iPod Challenge: Part Deux

I hadn't done this in a while, so I thought I'd start it up again. A meme of sorts. :) Plus, I wanted to compare it to my list from last time. Oh, and just a disclaimer: I don't actually own an iPod. I have a Zune, which I love very, very much. It's just that everyone pretty much has an iPod. And I wanted a title that could be recognized.
So, put your iPod (or other mp3 player) on shuffle and list the first 25 songs that play....

1.) There's No Buisness Like "Show Business -from OBC of Annie Get Your Gun

2.) Just Might Make Me Believe -Sugarland

3.) Cold As You - Taylor Swift

4.) Friends - Band of Skulls (from the New Moon Soundtrack)

5.) Story of My Life - Bon Jovi

6.) Trani - Kings of Leon

7.) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Miranda Lambert

8.) Complicated - Carolyn Dawn Johnson

9.) I Thought She Knew - 'NSYNC

10.) One of These Nights - Eagles

11.) Let's Fall In Love - Rod Stewart (from the Great American Songbook collection)

12.) Long, Long Way From Home - Foreigner

13.) Does the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma -Reba McEntire w/ Ronnie Dunn (from Brooks & Dunn)

14.) Leaving You - Nickelback

15.) Don't Rain On My Parade - Lea Michele from Glee Soundtrack

16.) God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You - 'NSYNC

17.) Last One Standing - Emerson Drive

18.) Big Blonde & Beautiful - Hairspray Original Broadway Cast

19.) Cold Desert - Kings of Leon

20.) Endless Helpless Hoping - Josh Gracin

21.) Woke Up This Morning - Nickelback

22.) The Way You Look Tonight - Rod Stewart (from the Great American Songbook collection)

23.) All I Wanted Was a Car - Brad Paisley

24.) Time With You - Billy Currington

25.) The Woman With You - Kenny Chesney


The only justification on any of these songs is my 'NSYNC. My only excuse is that I dug them out to try to cling to my youth. At least I didn't break out the Britney. :P

So, join me. Try this for yourself. And give me some suggestions. I'm always about widening my musical horizons.

Mamma Mia!

Theatre Thursday is here again folks! Lately I've been to see several shows, so I should have a Theatre post for the next few weeks in a row.

Back before Christmas my mother and I watched Mamma Mia!, the movie. We both thought it was thoroughly cheesy and we both loved it (If you know us, you'd know that both thoughts are completely possible at the same time...).

Through my wealth of useless knowledge about all things Broadway related, I knew that Mamma Mia! the Broadway touring production was coming to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (further known at TPAC) in the spring of 2010. Immediately, my mind went to Christmas gifts, and what a great gift it would be to take my mom to see the show.

My mother has never been to New York. She's never seen a Broadway show before. But she spent a lot of time growing up doing plays at school and singing show tunes in choir. In fact, she sang me more show tunes than lullabies when I was a child. She is basically the reason I love musical theatre so much.

After confirming that I could get tickets before Christmas, I knew right away that's what I was going to do. I also purchased the movie, unwrapped it (and let's be completely honest, I watched it, too) and put the tickets inside the DVD case.

She was thrilled when she opened her Christmas present. And I knew that I'd not only get to hang out with my mom (which I don't do nearly enough anymore), but I'd also get to see a show. And what's better than a show? Sharing it with people you love, of course!

This is a few weeks ago now, so I figured it's time for the theatre critic in me to come out. First of all, I'd like to say that both my mom and I, along with a great friend of mine that went with us, had a fantastic time. Second of all, I'd like to say the the show is every bit as cheesy and fantastic as the movie. Actually, a little more fantastic, just because it's live theatre and not a movie.

Mamma Mia! has been on Broadway for several years now. It's currently playing in the Winter Garden Theatre (where Cats was for so many years!). The poster even says "The Global Smash Hit". And it really is global. The show currently has productions in London, New York City (of course), Norway, and Mexico. There is also a North American Tour, an International Tour, a Dutch Tour, a Spanish Tour, and an Australian Tour. Whew! If that doesn't say "Global Smash Hit", I don't know what does.

Now, onto my review:

For those of you who have never seen the movie or the musical, I'll give a brief synopsis. The show is about a young woman, Sophie, who is about to get married. She has been raised by her single mother, Donna, never being told about her father. In her desire to meet her father, she discovers that her mother doesn't even know who it is; there are three possibilities.

So, without Donna's knowledge, Sophie invites all three men to her wedding, hoping to discover who her true father is.

Of course, hilarity ensues, especially upon the arrival of Donna's old friends Tanya and Rosie, and her three ex-beau's, whom she's not seen in twenty years.

Throughout it all, Sophie learns that family is what you make it, and Donna learns that sometimes it's okay to ask for help and that love doesn't always go away.

And the greatest part of the show: every single song is an ABBA song. I wasn't born when ABBA was popular, but like most people (at least people with good taste in music ;)...) I've learned many ABBA songs over the years. And I can assure you that nearly every song that you would know by ABBA is in this show, from the title track, Mamma Mia, to Dancing Queen. There are 22 total songs in the show, and I knew about 80% of them going in.

All the actors and actresses did a good job, but Rachel Tyler, who played the role of Tanya, and Kittra Wynn Coomer, who played the role of Rosie, stole the show. Their comedic timing was impeccable and they were probably the most talented of all the actors and actress in the show.

So, is Mamma Mia! the greatest musical ever written? No way. Not by a long shot. But it's fun, and funny, and is something even a non-musical lover could enjoy, if for nothing more than the songs. There seemed to be a large number of women enjoying the show with friends, especially women who were young during the ABBA reign. And I know that I enjoyed every second of it.

My Adoption Story

I realized, in the past few weeks, that many of you don't know that I'm adopted. Some of you may. It comes up in my conversations (especially when relating to diabetes) quite a bit. Since Elizabeth Arnold, who I've gotten to know on Twitter, and more recently, in her new blog, is adopting, I thought I'd share my story with all of you.

To save on confusion in my story, any reference to mom, dad, or parents refers to my adoptive parents. Any time I am referring to my biological family, I will use the term "birth" or "biological".

My parents met, and were married in southern California. Both had spent a majority of their childhood, and all of their adult life in California. When they married, my dad already had a son from a previous marriage and my mom and dad were unable to have children. My mom wanted a child.

At the time, they were attending Calvary Chapel in Downey, California. Calvary had just started an adoption ministry called House of Ruth. Years later, I would write to the director, Karyn Johnson. She told me I was one of the first adoptions that House of Ruth helped to facilitate.

My mom and dad never hid the fact that I was adopted. I always knew. My mother had a cross-stitched picture that she kept on my wall in my bedroom. I still have it. It was of a mother holding an infant. The poem under it reads:

Not flesh of my flesh

Nor bone of my bone

But still, miraculously, my own

Never forget for a single minute,

You didn't grow under my heart

But in it.

That's how I always felt. My mom and dad told me how special I was. Because they got to pick me. That someone loved me enough to give me to my mom and dad, who could take care of me better and love me more. As a child, that made me feel wonderful.

