Stangely Out of Place

The past couple of weeks, I kind of disappeared from the online community. Work and real-life were both getting to me. But, in addition to that, I was feeling overwhelmed by the online community.

There are no amount of words that can possibly express how much I love the D-OC. You guys have been there for me when no one else could be. You are supportive, wonderful, and you keep me sane. I thank God every day that He has placed such wonderful people in my (digital) reach.

When I first found the online community around 4 years ago (through Kerri!) there weren't many bloggers. Well, I suppose there were quite a few. Several hundred on Kerri's blogroll (if I remember correctly) at the time. But active bloggers were few and far between.

When I started blogging, I found other bloggers. Sure, I never read every blog. I don't claim to have visited every blog in the D-OC at that time. But I'd been to a lot of them.

I felt like I had a large, extended family. Some you didn't talk to as much, but you knew most of them, and you cared about them.

But slowly, over the past 4 years, more and more people have been making their way into our "family". I am so glad that they are, don't take me the wrong way. But I feel like my "family tree" has gotten so large that I don't know anyone anymore. Between Facebook, Twitter, and regular blogging, I am overwhelmed. And it's been an ungodly amount of time since I even visited TuDiabetes (sorry, Manny!).

Last week I was really overwhelmed by it all and I just quit. I quit reading blogs. I quit checking Twitter. I didn't blog. But, I'm back on now. I just needed some time to regroup. And to remind myself that I always have room for new friends, and that I can always keep the old friends close.

My question is, do any of you (especially those of you who've been around for a while) ever feel overwhelmed by all the people that are coming into the community? And do you feel guilty for not keeping up with all the new people and new blogs?

Splitting the Difference

I have a very close friend who is a type 2 diabetic. Monday night we had our first Community Choir practice and she said to me, "My blood sugar was 137 this morning when I woke up. It's too high." Now most of you that are type 1 would LOVE to wake up with that number, but she's used to having numbers more in the 70s or 80s upon waking.
I had one right back for her. "I woke up 65 this morning. My empty juice box is still in my bed." I grinned at her.
Her reply: "Can we just split the difference? Cause then we'd both be happy."
And I couldn't help but think how true that was. And how great it is to have people with whom to share silly diabetic humor.

Money, money, money

Money.

Something that most of us don't have a lot of. Some are more blessed than others. This is true. But, when it comes to living with diabetes, money can be a serious issue. As most of us know, having money is important when it comes to living with diabetes (or any chronic illness, I would venture to guess). If you don't have money, you need fantastic health insurance.

In the past I've talked about my thankfulness for my job. I don't enjoy it as much as I'd like. But I'm thankful for it. It pays well enough, I suppose. But the main reason that I have stuck with this job for the past (nearly) five years is because of the fantastic health insurance that my job offers.

I had no fight on my CGMS. They approved my insulin pump with no problems. And for the past two years, all my diabetic supplies (minus the pump supplies, which are considered durable medical equipment) were free. Free test strips. Free insulin. Free glucagon.

But, the economy is hitting everyone and everything. People are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and save money. And it's hit my job. In an effort to save money my job is "changing" their insurance coverage.

In July, we got a new prescription plan. Since I order my supplies every 3 months, I hadn't had to get anything since this change. But while visiting my endo a few weeks ago I got a new prescription for a glucagon kit. Mine has officially expired and I knew I needed to get a new one. In 24.5 years, I've never, ever had to actually use a glucagon kit. In fact, until a couple of years ago I hadn't had one since I was a kid.

I currently carry one in my "emergency kit" I carry in my purse. I have at least 2 co-workers who know how to use it, so I felt safe having it there. Also, my current roommate knows where its kept and how to use it.

When I went to the drug store the other day, I handed them my prescription. I asked them to run it through so I could find out the cost. I had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be free.

It wasn't.

It was $75.

And I told them to keep it. I haven't had to use one in over 24 years, and I don't have $75 to basically throw away (after all, the past 3 I've had have expired without ever being used).

$75.00

Non-preferred drug.

Please tell me, Mr. Insurance Company, how is a kit that could potentially save my life be "non-preferred"? And it's not like they have a generic version. I'd gladly take generic.

