The cure is...now?

How many times have you heard: There will be a cure in 5 years...In the next 20 years nobody will have diabetes anymore...They are so close to finding an answer! 

I have heard this way too many times. After awhile I think I just began to zone it out. At my first endocrinologist appointment after a rough hospital stay (read my diagnosis story) I was shaking and crying as my nurse tried to check my blood sugar. It was too painful to get my finger pricked and I was not afraid to be defiant. Looking back at that image of myself makes me laugh and think "wow, you have no idea what is coming." The nurse tried to console me and started the well-rehearsed soothing lines... It is really okay. There will be a cure for diabetes in the next 10 years. It will be in your lifetime, you are going to be fine.

That was the first thing that made me perk up since being diagnosed. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad after all. Now, after living with diabetes for over 5 years it really just makes me laugh when I hear someone say that. You could say I have a negative outlook, but I think I am just realistic to a fault.

We have seen data on pancreas transplants, the bionic pancreas, different diets, etc. and things look promising, but not all that great. I was surprised this week when I read an article about these scientists at Harvard that are mass-producing new fully functioning beta cells. Check it out here. Beta cells are what produce insulin. Auto-immnune disease attacks these cells, and then we are left with manually injecting insulin into our bodies. Here is my favorite blunt quote from the article:

“A lot of the complications associated with manual insulin monitoring can lead to a lower quality of life.” Jeffrey Millman, a doctor in this research study 


Spot on, Jeffrey.

My biggest fear has always been that I will live for the discovery of how to stop T1 diabetes, but not be here for the day doctors learn to cure people already diagnosed with it. This research is exciting because the scientists were already able to rapidly cure one mouse in the experiment with their new cells. It is also exciting because I am an auto-immune cocktail recipe for disaster.

This is a huge breakthrough for the T1 community and for health research in general. If it is a potential cure, it will be years before we can get our hands on it. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The DiaBlogger

Okay, I'm alive.

my backpacking route 

When I think of diabetes, I am constantly reminded of all the things I can't or shouldn't do. Most of these rules I break on a daily basis---like the fact that I am inhaling a bag of Wavy Lays as I type this. My backpacking trip was a small break from all of these rules because I accomplished something I thought I would never be able to do.

Some of my fears, doubts, concerns:

• What if my bag gets lost/stolen and my medicine is in it?
• How will I keep my insulin cool at all times?
• What if I slip into a low blood sugar and nobody knows that I am diabetic?
• Most importantly, how can one travel lightly when having to balance 3 months of medical supplies with a clothing addiction?

I started doing research online and with my doctor to figure out the best way to go about this trip. I was NOT about to lug around a cooler and ice packs, so I asked my doctor to be real with me...I asked how important is it to keep my insulin cool? She admitted that it is not about keeping insulin cool, as much as it is from keeping it from getting hot. My dad had a great idea: pack my pens in a thermos. This worked out great, because it was light and easy to cram in my backpack. If need be I thought I could drop a few ice cubes in the thermos, but I never ended up doing that.

My doctor wrote long letter with my list of prescriptions on it. I made one copy for my backpack and one for my purse. This was just in case my bag was lost /stolen and I needed to walk into a hospital and DEMAND insulin. Unfortunately, I am on a 90-day prescription cycle. So if I ran out when I was traveling, my insurance company said they would not be able to send me a refill. I never had to utilize this letter, but I felt much safer having it with me!

Another thing recommended to me was to pack 3x the amount of medicine that I would usually take for that time frame. 3x the needles, 3x the pens, 3x the pills. I still do not understand how I can walk onto a plane with 30 needles in my carry-on (let alone 300) without being stopped by security (Check out my post here).

And in case you were concerned about what I consumed..I did not hold back on drinking or eating anything...Sorry Dr. Aleppo.

Mykonos, Greece

Munich, Germany 

Ios, Greece

Paris, France

My trip was more than just seeing the world. It truly made me feel like I could accomplish something without my health holding me back. It was a great reminder that I can still do human things without feeling like I am on a regimented medical course everyday.


Contact me with any questions or similar traveling advice!
The DiaBlogger

HELP PLEASE!!

I am very excited to share that I will be backpacking around the Mediterranean this June + July! Unfortunately, due to my T1…the first thing I asked myself after I bought my plane tickets is can I do this?

I hate promoting that you can do ANYTHING with Diabetes, because truthfully deep inside I feel like I can't always do everything that I want to do. I will keep updating with my backpacking T1 checklist just in case anyone else is thinking about backpacking soon. This trip is do-able…but I do need to make sure that all of my ducks are in a row before taking off in June!

