Diabetes Art Day is just a few days away. It’s not too late to get involved!
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PSA: Diabetes Art Day
Posted in Announcements, Diabetes, Diabetes Art Day, Shout outs, Vlog
5 Comments
Broken Hearts Still Hold Songs
I originally wrote this poem and posted it 5 and a half months into my diagnosis. The message in it still speaks to me a little over a year later, so I thought I’d repost it. The poem was inspired by my experiences with heart and other health problems, my faith in God, and the music and messages within the lyrics that have kept me going.
Broken Hearts Still Hold Songs
My heart may be weak,
but my spirits are strong.
Though my health may be poor,
my soul is still filled with song.
In my hour of despair,
I go to Him in prayer.
And because He lives, and loves me,
I can face tomorrow.
His sweet, sweet spirit fills me,
I can feel his hand in mine, and
that really is all I need to know.
And by His amazing grace, I’m
able to give the world a smile,
and keep walking on.
Yes, my heart is weak, and
the road to recovery is very long,
but with Him as my guiding spirit,
my soul shall always be filled with song.
A Worthwhile Entry
The winners of the poetry book drawing, hosted by Lee Ann Thill over at The Butter Compartment, have been announced. My congratulations to the winners, Virtue and Sherry .
While my entry wasn’t one of the chosen two, I’m still glad that I took the time to put it together and submit it. I had a lot of fun making it, so it was definitely worthwhile.
Posted in Diabetes, Diabetes Art, Inspiration, Life, Photos, Shout outs
4 Comments
Interesting Horoscope
I was looking through the newspaper this morning, and came across this little gem in the horoscope section. While I’m not a big follower of them nor a real believer, I do occasionally come across one that has a real air of truth to it. This is one of them:
“Aries (March 21-April 19). – Because of the unique circumstances of your recent years, you have information to impart. You’re a teacher, and the world is your classroom, filled with students – some willing, some difficult. You’ll make an impression on all.”
I’ve certainly had some interesting things going on in my life in the last couple of years, and I definitely have a thing or two to say about it. Whether I’m really teaching anyone anything, well, that’s debatable some days. I certainly hope that someone is listening to, er… reading what I have to say, and that they are getting something useful out of it. And if not, well, that’s OK, too.
There’s a song lyric that goes “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.” And if I help no one but myself by sharing my experiences, I’m still helping somebody. That definitely counts for something, because you can’t help someone else, until you’ve learned to help yourself.
I like to think I’m good at both. 🙂
Posted in Inspiration, Lessons Learned, Life
3 Comments
Get Crafty for Diabetes Art Day
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 has been declared Diabetes Art Day, by Lee Ann Thill, who is an Art Therapist, a fellow D-OC member, and host of the diabetes blog, The Butter Compartment.
| Between now and September 1st, participants will be creating diabetes inspired works of art using the artistic media of their choice, and then post pictures of their work on a blog, twitter, facebook, a diabetes social network, etc… on September 1st. More details can be found on Lee Ann’s blog.
I’m rather excited and proud to say that I’ll be participating in this inaugural Diabetes Art Day, and I hope that the rest of the diabetic online community will get involved as well. It doesn’t matter if your an experienced artist or a beginner. All are welcome. So, if you think it would be cool to create diabetes inspired works of art, here’s your chance to create something and share it with the world. I’m looking forward to meeting your inner artists. |
Image courtesy of Lee Ann Thill |
| And remember, it’s all in the name of raising awareness, and supporting the members of our community.
So, go grab some art supplies, and get crafty. |
|
Posted in Announcements, Diabetes, Inspiration, Shout outs
2 Comments
Pass the Vial My Way!
During last week’s Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (#DSMA) session on twitter, one of the discussion topics centered around Type 2 diabetics and insulin treatment. Should type 2’s start taking insulin earlier? Should it be avoided at all cost? Does the need for insulin mean the person is a failure for not getting their diabetes under control? Like many others in the DOC, I have my own opinions on the subject, and I voiced some of them during the chat.
