Boxing Madness!

For boxing day Clinton's family was visiting their relatives in Toronto. Of course the idea of shopping came quickly to my mind, which we ended up doing. We went to the Eaton's Centre and it was busier than I could ever have imagined. I said to Clinton, "I am bound to get a sugar low." Since there seems to be a trend in my sugar going low while shopping.

To keep my sugar from going low, Clinton and I shared a smoothie. It seemed to work out because around lunch time I was an 8. It was really chaotic but a lot of fun! After going to the mall we went back to Clinton's aunt and uncle's house.

It was the first time there that I asked for a diet pop of some kind and they didn't have any. It seemed weird to me but I realized a lot of people don't just have diet pop around or even just pop. It through my off a little I must admit. I drank water instead and at supper time just shared a regular 7-up with Clinton.

I don't know why I assume people will have diet pop but I guess because I am usually around diabetics I have become used to having things around me that I am able to have!

Either way I got around the obstacle by drinking water and taking insulin for a shared 7-up with Clinton!

Kayla

Ho! Ho! Ho!

This was my first Christmas being diabetic! Today, my family came over and we ate a great supper and opened presents. Thankfully we didn't have too many snacks out at our house so nothing really tempted me.

It was a lot easier than I thought since using ratios allows you to eat as much as you truly want. But once Christmas is all over and done with I will definitely will have to get back on track with eating properly.

It was nice to have my all my aunts and uncles over along with my cousins and Grandpa and Grandma. They all have been extremely supportive throughout my diabetes and I couldn't be any more thankful for that.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Kayla

Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve we went to Clinton's family Christmas in Burlington! It was a lot of fun and thankfully everyone there was aware of my diabetes. Clinton's Nana Moe is awesome at making sure that I am okay.

Her husband, (Clinton's Papa) was a type two diabetic and that is where she learned the ins and outs of diabetes. I can remember sitting with her at Hockey, previous to being diagnosed, and she was telling me how her husband hated having diabetes. So when she found out that I was diabetic she was really upset about it all.

It was a little tricky to manage diabetes there because rather than supper we had hot appetizers, but before the hot ones there were cold ones, and before that there was chocolate. It was a little hard to think about how much insulin to give myself and when to do so.

I ate a small amount of cold appetizers than before piling up the hot appetizers I tested (12) and then took insulin, 6 units. Just to be sure.

I was correct and when it came time to checking my sugar later on, it was normal!

A successful Christmas Eve it was!

Merry Christmas

Kayla

Work it Out

Since this is Clinton's first week off in a long time, we are going to the gym together. I must admit that I don't accomplish much fitness at Fanshawe since there is not much time so now that I am on break I have been trying to go to the gym.

Clinton is used to tons of physical training and he decided to put me through an intense hockey workout which just about killed me. Half way through this I had to take down some sugar pills to insure that I wasn't going to pass out. It was funny how easy some of the workouts were for him, not so much myself.

I really admire Clinton's dedication to fitness and hopefully it will rub off on me more. I really do try and stay in shape and know how important working out is not only in general but also because I am a diabetic.

I know that if Clinton was able to spend every night at the gym with me, I'd be fit in no time but that just isn't possible with his schedule and mine; therefore in Clinton's words "work out just as hard as I'd make you if I was at the gym with you" is what I need to be thinking.

Hopefully in the summer I will be able to start running again and going to the gym more often!

Kayla

Two Worries

I found two mysterious bruises on both my big toes. I was stepping out of the shower and noticed a black mark on my toe; however, I just thought that there was dirt on my toe. It wasn't until later did I realize the 'dirt' was not rubbing off. Once I wiped off the red nail polish I realized that both my big toes have black marks on them.

I am not sure where I got the bruises. I did notice they were in pain just after wearing heels out to the bar many weeks ago but I could not see anything to be worried about since my nail polish masked the bruises.

I have to watch my feet being diabetic and these bruises are worrying me a little bit. I will keep nail polish off of them for awhile so that I can keep an eye on them and hope that they're going to heal quickly! The good thing is that they no longer hurt.