And, out of pure curiosity, I called a friend who works in a drug store to have them look up the cost if I had NO insurance. I didn't get an exact number...but I was told I was saving over half. Which means that without insurance, this little life saving pen would be over $150.

Oh, Mr. Drug Company....how is it that you can charge that much for something that might save a life? How is it fair?

As for the other changes in my insurance....we'll find out come January. I'm only hoping that the changes aren't so severe that it turns me into a pauper.

Apologies

I'm back....sort of. I've been working on finding inspiration for a couple of new blog posts. Lack of inspiration has been a major part of the reason I've been surprisingly quite in the online world. But, to help start my return to the online world.... I give you the funniest youtube video I've seen in a long time. :)

Endo Update

So I went to my endo's office on Wednesday. I was scheduled to see the Nurse Practitioner and the Dietitian. The day before they called to tell me that my dietitian wouldn't be there and wanted to know if I wanted to reschedule both appointments or come in for one and reschedule the other. I contemplated rescheduling them both, but I haven't had an appointment since April and I was curious to see what my A1c was, so I went down to the Nurse Practitioner's appointment anyway.
Since my office is about 2 1/2 hours away from my house, I end up taking the entire day off, but it's a nice trip to Nashville and I get to do a little shopping. Between that and the FANTASTIC care I get at my doctor's office, it's well worth it.
I was expecting a high A1c and that I had gained weight. I haven't been doing as well as I would have liked in either department, and I know it. When I weighed, I was up about 5 pounds. My only surprise at this was that it wasn't more.
However, I was wrong on my A1c. My last appointment I was 6.6 after fighting to get out from being stuck at 6.9. Wednesday my A1c came back at 6.5. I was happy. Very happy. And, my biggest trouble areas were looked at (after breakfast and supper). My nurse practitioner made some suggestions on changes to basals and insulin to carb ratios so I'm hoping that helps even out the trouble areas.
Next appointment is with my actual endo and my dietitian in November.... onward and upward (or downward as the A1c may go....).

Fun with Friends

So, I decided to enter a cake in the county fair this year. I've never done it before. The prize money isn't really worth the money you put into it (effort aside!). But I had a couple of co-workers that encouraged me to try and my friend wanted to help out, so we got to work decorating cake dummies (a.k.a. Styrofoam pieces).

The base was foam board that I glued black paper on, and my friend added the smaller black lines with a Sharpie. Then I covered it with saran wrap to make it food safe (even though the cake wasn't going to be eaten.

Then, my friend sat and cut out zebra stripes. First with and exact-o knife, and then with a pizza cutter (it went faster and made smoother cuts). As she cut them, I placed them on the iced bases using a little water and a paintbrush so that the fondant would stick.

Here's my friend's contribution of a little heart...and we were almost done. It was nearly midnight and we were sooooooo tired!

The inspiration for the whole thing came from the topper, which I found in the floral section of a hobby store.

I ended up winning first place, but not best of show. That went to a loaf of blueberry lemon bread. But we had fun and I got some experience that I didn't have before. :) I hope you guys enjoy it all.

Amazing Customer Service

About a month or so ago, I ordered a new box of CGMS sensors. I still had quite a few left, so I didn't really think about it again for a while. Then, last week I was pulling a new sensor out of my box and realized I had the sensor I was holding and one more. That's it. Well, full on panic mode sets in. I called MiniMed right then. I was on hold for a while (they apparently have a new computer system...) but when I got ahold of a person, he was very nice. I could tell something was up. He put me on hold again and I waited. Fairly quickly he was back on the line and asked if he could call me back, or if I wanted to stay on hold. Typically, I stay on hold, but I decided to let him call back. And he did. Within 15 minutes he was calling me back.

Apparently my last batch of sensors was up for the yearly authorization from my insurance company (which I knew). We went through the whole deal with them then and I assumed it was taken care of for another year. Evidently, it wasn't. That authorization was only for the single order. So, basically, I need another year long authorization from my insurance company.

We all know how long that can take. *cringe*shutter*cringe* So I was a little worried. He said they were going to contact my insurance company on Friday and try to get a verbal authorization so they could send out a new box on Friday.

I asked about calling to check and he said that if there was a problem, MiniMed would call me on Friday. I expected to call them by Monday if I hadn't heard from them, just to check. But Friday, I got a phone call (trouble?) and it turns out they couldn't get ahold of my insurance company yet. But the lady that had called me on Friday said they were shipping me a box of 4 sensors to hold me over (complimentary).