As I grew older, I learned a more about the story behind my adoption. It's never that simple, is it? When we are children, a child-like terminology can explain it all. As an adult, the story and details behind it make it so much more special.

My parents signed up on a list of adoptive parents through House of Ruth. Shortly after that, my parents moved to Tennessee. My father had spent his early childhood in Tennessee and still had family here. He and my mother moved and began their lives here, while waiting to hear something about a baby.

My mother had prayed and believed that God had promised her a baby girl. But it was 3 years and several let downs before I would enter the picture. And even my entrance was filled with drama. My mom tells me there were several birth mothers who pulled my parents' profile. They would be all excited....up to the point they found out that the baby would be living in Tennessee. I'm not sure, but I think there were people who still believed that there was no indoor pluming here.... and that we never wore shoes. (Totally not true, by the way...I have had indoor pluming my whole life. And we do wear shoes...most of the time ;P )

But my parents kept praying. And my mom kept believing that she'd get her baby girl.

When my birth mother and her family contacted House of Ruth, I believe the fact that I would be far away from California was a positive for them. My parents had little time to prepare for me, if I have it timed correctly in my head. My birth mother was in her 6th month before she told anyone she was expecting.

The the surprise. I came a month early. I was sick. Very sick. When the doctors called my parents, they told my mother not to bother flying to California because I wasn't going to make it. I had a valve in my heart that wasn't working properly. They were flying me from Los Alamitos General Hospital in Orange County, to Long Beach where there was a more capable NICU.

After talking with the doctor, she told him that she'd be on the first plane out of Nashville because God had promised her a baby girl and she wasn't going to lose me now. She said "God's working through your hands, doctor. She'll be okay."

The story goes that the doctor, a known atheist, got on the helicopter and informed the flight nurses that they'd better get a move on because "Ladies, God is apparently working through my hands today. Let's go take care of this baby." My mom said when she finally got to the hospital in California, that all the nurses came out of the back to see "the lady that had made the atheist doctor talk about God." I've always just thought it was a wonderful example of my mother's strong faith in God.

At the hospital, they were trying to use a new drug to get my heart to start working correctly. If that failed, they were going to have to do heart surgery. But the drug worked. I was in an incubator for 17 days. In the hospital for a little longer than that. The picture below is of me at 3 weeks old. The bear next to me was a gift from my birth mother. I still have it. I always thought I was an UGLY baby. My head was HUGE and kind of wrinkly. I think I looked like a little alien. Mom says I was beautiful (of course) and that I grew into myself very quickly.

My parents took me home to Tennessee. I am pretty sure that my mom sent pictures a few times. And when I was 4 years old and diagnosed with diabetes, my mom said she contacted someone to find out if T1 ran in the family. To their knowledge, it didn't.

For a long time, I don't think there was any contact. Then, when I was about 15 or 16, my mom was contacted about my birth mother wanting to meet me. My sister was still a baby, and I wasn't going to go on my own. But by the time I turned 18, we were contacted again. I agreed to go. I spoke with my biological grandmother on the phone and she sent me a collection of pictures of my birth mother, my aunts, their husbands and children. Some were of my birth mother and her sisters when they were younger. It was interesting. I could see myself, somewhat in those pictures.

I started college in the fall of 2000. For my fall break, I flew to Idaho (where the family was now living). It was only my second time on a plane (not counting my flight from California to Tennessee when I was a baby). It was my first time ever flying alone. My dad was a little worried about me going. My mom wasn't. I'll never forget the conversations I had with both of them that day.

That morning, I had a complete melt down. I was terrified. Of what? I'm not sure. I lay in my bed crying. I begged my mom not to make me go. She said to me, "You've blessed my life for 18 years, Cara Elizabeth. I'm your mother. I'll always be your mother. But you need to go be a blessing to these people too."

I went. Willingly. My dad drove me to the airport. This was all pre 9-11, so my dad went with me to the gate. He sat in the chair and didn't say a whole lot. He usually doesn't say a whole lot. But that day he said, "Promise you'll come back. I don't want you to go out there and not come home." All I could do was hug him and let him know I'd be back. I'm my daddy's baby. I had to let him know no one could take his place.

I spent 4 or 5 days with them (I don't remember exactly; it's been 11 years!). Stepping off the plane walking into the arms of the people who I share DNA with was surreal. Over the time there, I met my birth mother, her mother, my two biological aunts, their husbands and 3 first cousins. All along, I found little things (and big things) that were like them. Some things I would have never considered genetic and after meeting them, I think they might be.

I'm a lefty. There were other lefties in the family (although my dad and niece are lefties, too, so that could go w/ genetics, or learned...). There were two teachers (I have a degree in education). My biological grandmother and I had a very similar taste in books and colors. At night, I take a bottle of water, or something to drink w/ me and sit it by my bed. Sometimes I may drink it. Sometimes I may not. But its there if I want it. I found out that everyone in my immediate, biological family does the same thing. In my family, I don't know of anyone who does this.

Overall, my trip was wonderful. I learned so much about my "other" family. It was a fantastic experience in so many ways and is something I will never, ever forget, or regret. I've not been back to visit since, but I stay in contact by phone with my biological mother, and on the internet with other various family members.

Many people have asked if I consider my biological family as part of my family. In many ways I do. But my true family, the family that I will always consider my family is the family who raised me. They took me in willingly. They loved me. They cared for me through this lovely chronic illness we call diabetes. They've continually supported me in everything I've done.

I just happened to be a lucky one. I have two great families. And I love them both.

Dentists and Eye Doctors, oh my....

Today I had 2 different appointments. I set up my dentist and eye doctor on the same day to basically get them both out of the way. I was overdue for a dentist appointment and a little late for an eye doctor appointment. Getting them both in one day helps with work also.

I chose to put the dentist appointment first because I knew, after eye dilation, that I would be useless for the rest of the day. My eyes take an abnormally long time to return to their original state.

At the dentists, it was discovered that one of my fillings had chipped. This means another appointment to get it fixed. Also, I apparently have a wisdom tooth coming in. I didn't know it. And I've not had any come through before. The dentist said since it's not bothering me that we'd not worry about it for now.

A good cleaning and fluoride treatment later, and I was ready to go. No new cavities. Nothing major, other than the chipped filling. I have to say, I left feeling pretty good about myself.

I asked my mom to drive me to the eye doctor. I've been going to the same eye care center since I was about 15, save for a couple of appointments in college. During my time there, I've only seen 2 eye doctors. One of them, sadly, passed away when I was just starting college. The second doctor had been there every since.

Today, I found out there's a new eye doctor. Apparently the other one moved on. When I saw the new doctor, I nearly fell over. I went to high school with him! He was YOUNGER than me! And he's an eye doctor. Okay, that makes me feel really old. I don't think he remembered me. Which is fine. But I have to say, I almost yelled, "Oh my GOD! You're my DOCTOR???"

However, he did a good job and was very professional. It's just a little weird having someone younger than me, be my doctor.

Sadly, when he was done with my eye exam, the bad news came.

I have bleeding. In both eyes.

After 24 years of diabetes, and only 1 other time of having any bleeding at all (which was gone the next time I went in), I have bleeding in both eyes.