Kayla

Dessert Eater

I had my first family Christmas party of the year this weekend and also the first Christmas party as a diabetic. To say the least it's not the best time of the year to be diabetic, with all the mash potatoes, punch and desserts . . . it is hard to resist!

However, I am thankful for my dessert eater, named Clinton. I am sure it's not a flawless system but I do get to eat desserts without my sugar rising out of control. Clinton lets me have a bite of whatever he has, that way I get a taste of it and don't end up eating the entire thing. The flaw in this is that I start telling Clinton that he's hungry for pie or a square when really he isn't.

In a way I am glad that I have some guard that forces me to not eat as much, and saying that diabetes isn't even that much of a guard for me, I must admit I am still sneaking snacks every now and then, but hey it's Christmas!

I still have three other Christmas parties to attend and I am sure by the last one I will be much too full to have to worry about my dessert eater!

Kayla

One or Two

What's the true differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

I think at times people can get confused at what the difference is between the two different types of diabetes. It is easy to get confused and honesty, before being diagnosed I was unsure about the differences as well. But part of my dedication to my blog comes with giving people the knowledge and awareness of both types of diabetes. In this blog I wish to achieve a simple understanding about diabetes and the differences between type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is the disease that I was diagnosed with on March 13th 2009. Sometimes this type is called Juvenile diabetes, simply because it usually occurs in people that are under twenty years old; however, people older than twenty can still be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The myth here is type one only happens to young people, this is false.

A type 1 diabetic's pancreas is attacked by antibodies which leads to the individual to be insulin dependent for the rest of their life. Out of the entire population of diabetics, only 10-15% are type 1.

The most common type of diabetes is type 2. These individuals are usually heavy set or older, usually people are diagnosed with type 2 when they're over thirty five but like mentioned in my last note, the age is becoming lower and lower. Causes of this type of diabetes is much different from type one. Type two diabetics may be producing a lot of insulin in their system but their body is not using it properly, but this is often controlled by diet and exercise. Eventually type two diabetics will need to take either oral medications or insulin, the myth being, if you take insulin you're type one. This is incorrect.

There are many confusions about both types of diabetes and they are often crammed all together under the big word of diabetes. I realize that both of the diseases are similar in some ways but being a diabetic, I want to ensure that people are aware of the absolute differences.

As cancer has many different areas so does diabetes and it's important for the distinction to be made, not only for personal knowledge but also to be aware since many of us know and love many diabetics in our own lives.

Kayla

Mystery

It's truly sad to know that more and more young people are getting type two diabetes. Unlike type one diabetes, type two can be prevented, especially if you're young. We can't always prevent what happens, but we can make choices.

I realize that I didn't have a choice on whether or not I got type one diabetes. I wish that young people who are at risk for diabetes would learn how to take care of themselves, or at least be taught how to take care of themselves because there is nothing fun about living with diabetes.

I hope that with my blogs I can inspire people to get active and practice healthy eating habits so that they can help reduce their chances of not only getting type two diabetes but many other diseases. Life can be unpredictable but with easy changes to our lifestyles life doesn't always have to be completely unpredictable.

I can't imagine being a young obese child who has type two diabetes but I know that it is happening out there. Diabetes is rapidly growing and like my Grandma said, it was never this way before. Could it be our environment or our lifestyles?

All I know is that being a type one diabetic, I don't know what else I could have done to avoid this. It seems no doctor knows why I got this disease. Without a single person in my family tree having type 1 diabetes, it's a mystery for now.

Kayla

Head to Toe

Today I had a low; however, I can't tell you how low. All I know is that I was lifting the groceries onto the counter at Zehrs and before I knew it I could barely lift at all. I couldn't even concentrate. My body felt extremely warm and I began to sweat. My mind couldn't decide what to do, and believe it or not there was nothing around me to grab to eat. I left the cart and the stuff on the counter and headed for the nearest drink or snack, and I found a Caramilk bar. I let the cashier know and began to eat it, in hopes of feeling better.

The cashier commented on how much I was shaking and I felt rude because I couldn't really talk to her. All I could think about was feeling better. I can only imagine that my sugar must have been in the 2's and I am not sure how I didn't notice. I recall her asking how many bags I wanted, but then just figured it out for herself. I felt like I was going to cry.