It's now Tuesday morning. I've not heard anything yet, but I plan on calling to check with someone either today or tomorrow, just to be sure everything is on track. But yesterday, I got my box of 4 sensors. Which will hold me over for a while anyway.

MiniMed has been pretty awesome in my time with them. They are (almost) always on top of things. And they are always very polite and quick to get things done. I've had awesome MiniMed reps and pretty much always had good experience with them. They seem to go out of their way to make customer service a top priority.

So, even though there are things I like about other pumps and CGMS systems (hello Dexcom and Animas Ping), I don't see myself leaving MiniMed anytime soon. They are too helpful. And I'm just hoping they catch up (FDA approved 7 day sensor, please. And the ability to operate my pump from my meter, thanks.) on the other stuff soon.

*disclaimer: MiniMed did send me some complimentary sensors to hold me over until they can get my insurance company to cooperate, but to my knowledge, they don't even know I blog and surely didn't ask me to blog about them. I did that one all on my own.*

A Brave New World

So, I've not really been baking much of late. I haven't had anyone to really bake for. I've made a few tasty cakes (not the decorating kind, just the kind you eat for fun). But nothing worth photographing. But in the next couple of months I have several things on the list. So, be ready for more pictures. :)

One of my oldest friends (we met the 1st day of kindergarten!) is having her second child in November. A little boy is going to be joining their family. This will make 2 boys for her and her husband. I joked with her that at least she knows what she's got to expect this time. :)

The let their older song pick the theme for the baby's room. And having just seen Toy Story 3, that's what ended up going as the theme for new little brother's room.

This has bleeded over into the baby shower. I'm throwing the baby shower and Toy Story seems to be the choice. Well, let me tell you, you can find lots and lots of birthday stuff online for Toy Story. But no one has apparently ever thought to throw a Toy Story baby shower. So, I'm improvising. :)

That being said, I'm getting ready to venture into a side of baking that I've never entered into before. Cake Pops. I first discovered cake pops through Bakerella's website. If you like baking (of any kind) in the least little bit, you'll love her website. She has step-by-step (with pictures!) directions and recipes on her site and she has give-aways all the time.

I'd never been brave enough to try to make cake pops. But her website gave me some inspiration that I think I might need to try. These:

Aren't they the cutest? I'm thinking for party-favors for the baby shower. But believe me, I'll be making a practice batch or two before the actual shower. Lots of details and I don't want to mess it up. :) Wish me luck everyone. And I'll post actual pictures after the shower (in early October).

Endo appointment

I have a new appointment with my endo in just a couple of weeks. I am a little afraid (okay a LOT afraid) of what's going to happen at this appointment. I had every intention of losing some weight, getting tighter control in my blood sugars, and exercising more since my last appointment (in April). Yet, here I am, nearly 4 months later. My blood sugar is more out of control now than it has been in a long time (which I know is going to mean a higher A1c), my exercise is non-existent, my food intake has not been exactly healthy, and I've gained weight. I've not stepped on a scale, but you always can tell when your clothes begin to fit your differently.



I have this complex of wanting to please people. Not everyone, mind you. But I like to make people happy if it is within my power. And I know that sliding back on all of my goals is not going to please my endo or CDE.


So, what do I do? It's too late to crash diet and lose some pounds. My pump and meter records will tell the true tale of my crappy blood sugar control. And I can't lie when they ask me about exercise. I've not been doing it.


So not only have I disappointed myself, I've disappointed them as well. It's all about getting back in there. Recommitting myself. I know this. Mentally, I know all the steps to take to get back where I want to be. And to get even better control (which is my ultimate goal). But making that first step isn't the issue. It's the second and third and fourth steps that seem to get in my way.

Writer's Block & Recommended Reading

Apparently I'm not the only one who's been dealing with it. But it's here. I've been so busy and distracted that I've not had time. And when I've had time, I've not had the inspiration. So, today I'm going to share a blog post with you that truly touched my heart this past week.


Heidi, over at the D-Log Cabin (who I've had the joy of meeting with IRL on more than one occasion!) posted a truly touching blog last week called This One's For the Girls. It's beautiful, touching, and very true.