He was very positive about it. The right eye, he expects could be gone at my next eye exam. It's that small. The right eye, he sounded like he didn't expect it to go away. He did say it's on the outer area of my eye, so it's not an issue at this point, as far as vision goes. He even said it could possibly get better.

But he didn't sound like he expected it to go away.

I have an endo appointment next month. He planned on sending my report on to my endo. He also said he didn't really thing that I needed to come in for a 6 month appointment. His words were, "It's such a small issue right now, unless you have a change in vision or some other problem, I don't even feel like we need to see you again for a year. Six months is not necessary."

But I'm scared. I know it's not a big deal. I know, after 24 years of living with diabetes, my eye issues are minimal compared to what they should be. But I'm still scared.

Some people with diabetes fear loosing a limb. My greatest fear is losing my sight. I could figure out how to deal with being in a wheel chair or on a walker. I could figure it out.

But being without my sight is so very scary for me. So many of my joys and hobbies depend, almost totally on my sight. Reading, cake decorating, watching Broadway shows, blogging. Even my sign language. They all require my sight.

Could I do it? Could I live without my sight? I'm sure I could. God won't ever give me anything I couldn't handle. I meet people every day that say they couldn't have diabetes. But until you have it, you don't know what you can do. But I have to say, I hope I don't ever find out what it's like to live without my sight.

And knowing I could do it, doesn't make me any less scared of actually having to do it.

Choices, Choices, Choices...

I grew up in a really, really small town. Most of you would be amazed at how small my town really is. Until I was 8, we didn't even have a Wal-Mart. And when we got one, it was so small that they didn't build one any smaller. Ever.

I remember when it opened. My dad and I went in and I headed (like I always did...and still do) to the stationary section. I have always been obsessed with pens and pencils and notebooks and stationary. I don't know why. But I have. I'll never forget my dad saying, "There are just too many choices. How are you supposed to chose?"

I'm pretty sure he was joking. But I remember silently agreeing with him. How was I supposed to pick a new pen when there were so many to chose from? Different colors. Different sizes. Different inks.

Part of me is still that way, even though we have a bigger Wal-Mart now, and I've seen the wonders of Staples and Office Max in other places. Part of me still wishes, to some degree, that there were only 2 or 3 choices. Then it wouldn't be such a hard choice. You'd get what you'd get and you'd be happy with it. Or, as one of my Sunday school kids says, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."

Maybe I'm indecisive. But I also feel that way about insulin pumps. I began pumping on May 1, 2006. Which means four years is just around the corner. I'm (for the most part) happy with my MiniMed 722. I am (for the most part) loving my CGMS. But my warranty on my pump will be up in May. And my CGMS warranty has actually already been up for a while.

But sometimes I want to try something new. I wonder about other CGM Systems. I wonder about other pumps. And I wonder why I can't try one, really try one, without risking being stuck with something I hate for the next four years.

You know the grass is always greener on the other side....until you get there. And like I said before, I'm not UNhappy with my MiniMed system. But sometimes I just want to take some others on a "test drive". To see if the grass really is greener on the other side, or if I need to stick with what I know works. With what makes me happy and what works and what my insurance pays for.

So, my question today is, do you guys ever feel that way too? Do you wish you had more options? Or do you think you have too many options?

My Latest Creation

I've not been caking much lately, but the next couple of months will have more due to several birthdays and holidays coming up. Here's the first of my new string of creations:

Enjoy!

Elliott Yamin

Diabetes and Music Monday meet.

Elliott Yamin was on American Idol a few years ago. He was one of my favorites and he finished third. He is also a Type 1 diabetic. I know a lot of people talk about how American Idol uses the back story to promote different people. Some people like it, some don't. You would think that having diabetes would make for a great story. But I don't recall hearing about Elliott having diabetes until almost the end of the season. And I watched EVERY EPISODE. He had already become one of my favorites, but after hearing that we had diabetes in common, it quickly sealed my love for Elliott.

He has worked some with JDRF that I know about and I'm sure he's done other things in relation to diabetes.

Last night I found out that Elliott was in Chile when the 8.8 earthquake hit. I read about it on some news site (I don't remember which). I immediately went to his Twitter feed. I found out that he had been tweeting consistently since the earthquake and was doing some interviews with different media outlets.

I also found out that he was running low on insulin. Very low. He stated on his twitter account that they had only planned to be in Chile through Sunday and that he hadn't brought much more insulin than that. (He has been traveling quite a bit in the past weeks, all over the globe.)

The thought that Elliott (or anyone for that matter) would be caught in situation like that brought fear to my heart.

Two different times he Tweeted about being low on insulin. Then, earlier today, he tweeted an SOS message asking media people who were traveling out of the country if there was any way he could go with them since he was running so low in insulin. Again, I was scared for him.

He tweeted that they were telling him they could leave Wednesday. Then Friday. Then they weren't sure.

All I could think was that if he was running that low on insulin, he wouldn't make it to Wednesday or Friday.

Just a little while ago (around 5 CST), he tweeted that he was now doing okay on insulin and there was no need to worry.

I sighed in relief.

Knowing he had insulin made me a little more calm

I know some people may say "Why would you get so upset about someone you'd never met?" My only answer is that I can only imagine the fear that I would be feeling. The panic that would set in, if I were in that situation. I realize that in the event of any natural disaster, a lot of people can die from lack of medical care. But people think about lack of medical care regarding injuries, most of the time. They don't think about lack of medical care in regards to people with chronic illness. Elliott just put a face on that.

I wish Elliott a safe rest of his time in Chile, and a safe and speedy trip back to the States.

Lesson: Always pack extra times 3

Statement: Never yell at me for packing waaaaayyyy too much stuff when I got on vacation. There's a reason I have a suitcase big enough for myself to fit in....

Wasting Money

Sometimes we waste money. No surprise there. We buy clothes we never wear, or make-up we never use. Or a CD or DVD we only watch once. I try not to do that very often. But sometimes it just happens. Even more, sometimes we buy things *gasp* we DON'T REALLY NEED! Ekkk!

I did just that last week. And my frivolous prize came in the mail today. Gratefully on a day when I really needed some retail therapy. I'm feeling much better now, thanks. :)

I have written before about my obsession with theatre and all things musical. Since today is officially my Theatre Thursday, I am combining diabetes with theatre...again. Most of you (yeah, I'm talking to you Kelly!) know about my love of Wicked the musical, although any type of musical theatre will feed my addiction.

I just was Wicked (for the first time) when it came on tour to Nashville. I bought my tickets more than 3 months in advance. That's how excited I was to see it.

Well, Minimed (diabetes enters, stage right) offers skins for their insulin pumps. My pump is clear. I did that so it would match anything I wore. I bought a skin a couple of years ago from them and kept it on my pump for quite some time. I loved it, but got tired of it and took it off after a while. Since that time, Minimed has extended and offers a place where you can completely personalize your skin. Using a picture, or clip art, or whatever you want, you can make your skin look like whatever you want.

Although it's completely dorky of me, I went Broadway. Better yet, I went Wicked. Below are pictures of my new "wicked" pump.

The picture I started out with.

The top of my pump.

The bottom of my pump.

