Holy Cow....

I like how I had a goal to update this like once a week, or even once a month, and clearly that hasn't happened since it's now April and I haven't written anything since September...anyways...

About a month ago my pump broke!! The screen just stopped working. So I had to go on shots from friday-monday. Which in reality, is not a long time, but it felt like FOREVER. I didn't even realize how much my pump is a part of me. I felt like I was missing a freakin arm or something. I kept like searching for my pump when I would wake up during the night. I HATED being back on shots. Let's just say, that monday when my pump came, was like THE BEST DAY of my life. I am soooo never taking my pump for granted again!! I went to the doctor like two or three weeks ago, and since then I've been trying to eat less carbs and more protein, and less soda (which super sucks, in case you were wondering) and it's really been helping out my blood sugars! And I've been feeling tons better because of it. I feel more like myself!

Alyssa

REALITY CHECK

So, I went to the doctors a couple weeks ago, my endocronoligist (who's the best in case you were wondering). Basically, this was a complete reality check. Lately....I haven't been taking care of myself as good as I should have been. You know how it goes. You start off and you're like yeahhhh this taking care of myself is good. And then that goes on for about a day. Or two. And you're like oh yeah, this is a lot of work and I'm just lazy and thinking about the present and what's happening right now, so I quit. Or, you think to yourself hey, maybe if I act like I don't even have diabetes, somehow miraculously I won't. Well, unfortunately it doesn't happen like that. So I have my doctor in one ear, telling me I need to get my act together, and I have my mom in the other, telling me the same thing. And I see my mom over there tearing up (she had no idea that I wasn't taking care of myself by the way) and my doctor is pointing out how no patient (I'm going to be a nurse by the way) is going to want a diabetic nurse that doesn't take care of themself. And I'm like CRAP. Cause they are completely right. So, now I am taking better care of myself, checking my bloodsugars, changing my sites, giving myself insulin, and corrections and all that fun stuff. And surprisingly, it is so much easier to just take care of myself and I feel a lot better. SOOO THANKFUL FOR REALITY CHECKS

BEST DAY EVER.

So last week i had the best day of my life! my pump clip came!!!! i have been DYING without one. A few months ago my cousin broke mine when I picked her up and she kicked it! yes, horrible I know. So I have been living without one. And its the worst when I'm wearing pajamas cause there arent any pockets in those so what're you supposed to do? Tuck it in right under like the waist band is what. Except then when you are running down the stairs and it falls out and drops to the ground, ripping out your site on the way down, then what're you supposed to do. Lemme just say, I will NEVER take my clip for granted again haha. Seriously if one more of my sites got pulled out because of no clip I would have died. Needless to say, yay my clip!!

And this is just some good ol' diabetic humor that potentially made my day. My aunt found this and showed this to me and it is HILARIOUS. so look at it!!!

http://www.explosm.net/comics/2032/

Alyssa

just my thoughts..

Wow 4 years has really flown by. 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 4 years! Wow that seems like so long ago, but it also seems like just yesterday. Weird how that works. Now I have to admit, I haven’t been the most responsible diabetic in the whole world…well okay I could be A LOT more responsible. I definitely have been living in the moment, not caring about the future or what I am doing to myself. I haven’t been taking the best care of myself like I should and it has recently come to my attention that I need to get my act together! Do I want to have a kidney failure? No. Do I want to lose my foot? No. Do I want to not be able to have kids? No. Do I want to die? No, again. It’s hard sometimes because I put myself in denial. I say, “Oh, you’re fine, you’re normal”. But the truth is, I’m not normal. And then again, who is? I can’t keep telling myself I’m normal and that I can eat whatever I want and not have to worry about my blood sugars. Or that I can have a soda and drink some juice when I want and not have to worry about giving myself insulin. But the fact that I can remember what it is like to not have to worry about that stuff makes it the hardest thing in the world. Haylee, my sister, has had it since she was 2 ½ so she can’t remember what it was like pre-diabetes. I think that it would have been so much easier if it could have been like this for me. But, that isn’t how it happened and if I can just get over it and deal with it, I feel like it could be some sort of blessing in disguise or something, like it could be a growing experience for me. I don’t know maybe I’m just reading way to deep into it. But, I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I was given diabetes as a trial, and it has definitely been that. It has been a long, bumpy road and it is going to continue to be. So I can be depressed about it and complain, be in denial and wish I led a different life, or, I can be positive, not let it bring me down, and lead a great life. I choose the second. What are you gonna choose? I hope you would choose the second. Take it from someone who knows, the first option sucks and it takes you absolutely no where but down and it will ruin your life if you let it. It might be, no, it will be harder to be positive, but it will be totally worth it in the end. So take care of yourself, be responsible, be positive, and just be happy!!

