Another World.

A few weeks ago, I left the "real" world to go somewhere that may as well be in another universe.

When you first get there, it seems pretty ordinary. It seems like you're an ordinary person on an ordinary day in an ordinary place, but just wait. It may take you a few minutes, hours, days even to realize something is different here.

Here, you'll find a place to belong... Even as teenagers who are fighting drama and jealousy and each other. Something breakes down the walls we have up, and none of the superficial feelings matter.

But what brings us together like this?

 If you look closely, everyone has their battle scars. More than anywhere else,everyone knows what you go through on a daily basis. They've fought their own battles against the same monsters.

The result is magical. I can't imagine not having diabetes camp.

The Walk.

"Expect the Unexpected."

     I like that saying for this post because diabetes has no rhyme or reason. And definitely not good timing. We've all experienced it a several times, and it can be terrifying. But when two of my friends and I clipped my dog into her leash the other night, I wasn't prepared.
     I started to feel a little bit off when we were about 10 minutes away from getting back to my house. But all three of us had been laughing and joking, so I tried to forget about it. A couple of minutes later, my arms and legs began to feel like a strange combination of lead and jell-o. Now I knew I was definitely low, and I reached for my meter. But it wasn't there. "Do you have any candy or something?" I asked my friends, voice quavering.
     "No, I don't."
     "Sorry."
     Great, what was I supposed to do? We were only a little bit farther than a block away from my house, so I opted to hurry up and test when I got back. "Hey guys? I think I'm low... Could we ummm, hurry up so I can test sooner?"
      They jokingly complained, but we picked up the pace. Every step I took, my legs screamed for sugar. When I finally opened the front door, I was walking so unevenly that I probably looked intoxicated. After unclipping the leash (I know!) I found my meter and flopped into a chair to test. Wipe off finger, pull back the lever on the poker, pop open the test strips and fit one into the meter. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 45 mg/dl.(2.5 mmol/l)
      I pulled out an unopened tube of grape glucose tabs and tried to tear off the plastic seal. I was too uncoordiated with the low, so I passed it around to both my friends, who weren't able to break it either. "MOM!" I hollered, "I'M LOW AND I CAN'T OPEN THE TABS! CAN I HAVE A JUICE?" In a sort of last attempt, I ended up ripping off the plastic and opening the glucose tabs. I chomped four of them and shouted, "NEVERMIND MOM!"
     I finally had sugar, and I was starting to relax (besides the jittery feeling of the low) when one of my friends asked, "What do the grape glucose tabs taste like?"

Normally? Kid's medicine. But right now they taste like heaven, my friend.

Low thoughts.

writing while I’m low just to show how random I get with lows..... Yuck. The computer screen is way too bright, and My arms feel like laed. or jello. maybe lead jello? I don’t know.

So, can you believe I’m low? After cookies and super-sweet coffee peppermint …..stuff?

By the way, I’m not going to edit this post. I know I’ts going to be terrible. Maybe You’ll feel my low.

I think m blood sugar is still dropping. I’m a little bit shaky, and I’m sweating. Maybe that’s the sweater I’m wearing. I got it on black Friday for 40 (where is the percent key?!?!?!) % off. (It’s on the 5, guys!)

I burnt my tongue on tea this morning, and it’s awfully tingly.... Is that the low? I was only 66.... And I had a mini candy cane and a grape glucose tab. About 8 carbs...

I think I’m coming up. I got a great chance to teach one of the moms of my little brother’s classmates about diabetes today. She likes my pump. The kids didn’t care. They said things more like....
“Are you Scott’s mom?” no. I’m his sister.
“You’re pretty!” Awww, Thank you! ( I totally had a Jessie moment.... What, you haven’t watched Disney Channel lately?)
“You look like Scott, but with straighter, and more whiter teeth. And you’re a girl.” Thanks...

Time to retest! I hope this post shows my low thoughts? (Maybe not..... Awkward!  ;)  )


-Katy

Friday 5!

Hello everyone! Finally posting again! It's my Friday 5 today.. ( like Friday 6?  I love Six Until Me! )

Anyway, here we go:

 1.  Meter Fashion- As you might know, I have a One Touch Ping System. My pump is pink (cute!!!!!) and my meter/remote doesn't come in colors. BUT there are skins for the meters. I had a coupon for a free pump skin, but the way I wear my pump, I don't think it would get used, so I ordered a meter skin instead. I got a purple one :) (Umm yesss. I am such a girl.) I have to say, I love it, it is good protection, and a splash of color.