My pump. Yes, I know it looks upside down...

but I did it that way on purpose so I could see the full title on the bottom. :)

Diabetes and Fear

I know there are a lot of people who sit around and worry and fret over their future in relation to diabetes. What if I loose a limb? What if I have to have an amputation? What if my kidneys fail?

While these are all very real possibilities, they are by no means something I sit around thinking about. If I did, I'd worry myself straight into the grave long before diabetes ever even got it's chance.

Instead, I live my life to the best of my ability and let God take care of the rest. I do the best I can do at any given moment to take care of my diabetes. Sometimes my blood sugars are good. Sometimes they aren't. Either way, it's just that single moment in time. I fix it and move on.

I do have fears though. But they are more immediate fears. The right now, so to speak.

Here's my example:

I have a dear friend of mine who is a single mom. She has 2 young children and not a lot of family around to help her out. We do have a fantastic church family that is always willing to step up when needed, but as some of you may know, it's nothing like having family or a significant other around to help out when you need it.

The other morning my friend called me. She was very sick with a stomach virus. She was needing help and asked me to come over and help her with her children. My first reaction (on the inside) is "Sure! I'll be right over." But my second reaction wins out.

Fear. What if I get this virus? What if I end up in the hospital from it? (It was entirely possible as one of her children already had it and had to do to the hospital) What if, what if, what if?

I told her no. But I offered to help her find someone to come instead. She called some other people and got the help she needed.

That fear made me sad. It made me angry. And it made me realize what a great community we have here in the D-OC. I tweeted my frustrations about not being able to help my friend and had 2 different people (from 2 different states faaaarrrr away from me) want to know where in Tennessee I was because they had friends/family that might have been able to help out.

I hate that I have to be scared of getting sick. I've not been in the hospital in about 6 years. I've not been in the hospital overnight since I was....wow, I think I was about 7 years old. But that fear is there. The fact that I can get sicker, quicker and worse than a lot of my healthy friends makes me angry. Because earlier this week, it interfered with my being able to help a friend.

The immediate fears are there. No, I don't think about them all the time, but they are in my mind when I'm making decisions about when to test, when to eat, when to call a doctor, and apparently when to help a friend or not.

Do you guys have fears like that? Immediate fears dealing with the right now instead of the far off future?

Phantom Pains and Diagnosis Dates

I've been off the blogging for a few days because I had company in town. Originally she was only supposed to stay for a long weekend, but it turned into a long week because she lives in the northeast and was snowed OUT of home. I loved having company, but it made it hard to find time and inspiration to blog. But I'm back today with two seperate topics.

First up: Phantom Pains.

You know how people that lose limbs to amputation will sometimes have phantom pains? Well, I have infusion site phantom pains. You know that feeling when you have a slightly sore site from your infusion set or sensor? Or you are right toward the time when you are going to be changing sites and it starts to get a little sore?

Well, I sometimes get those same feelings in spots where I don't currently have an infusion set or sensor. Like today, I have a sensor in my left thigh. It has been in the same spot for around 3 days. But my right thigh (where I had my last sensor) occasionally has a phantom pain.

And when I went to push on the area to see if it was sore from the previous sensor, it wasn't the same spot and the spot where the pain had been wasn't even sore.

I also have that happen occasionally with infusion sites. Do any of you have that happen, or am I completely weird?

Next topic: Diagnosis dates.

Last Friday I blogged about my celebration of my diagnosis date. During this time, I noticed several other bloggers who had diagnosis dates very close to my own.

Allison, Katie, Rachel, Kathy and Sara all have diagnosis dates within a couple of weeks of mine. I also have a friend who is not part of the online community that was diagnosed in February. I wonder if it is the time of year... with our immune systems so comprimised and sickness triggering it and all that. I suppose that could be a plausable theory. I'd like to take a survey of when people have diagnosis dates.

When's yours?

This Date In History

February 5, 1986. I'm sure there were lots of things going on in the world. I don't know what they were. I'm sure there were treaties being signed, or rock stars dying, or someone famous that was arrested. Maybe not. Who knows.

But February 5, 1986 was a day that my world, and the world of those around me, changed forever. After being very sick for a while, having nightmares, drinking water til it poured out the corner of my mouth, and wetting the bed several times a night, my mother took me to my family doctor. I'm sure there were other symptoms. I don't know what they were.

That morning, in the doctor's office, Dr. Joshi didn't even take my blood sugar before looking at my mother and telling her I had diabetes. A blood test verified it. As for the exact number, I don't know what it was. But my mother has always said that Dr. Joshi looked at her and said "How fast can you get her to Cookeville?" I'm sure they could have put me in an ambulance. But mom took me herself. The doctor told her not to even stop at home for clothes. Just to get me there.

I was in the hospital for several days, but you've all read this story before.

Instead, I want to talk about how much diabetes has given me. It's given me strength. It's given me friends. It's given me something that I think kept me out of trouble as a teen (nothing like the fear of getting sick to make you not was to party as a high schooler). Diabetes has given me sympathy for others and understanding that I don't think I would have otherwise.

It's been with me through thick and thin. Keeping me company, in a weird way. Present at every holiday and birthday. On every vacation. At every class I've taken. It was with me when I graduated college and when I paid off my first car. It was with me when I had my first date and my first kiss. And until a cure happens, it will be with me at every other major event (and minor event) in my life.

Boston Cream Pie Cake

So today, 24 years to the day after my world changed forever, I am going to have cake. And eat it too. I'm going to test and bolus and correct as needed. And have a wonderful time doing it.

This is the cake I really wanted....but, alas, it was made by Charm City Cakes and A) I can't afford it and B) it's too far away. Sigh. Someday.

TMI Post-Men, You've Been Warned

Okay, as most of you know I'm typically not a person who writes highly emotionally charged posts like I did on Sunday night. I was just feeling very frustrated and highly annoyed. However, it now makes sense. My monthly visitor came today. And as all of us women know, PMSing is one of the most emotionally charged times of our month.

Over the weekend I was fighting horrible high blood sugars. I assumed it was because I was constantly snacking and not doing alot because I was snowed in. However, hind sight's 20/20, right?

Typically, for 2 to 3 days before I start my period, my blood sugar runs crazy high. If I am thinking straight and I know it's coming, I'm prepared and I raise my basal rate by 10-20%. This usually works quite well.

Then, the day I start, my blood sugars plummet. I mean, non-diabetic type plummet. Yesterday around 6 p.m. my blood sugar leveled out at around 100. And it stayed there. All night long. I even tested in the middle of the night. I was 113. This morning, I woke up 93. By the time I got to work, I was 96 (this almost NEVER happens. My dawn phenomenon hits around 7:30 and I'm raising rapidly by the time I get to work at 8:00).

All day long I ate. I ate bad stuff. I ate food that I didn't bolus for. And I never got above 144. All day long. According to my pump, my daily average was 111. My daily sensor average was 96.

It's ironic really. That on a day when I truly feel like I've been hit by a truck (possibly a truck full of penguins....who knows) and I'm tired and cranky, that my blood sugar chooses to behave. Perfectly.