Go check it out. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Cara-ology

Okay, I'm being a slacker today. I have no inspiration and it's been a rough week. So I'm posting a Meme today. This came from a tag on facebook by Missy. :) If you do this on your blog, let me know!

Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology".

***********FOODOLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice? - Ranch

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? - Maybe Olive Garden? Not sure really.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? - Cheese

What are your pizza toppings of choice? - Pepperoni & pineapple.

What do you put on your toast? - I like cinnamon toast. But sometimes I just do a little butter
and jam.


***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house? - One.

How many computers? - Two if you count my roommate's

What kind of cell phone do you have? - Casio G'Zone Rock

Do you have an iPod? - Nope. I have a Zune.


***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed? - Primarily a leftie. But I do some things right handed.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? - Yup. Tonsils

What is the last heavy item you lifted? - This huge box of pictures and scrapbooking stuff.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? - No.


************BULLOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? NO!

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? - If you'd asked me this when I
was 10, I'd have picked something completely off the wall. Now, I've grown kind of attached to
my name.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? - No.


************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? - Five

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? - The last time I saw a cop? Yesterday at work. Other
than that, I did have to call the cops when I wrecked my car in March of '09.

Last person you talked to? - My roommate.

Last person you hugged? - My godson.

Last person you kissed? - My godson. He's the cutest baby ever. Just so you know.


**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season? - I like things about all the seasons.

Holiday? - Christmas. But if you don't count Christmas, St. Patrick's Day.

Day of the week? - Friday.

Month? - May. Cause it's my birthday and I usually take vacation in May.


***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone? - Always.

Mood? - Eh.

What are you listening to? - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Greatest Hits. (Exact song is
Backlash)

Watching? - Dawson's Creek. Season 1

Worrying about? - Trying not to worry.


***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning? - The bathroom.

What's the last movie you saw? - Letters to Juliet

Do you smile often? - I hope so.

Sleeping alone tonight? - Yes.


***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************
Do you always answer your phone? - Nope.

If you could change your eye color what would it be? - Maybe green?

Do you own a digital camera? - Yes.

Have you ever had a pet fish? - Yes.

Favorite Christmas song(s)? - I like most Christmas songs. It's the only time a year you can sing religious songs and people don't look at you like you're a quack.

What's on your wish list for your birthday? - Since I'm turning *cough*gag*30*cough*cough*
I'm hoping to have a fantastic vacation planned. So all donations will be accepted. :)

Can you do push ups? - Are you serious?

Can you do a chin up? - Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited? - Both.

Do you have any saved texts? - Yes.

Ever been in a car wreck? - Yes.

Do you have an accent? - Um, yeah. Ask anyone who's ever met me. :)

What is the last song to make you cry? - Needtobreath "Garden"

Plans tonight? - Church

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? - Yes.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday? - Breakfast at McDonalds. I didn't buy anything else.

Have you ever been given roses? - Yes.

Current worry? - Nothing major.

Current hate right now? - Nothing in particular. Accept stupid. Sometimes (most of the time)
stupid annoys me greatly.

Met someone who changed your life? - I think everyone you meet changes your life in some way.

How will you bring in the New Year? - I don't know yet.

What song represents you? - I can't think of a song that represents me.

Name three people who might complete this? - I hope many people will. I'm interested to see the
answers.

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? - Maybe? Sometimes I think I would.
But other times I think it might be overrated.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year solid? - Nope.

Do you have any tattoos/piercings? - I have my ears pierced.

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now? - I don't know.

Does anyone love you? - Yes.

Would you be a pirate? - Na.

What songs do you sing in the shower? - Whatever song I woke up with in my head that
morning.

Ever had someone sing to you? - Yes.

When did you last cry? - A few days ago.

Do you like to cuddle? - Depends on who with.

Have you held hands with anyone today? - Nope.

Who was the last person you took a picture of? - My godson.

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school? - Whatever my mom was listening to
at the time. I remember a lot of country.

Do you believe in staying close with your ex's? - Depends on the circumstances.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old? - Both.

Do you like pulpy orange juice? - I don't really drink a lot of orange juice. As much as I love it, it
gives me horrible heart burn.

What is something your friends make fun of you for? - My obsession with Broadway.

