Diabetes and Freedom

Posted on July 4, 2012 by janekdickinson

It’s the fourth of July again (how does a year go by so fast?), and I still connect with the way I felt on this day last year, so I’m reposting (with a couple updates) what I wrote on 7/4/11.

Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day! To me, this holiday is a celebration of freedom. Of course, I started thinking about how this could possibly relate to diabetes, and I believe it does. Despite many people’s struggles with diabetes, those of us who live with this condition really do have much more freedom than our predecessors did.

In 2012 we have medications that address all different aspects of type 2 diabetes. We have much more effective types of insulin that are made in a lab and no longer from animals. We have the tiniest needles imaginable. We have sophisticated insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems. We have blood glucose meters that require a teeny drop of blood and take just a few seconds to give a result.

We can pursue our dreams, have babies, run marathons, compete in the Olympics or on professional sports teams, participate in extreme sports, perform in movies or on stage, go to school, become executives, and so on.

We have the freedom to treat our bodies well, to exercise, eat healthy foods in healthy amounts, get good sleep, say no to smoking, find balance in life. We can learn about diabetes from countless resources and we can share correct information with others so they gain a better understanding of what diabetes is and what it is not.

We have the freedom to make choices and live well. Let freedom ring!

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Learning from Failure

Posted on July 2, 2012 by janekdickinson

I was reading an article the other day about how hospitals and health care providers can learn from failure. Not only can we learn from failure, but we must learn from failure, in order to avoid repeating them, and in order to give better care. The article reported that hospitals that learn from failure have better patient safety.

This whole learning from failure thing works on an individual basis as well. Reading the article made me think of a post I wrote earlier this year.

“Fail” is a popular word with kids right now. They are constantly saying, “I’m a fail,” or “I failed.” Sometimes they use it on each other, too. Another word for failing is learning. Maybe kids are figuring out that they aren’t good at everything, or that they need to work on certain skills. Either way, failing is part of life. It’s how we respond to failure that really matters. Like Thomas Edison and so many others before us, we have to plow ahead despite failure, or we’ll never get anywhere.

Because these things always seem to work together, I saw a great question in my book of quotes the same day that I read the article about learning from failure. “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” How amazing would it be if we all lived our lives as if we could not fail? Just going ahead and doing amazing things, without doubting ourselves?

What would you do if you knew you could not fail? 

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Texting and Diabetes

Posted on June 25, 2012 by janekdickinson

Last summer my son, who was ten at the time, was completely disgusted with his teen-age cousins who spent all their time sitting on the couch “talking and texting.” He still can’t relate to this adolescent past-time, but I’m sure he will soon enough. By the way, these kids were sitting next to each other, texting each other.

I started thinking about how we sometimes bury ourselves in something – whether it’s texting, or playing X-Box, Facebook, work, or something else. Some people even spend most of their time thinking about diabetes. I think it’s healthy to come up for air, regardless of what it is we’re doing, and branch out a little.

If we are hyper-focused on diabetes, we can lose track of the other things we love in life. I think I recently hit a patch of too much diabetes, because I have kind of checked out on diabetes social media for the last week or so. And it’s been a nice break. Part of that was caused by feeling overwhelmed with other parts of my life, and it’s good to know that I can cut myself a little slack when that happens.

And it doesn’t help that it’s nine thousand degrees out!! I hope you are finding ways to stay cool, and taking time for yourself so far this summer.

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Portion Tips

Posted on June 20, 2012 by janekdickinson

To continue an earlier topic, I want to share an article about Portion Distortion. I was originally drawn to this article by a teaser tip: “Don’t eat food straight out of a bag, packet, or box. It’s easy to eat more food if you have a large container. Put whatever food you’re going to eat into a small bowl or plate. Then don’t eat more than that serving. Put the rest away before you start eating.” This, and several others in the article are tips I share with patients (and my kids!) all the time.

Aside from use of the word “diet” and a few typos, I liked this article. I learned a new tip, too (the one about filling individual baggies with a serving and putting the baggies back in the box)!

The last tip, enjoy the company of friends and/or family when you are eating, is an important one. I am in Chicago for a meeting, so I ate dinner alone tonight. It’s not always possible to eat with others, but it does help us slow down and perhaps not overeat. If you live alone, maybe you could have a Skype dinner date with a friend or family member?

What other creative portion tips do you have to share?

 

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Diabetes Dads

Posted on June 17, 2012 by janekdickinson

Happy Father’s Day to all the “diabetes dads”: dads with diabetes, dads who have kids with diabetes, and those who take care of their dad with diabetes.

My dad and I had a special diabetes relationship. Every three months Dad took me to the hospital for my “fasting” blood draw. Then we went out for breakfast and he took me to school (late). He would pick me up again a few hours later and take me back to the hospital for my “non-fasting” blood draw and appointment with my endocrinologist.

My dad was also the one who made sure I got my “A” and “B” vegetables – he created a “diet card” that hung inside the kitchen cabinet for many, many years. And he gave me my shot every morning for the first year of my diabetes life (and then I went to camp and learned how to give it myself).

When I think of growing up with diabetes, I think of my dad. He still supports me by never questioning what I do and trusting me. Thanks, Dad.

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Portion Size

Posted on June 15, 2012 by janekdickinson

I just read a fascinating article about a (very) small study on why people overeat – even when they are full. These researchers believe there is a link between overeating (beyond our physiological need) and two naturally-produced compounds. One of them is a hormone, and I swear, hormones are to blame for everything.