It must be Mother Nature's way of giving the diabetic chick a break. "Hey, since you have to feel like crap from your period once a month, I'll let the diabetes give you a break for a day or two. How's that? Will that work for you?" Well, Mother Nature, it would work better if I didn't feel like crap....and I didn't have diabetes in the first place. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?

Variety in Life

I am a person who tends to like things to stay the same. I hate to move. I hate things to be "sprung" on me. I like plans. I tend to eat the same things every time I go out to eat (although that might have something to do with knowing what certain foods do to my blood sugars...).

But, I do like all different kinds of thing. Routine is good. Pigeonhole-ing yourself is not.

I like all kinds of movies. Comedy, drama, action, teen-flicks, musicals.

I also like all kinds of music. I've written before about my love of music. I have very eclectic tastes.

Last night the Grammy's were on TV. I usually like to watch award shows because they give me a chance to see live performances that I'd otherwise not have a chance to see. I was, however, hanging out on Twitter while the show was on. It hurt me and disturbed me to no end how terribly unforgiving and judgemental that people were of different performances, artists, and songs.

I don't like all music. I'm not a fan of every artist. But talent comes in many forms. And I've always lived by the whole "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" mantra. I respect people's opinions, don't get me wrong. If you don't like county/rock/rap/pop/show tunes/whatever...it's your right not to like it. That's okay. I respect that.

But the bashing of an artist because you a) don't know who they are or b) don't like the genre of music they sing is NOT cool. I can promise you they love what music they are performing. And when you love something, you put 100% into it.

It is true that some performances are just flat out bad. I've seen it. I've even said "that was NOT good." It just seemed to me that people online were doling out judgements before ever even giving the performers a chance. My idea of a bad performance is one where they aren't on key, screw up the words, aren't on beat, etc. Not just that I didn't like the song or music.

That being said, I loved watching the Grammy's last night. There were some beautiful performances. Some of them will be YouTube worthy, no doubt. On in particular was the performance of Green Day with the cast of the soon-to-open Broadway show American Idiot. Obviously, all the music in the show is Green Day music. :) (Oh, and by the way, I'm not a huge fan of Green Day. But I liked this performance. And I plan on seeing the Broadway show with a friend of mine later this year.)



Also, I can assure you, all my lovely readers, that I wasn't mad per-say. Just disturbed at how cruel people can be in general. And, I typically don't get all "political" about things as I don't like to push buttons and I certainly don't like to fight about stuff. But I needed a place to vent and also to encourage people to try new things. Being open to new experiences is a good thing. I think it makes us better people. And more understanding people.

Snow

The Tennessee version of a snow storm:

Final amount: around 6"

For us, that was a blizzard. :)

Positoovity

Today I'm gonna mix a little music and a little diabetes. :) Since it's my designated Music Monday, I figured I'd get 2 in one.
Earlier today Allison blogged about the choice of words. Basically, how we see ourselves as diabetics (or people with diabetes). Her question was "Suffering from, or living with?" I whole-heartedly believe that I live with diabetes. In my comment on her blog, I compared it to a crappy roommate you can't get rid of because of the lease. Some days are easier to live with the roommate than others. She pointed out that she didn't sign a lease and that she preferred to look at it like an annoying little brother. I think I like her analogy better than mine.

I got my analogy from the only bad living situation I ever had, which was a crappy roommate. Both my siblings are so far away from me in age there's not a lot of "annoying sibling" stuff in my life. We won't ask Allison how she relates to her "little brother" analogy. ;)

Allison is right though. None of us signed a lease. We just got stuck with it. And we live with it the best way we know how.
I do think, however, that our attitudes have everything to do with what category we fall into. To me, one who "suffers" from diabetes is letting diabetes have the upper hand. One who "lives with" diabetes has found a way to co-habitate. I think a lot of us in the D-OC have become people who "live with" diabetes. I won't say all, because there are always the exception to the rule, but I think the D-OC has helped me, and probably a lot of you, pick the more positive category.
No matter how much that little brother known as diabetes may annoy us, and drive us up the wall, deep down we can still appreciate it. Maybe not love diabetes, but was can love what diabetes has given us. For me, diabetes has given me a world of online friends and a wonderful support system. It has given me strength in ways I'm not sure I ever would have had on my own. And diabetes is just as much a part of my life as my big brother or my little sister...the only difference is that diabetes is slightly more annoying. :P
Now for the music....and come to think of it, the theater connection to my post. There's a song that was in The Little Mermaid on Broadway (which I was lucky enough to get to see on my last trip to the Big Apple) that was sung by Scuttle the Seagull. It's called Positoovity. And that's what I want to have. Positoovity about diabetes. Positoovity about life. Yes, the song's silly. But I think, just like a silly song, that our attitude's have everything to do with how we live our lives, with or without diabetes.

Careful Consideration

After careful consideration, I deleted one of my former posts today. It was titled Dr. Bernstein and was originally posted 11/27/07. It was one of my most commented on posts. There were 14 approved comments on that post when I checked today.
I had mentioned a few weeks ago, that I was dealing with a lot of spam comments on my blog lately. It had gotten to the point that it was literally driving me up the wall. I started to keep track of which posts the spam comments were going to and I discovered that a vast majority of them were on the Dr. Bernstein post. Because of this, I decided to delete the post.
I think it's sad that I should have to delete one of my most popular (controversial, but popular) posts just to try to ward off the spammers.
However, I'm hoping that by removing the most spammed post, I'll cut down on the comments. Let's all cross our fingers and hope I'm right, okay? :)
I'll be posting later on this week. And, if it goes according to plan, it will be another theatre post.
Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Holiday Caking

I had about a million cakes to make (and cupcakes to make!) Between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some of them turned out okay, other's not so much. Sure, they tasted good, but when it come to decorating, I'm somewhat of a perfectionist....making me way harder on myself than I probably need to be.

However, I have one that I was kind of proud of. It tasted great and I thought it looked pretty cool, even though it didn't exactly turn out like I wanted it to.

I started with a recipe called Midnight Chocolate Cake. It was in one of my Cake Mix Doctor books that I got from my D-OC Secret Santa last year, the lovely Kathy. It was described as a dark chocolate cake. A co-worker of mine described it as tasting kind of like an Oreo Cakester.

It really was a great tasting cake. All of the recipes I have used from any of the Cake Mix Doctor books has been great. And easy. They've become my "fall back" recipe books for a fail proof, great tasting cake (or cupcake).

I wanted something Christmas-y. So I went with holly. I had bought a set of Christmas mini cookie cutters and it had the perfect holly leaf cutter. I iced my cake cake with buttercreme icing, but all my details were made from marshmallow fondant. I tried to make a fondant rope with two strands of red and green fondant, but they wouldn't stay, so instead I mashed them together and make a kind of tie-dyed looking border on the bottom.

To finish it all up, we know that everyone loves sparkly things, so I dusted the accents with some luster dust.

I think it turned out pretty good, although, like most of the cakes I do, it didn't really look like anything in my head. But, I think most artists must have that problem. Does it EVER turn out like we think it will? I think not. Enjoy!

Wrong!

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post on what I found out when I picked up my medical records. For the first couple of days I was so shocked that I didn't know what to post. Then Christmas snuck up on me and I spent the holidays busy and crazy all at the same time.


