Let the Holidays begin....

I have to admit that I used to get more enjoyment out of the holidays when I could actually enjoy all the traditional holiday foods without worry. My body has become so sensitive to carbohydrates that it seems just smelling mashed potatoes makes my blood sugar start to rise. The good thing about Thanksgiving is that I can indulge on some foods that are quite satisfying. Turkey and green beans was pretty much my T-day feast. Take those two ingredients and add some Italian seasoning and you have a pretty satisfying meal.

So I survived yet another holiday without completely trashing my blood sugar. Onto Christmas.... any ideas how to make eggnog sugar free??

~Melissa
diabetesmadeimple.com

Its hard to find a good Doctor...

Sorry I have neglected this blog for so long. Since my last blog, I have moved 400 miles away from home.... so I'm still adjusting to my new surroundings. Since moving, I have noticed that I took a lot of things for granted. Southern California really does have a lot of stuff in a very small radius. By no means am I living in the boonies now, but I have to drive just a little bit farther for stuff.

Anyway, back to the topic. I had a fantastic MD down south, now I have a book that I could just as easily throw darts at to choose which one I want. I ended up choosing a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O) as my primary simply becuase I have heard good things about the branch of medicine. I have heard that they have the same medical training but with a little more emphasis on holistic medicine. Has anyone had any experience with D.Os? I would love to hear your opinion. I have yet to make my first "Hi,nice to meet you" appointment so I have no idea if this guy is any good.

~Melissa
Diabetesmadesimple.com

Violette Between

This post does not have anything to do with Diabetes, but I am helping out a friend.

Alison Strobel has released her second novel"Violette Between". It is a heartwarming story of how love can happen in the real world. Two people that come from similar heartbreaking pasts but are able to move on and find love once again. Alison is able to create characters that are easy to love and sympathize with.

check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578567947

You can also read the chapter here
http://www.americanfamilysuperstore.net/e/firstchapter.asp?mode=view&index=470

~Melissa

Traveling with Diabetes Part 2

Hey All,

I made it through airport security with practically no problems what-so-ever. My bag was searched both ways but I found that if I told them what they would find before ever opening the bag, security was actually down right friendly. One of the guards even started telling me about his mother being diabetic and understanding what a pain diabetes can be. If you do plan on traveling soon, I would highly recommend keeping the box for the insulin so it shows your name on it. Having that for both of my bottles helped a lot when being searched.

Although the plane seemed more crowded and uncomfortable than ever, I do want to commend them for having more than one option for diet soda (hey its the small things that mean a lot).

Happy Traveling!
Melissa

The Fun of Traveling with Diabetes

Well, I plan on boarding a plane on saturday with about 40 syringes, 2 bottles of insulin and a handful of lancets. We shall see if all the airport security hassles are a bunch of media over exaggeration or if it really will be a pain in the a_ _. Usually I travel with a doctor's note, but this time I didn't have the time to get one. In the past, I have never even been asked about the numerous syringes I was carrying. So part of me thinks that this time will be no different, but another part of me is worried about being hassled by airport security. I am strongly against checking my extra supplies just in case my luggage does not make it to my destination. Has anyone else had travelling issues lately?? I really miss the days when the worst thing I could forget was my deoderant.

I will keep you updated if the security check is smooth or not.
Happy Traveling

Melissa

Type 1 Diabetes Soapbox

Once again, I am stepping up onto my soap box...

I don't care what kind of health care practitioner you may be, whether it be doctor, a nurse, a therapist, or an assistant. If you consider yourself a health care provider (HCP), you should understand the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Especially since diabetes has been in the news so much lately due to the increasing prevalence. I don't understand how a HCP expects to empathize or make suggestions for healthier living if they don't understand the challenges of the disease.

And please please please leave your stereotypes at the door!! Don't presume that your stereotypes about type 2 are even remotely related to type 1!! Believe me, I must also fight stereotypes because the majority of my patient population with type 2 diabetes are overweight with low activity levels. But it would serve us all well to remember that not ALL diabetics (type 1 and type 2) are "fat and lazy". Sometimes, beyond anyone's best efforts, your body just does not function how it is supposed to. Patients deserve to be respected as individuals and not by the stereotypes people place on their diagnosis.

Please educate yourself. Whether it be from my website or from some other source.
Melissa

www.diabetesmadesimple.com

Diabetes Research in the White House

Today, President Bush made history once again buy vetoing a bill that hoped to further stem cell research. Within 24 hours of the house passing the bill, Bush signed the line to veto the controversial bill. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has supported this bill for a long time with extensive letter writing campaigns. By signing to veto the bill, Bush as placed a potential road block in Diabetes stem cell research.

I have not been able to get an unbiased opinion of this bill. JDRF claims that the benefits gained from more stem cell research could be priceless (and possibly lead to a cure for Type 1 diabetes). Bush claims that using fetus tissue to harvest stem cells crosses over a moral barrier that we should uphold. Personally, I have heard of other sources for stem cells that don't require fetus tissue. I wonder why this is not mentioned more often.

Do you have a more informed point of view on this matter? I would love to hear them.