First, I am a person with type 2 diabetes, and at present, I am not taking insulin as part of my treatment regimen. I have been given insulin injections during two separate hospital stays in the last year or so, though, so I do at least have a faint idea as to what it’s like.
Now, just because I’m not on insulin right now doesn’t mean that I won’t be in the future. I’m not being negative or pessimistic, I’m looking at this realistically. I’ve struggled with oral medications not working, and I know that insulin may be in the cards. And while I’m not actively pursuing insulin use at this time, I’m definitely open to the idea if and when it becomes necessary.
And if I do end up on insulin, it will not be because of some failure on my part. I put everything I have into fighting my diabetes and keeping it under control. Insulin therapy does NOT indicate failure. It will simply mean that my body needs help getting its’ job done. And there is no shame in needing help. The real shame would be in not doing anything at all.
As I said the during the chat, “If taking insulin means I might live a little longer, by all means, pass the vial my way. It’s called doing what’s needed to survive.” And that’s what it all really boils down to; Each and every one of us doing what is necessary for our own survival. What is right for me, may not be right for you. And that’s OK. The important thing is to figure out what will work for you, put a plan in motion, and then stick with it.
And if you learn something along the way, be sure to share it with someone. It just might make surviving a little easier for someone else.
Posted in Diabetes, Shout outs
7 Comments
Better Safe Than Sorry
So, I ended up at the hospital again late last Saturday night after I started feeling pretty bad. My heart was racing and my chest was hurting, I was having problems breathing and my blood pressure was sky high; it was 156/109 when I checked it the first time, and even higher by the time I reached the hospital.
Now, I was rather familiar with those symptoms, as they are the exact same ones that landed me in the hospital in April 2009. They are, in fact, some of the symptoms of a heart attack. I was also aware that those symptoms could be brought on by digestive issues like severe acid reflux, because that’s what caused the problems I had last April. So, I knew I was either having a heart attack or another reflux attack. More importantly, though, I knew that there was no way to tell the difference between the two without medical tests. And given that I have congestive heart failure anyway, I couldn’t leave anything to chance. So, I did the smart thing, and went to the emergency room.
Upon arriving and telling the desk nurse what was going on, I was immediately wheeled to a room in the ER where they attached a blood pressure cuff to my arm, listened to my heart, did an EKG, and drew blood for enzyme tests that determine whether a heart attack has occurred. They also brought in a portable x-ray machine and took an picture of my chest.
In the time it took for the results of all the tests to come back, a nitroglycerin patch was placed on my chest to help bring my blood pressure down, and I saw the physician’s assistant and the ER doctor. After a brief chat, the doctor went to call my cardiologist, and he in turn admitted me to the hospital, and said he’d see me the following afternoon.
In the back of my mind, I knew exactly what the cardiologist was going to say. He’d want to do a heart catheterization to get a better idea as to what was going on with my heart. And I was right about that. While I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, I knew that it had to be done, so I might as well go along with it. So they took me down for the procedure around 5:00 p.m. Monday.
Honestly, the procedure itself wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was awake through the whole thing, although they did give me a sedative to help me relax. The worst part of the ordeal was recovery time after the heart cath was finished. I was so stiff and sore after laying on my back for 6 hours it was not funny. I’ve never enjoyed walking the halls of a hospital as much as I did when they finally let me get up either. And as bad as that was, I’d have to say that the good news I got as a result of the procedure was more than worth it.
All of my coronary arteries looked good; there were no blockages whatsoever. In fact, the doctor said things looked so good that I could stop taking the Plavix he’s had me on. And the other bit of good news is that my heart has gotten stronger; it’s now pumping at 50%, which is what my doctor says is a normal level and the minimum that he wants to see. AWEsome!
So, it turns out that it was yet another severe acid reflux attack that led me to the hospital. And while that bothers me, the fact of the matter is that things could have gotten a lot worse if I hadn’t gone to the hospital. With the reflux driving my blood pressure higher and higher, I could have very easily had a heart attack or stroke, and, well, you wouldn’t be reading this post.
Like the title says, Better Safe Than Sorry!
PS: Many thanks to all of those in the DOC who expressed their concerns, prayers, and well wishes last week. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me, and how much it helped get me through. Lots of love everyone!