I'm hoping that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. My Christmas was different this year. I spent the normal Christmas Eve with my dad and his family. We had a great meal, thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law. Things have been different with holidays in general this year because we lost my grandmother in May. But Christmas turned out good in spite of that. Christmas day, however, was a different story. Early in the week of Christmas, my little sister got sick. Within a couple of days, my mom and step-dad were also sick. Official diagnosis: FLU!


Thankfully, I hadn't been around them in a few days, so I had not been exposed. But I have not had my flu shot and had no desire to risk the flu. So, all of their Christmas presents still sit under my tree. And we are waiting, probably until this weekend, to exchange gifts.


But, I have wonderful friends who stepped right in. I had Christmas dinner at the home of one of my oldest friends (we met the first day of kindergarten!) with her husband, son, and both sets of parents. It was very nice and very wonderful. They are like my substitute family anyway, so it wasn't great to be able to see them on Christmas Day.


I also went with another friend of mine to see The Blind Side Christmas night. Personal recommendation from me: SEE IT! Fantastic family movie.


Now, back to the date. I picked up my medical records on my way to my endo appointment. At first glance the date says 6/15. June. Exactly when I thought. Not really paying attention to anything else, I was feeling kind of happy that I knew the date. Then I took the time to look at the doctor's name. It wasn't my childhood endo. Which made me start reading a little closer. These records were dated 06-15-86. A year after I originally thought my date was. And then on the final diagnosis, I realized it was the records from my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Which I remember vividly as being AFTER I was diagnosed with diabetes. Mostly cause the Popsicles I got after the surgery were of the sugar free variety.



I started reading my records closer. On the second page it states "This patient is a 5 year old white female who has been a known diabetic for the past 4 months."



The past 4 months.



Four months from June is February, 1986. Nearly a year after when I thought my diagnosis date was. Apparently I was closer to 5 than 4. At first I thought the actual date wasn't on the papers. But in the upper corner of the first page there is a box that had been filled in that listed "prev adm date 2/05/86" and "prev dis date 2/13/86". I know that 2/5/86 is my diagnosis date. I was in the hospital for a week, according to my mother, and since the note that say "known diabetic for the past 4 months" narrows it down to February, that leaves 2/5/86 as my diagnosis date.



On one hand, I can't apply for my Joslin medal until next year. On the other, I have 8 months LESS diabetic damage and wear and tear on my body. I'll take the good over the bad any day.



Also, a few funny notes on my medical records:

"The patient was scheduled for T&A until the diabetes was found, and it was cancelled until this could be brought under control."

Urinalysis: 2+ (this might not mean anything to you newer diabetics, but us old schoolers know that's BAD!)

Hemaglobin 12.6 (Ekkkkk!!!!! This is what they considered "brought under control"????)

"The patient takes 17 units of NPH Insulin in the morning" (Wow. That's it.)



So, now you guys know my crazy story. I know my date. And I fully plan on throwing myself a diaversary party! :) Anyone wanna come?

The Date

Since I joined the D-OC, I've noticed that most of you know your exact diagnosis date. Right down to the day. A lot of you even "celebrate" it. I think that is so cool. For years, I've always claimed June of 1985 as my diagnosis month. But to be honest, I'm not sure. I was only 4 years old. And part of me thinks my mom blocked out the horrible experience the best she could. As for an exact day, I have no clue.

I've wondered. I contemplated searching for medical records. But I put it off. Time and time again. I've changed primary care physicians several times over my life. And I had to think that the doctor who cared for me when I was diagnosed had probably gotten rid of my records. It was, after all, nearly 25 years ago.

About a week ago I had an idea. I was taken immediately from my doctor's office to a hospital in a neighboring town to be admitted when I was diagnosed. Hospitals are much better about keeping medical records on file. So, I picked up my phone and called the hospital. I was transferred to the records department and no one answered. I was able to leave a message and I just figured that they'd get to me when they could. In all honesty, I didn't think I'd even get a call back.

Within two days, I had a return call from a very nice lady. I told her the approximate time frame for my records (May thru September of 1985). She pulled me up on the computer and there was nothing in the computer from those dates. But, she said they often kept medical records on file and had most of the 80's still at the hospital. She took my information and said she'd call me back.

Again, I had my doubts. Twenty-five years is a long time to keep medical records. But, yesterday I got a phone call stating they had found my records and I could come pick them up anytime!

So, as of tomorrow (ironically, on my way to my endo appointment in Nashville), I will be stopping to pick up my records. And I'll know my official diagnosis date. And, I plan on applying for my 25 year Joslin Medal.

This gives me a sense of satisfaction, that I'll know when I was diagnosed exactly. And that I'll have a date to "celebrate".

My First Music Monday

Well, today I post my first Music post. Christmas is coming quickly and I am getting into the mood for Christmas with lots of Christmas music, baking, and Christmas movies. And, I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite bands. I listen to all types of music. There's very little I won't at least try to like. Being from Tennessee, a lot of country comes into my playlist. And one of the best bands I've ever seen live or heard on the radio is a country band.

Meet Sugarland.

I didn't jump on the Sugarland band wagon right away. Their debut CD had been out for a while before I bought it, at my friend's suggestion. I fell in love with Jennifer Nettles' vocals from day one. In my opinion, she has one of the most distinctive voices in music.

In October of 2006, I was lucky enough to win tickets to their sophomore album CD release party in Nashville. I stood feet from the stage. If I wasn't hooked before then, the live show did me in.

In March of 2007, I was able, thanks to a friend of mine, to see them in concert again.

I've seen a lot of concerts in my life. Not all of them country. But I have to say, Sugarland is one I'd pay full price to see EVERY TIME I HAD A CHANCE. They are just that good live.

And they have such an eclectic sound. Some of their music is totally country, other times you hear pop or folk.

On their live album, they even covered songs by bands like Kings of Leon (I'd never even HEARD of them until Sugarland covered Sex on Fire, now they are one of my current favorite bands), R.E.M., and Beyonce.

Most recently, however, they have a new Christmas CD. I've not purchased it yet (shame on me! I'm such a bad fan.), but have listened to it on the internet. I love it. They even performed one of their songs at the Grammy nomination concert. And were kind enough to post it on their website, so I could share it with all of you.




Let me say just one thing, if you say you don't like country music, I encourage you to give Sugarland a try.



p.s. If you get a chance to see them in concert, TAKE IT!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

I've decided that I MISS blogging. I miss my d-friends. I miss chatting with you. I miss reading your comments. Lately I've felt very much like the community it so large that I can no longer keep up with all the blogs I want to read. But, I am determined to try. And I am determined to make an effort to blog on a regular basis. Maybe not daily, but at least a couple of times per week.

So, this means changes. And I am very much going to need YOUR help. Yep, YOU. Whomever you are reading this. Yeah, I'm talking about you.

