

I take my laptop bag with me along with a second drawstring bag.  It makes it easier when Amanda is with me because, she can carry the second bag in her big ole’ carry-on bag.  However, most of the time I fly alone.  I make sure that I have enough supplies to last me double the time of the trip, so the quantity of supplies will vary.  So the bag consists of infusion sets, reservoirs, inserters, IV prep, insulin, 2 meters, strips, lancets, IV dressings and any other little things I may use to manage my diabetes.  I usually get my bag pulled off to the side for a quick search about 75% of the time, I am used to it by now.  It is well worth the additional 5 minutes instead of it being in my checked luggage and having it lost in transit and being without supplies for a week.

4. Prepare for Emergencies Before You Get There

Contact the hotel, conference center and company putting on the conference before hand to find out information on what kind of food or juices that they may be having.  I always contact the hotel before hand and let them know that I need a fridge in my room so I can put my orange juice in there.  Also, ask if the hotel has a deli or snack area to go pick up some juice if you run out.testing at Renaissance Orlando

Next, speak with the actual conference center where the event will be.  Find out where any snack bars or vending machines are in case you need to get up for some juice.  If you are the type of person that is afraid to tell people about your diabetes, then this isn’t for you.  Simply tell them beforehand that you are diabetic and explain what you may need and they should be able to make accommodations or tell you where these things are.  Finally, most conferences have already planned out what they are planning serving for lunch or dinner so send a quick e-mail to the staff putting the event on and they may be able to give you some sort of idea of what is going to be served. This is great to know, so you know if you need to fill up another reservoir before you go into the session or bring an extra insulin pen with you.  It also helps with knowing approximately how many carbs are in what you.  (Unless you have an IPhone, there is an app for that.  Rumor has it, there’s an app that runs your whole life).

5. Test, Test, Test, Test

Just like anything else that you are doing in life, it is absolutely important for you to test your sugar constantly.  I tend to test myself in between sessions so that way I can prepare for a low at that time.  I hate to miss information at a conference, because I paid for the damn thing I want to be there the whole time.  If I have a low in the middle then there goes some information that I am going to miss.  Also, don’t be scared to pull out your meter in front of people.  It actually is a good networking tool.  It sparks conversations for me and then that is just another person that I was able to meet at the conference.  In a way, it is an ice-breaker for me.

I hope this was helpful for all of you.  I am sure that you all have your own method of planning for attending a conference, so I would like to hear some of your other ideas and planning methods.

Have a great day ya’ll.