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Cutler, McNabb – Two Diabetes Advocates

Anybody who has read this blog before has probably noticed a few things about me.  I’m diabetic, I’m originally from Philadelphia, and I love the Eagles more than just about anything.  Tonight they play Jay Cutler and Da Bears.  As you all know Cutler is diabetic.  A little less known fact is that Donovan McNabb is a huge diabetes advocate as well.  He runs a large diabetes children’s camp in Pennsylvania every year and puts a lot of money towards research.  So tonight’s game is meaningful in a lot of different ways.  McNabb and Cutler are good friends because of the diabetes link, plus they are both quarterbacks.  Obviously, I want the Eagles to win every game and would never cheer against them.  Cutler however, has the Touchdowns for Diabetes campaign going on with Eli Lilly.

Basically, every touchdown he throws money goes towards diabetes.  That sounds like a good idea to me, except that the way Jay has played this year, there may be a cure already if they gave money for every interception he’s thrown (he’s thrown the most in the NFL).  So, in tonight’s game I would love to see the Eagles shut the Bear’s out.  However, if they don’t, then I would want every touchdown to be a Cutler touchdown pass, no other forms of touchdowns.

I have called out Cutler before in my blog and I will again right now, but on a different level.  Relax and calm down Jay, play like you know how to play and get us some money for diabetes.

My 6th Birthday with Diabetes, 25th Altogether

Today is my birthday and it can turn out to be potentially one of the best birthdays that I ever had.  Reasons are simple, it is an all day New York – Philadelphia day.  At 1 p.m. the Eagles have a huge NFC East match up against the Giants and then at night it is game 4 of the World Series with the Phillies and the Yankees.  Do you think my stress level is going to be high?  I’m not even sure exactly what it is going all day during my birthday because of all the sports, I think it may include a cookout between the games, but not sure.  This is my 25th birthday (yes, I can now legally rent a car and my car insurance rates should go down), and it is the 6th birthday that I have celebrated with diabetes.

My birthday’s haven’t really changed at all since I have been diagnosed.  There is really only one thing that I require for my Brian and Chris_Halloween2birthday, call it high maintenance if you will, but I must have an ice cream cake because the greatest thing in the world is the little chocolate crusty things in the middle layer of the cake.  I get to eat that about once a year, so it’s allowable on my birthday.  My birthday gifts have changed a bit from family members however.  Now when mom and pops ask what I want for my birthday this year, I usually respond with, “How about picking up the costs of my insulin for this 3 month supply.”  That’s usually what the gift is now.  And I am more appreciative of that gift then I am for any other gift out there.

I didn’t get a chance to post any pictures from our company Halloween party from Friday, so here are just a few.  This is my buddy Brian, whChris and 800 lb gorilla_Halloweeno writes one hell of a blog about baseball and baseball cards, dressed up as one of the Disney Imagination Movers and then another with the proverbial 800 pound gorilla that we are all up against half the time in life.  I’m dressed up as a low budget Chase Utley (I have a man-crush on him).  This is also the same thing that I was last year..  I didn’t do any Halloween parties or do anything related to it this year because the Phillies were playing game 3 last night.  I was doing a little “trick – or – Tweeting” though however.

So today is not only my birthday, but also the first day of National Diabetes Month.  It’s also a bunch of other things, but I don’t feel like talking about that stuff.  Start today with spreading awareness.  Tell one person starting today about diabetes, almost like a Pay-it-Forward style.  Do your part, if we all do ours we can create a big movement.  Don’t just do it on November 14 on World Diabetes Day, make it the whole damn month!

Have a great Sunday ya’ll

5 Reasons Why Watching Sports Affects Your Blood Sugar

I wasn’t able to get a post up yesterday because I was having computer issues.  I have a WP app on my IPhone, but there’s no way that I can type that much on that phone.  So it’s Saturday afternoon and I am at the Spanish River Library in Boca Raton with a nice venti bold from Starbucks, with my beautiful girlfriend and getting some work done.  Why am I at the library on a Saturday afternoon when I am no longer in college?  Because football officially begins tonight which means I will have just about zero time left from now until January to do anything at all. Tonight my Virginia Tech Hokies kick off against the Alabama Crimson Tide.  It also means that my diabetes gets tougher.

For those that have been following me for a while probably know that my Hokies and Philadephia Eagles screw with my blood sugars big time.  This year I have a CGM and vow to wear it for every single game so I can monitor how my sugars are going up and down.  At my last Endo visit I was told that I need to track my blood pressure a little more frequently as well since it was 140/80 when I came in and also when I left the visit.  During Eagles games I can feel my heart pounding rapidly on big plays and also at the end of the game.  When they are winning easily it doesn’t really affect me.  More on the Eagles in a further post when their game is coming up.  Right now, it is all about the Hokies.

I am already becoming a little nervous because our star running back is injured and not going to be playing.  Not to mention that we are playing the #5 team in the country.  Grant it, we are #7 in the country, I hate having to play these top teams during the first game of the year every single year.  Let’s get into the diabetes part of it though.  And the reasons for why my sugar goes up.  I have narrowed it down to 5 different reasons why they are all over the place.

# 1 – Passion and Nerves

I am a very passionate and die hard sports fan.  I have been fans of the teams I am fans of pretty much my whole entire life.  I grew up an Eagles fan, became a Hokies fan when I was about 7 or 8, so I feel attached to these teams.  I have also had no luck with my sporting teams winning championships, except the Phillies last year, that I want them to win every single game.  When they lose I become upset and pissed and feel like I am part of the actual team.  Obviously I don’t want to feel pissy but when it is fourth down or there is 2 minutes left in the game and we are down by 6 my blood pressure is shooting through the roof.  My goal this year is to take deep breathes and relax and tell myself that my life is not affected by this game.

# 2 Food Choices

During sports games I am not always able to watch the game at my own home just because of regional TV decisions.  So, at times I must go down to the local sports bar.  While I am there, I may as well make a meal out of it and eat also.  This leads to a game long appetizer of homemade buffalo fried chips from Bru’s Room in Delray Beach, FL.  Second part of the meal is usually a Memphis pulled pork sandwich or some sort of non-healthy meal with some mashed potatoes.  You may have guessed why I named a specific food, because I am extremely superstitious and don’t like to go away from something that I ate when my teams have won while I ate that.  I know, I know, I’m crazy!

# 3- Beer

Beer and football, just makes sense.  Do I really need to go into why the beer intake messes with my blood sugar?  I don’t think that I do, your educator can take care of that.

# 4 Guessing, not Testing

If I go to the sports bar then there is about a 5% chance that I take my meter with me.  During that 5%, there is about a 1% chance that I will test my sugar.  I also am kind of guessing how many carbs are in the food.  Usually what I do is just take a 25 unit max bolus and then eat to cover my insulin.  If I “feel” that I am getting low then I will just eat more of the chips or maybe even order a dessert or something else.  Not a great decision for a diabetic.

# 5 Stress

This one comes during the game which I started to get into during reason #1.  The stress gets even worse after a loss.  I will be stressed out and down in the dumps for a few hours or even the next day until I finally get over it and realize that next week we get another chance to win.  The later into the season the worse the stress gets.

I now know the reasons why sports affect my blood sugars, now it’s time to do something about it and fix these 5 things.  Well I am going to the sports bar tonight even though the game is nationally televised, but I am going to eat healthy.  No beer, no pulled pork.  I will have an un-sweetened iced tea, a cobb salad and maybe a cup of French Onion soup.  Maybe, just maybe I may cheat and get some jalapeno poppers because Amanda also likes them.