First off, I've decided to change how I blog. Diabetes is such a major part of my life. Of all of our lives. But, it's not all I am. I have interests and hobbies and a life that doesn't always deal with diabetes. I love music (though I'm not talented), theatre (though I don't act), reading, baking and cake decorating. Just like we all do. So, I am going to actively start blogging about things besides diabetes. I will blog about diabetes too, but I am going to blog about other things as well. I even have a semi-schedule set up. Although I probably won't blog daily, I plan on having days marked off for certain topics.

Mondays -Music. It may be what I'm listening to, what I've bought, or something I've read.

Tuesdays - Diabetes. You guys all know this one. ;)

Wednesdays - Cakes and baking

Thursdays - Theatre

Friday - Whatever I feel like! :)

Secondly, I need to update my blog itself. I want a new design. I am open to suggestions. If anyone has any tips, websites, etc. I want my blog to reflect me. Not just my diabetes, but every aspect of my life. And my personality.

Third - I need to update my blogroll. Badly. Many of the blogs I have listed don't blog anymore, or have moved sites. Or I have a name wrong. Or something. So if you blog, please drop me a comment w/ your blog address and name of your blog. Even if I've never commented on your blog before, I am looking to get back to the community and that means "meeting" the newer bloggers.

So, fellow bloggers, I'm asking for your help. Help me out! I miss you guys. :)

Dear Spammers:

Just because you post a comment on my blog doesn't mean I'm going to allow it to be viewed.

Just because you compliment my "wonderful subject matter" doesn't mean I'm going to approve your comment.

You'd think after 25 of your comments in the past 3 weeks that HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR POSTED that you'd get the clue that I am not going to approve your comments with offers of cheap drugs or miracle cures.

Please quit commenting.

Thanks,

The Management

A Diary Entry

I started blogging 2 years and 7 months ago. There are many of you in the D-OC that have been blogging for much longer. There are many of you who have joined since I began blogging in April of 2007. This community is so very special in so many ways. You've provided support, understanding, someone to vent to, have lunch with, and to visit while I'm on vacation. :)
I've met a few of you. But I feel like I know almost all of you. I consider you my friends.
I've not been as faithful in my blogging of late, but facebook and twitter have kept me in touch with most of you on some level.
I've missed D-blogger day. I missed World Diabetes Day. And I'm not participating in NaBloPoMo this month. But I still wanted to share with you all how much of a difference you've made in my life. Today I was digging for an empty blank book to jot down some ideas I had. I found a partially filled one and started to read. Although my thoughts are mostly private, I wanted to share with the D-OC parts of an entry I made on October 17th, 2006.

"I have this feeling that I am not normal"

"That made me realize that I have never had anyone my age that I knew that had diabetes. That's weird. Some younger and some older, but none really anywhere near my age."

"I think I need to find a friend like that....Someone I can relate to about A1c tests, and those horrible time of lows and highs and having to eat and check blood sugars. There's just no one I have ever been able to talk to about it. So I am feeling a little discouraged."

I can tell you that I haven't written, or felt, anything like that in a long time. D-OC, you guys saved me in a way. You made me feel less alone. You gave your friendship and understanding, free of charge. And you helped me feel a little more normal.

Thank you.

Waiting on Direction

Lately, I've been dealing with a lot of different things. Diabetes is kicking my tail right now. Or maybe I'm letting it kick my tail. When I switched doctors to Vanderbilt Diabetes Center, my first A1c was 6.7. I knew that was higher than it had been running. And I didn't like it. It had slowly been creeping back up on me, due to a variety of reasons. My second appointment at Vanderbilt was last Wednesday. At that appointment, in less than the normal 3 month period, it had gone up again to 6.9. That is the highest A1c I've had since before going on CGMS. VERY close to being my highest since going on the pump.

I was NOT pleased with this. But I knew it was going to be high. I knew it was going to be something that was an issue for me.

First off, let me give you a little bit of background, I've been STRESSED. ALOT. My job is killing me right now. I've lost almost any desire to work there. The few aspects of my job that always annoyed me seem to be around all the time now, and the good parts seem to be getting fewer and fewer. Also, stress seems to seep into other areas of my life as well. This is effecting my diabetes. In the mix with this, I had a trip out of town (and we all know how that effects the blood sugars), or two or three. And I've been having trouble sleeping.

So, you see, diabetes has been crazy here lately. I'm quite positive, that without my CGMS, my A1c would have been much higher.

Still, I want it down. I'm currently tracking my blood sugars to fax to my nurse practitioner at the end of the week. I'm also doing my best not to get terribly stressed at work; you know, leave it there kind of thing.

In the midst of this, I've been attending a class called Financial Peace University that is a Dave Ramsey course. Dave Ramsey, if you didn't know, is a financial advisor and helps people to get and stay out of debt. If you have ever thought about getting out of debt, thought you had too much debt, weren't sure where all your money is going, or basically felt like you wanted to have more money to do fun stuff with, I highly suggest you check out Dave Ramsey. He's fantastic. And he doesn't just deal with money. Last week, the lesson was on working in your strengths. Basically, finding what you love to do and doing it as a career. If you are meant to be an artist, you're going to make a really bad banker...or at least not the banker you could be if you were meant to be one. :)

On of the books he mentions in that lesson is a book called 48 Days to the Work You Love by a man named Dan Miller. The book, so far (I'm only part way through), is touching on God's calling for our lives. Everyone is born with certain traits, certain good things they are good at. And yet, we spend all our time working on the things we AREN'T good at, instead of cultivating the good things. Hmmm...think about that for a while.

Anyway, there was a poem in the book that really touched me. And made me think that I need to start looking for ways to do what I love...but first I have to figure out what that is. :)

"A Prayer for Joy"

Help me, O God,

To listen to what it is that makes my heart glad

And to follow where it leads.

May joy, not guilt,

Your voice, not the voices of others,

Your will, not my willfulness,

Be the guides that lead me to my vocation.

Help me to unearth the passions of my heart

That lay buried in my youth.

And help me to go over that ground again and again

Until I can hold in my hands,

Hold and treasure,

Your calling on my life.

--Ken Gire, Windows of the Soul

I don't know what I'm going to do, or when, or how. But for now, this is my prayer. I don't think a job should make a person unhappy. And when it effects my diabetes health, it becomes even more of an issue. So today, I go to work to be the most positive, hard working person I can be. And to continue to pray for guidance and direction for what He wants me to do with my life.

Giddy

Okay, I'm not really giddy. But it's the only word I could think of that was a synonym of Glee.

Let me start out by saying that this is another non-diabetic related post. Then let me continue by saying that I am a total nut. Most of you have already figured that out, but for those of you who haven't, you have been warned.

From some of my previous posts, you guys should know by now that I am a music nut and a theater nut.

And Fox Network has totally created the perfect show for me. Several months ago, Fox aired a pilot episode of Glee. When they aired it, I watched and LOVED it. I also stated to a friend of mine that it probably wouldn't last a season. Not because I didn't love the show, but because I didn't think that other people (we'll call them "normal" for the sake of this blog post) would appreciate the wonder that is Glee.

Apparently I was wrong. Glee has been a huge hit for Fox. I love it for all the reasons that most of the "normal" people do: Great music, cool dancing, and cheesy "Election" type filming.