Music Monday: Needtobreath

Well, folks, another Music Monday is here. And I have a great group to share with you. :) In fact, I like their new album so much I've listened to it on repeat for the past several day. (I keep thinking I'll get tired of it. I don't.)

Needtobreath. Yup, all one word. I am just recently discovering them, although they have been around for a while. The group is made up of two brothers and two of their college friends. Lead singer, Bear Rinehart and brother Bo Rinehart are the children of an Assembly of God pastor. They met friends Joe Stillwell and Seth Bolt in college.

Their latest album is what I have gotten hooked on. They stand right on the line of contemporary Christian, Southern rock, and modern day rock/pop. They have several obviously Christian songs on their album, but some are not. The song "Stones Under Rushing Water" is a beautiful love song (singer Sara Watkins of the bluegrass band Nickel Creek is featured). "The Outsiders" is an anthem to being different.

They have had songs included in several TV shows and movies (apparently they have a song in P.S. I Love You. I've not seen the movie, so I don't know which song) which only proves their overall appeal.

So, check them out. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm including three of my favorite songs in this post via YouTube.


The Outsiders: title track off the new album. Fantastic song.


Stones Under Rushing Water: sadly, Sara Watkins is not singing in this version.


Garden: Probably my favorite song on the whole album. Beautiful and meaningful in so many ways.

Awesome Surprise

I love the D-OC. There are so many great people in this community and there have been so many times and so many examples of members stepping up to the plate to help others out, or just doing things for others for no reason.

I was, once again, blessed by another member of our community this week. Colleen, over at Meanderings, sent me a message about a week ago requesting my address and this week, the cutest thing ever showed up in my mail box.

Salt & Pepper shakers... shaped like cupcakes!

Her reason? Just because they reminded her of me. How awesome was that? She's super sweet (no pun intended) and her blog is a great read. So, thanks Colleen! I appreciate it. And the salt & pepper shakers have taken up residence on my kitchen table.

Free Day

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was only 4 years old. At that time, the doctors told my mother and father how lucky we were. How home blood sugar testing was a possibility, when only a few years earlier, it was an impossibility. How needles were smaller and less painful than only years earlier, when syringes were made of glass and needles needed to be sharpened. And how only a few decades earlier, diabetes would have been a death sentence because insulin hadn’t been discovered yet.

In reality, I know how true that was. Even in it’s antiquity, our meters were what we had. Out lancet devices, while barbaric in size and mode, were better than sticking yourself by hand. And I could live a semi-normal life because of insulin and “modern” technology.

Fast forward to 2010. We have insulin pumps, constant glucose monitoring, meters that read in 5 seconds (instead of 2 minutes and several steps). We have better insulin, we know about counting carbohydrates, and insulin to carb ratios. We have social networking. I think about how blessed we are. I think about the children (and adults) that are diagnosed with diabetes now, and how much easier they will be able to care for themselves, physically and mentally.
But, the truth remains. Diabetes is with us all the time. Years upon years of stress on our bodies, do wear us down. While we may be healthy (minus the diabetes), we still are considered “disabled” and “chronically ill.”

For the first 20 years of living with diabetes, I was on multiple daily injections. If you looked at me, you couldn’t tell I was a diabetic. Until I whipped out my meter or my syringe, you had no idea that I had a chronic illness. Then, in 2006, I began pumping. I’ve said many times that I wish I’d entered the world of pumping many years before I did. I think it would have made my life and my control much better through college.

My control, and my desire to care for my diabetes were made front and center by pumping, and a year later, by CGMS. It led me to the online community, which has helped me mentally in so many ways, and quite probably kept me out of therapy. I’m so blessed and so thankful to have the technology that I have.

However, there are days that I almost wish that I wasn’t attached to two pieces of medical equipment 24 hours a day. I’m cringing as I type this, knowing that I’d hate it even worse if I didn’t have my pump or CGMS. And knowing that there are people who want the technology, but can’t get it for whatever reason. I feel guilty for typing that. But I can’t deny that it’s true.

Before pumping, my diabetes was with me 24/7, but it wasn’t attached to me all the time. Sometimes, having a pump, and sensor attached to me, it just a blindingly obvious reminder that I have diabetes. As if I could ever forget.