After the bags were in my cart and paid for I went to my car to unload them. Still shaking head to toe but eating the rest of the chocolate bar, I believe I bought one of those king size ones. I sat in my car after and tested my sugar, I had finished the chocolate bar by now and it was 4.3, so I waited for the chocolate bar to kick in a little bit more. I began to drive home, feeling much better.

It was a scary low, mostly because it came so unexpectedly. I know for sure that I can't push lunch any later than 2 if I don't plan to have a snack!

Kayla

Hot Chocolate!

A large hot chocolate without whip cream has 62 carbohydrates which to me translates to 4 units of insulin, the same amount I usually take for breakfast, lunch or supper. It is a special beverage that warms the hands of so many people, and personally last year I can't even imagine how many hot chocolates I consumed watching Clinton's hockey games.

After being diagnosed with diabetes I pretty much gave up and said, I can just have some Cheerios, eat tuna sandwiches all the time and have crackers for snacks. But, let's be honest, that fad only lasted about another week after being diagnosed and I was on to another craze, I believe it was oatmeal. I pretty much eliminated things from my diet that I thought were impossible, one being hot chocolate.

Once hockey season rolled around, watching people order hot chocolate so care free made me feel like an alien. A black tea, a water or diet pop was the only option I felt possible for me, yet I never truly thought about taking insulin for a beverage that had a little extra sugar in it. I made a decision that I wouldn't take insulin for just a beverage unless it was on a special occasion. So thus far at all the hockey games I have been too, I have not had a hot chocolate!

Today, I had my first hot chocolate of the year. After finishing one of my lasts exams of the term, my friend Maria and I spent some time together and I treated myself to hot chocolate. Let me say, it was delicious. I was also given a free cookie, since the lady took awhile making it, I took five units of insulin, it was worth it.

It's nice to indulge every now and then and besides how wonderful the hot chocolate was, it was nice to spend time with Maria, who is extremely supportive with my diabetes despite only knowing me for 4 months.

Kayla

Snacking

As Christmas quickly approaches I have begun to think about what it is going to be like. This will be my first Christmas with diabetes and I think by now I should have nothing to worry about. However, there are so many temptations around Christmas and it's a holiday that lasts a lot longer than a single day.

It's hard for me to resist snacking, the only time that it is pretty easy is when I am surrounded by people who are very aware of my diabetes. When I am the only one that knows I am sneaking a snack, I don't feel as bad. I have learned that despite me, 'ok'ing it, my diabetes is definitely not okay with it, and it tells me this by raising my sugar up.

For some reason, despite knowing how much sugar is in something, I am always shocked about how much snacking effects me. I am slowly learning that snacking is not always a free bee with diabetes, I sometimes need to just take a needle.

I would say that's the biggest difficulty that I have noticed. I don't like not being able to just snack like everyone else because sometimes you just want something small. Sometimes your sugars are too high to have an insulin free snack, so you have to take an extra needle.

I will definitely be experiencing many different things around Christmas and I am looking forward to the challenge.

Kayla

First Term

It is coming down to the end of the term and I am going back home on Friday for almost a month. I am really looking forward to it. I have to say that I am extremely relieved that this past term has been a smooth run. Not only for school but for my diabetes.

Before moving to London, I really had worries. I often spent time just thinking about what I was going to do. It upset me and scared me that I wasn't going to be able to manage my diabetes and school. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like. Luckily I have amazing roommates. They are extremely understanding and I trust in them to help me when I need the help.

Another great thing about being here is the great friends that I have made thus far. They all are very aware of my diabetes and support me. Along with the teachers that I had, they have also been supporting.

I am glad that I am able to experience school and diabetes. Being able to document it is also a great way to possibly help people that are going through similiar situtaions. I am looking forward to the second term and sharing it with you all!

Kayla

Candy Store

I miss candy. I miss being able to eat as much candy as I want. I miss being able to pick up something from the candy store without hesitation. It's funny how something so simple can be missed so much. It's not that I can never have candy, it is just now candy comes with responsibility. I have to know the facts behind the candy before eating it unlike before.

