Type 1 Diabetic Warrior

Diabetics call the anniversary of their diagnosis date their "Diaversary". For me, I don't count my original diagnosis date, summer of 1999 when I was told I was Type 2, as my Diaversary. Rather, mine is when I was almost a month away from my 36th birthday, woke up in the ICU at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, found out I was actually Type 1, not Type 2, and would be on insulin for the rest of my life, and had to make a serious decision to start taking care of myself in order to live. Sunday, Jan 20th, 2008, I was taken by ambulance to the ER, suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis and the complications that went along with uncontrolled diabetes. Admittedly, I had not been taking care of myself for about eight years prior to that date. But either way I was going to get sick at some point. I was not aware that I was actually Type 1, not Type 2 as I had been diagnosed in 1999. Anyway, after four days in ICU, I was transferred to the fifth floor -- "5T". I was so ...

So, getting back to the beginning of my Type 1 diabetes journey in 2008 . . . one of the first things I had to do was schedule follow-up appointments. I had seen two endocrinologists in the hospital. My initial follow-up appointment had to be rescheduled, so I saw Dr. Ya-Yu Lee. He was not the original doctor I was scheduled with, but it ended up being one of the best things that happened. Dr. Lee was kind, understanding, and encouraging. He made me feel reassured that I could turn my health around. Yes, I would have to take responsibility and do work. But I knew Dr. Lee would support me and guide me as long as I did my part. Fast forward to present day -- not to "toot my own horn", but I am now one of Dr. Lee's "favorite" patients. I also see nurse practitioner Kathleen Post. They are both awesome, we have a great relationship, and we are a true TEAM in my diabetes management. I have an insulin pump/continuous glucose monitor combo, which allows me a lot of fre...

I have been seeing a lot of people recently share their experiences with mental and emotional health issues. Notably for me this year were a local TV sports director from here in the Lehigh Valley, Dan Moscaritolo, and the drummer in my favorite rock band Breaking Benjamin, Shaun Foist. Well, I am a person who battles anxiety, depression at times, and Seasonal Affective Disorder. As a Type 1 diabetic, I see an endocrinologist four times annually. A few years ago, talking to one of my endos, I expressed my feelings to her that, despite the fact that my diabetes is very well-controlled, sometimes "diabetes sucks". She asked me if I wanted to talk to someone about it. I said sure, why not? Well, that was the beginning of my once-monthly counseling sessions. Sure, it started out being primarily about how diabetes affects EVERYTHING in my life and EVERYTHING in my life affects my diabetes. But it became so much more than that. I now talk to my counselor about everything and anythi...

 My friend Jakob suggested I post this here in my blog. It is taken from my Facebook page from Sunday, December 13th, 2020, the day after the Army-Navy football game . . . I saw an older gentleman outside the post office today with an Army sweatshirt and camouflage mask on. I rolled down my window and congratulated him on the football win yesterday. I said it wasn't Navy's year, but at the end of the day, EVERYONE wins -- the USA wins. He agreed. He told me he served 28 years. I thanked him for his service, which he appreciated. I told him my father was retired Navy and Philadelphia Police. He said to thank my dad for his service -- twice. He also told me his father and brother were both Navy men. WE ARE ALL FAMILY. GOD BLESS AMERICA. 🇺🇲❤🤍💙😊

OK, I feel really silly posting this. It's like I'm a 12-year-old middle school girl. But it IS my blog, right? No judgement allowed? So I will do it. There is a great hard rock band called Breaking Benjamin. I absolutely love their music. Probably more importantly, they might be some of the nicest people on the planet. They love each other. They adore their wives and families. They cherish their fans. I am so into this band right now, they seriously make my days brighter. The following is something I posted in a Breaking Benjamin fan Facebook group I am in. Thank you in advance for reading.  ** LONG POST ALERT -- I apologize in advance but I felt the need to share this with this wonderful group. ** I am usually good at putting words together – Hell, I was a journalism major, after all, and I still think I'm a good writer.  But I feel like I might start rambling here, so I'm sorry.  I am new to this group. I love hard rock music.  It’s what I listen to in my car....

OUR CAT My family has THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD. Sure, I know everyone says that. But seriously. My cat is amazing. Her name is Gabby. She is a beautiful -- black and white and very fluffy and she talks (meows) all the time! Gabby is actually my boyfriend's stepmother's cat. She has a brother named Rascal who she couldn't live with in peace and harmony because Rascal is a little too rambunctious for Gabby. So Callie asked Mike if Gabby could come live with us. It turned out perfectly for all involved! Gabby is very sweet and kind and affectionate. She loves being petted and snuggling in bed. She is also hilarious. In addition to being extremely vocal, she also does other funny things. Sometimes she runs around the house for absolutely no reason meowing loudly. She will do this anytime, even late at night or early in the morning. She likes to lie inside boxes and laundry baskets and closets and on top of things. She loves plastic bags -- getting inside them, lying on top of ...