Tomorrow is one of my rare, elusive “free shower” days. I’ll be changing both my infusion site and my sensor on the same day. This happens maybe once a week…if I’m lucky. And for that 20 or so minutes while I’m showering, I’ll go back to looking like I don’t have diabetes. Even though I’m the only person who will see me like that, it will be nice for just a few minutes. And if I ignore the red spots from former sensor sites, and the band-aid “dots” from old infusion sites, I’ll look almost normal.

Favorite Baby-Sitter

Who was your favorite baby-sitter as a kid? I could name a couple that I loved. I think every kids has a favorite. However, that's not the kind of baby-sitter that I'm talking about. The baby-sitters I'm talking about are the members of The Baby-Sitters' Club. Anyone remember them?

In 1986, Ann M. Martin published her first books in The Baby-Sitters’ Club Series. There ended up being hundreds of them, along with spin-off series like Baby-Sitters Little Sister, Baby-Sitters’ Super Editions, and Baby-Sitters’ Mysteries. I had most of them.

At first publication, I was only 5 years old. This was the year that I was diagnosed with diabetes. I didn’t read those books at first. But I remember getting my first boxed set of The Baby-Sitter’s Club books when I was around 6 or 7. I didn’t read them at first. I tried, but I think I was too young. They sat in my bedroom for a while. But by the time I was 8 or so, I was ready to read them. And read them I did. Kristy, Mary Ann, Claudia and Stacey became my friends. Later, Dawn, Jessie, Mallory and others joined the group. Each had their own quirky qualities. I related to each of them on some level.

But my favorite baby-sitter? Stacey. Always. Stacey had diabetes. Yup, she was a “juvenile diabetic”. And she was the only one I knew. I read those baby-sitters book until I was in high school. Even though I had out-grown them, I still wanted to read about them. I wanted to know what was happening in their lives.

One thing I loved about Stacey was that she never let diabetes keep her down. There were books that she did get sick. One, in particular, that I remember she started sneaking sweets and not giving insulin. She ended up in the hospital, successfully scaring her friends and her parents to death.

Oh, and Stacey and I shared a middle name. And she was originally from New York City (could that be where my obsession with the city started?). Random facts, but stuff that I remember and loved about Stacey.

I, of course, ended up with first release copies of most of The Baby-Sitters’ Club books. I ended up getting a boxed set of the first 4 or 5 book when I was around 6 or 7. At the time, they were just too much for me to read. They were chapter books. But by the time I'd hit 8ish, I was devouring them like crazy. At one point, I even made my mom enroll me in the mail order club so I could get the books as they came out (and cool other stuff too, like stickers, and bookmarks, and trading cards....I was such an 80s kid).

Even as a kid, I knew that Stacey's diabetes was somewhat mis-portrayed in the books. She was often referred to as a "brittle diabetic" (I won't get into my thoughts on that term...) and she was not able to eat a lot of different foods (sugary foods being at the top of the list). But, when these books were written, things were very different. The year of my diagnosis (and the publication of the books), 1986, was a very different time in diabetes treatment. But as the years went by, the books never really advanced, as far as Stacey's diabetes went.

They did another release years later. I never read the re-release versions of the earlier books, simply picking up on the new books as they came out, so I don't know if they changed anything in the first books that went into detail about Stacey's diabetes.

I think I quit reading the series sometime toward the end of high school. By that time I had advanced in my reading, obviously, but couldn't part with my dear friends in the Baby-Sitters' Club.

I think the books went through a lag period in sales, and Ann M. Martin starting writing some of the books in a new series (kind of a spin-off of the Baby-Sitters' Club). But when I was in college, I noticed that there was a final Baby-Sitters' Club book on sale at Wal-Mart. It was to be the last one ever. I bought it. It celebrated the Club members graduating middle school and moving on to high school. And it was a closure for me, in a way. Sure, the books would always be around. But they had gone on in my mind. They weren't The Baby-Sitters' Club anymore. They had grown up.

I actually hadn't thought about the books in quite sometime. Although, I'm sure if you asked, I could have quoted any of a million random facts about the characters. Then, last weekend, I was in Wal-Mart killing time before heading to a play, when I saw a book with a huge cupcake on the front.

I had to look. I mean, you guys know how I feel about cupcakes. :) And there on the cover were the words "The Baby-Sitters' Club: The Truth About Stacey".

