Zumba,Zum--My Blood Sugar Is?

So I was at my mom's Zumba class last night. I started with a blood sugar over 400. After 15 minutes I was 71. Then 54! So I rummaging through my bag for treatment. Of course I don't have glucose tabs. Where's the change? WHERE'S THE FREAKING CHANGE? Oh there it is. With my Les Mis ticket. Run down stairs! SPRINT DOWN THE HALL. Where's the vending machine? Oh hello snacks. High Protein, HIGH PROTEIN! Trail mix. Trail mixx...? Yummmm! When can I go back to Zumba? Oh cute front desk boy. Let's flirt.
    Needless to say I should not be left alone with boys when I'm low.
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

Wait What?

Good Morning everyone! I am currently trying to come up from a low blood sugar. But this morning was a frustrating one. I woke up at one to go to the bathroom and checked my blood sugar. Over 600. Oh site change and give insulin. Wake up at 3:45 go pee and check my blood sugar. Give more insulin.  Go back to bed. Wake up at 7:30 I'm low. You've got to be kidding me?
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

Work and Diabetes

This thought just came to me. Why is it so hard to maintain my blood sugar while I'm at work. Sometimes it can be so hard. I work at a day care and I have to make sure I always have an eye on the kids.  But what if I'm low and can't focus? How am I supposed to treat my blood sugar and watch 20 preschoolers running around? Well I have yet to truly get an answer out of that. But it seems that I get my treatment and slowly eat as I watch children. Annoying? YES! Helpful? I guess. I wish there was an easier way to handle this and working.
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

Oh I Have Gym and my Blood sugar is what?

So as usual somethings wrong in my life. My blood sugar is low and I have fitness. This would only happen to me...
Heres to year 15!
Rachel

5 Months 2 Days

OK So now I can talk about my favorite thing! BARTON DAY CAMP! Literally I am now counting down the days to my return. I'm sure you guys think I'm crazy with my diabetes stuff. I am, but I absolutely crazy about Diabetes camp. There are so many things that can happen there.
 For example when I was younger this place helped me embrace my diabetes. It helped me realize that it's not going away. To this day I still feel I need to pay it forward with camp. I have had a lot of staff members who truly changed my life at diabetes camp. They made me realize that I couldn't change who I was, but I could make myself stronger. I honestly don't know who I would be without camp. Plus I like to think of my campers too. I had one camper who came from Dubai last year and her parents told me how inspiring I had been to her. To hear that means the world to me. Knowing I touched someone that much. Sometimes I don't realize the power of my words.
To end I would like to say...
A Year without Barton Is Like A Year Without Rain.
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

"Please Hold"

I am currently on hold waiting for a Minimed representative. It's the worst. You just sit there and wait. And wait. Then you could get some one who can't help you. Also bad. Or as in my case you get sent to another person and put on hold again.You're FREAKING kidding  right? At least I'll get the new meter. Oh I need my insurance card. Oh prescription reviews. Contact review's. Plus reviewing My health issues. Did You just ask if I was a type one? AFTER I JUST CONFIRMED MY INSULIN!! ARE YOU STUPID??? If there is one thing i hate about diabetes it's calling the pump company...
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

My Traits Activity

So Today in my junior seminar class we did an interesting activity. We were told to write down the first 10 words we think of when we think of ourselves. After that we had to rip all of our traits to be separated. After that she asked us to remove one of our traits. The first of my traits to go was Diabetes. The teacher then asked us to think about how our life would be without this trait. I stopped and thought for a moment. What would life be like without diabetes? There would be no camp. No diabuddies. No blood sugars, No pump! But here's the big question... Who would Rachel be without diabetes?
I'm Literally thanking god for my diabetes now.
Here's to year 15!

Rachel




The first one is my actual traits all separated out. The second one is my list of traits so you can see what the tiny strips of paper say

Outreach from the Community

So after the breakup I went to my diabetic community. It seems they all agree with me. He didn't deserve me. It's true. Thanks to my diabetic community I'm back on my feet and ready to go. So Another one bites the dust!
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

Diabetes and Boyfriends

Okay so not everyone is willing to support my diabetes as my mom is (Thanks Mom :)).  But the hardest part of being a teenager trying to find love? The 'Betes. Unless you have a significant other who truly wants to support you, you're screwed. I stick to my morals when I say that a guy wanting to date me needs to help with my diabetes. Most of the guys I dated could have cared less. Literally. Now just breaking up a "Boyfriend" because of that, I'm glad I feel this way. He's flipping out as I write this blog. I'm laughing. I think I've come up with a new phrase... 'Betes before Bros. It makes sense. My diabetes is a part of me and any guy is going to have to help with it (maybe).
    Ladies with Diabetes. Listen up. Your other has got to be able to be mature and help you if it's needed. You are gonna need someone who is willing to help with those low blood sugars and will deal with the moodiness of being high. Needless to say, don't date the person if they're not gonna help.
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

Pump Therapy? I think YES!