2.  Reading- Please read Diabetes on the Side. I read a lot of D blogs but this one is cool (: The little girls are so cute! ( I love little kids!)

3.   CGM!- You probably knew this already, but- Dexcom G4 is approved! I am so excited because  I am obviously in love with the things... And colorful? Excuse me? I likes it.  Very excited and hoping my endo likes the idea.

4. Apps-The App Store has a lot of nice aps for BG related stuff.  But honestly my favorite carb-counting app? My Fttness Pal. No contest. Click here for the website. It's actually for calories but they include carbs and there are so many foods!

5. I was low- Last night, after trending high at mn, I was 60 (insert 1/2 juice box, I am super sensitive to sugar @night) retest 42 (whole juice) 55, (1/2 Tbs. Honey) before I came up. It was weird.


Happy bolusing and may the BG's be ever in your favor!
-Katy (:

I have a New Love.

Me making faces at my camera for this post. And quick editing.

Temp basals. Forever. And ever.

Yesterday we were doing hard backstage work in my drama class 1st period. 2nd period, Spanish, I felt low and tested. 76.... Hmmm.... I tried a temp basal, -20% for .5 hrs.
I retested 45 minutes later at 67. Oh well.

Then today. Same drama scenario, halfway through drama I remembered and did -20% for .5hrs. After Spanish I was 96. This is why I love my pump. Animas forever you guys <3

(Okay fine. Medtronic can totally do all this, I made it sound like temp basal is just Animas.... But it's kind of a fake war between me and my friends w/Medtronic pumps, and I love my pump. So there jk)

Pictures. For Real? Lows. For Real?

I have this bad habit of using fake photos.

   I don't take very good fun pix with my friends, so on my bulletin board, there's always something totally unrelated to my life... currently a flower and a pretty picture of the beach from google.

But it's pretty!

So pictures for real? No.

Apparently I have a bad habit with leaving my testing stuff behind, too.

   I did it twice today. Once in my hall locker and once in my gym locker. I mean, sure, if I'm not doing much in P.E.,  why tote the whole kit-n-caboodle? (LOL, I might sound like an old lady... I hope not.) So there's two other type 1 girls in my class this year. Weird, I know! (Ever since we've got to high school, though, we don't talk about diabetes. It's like a stupid unspoken rule. Any suggestions? ) Enough with my friend issues.
    So I left my sugar in my gym locker, and clipped my pump to  the inside of my gym shorts, and went out to the room our class was in. It was hot, even with the mild weather and tropical-ish-late-Summer-and-So-Cal-shushed-together rain, so I didn't think twice when I felt sticky.
   Halfway through warm ups, I rolled my hair up into a top knot for a little relief. I asked my friend if it looked okay. She laughed and said yes.
   Then I started to feel a little off. Not too bad, but off. I figured I was high, and tried to ignore it. After a while, though, I realized I was low. Right after the teacher said we had to be quiet. Then low-stupidly-polite Katy decided to wait her turn to talk.
   Finally, I asked to test.. and everybody stared at me while the TA walked me out the door like a small child... And in my very low state I tried to make a joke as I walked by my friend. ("Awkward, awkward,awkward...")
   Finally, I pulled the lock off the latch and dug for my meter. I wiped of my finger, pricked it with my lancing device (aka poker) and somehow managed to stop shaking enough to get blood on the strip. 5... How low am I? 4... What if I'm not low? 3... Oh, yeah I'm low. 2... 5 seconds is a long time. 1... Ready the smarties...

49.

Ate two rolls of smarties (12g) .02U on board what the heck? another half of a roll (3g) and back to class. Weird days. But where do I put this thing anyway, I can't just bring it to class? I did today, but...

Another problem another day, right?
Happy sugars!

Weird Lows

Everyone gets lows sometimes, and all of our symptoms are different. When I was first diagnosed, I felt shaky. Now, I get the regular symptoms usually but it varies... Here atre some weird ones :)

When I am low and doing my hair, the hairdryer's heat sort of chokes me. I start coughing and I feel like I'm in a really stuffy environment.

When I drop fast, sometimes I'll think everything is hilarious, and my arms feel like lead.

In the middle of the night, my mom says I'll sleeptalk...really fast with made up words (blgalkjskdjfnuibnuinciuc)

What are your crazy lows like?