I am sure we all have our food that we could not live without. For me, there are many different things but I have always enjoyed candy and chocolate. I often think, of course my love for candy is filtered by diabetes. I know that candy isn't exactly good for you, and we all, diabetes or not, should eat it in moderation; however, it is a lot easier said than done.

As time goes by I am sure living with less candy will become easier. In fact I spent Saturday in Niagara Falls, the Hershey's store was there along with many other candy stores, that I insisted we went in. I refused sample fudge and didn't purchase a single thing. I didn't feel left out or upset, I just knew that I couldn't indulge as much as others. Of course there were times where I wish I could have over indulged but I believe I did well.

Since I am mostly around non-diabetics I want to make sure that they feel comfortable around me. I don't care if people around me eat candy, chocolate or big carb food items. It doesn't bother me. I especially want to make sure that the people that I spend the most time around aren't depriving themselves in hopes of making me feel better. I honestly want people to feel comfortable and not feel as if I am any different than them.

Kayla

A Good Feeling

It is really unbelievable when I think about how much Clinton has done for me. As everyone knows, Clinton is my boyfriend, whom I've been dating for over a year now.

We had only been dating 5 months when I was diagnosed with diabetes and soon as he found out, he truly kicked it into full gear. He hasn't stopped surprising me with his interest to learn more about the disease and to help me in any way possible.

The fact that since day one he has been checking labels for me, looking for products, asking questions, and researching is amazing. I think that it's important not only for me but for anyone else who has someone in their life like this to recognize their effort and support.

It's the little things that these type of people do for you, that make you wonder how you got so lucky. The simple example of there being only a couple chocolates left and Clinton won't eat them just in case I need them.

Clinton to me is inspirational. He inspires me to push hard, be strong and never say never. I would hope everyone can find this person in their life, whether it's their best friend, spouse, or even a close family member.

I know that Clinton would go above and beyond to make sure that I was okay, he has proved that throughout our relationship. That's a good feeling.

Kayla

We Can Fix This

I have learned something huge. I have learned that once you are a part of something, you know something, or trust in something you become a part of that. As for me, I am part of a diabetic community. It is a bond that cannot be explained but I often speak of it. Diabetes is something that I know and when someone misrepresents diabetes it puts a great deal of frustration on me. I know that others can agree.

It can be anything, if you know everything there is too know about hockey, and someone tells you that all hockey players are violent, you're going to want to tell them they're wrong. It will frustrate you that they are misrepresenting hockey players in general and despite there being some cases of violent hockey players it is a generalization about all hockey players.

I can think of many personal examples but one comes to mind right now. My sister, Abby, text me today to clarify what type of diabetes I had. After writing, type one, she instantly wrote back saying her teacher is dumb and believes that you can only get type one when you're born and that's it. Therefore this teacher was insisting that I had type two diabetes. This throws me back, here a teacher who has quite a bit of power in her own right, is giving false information. Not only is she sharing this with those around her but with my sister who personally knows a type 1 diabetic.

Honestly, when will it be known that if you don't know about something don't preach it. Diabetics are working hard to help people understand diabetes. We want to make sure people are aware of the differences between type 1 and type 2, yet shows like Dr.Oz and Tyra never, ever clarify if they're talking about type 1 or type 2.

How does a person know this if no one is telling them? How can we inform the public when the people with power are going against us. Type 1 diabetics can and will stand up and say, this does not apply to us! We are not fat, we couldn't prevent this, we are healthy.

I will do everything in my own power to help people better understand diabetes. I will stress the differences between type 1 and type 2. I don't care if it's annoying or repetitive. I want people to be able to correct those who are ill informed. When a person states, "obesity is on the rise, along with diabetes," I want them to state, "along with type two diabetes " not just diabetes in general. These are facts that we have managed to manipulate and be okay with, when really things need to be better researched and put forward.

Let's make this change happen. You don't have to be diabetic to help inform the public about the differences about diabetes. We can all work together to stop the conversation of, "I have diabetes," "but you're not fat?" We can fix this.

Kayla