I immediately picked it up. Apparently they are re-releasing the series again. Slightly modernized (kids don't really get perms anymore, and they have modern technology) of course. But I knew by the title, that this was the first "Stacey" book in the series. And I wanted to see if they'd updated anything about Stacey's diabetes. So I bought it.

I knocked it out fairly quickly and was both pleased, and disappointed. The story overall, is exactly as I remember it. The characters are the same. But, Stacey's diabetes remains virtually unchanged. It's vague at best. They talk about her diagnosis (symptoms and the hospital and having to take shots). They talk about controlling her diabetes with insulin and diet. But, again, the story is presented that Stacey can't have refined sugar or junk food. I wasn't too terribly disturbed with that, but later in the story, Stacey returns to New York for a doctor's appointment (her parents are doctor shopping, looking for a "cure") and they stay with friends. During that visit, there is a mention of Stacey keeping her insulin pump out of site.

My first reaction was joy that they mentioned an insulin pump. My second was confusion. Because, up to that point in the story (and it's nearly the end, by this point), there is never a mention made of an insulin pump. Only injections. This could be very confusing for someone who knows nothing of diabetes.

Overall, it makes me want to read the other re-released books, just to see if they address the subject more in depth. Or maybe it's just my nostalgia kicking in. I'm not sure.

Would I recommend this book? Well, I'd say if you were a lover of The Baby-Sitters' Club series as a kid, then go for it. If you are looking for something to share with your kids to actually teach them about diabetes, I'd say get another book.

But Stacey's still my favorite. And she always will be. :)

Late Music & Guest Blogging

This Music Monday post quickly became a Music Tuesday post because of my crazy busy day yesterday...

Liza Minnelli. Singer. Actress. Broadway great. Daughter of the great Judy Garland. Icon. Currently touring. One stop on her tour? Nashville. And I’ll be there. I spent an exorbitant amount of money for 2 tickets in the “nosebleed” section. Thankfully the nosebleed seats in Tennessee Performing Arts Center are still great seats.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But I go back to my post on why I love live theatre. You get to be in the same room with some amazing artists. And seeing Liza Minnelli was something I wasn’t going to miss if I could help it.

Next up on the to-do list….find someone to buy my second ticket from me so I have someone to go with me. :)

Also, I have TWO guest posts up right now. Two of our D-OC bloggers are on vacation and I was honored to be able to guest post for them.

Chris, over at The Life of a Diabetic, and Becky, at Instructions Not Included. Check their blogs out if you haven't already. Both are wonderful additions to our blogging community and fantastic people in general.

Enjoy!

Diabetes Superheroes

I’ve been meaning to post about this for quite sometime. I’m a slacker, I’ll admit it. I even considered not posting about it at all because I waited so long. But then I realized it was too cool a thing to NOT post about. A while back (maybe a couple of months ago), Chris from over at Type 1 Tidbits started a cool blogroll. Being the awesome computer person that he is (blog designer? web designer? graphic designer? I’m not sure what term to use.) he made his blog roll one of a kind. Chris assigned a lot of us superhero counterparts.

Yup. You read that right. We’re superheroes. Diabetic superheroes. Because as Chris (and the rest of us) well knows, we all are diabetic superheroes. It takes a special person to live with diabetes, be it Type 1 or Type 2. It takes an even more special person (in my opinion) to care for someone with diabetes. All of us deal with a great deal every single day. Diabetes doesn’t take a break and neither do we.

Now, I’ll admit my knowledge of all things superhero stops after Batman and Superman. I know. Don’t stone me. But one of my very best friends knows as much about comic books as I know about theatre. And she informed me that my superhero counter part, Shadowcat, is pretty darn cool. Apparently she can walk through walls! How awesome is that??
Anyway, if you haven’t already, I highly suggest you go check out Chris’ blogroll. He has it separated out by Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 diabetes. My blog is listed on the second page of the Type 1’s. Each individual person’s page has their blog listed, a link to the information on their superhero counterpart, their Twitter handle (if they have one), and their date of acquiring their superhero powers (a.k.a. diagnosis date). And stop by Type 1 Tidbits and leave Chris a comment to thank him for coming up with such an awesome idea.

Theatre Thursday: Hello, Dolly!