And then I have my own reason: the cast of Broadway stars.
First off is Lea Michele, who plays Rachel on the show. Rachel is the "leader" of glee club and the star of glee as well. Lea Michele also originated the lead role of Wendla in the Tony Award Winning Spring Awakening (to which I have the soundtrack memorized...but have never been lucky enough to see).
Next, Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester, their teacher, and advisor for glee club. Matthew Morrison originated the roll of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway. Remember that little roll played by Zach Efron in the movie? Same roll. I say "Zach who?". I also have that soundtrack memorized....buy only got to see a local theater group perform the show this summer. No Broadway.
Also, Jenna Ushkowitz, who play Tina, another glee club member, was in Spring Awakening with Lea Michele for a while, although I do not believe she was in the original cast.

Then, two weeks ago, in an episode of Glee, there was a guest role. April was a former classmate of Mr. Schuester. April was played by Kristin Chenoweth. Kristin was in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, when I saw it on Broadway in 1999. She won a Tony for that role. She then originated the role of Galinda/Glinda in Wicked. You guys have seen me post about Wicked. :)

So, as you can tell, it feeds into my addiction of Broadway....I'm just glad other people seem to like it. :) It means I might get to keep watching it for a while.

So, watch Glee tonight! I'll be at church. But tomorrow night is when I Hulu it. Oh, and I'll be buying the first season on DVD.

Below I am posting a video of one of the songs they did last week on Glee. It's not the best quality. But if you watch it, you'll get the idea of the show.

By the way, you can follow Glee on Twitter and Facebook.

P.S. Are any of you enjoying Glee as much as I am??

NDD-My Non-Diabetic Day Post

Music is a huge part of my life. Am I talented? Nope. I sing in the shower, in my car, and in my head pretty much all the time. But I'm not talented. Only obsessed. :)
Being from Tennessee, I have a great love for country music. But my love of music is not confined to one type of music. I often joke I have the most spastic playlist ever. I tend to go through phases.
For a while, I was on an 80's rock band kick. I started buying greatest hits albums from the 80's and the late 70's.
I've gone through a cabaret-type of phase, listening to Harry Connick, Jr, and Frank Sinatra, and anything by Gershwin.
I've also gone through (and to some degree am still going through) my Broadway phase.
But I like all kinds of music. I listen to alternative, country, rock, teeny-bopper, Broadway, easy-listening, praise, contemporary Christian, and nearly anything else you can think of.
Today, in fact, I got a Veggie Tales' song stuck in my head. :) Does anyone know the Cheeseburger Song??? :)
I've always said, if I had talent, I would have done something with music. I wake up with a song in my head. People can say a word or a phrase and a song that goes with it will pop into my head.
And I can always find a song for every situation. Every time of my life, every event, has a soundtrack of sorts in my head. I have a playlist to fit almost every mood. And music can fit a mood, an expression, an idea or a moment in ways that nothing else can.
So, while you watch the lovely Cheeseburger Song music video (oh, you know you want to!), think about what types of music you like, or how music has shaped you or effected you. And then comment! :)
Hope everyone has a lovely NDD post.

Visiting the Past, Looking Toward the Future.

I always find it interesting to see how people in my past have changed. My mom talks about friends from her past. Sometimes she wonders what they are up to and how their lives have turned out. I don't have to worry about that. With the internet and sites like Facebook and MySpace, I have managed to stay in touch with a lot of my high school and college friends. In fact, once I broke down and got a Facebook page, I had a couple of people I hadn't heard from or seen in the 10 years since high school that found and friended me.

Even cooler to find out that someone from your past is also a fellow blogger. :) Cheyenne was my sorority sister in college. She was our pledge class president and an all around great person. She was always a super hard worker and managed to get things done when no one else could.

Cheyenne is now blogging about her weight loss. She's lost over 50 pounds so far and I have to say I am very proud of her! I wish I had that kind of will power.

If you are so inclined, go check out her blog and welcome her to the blogosphere at Diary of a B.I.G. P.H.A.T. Girl.

That's my visit to the past, and now I am looking toward the future. My endo appointment is Monday morning. I've got my medical records from my former endo, I've downloaded my pump info into my computer, I have my directions for the trip....now to just get there in one piece and see what this doctor can do for me.

I'll admit I'm a little nervous about meeting this new doctor. I think that's normal. But I always wonder if the new doctor is going to think I'm doing an okay job with my care...or am I in for a tongue lashing about something... so keep me in all your prayers on Monday morning as I embark on this new part of my diabetes care and my diabetes life.

Also, I'm in the mood for change. I need a new blog design. I've been trying to think of some new designs and trying to search on some websites for some new designs, but I haven't had any inspiration yet.

Anyone have any ideas? Or any great website I could visit for a new design? Any help, advice or tips would be more than welcome.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Here's another cake I did a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

The Search...The First Move

Well, I called the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center. It's probably the best hospital in the state. And I've heard good things about the center from several different people. On Friday, I decided I'd try there first in my search for a new endo.

I've not had a million endos in my life. There were quite a few years where I didn't go to a doctor at all. But, I do remember that it usually takes weeks to get an initial appointment with a specialist of any kind unless it's an "emergency". But the people I spoke with on the phone were polite, professional, and in the matter of 10 minutes I had an appointment for Monday, August 17th, and a reminder to bring in my current medical records.

Wow.

That was quick.

So, I made a call to my current doctor and requested that the get my records ready for me. And in a little over a week, I'll have an appointment with a new doctor. And hopefully one that will listen to me and will answer my questions.

The bad part....the drive. I'll have over a two hour drive and I'll be fighting commuter traffic in Nashville on a Monday morning. Sigh. I've done it before. But it's not my favorite thing to do. I get stressed out. But, my health is more important. So I will go.

I have the D-OC to thank for this change. I don't know that I would be so interested in keeping my doctors appointments and keeping my health under control in such a manner if it weren't for you guys. Thanks for all you do! :)

Here are some pictures I took last weekend. There is this old field that is full of classic cars. None of them work. But the person who owns them refuses to sell them. They've been there my entire life (and probably about longer). But, I have a love of classic cars and thought these would be some cool pictures. Enjoy. :)

The Search....

Well, I've decided it's time to get off my tush and begin my search for another endo. My current endo and I just aren't working. I've been putting it off for a while now. My last A1c was 6.7. I'm pretty happy with that, but I'd like it lower. I missed my last appointment with m endo...partly on purpose, but partially on accident too. I've not had an A1c done in 6, almost 7 months.

I've never stopped taking care of myself, but I am ready to get some help from a doctor. And I need to get all of my prescriptions re-done also.

I've been lazy. In the past several months I've made half-hearted attempts to search for another endo and just haven't done it yet. Today's the day. I am going to make a phone call or two to try to find out if I need a referral.

The sad part is that I will be driving over 2 hours to the new endo. I've decided that if I want to get the kind of care I want, I'll have to go where there are more than just 1 or 2 doctors. I am going to have to go to Nashville or Knoxville.

So, wish me luck while I begin to make phone calls and get my diabetes life back on track.

p.s. If you are looking for a new good addition to your music collection, try out Sugarland's Live On The Inside. It's a CD/DVD. And it's fantastic. Even if you aren't a big country fan.