This topic of overeating despite feeling full made me think of the proposed ban on large-sized sodas in New York City. I have mixed feelings on this. I agree that people will not necessarily drink less soda, although some might. I honestly wish soda (and all sugary beverage) sizes had never gotten as big as they did. Was that something the public demanded, or did the beverage companies thrust that on us? Who knows. It doesn’t matter at this point.

What matters is that we realize it’s all about choices. We can choose to drink less sweetened beverages, save calories – and money! – and help our bodies in the long run. We can choose to drink more water, for that matter. And we can choose to indulge when we are so moved. I think smaller-sized beverages is a nice idea, but since the proposal appears to have tons of holes and inconsistencies in it, I’m not sure it would make much of a difference.

What do you think about all this? How do you stick with moderation despite all the temptations (physiological and other)?

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Diabetes vs. Depression

Posted on June 13, 2012 by janekdickinson

As a diabetes health care professional, I have been known to say, “until someone’s depression is managed, don’t even bother with the diabetes.” I started rethinking that a while back when I read that both can be handled together with good results. And now I just read an article that implies maybe we should push ahead with diabetes management first.

The article quotes Dr. Satish Garg (from the Barbara Davis Center, where I go, yea!) as saying that out of range blood glucose levels can actually lead to depression. If that’s the case, all the work in the world on the depression (therapy & meds) isn’t necessarily going to change those numbers. If the numbers are brought into a safer, healthier range, perhaps the symptoms of depression will subside, and then therapy and meds can be figured out. On the other hand, working on depression, and diminishing the sometimes debilitating symptoms, can free someone up to actually manage their diabetes.

Now I’m back to thinking that addressing both at the same time is a good approach. At any rate, I will not necessarily suggest putting diabetes management on hold. The truth is, and the article states, we don’t actually know which comes first (wacky blood glucose levels or depression). And of course, as always, different approaches work for different people.

What has worked for you when dealing with both diabetes and depression?

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Down or Across?

Posted on June 11, 2012 by janekdickinson

The season for corn-on-the-cob is approaching. Well, it’s actually here if you shop in our local grocery store, but I know the truth. At any rate, our family has begun eating corn-on-the-cob. Last night my son and I were enjoying an ear, and began discussing whether we eat it down (in circles around the cob) or across (in rows). I have always been a row-girl, yet last night I across did the circle thing. Always fun to try something new!

I also started thinking about how much carbohydrate is in corn-on-the-cob. Back in the day, I learned that half an ear was a “bread” or “starch” exchange, which later translated to one carbohydrate (15 gm) serving. I’ve thought of it this way for as long as I can remember. But today I decided to do a little checking and it turns out there’s a bit of controversy on this. And just like bananas, the size can affect the serving size.

Considering half an ear one carb serving seems to work for me, so I’ll keep doing that, along with half a banana (or a third if it’s huge). If diabetes and corn-on-the-cob are a new combination for you, and if you take insulin, I definitely recommend doing a little sleuth work. Start with a conservative estimate and check your blood glucose two hours later. If you’re low, you need less insulin next time, and if you’re high, you need more.

How do you count the carbohydrate in an ear of corn? Do you eat corn-on-the-cob down or across?

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Need a new diabetes battery

Posted on June 6, 2012 by janekdickinson

A while back I wrote a post about the hazards of not having cruise control on a cross-country drive. I wanted to follow up and explain that when I got home from that trip my car battery died. Once I replaced the battery, the cruise control worked just fine!

To back up a little, I will explain that when I was back east, I got the oil changed in my car and was told that my car’s battery needed to be replaced. I consulted with my husband, and we decided to wait until we got back to Colorado to deal with that. As a result of not dealing with the battery issue right away, we had no cruise control for our 2000-mile drive.

Sometimes in our diabetes lives, little (or big) things go wrong, and we ignore them for a while. Perhaps we have a tendency to run high (blood glucose) at a certain time every day, or maybe there’s a pattern of low blood glucose. We might go for weeks with very little energy. If we ignore things like these, or decide to “deal with them later,” we can lose productivity among other things.

By looking into the matter – whatever it is – we might discover that it’s something we’re eating, the timing of exercise, sleep problems, or the need for a medication change/adjustment. All of these things can be addressed, and we can be back on track, feeling like ourselves and enjoying life in no time.

Diabetes works better when we pay attention. Sometimes it’s easier to ignore it, but paying attention has a better payoff. When was the last time you benefitted from paying attention?

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Diabetes Support

Posted on June 4, 2012 by janekdickinson

Tonight I was reminded of the benefits of support. I was also reminded of all the times I have tried to hold diabetes support group meetings, and very few people showed up. So few, in fact, that I eventually stopped trying. I came to the conclusion that “people don’t need support.” But that is simply not true. We all need support.

There are many ways you can find support, and it doesn’t just have to be about diabetes support. Friendship is a great source of support. There are women’s groups, men’s groups, dinner clubs, book clubs, Bible studies, music groups, exercise groups and so many more.

As more and more of us work from home and don’t have that daily interaction at the “water cooler,” finding support is even more important. I’m grateful for the support systems in my life, and I’m committed to finding more as I continue this journey. We sometimes have to overcome fears in order to seek support.

I’ll end with this quote by Shirley MacLaine: “Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.”

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