Last week, in my quest to quench my theatre addiction (hey, cut me some slack, I’ve not seen a show since May!), I attended a local theatre production of Hello, Dolly! at the Cumberland County Playhouse. It’s a little bit of a drive for me, but it’s the closest theatre to my home. It also has good quality productions. When you can’t make it to a professional tour, or to New York and Broadway, this is the place to go. At least if you live around here.

The last show I saw at the Playhouse was about a year ago. When I was checking the current shows, I realized that Hello, Dolly! was playing. Something that most of you don’t know is that Hello, Dolly! was the first play that I can ever remember seeing. I was around 7 or 8 years old and my aunt was in a local theatre production in the Atlanta area. My dad and I were visiting my uncle, aunt, and cousins. I’d never even heard of Hello, Dolly! so my aunt made sure that my cousin and I had a chance to sit down and watch the movie version before I went to the show that night.

Sadly, I was so young, I remembered very little about the story. All I remember is watching my beloved aunt every second to see every move she made on stage. She didn’t have a huge part. She was in the ensemble, if I remember correctly. But all I knew is that my aunt was famous. And I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

The good part about remembering so little about the story was that seeing the production at the Playhouse last week was like seeing a show for the very first time. I remember a few songs and some bare basics about the story, but other than that, it was a nearly a new story to me.
That day I’d had a horrible day at work. I was tired and was slightly regretting buying my ticket to see the show. I really just wanted to go home and go to sleep. But, as I sat there in my seat, my regret and exhaustion began to abate. By the time the house lights dimmed and the first notes of the show began to play, I was grinning from ear to ear.

Quickly, I was lost in turn of the century New York City with a meddling matchmaker and all the insanity came along with her prying ways. Weslie Webster played the role of Dolly Levi with comedy and grace. The real stand-out performer, for me was Mrs. Irene Malloy, played by Nicole Bégué. Ms. Bégué played the role of Mrs. Malloy with just enough cunning to make sure you knew that she was in the market for a husband, but just enough innocence to make her falling in love with Cornelius believable. Her rendition of “Ribbons Down My Back” was truly beautiful.

Cornelius was played by the talented Jason Ross (whom I saw play the role of Edna Turnblad in the Playhouse production of Hairspray), who didn’t fail to give another great comedic performance. Sidekicks to Cornelius and Mrs. Malloy, Minnie Fay and Barnaby were played with over-the-top comedic acting by real life husband and wife team, Lindy and Gregory Pendzick. Thankfully, over-the-top is exactly what these characters needed. Minnie’s childlike demeanor and Barnaby’s youthful ignorance were played well by Mr. and Mrs. Pendzick.

In all things I expected from the Playhouse, the production was fantastic. The singers are talented, the acting was better than anything you’d find anywhere around here, and the staging was quite good. Next up, at the Playhouse is Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. In a few weeks I’ll make the trek back to the Playhouse to see it. After seeing the show on Broadway just a few months ago, I look forward to seeing a local production of the same piece of work.

Amazed!

As I was doing my morning e-mail check yesterday, I noticed an e-mail from someone I didn't know. Typically I'm paranoid. But there were no attachments, so I opened it anyway. Turns out, I'm glad I did.

The website NursingSchools.net has a blog. And on that, they have a post called 50 Best Diabetes Blogs. They are split up into different categories like Inspiring, News, Men, Women, and Social sites. And I was blessed to be included on this list. I'm was shocked, and truly honored to be in the company of, what I consider, some of the best diabetes blogs out there.

I suggest you go check the list out. On each blog there are links to at least 2 recommended blog posts. There were a few blogs I hadn't discovered yet, so it was a nice resource to have.

Freak Out!

The other day I was changing clothes when I noticed that my insulin pump tubing was slightly pinkish. And I freaked out. Completely. My first thought was that I had blood in my tubing. This has never happened to me before, although I have read about it happening to others.

I immediately starting pushing on my infusion site. No pain or irritability. Then I disconnected my tubing from my site and saw that there was no blood showing in the infusion site.

And then it occurred to me.

I wore a red shirt the day before.

And apparently it rubbed off on my tubing, which was running from my arm, through my shirt, to my pocket.

And then I felt like an idiot.

That's my stupid freak out for the week. Anyone else have one?