Alyssa(:

update!!

So, I ran my marathon almost a month ago now!!!! i just haven't been on to update this in a while...but anyways...it went so great!! it was 13.1 miles and i checked my bloodsugar every 2 miles-ish. cause i didnt have a clock with me so i figured every 2 miles would be good. I kept my bloodsugar machine and some snacks in my fanny pack. yes, my fanny pack. It's Nathan brand, so its like legit for running. and i just filled both bottles with water, which wasn't nearly enough by the way! I was in the 200's for the first half of the marathon and then towards the end i started getting down in the low one hundreds, and i felt really sick, like if i ate anything i might throw up! but i forced myself to at least eat a few gu chomps. and they actually helped keep me steady. and we finished the half marathon in 2:42!! so that was awesome. and after the marathon i turned my pump off for about 6 hours. Now, my aunt and i are training for a triathalon, so that'll be interesting to see how that all goes.

Me and haylee have started going to a support group for teens wtih diabetes!!!! it is actually really cool. i was nervous at first, but everything went well. there were like 15 kids there it was crazy! and the meetings? are llike every 3 months. this one was at this place called amazing jakes, which was really fun. and we just all hung out, told our stories, and had a good time. There was this boy there who was 12 and just got diagnosed 2 weeks ago!!! 2 freakin weeks! i felt sooo sorry for him. he was taking it all really well though. i know that 2 weeks after i got diagnosed i was not in the same place he is now. i wish i would have started going to the group like a year ago when i first started getting the invites. it is seriously really cool. and it's also kind of weird cause you like go to talk about your diabetes or to check your bloodsugar and you're like wait a minute! they know what im talking about!! it's cool to be around people who get it and who have been and are in the same place you are!!!! (:

Alyssa

half - freakin - marathon!

So im training for a half marathon right now, London's Run to be exact, at the end of this month! i am superrrrrrr excited! My aunt and i are training together. it's been pretty tough because of my diabetes, i cant train like a person without diabetes can. Like instead of carbing up after my runs and stuff, i have to protein up instead. My mom got me power bars this weekend and i ate one last night after my run, and after i ate it i realized it was "triple threat" and it was supposed to give you energy for at least an hour. I was like "great im gonna be up forever" but i was so exhausted i fell right asleep. But, i didnt eat it last night to give me energy, i ate it because it has up to 11 or 12 grams of protein in it. It is really important to make sure to get enough rest too while your training for anything. Ive been slacking off in that department. Oh also, you are supposed to check your bloodsugar every 30 minutes, which is pretty tricky while running, but it can be done. We have been downing my basals by half on nights when i run too, otherwise my bloodsugars go low during the night because after you run and like exercise your bloodsugar dumps for the next six hours! ridiculous. Ive been trying to eat healthier lately too and ive been drinking alot more water and stuff which makes me feel better. It makes all the difference.

This is kind of all over the place, sorry about that. As im typing one thing i think of another and so sometimes it doesnt always flow, oh well. Im really excited though for my half marathon (which is 13 miles by the way) and ill keep updating my progress and the things im doing for it and all that jazz)

Alyssa!!

a realization.

Today when i went to change my site i realized that Animas has a couple flaws. First of all, almost everytime i go to change my sites, it doesn't stick in the first time and so my mom has to try it a few more time and then has to push down on it before pulling up to make sure it sticks. does anyone else have this problem? it is soo annoying!! and it hurts! I have the button sites and i like them cause they're smaller, but the little self applicator container they come in is annoying. Also, whenever i go to prime my pump it takes so long for the insulin to come out. like 12 whole units long! what a waste. its so ridiculous. i like my pump alot but i really hate the sites. gayyyy.

Alyssa