If you have been backpacking, I would LOVE some tips! So far, I have met with my endocrinologist and she said that the main things I need to do are:

• pack triple the insulin
• find a reliable travel cooler

I got the insulin covered, but I actually do not have a cooler. This is going to sound horrible--but I actually do not see the big deal about refrigerating insulin. However, I do think it will be important to keep my insulin refrigerated while living out of a backpack.

Any companies I should look at when making my decision on a cooler?? Also I would love to hear some suggestions on ice packs for traveling.
Please let me know!

xoxo
The DiaBlogger

Black Bean Brownies

I think that one of the most horrible parts about having T1 Diabetes, is knowing that I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I have ever met--dead serious. Clearly, this has become an issue time and time again. I think I am pretty good at controlling my cravings, but chocolate wins every time.

This recipe is a nice alternative to actual brownies. and ADDED BONUS: each brownie contains about 5g of protein AND 5g of fiber. This is obviously due to the main ingredient being black beans. I know it sounds disgusting, but you have to trust me..I think they might be better than actually brownies.

Here is the recipe:

Gluten-Free Brownies

 1 15oz Black Beans, rinsed and drained

3 eggs

3T vegetable oil

5T cocoa powder  (I added 6T)

1 pinch salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ c sugar (can be substituted for artificial sweetener)

Nuts and chocolate chips (optional)  (I added chic chips--obviously) 

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, absolutely NO chunks. Lightly grease 8x8 glass pan.  Bake 30 min @ 350°.

Enjoy this sweet treat along with some steady blood sugars!

xoxo

The DiaBlogger 

Blindsided by the Future

So you may know that Google has been woking on many new technologies that may or may not make it to the market place. One of their newest projects to come out is Google Glass--which in my opinion is pretty cool. 

Apparently their newest research has led them to create something similar to Google Glass, but in a contact lens. The technology would operate based on using glucose from your eyeball. This is very exciting in the T1 world because it might just mean no more finger pricks…check out the article here!! 

Until then….KEEP CHECKING YOUR SUGAR

xoxo

The DiaBlogger 

HELLO 2014 WORLD

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I have been MIA. My New Years resolution is to keep up in the blogosphere and not fall behind as much as I did in 2013---I fell about 6 months behind. oops. In my defense, I went to South America for a few weeks so cut my some slack!

I have made A LOT of New Years resolutions actually….so I feel like I need to narrow them down. Each year, I try to dedicate at least ONE resolution to my health. Because T1 is treatable and not curable (yet)…I think that there is always room for improvement with my diet and exercise regimen. I have learned that when I try to make a whole bunch of changes to my regimen, I just fail miserably. However, when I focus on one thing it is easier to make a habit out of it.

In 2013, I focused on cutting red meat out of my diet. In february, I will have successfully not had one meat in one year! I am a little reluctant to cut out all meat just because it is pure protein…and we all know that pure protein= no insulin.

Lately, I have been researching a lot about dairy products. I am curious as to what you guys think about this. Since cheese is also a protein that does not require insulin, I do not want to cut that out completely either. There has been a huge uprising against dairy products in the past year and I want to look more into it. If you are interested, check out this article. I think it shows great perspective to both sides of the argument.

xoxo
The DiaBlogger

T1 Support

Diabetes is a complicated disease that makes me personally feel like it is me vs. the world. It is a diagnosis that is isolating and depressing. Many patients that are diagnosed feel the heavy weight of the disease just due to the name. Our society paints a very negative picture around the disease, and sometimes just using it as a word to describe me makes me unbearably sad. It is difficult for me to be surrounded everyday by people who do not comprehend my constant struggle. Here is an article that discusses the severe risks that diabetics face when they do not seek out support.

I love my friends and family more than anything, but sometimes they are no the support system I need when it comes to my health. When I was first diagnosed, it was difficult for me to take my health seriously because nobody around me did. Sometimes I felt like people either underestimated or exaggerated my disease...there was nothing in between.

My biggest pet peeve is when people without diabetes try to correct something that is related to my health or act like they know how my diagnosis makes me feel. I do not always make the best choices for my health, but if I want some chocolate every once in awhile, I am NOT about to let my burdensome disease stop me.

Joining Glu was a turning point in my life with Diabetes. Glu and other online communities are so important for people who are looking for support and information. Being connected online has taught me so much about my health, and little tips and tricks that I never learned at my doctor's office.

I love communicating with other T1's online, because I feel like we are equal.

Another great option for people who want face-to-face support is finding a therapist or a local community. Many college campuses have College Diabetes Network (CDN) Chapters. This is a great way to connect with other people in your community that you can reach out to. Also, look at your community centers. This is an easy place to find groups that use the community centers for a meeting place. If you are striking out, always ask your doctor or nutritionist--they should be in the know, if not, we are in trouble!!

If you find yourself down in the dumps about your diagnosis, always remember this:

"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back."

xoxoxo
The DiaBlogger