Today's topic is probably one of my favorite in the whole world! Pump Therapy. While it can be a time of complete fear and joy, the journey to it is amazing. I honestly cannot remember much of life before a pump. And from what I do remember it sucks.  My journey to a pump was weird. It started at a Pump Weekend at Barton. But even before then I was ready. I knew I was soo done with shots. I hated having to stop everything to give a stupid shot. That's not even normal. The pump was the perfect solution for a On-The-Go-Girl.  After getting my pump it was proven correct. No more stupid shots, I could give insulin when I needed to. And it was always in my pocket! I thought I was the coolest.  Plus I was able to eat whatever I wanted. It was a life that was so different for me. Needless to say instead of having to stop my life I continued to go!
  Looking back on the almost 9 years of pump therapy I'm amazed. I now wear a Minimed Revel. I like to call it the rebel though. I use the Continuos glucose monitor too, sometimes. But I'll talk about that at another time. So Here's to pump therapy. Try it, you'll love it!

Here's To Year 15!

Rachel

Death By Chocolate?

There you have it. The cupcake with a single candle lit for my diabetes. It was literally called Death By Chocolate. It was so worth the crazy insulin I had to take.
Here's to year 15!
Rachel

The "Diabetes Playlist"

Ok so this might sound crazy, but over the years I have composed a playlist of the songs best known to me to describe my diabetes.
     Here's My Playlist-
          -Beat On The Brat By The Ramones- No I'm not kidding, sometimes it can be a real brat. I would love to take a baseball bat to my diabetes when I get Mad.
         -Believe In My By Demi Lovato- Sometimes I really just need to believe in myself even though it's hard.
        -Born This Way By Lady Gaga- I was born this way and I can't regret it.
        -The Diabetes Rap- I A-M-D-I-A-B-E-T-I-C... you get the point
        -Drama Queen(That Girl)By Lindsay Lohan- I can be a drama queen about my diabetes. Ask my mom
        -FingerPrints By Katy Perry- I leave an impression every where with my diabetes.
        -Just The Way You Are By Bruno Mars- You have to embrace yourself :)
That would be all from diabetes land :)
Here's to year 15
Rachel

Here's To Year 15!!

Morning Everyone!
I am up cramming for midterms, but that's not the point. I have officially entered Year 15! It's so hard to believe that I was only 21 months when I was diagnosed. Trust me it's been a long journey. I am so proud of everyone who has ever put up with my diabetes. Trust me that's a lot of people.
     Anyways last night I had some one ask why I celebrate having diabetes for so long. It may seem weird to them or you, but to my family it's an accomplishment. It means another year of crazy fighting and awful bloodsugars have passed. It means that I've survived another year without a cure. My Mom said something last night that truly touched me...
    "I'm proud that she has made it through another year. And she doesn't let the disease have total control over her life. It's a part of her. She's not a part of it".
What she said is true. Although if she were to have said that 8 years ago it wouldn't have been true.  When I was younger I used to be embarrassed to no end about my diabetes. I was like that until I went to Clara Barton Camp. A diabetes camp for diabetic girls. Get this when we first went my mom didn't tell me and I flipped out and stopped talking to her. I was 8 then. Now I'm 16, and you can't get me to leave that place. Without camp I have to wonder who I would be. Would I still be so very shy with my diabetes? I sure hope not. Without camp.. God, I don't know who I would be. Without Diabetes I have no clue who I would be. Needless to say I think that if they were to cure diabetes to say I would be so lost.
Here's to year 15!

Rachel

High and Low Blood Sugars

Ok the most annoying part if being diabetic? Not the finger pricks or the needles... The high and low blood sugars are what make me most rageful. I mean there has got to be a magic potion to take care of your blood sugars. I know you're probably thinking that the obvious answer to my question is Insulin. Ahaha think again. It can cause low blood sugars too. Can I mention how much I hate low blood sugars too? Dear god they piss me off. What if I'm not hungry when I'm low? What if I really hate glucose tabs? I mean let's be honest... they taste super weird. Like why does this orange flavored glucose tabs taste like powder? And why do you feel all weird when you're low? Why can't I stop giggling?
    SO so many questions that can't be answered by me. Maybe a doctor could tell me why Glucose Tabs taste so bad. Ha.. Like they would know. Sorry I'm kind of mad at diabetes
Rachel

Wait Really?!?

I really can't stand those sub nurses who question my every move. I had one today for one of the two nurses at my high school. I came into the nurses office and told her my name. She looked in the book that's labeled DIABETIC. Then Looked at me and said
      "Do you feel weird? Is that why you're checking?"
        "No I need to check my Blood Sugar...."
        "Well it says in the book you only check at lunch"
        "Well I'm checking now"
I literally couldn't even handle this woman. I had to leave and take insulin in class. I couldn't believe it. Are you really going to question how I take care of my diabetes? Last time I checked you didn't have diabetes. I don't understand how people can just do that. Like at work last night; one of my coworkers also gave me crap about checking my blood sugar. Although her point made sense. I work in a daycare, so checking in front of preschoolers.... Not my best idea.
    Maybe I'm being too harsh on this woman, seeing as I don't know her, but still. I will check as much as I need to and she can't tell me I can't as she clearly tried to.
Oh boy....
   Diabetes Sucks!
Rachel

Almost there!!

Seeing as my diabetes is turning 15 in 11 days, I can't believe all that I've accomplished. It's been a long  Journey. I'm so excited. I can't believe it's been so long.