Posted in Health, Heart, Lessons Learned, Life, Shout outs
5 Comments
The Children’s Museum: D-Meetup Style
Lots and lots of people visit the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis on the weekends. A fair number of D-Meetups take place on the weekends, too. And over this past weekend, the Indiana DOC crew did both.
The group, consisting of Cherise Shockley and her husband & daughter, Scott & Niya, Michael Hoskins, Jenny Pritchard, and April & I, met up at the Children’s Museum on Saturday for an afternoon of fun and D-bonding.
We began our museum tour with some arts & crafts time; there was a table where we could create our own musical instruments out of paper plates, Popsicle sticks, a bit of string, and some beads. Cherise had me draw a meter on the front of hers, while Michael worked to create one of his own. That activity was part of the much larger Rockstars Cars & Guitars exhibit, which also included a band of teenagers singing classic rock & roll songs. Badly!
Everyone was rather hungry as it was around lunchtime when we got together, so we decided to take a break and get something to eat at the food court. Big Mistake! I found a hair in my sandwich. I’m not talking about a little short one either. This thing was at least 10 to 12 inches long! So much for being hungry. That ruined everyone’s appetite. I was so mad I couldn’t hardly see straight, and everyone knew it. I do believe I deserve a medal for keeping my composure and handling the situation as well as I did. I simply took the food back to the register, pointed out the foot long hair on my tray, and asked for my money back. I got it, and went on my way.
We resumed our tour from there and made our way to the second floor to check out the big Etch A Sketch 50th anniversary exhibit. That was really cool. There were pictures of Elvis, Michael Jackson, Jay Z, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and many more. It’s hard to believe that some of the pictures hanging in that gallery were actually made on an Etch A Sketch. Can you imagine how long it would have taken to create those? Would take far more time and patience than I have; that’s for sure. I’ll stick to my sketchbook and pencils. 🙂
From there Niya lead us to the Barbie Fashion Experience exhibit, where she got to dress up in different costumes, and walk the runway like a super model. She was strutting her stuff all over that runway and having a great time doing so. I so wish I could be her age again some times, or at the very least, possess the energy that she has. By the time we left at 5:00 p.m., Niya had lead us through nearly all of the major exhibits spread among the museum’s 4 floors; Dinosphere, Take me there: Egypt, The Power of Children, and ScienceWorks just to name a few.
April and I wandered off on our own for a bit so I could get pictures of the one exhibit that I really wanted to see. Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass. That piece of work is amazing. According to the information available at the museum, the glass tower stands 43 feet tall, and consists of over 3,200 pieces of blown glass. The entire exhibit contains over 4,800 pieces of glass, and weighs in at a whopping 18,000 pounds. It’s just plain AWEsome!
No D-Meetup would be complete without a group photo, and that was the second to the last thing that happened before the meetup ended. Many thanks to Scott for taking the picture for us.
The very last thing involved me making good on a promise I made to Niya during our lunch break. I had Little G out of the bag, and tossed him over to Niya, and told her she could hold onto him while we were in the museum. She got rather upset by the thought of having to give him back, so I promised her she would have a d-ninja doll before I headed back to Fort Wayne on Sunday. I was simply going to pay a visit a the Hoskins’ house, get another d-ninja, and drop it off to her on the way home. At the last minute, though, I decided to give her mine. She just lit up with excitement. I snapped a quick photo of Niya & Little G for posterity sake, and that was that.
It was a wonderful ending to a rather fun and exciting D-Meetup. April & I had a blast, and it was great meeting Cherise, Scott, Niya, and Jenny for the first time, and great seeing Michael again, too. Hope you all had as much fun as I did. Thanks for coming!
Posted in D-Meetups, Photos, Shout outs, Travel
5 Comments
What would you like to know?
As most of you know by now, I’m an open book when it comes to talking about my life with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure. I’m generally willing to talk about anything, because I believe there’s a chance that sharing what I know and live with may actually help someone else. And there’s always the benefit of being able to vent; that’s always a good thing. As is bonding with my readers and the rest of the community.
With that being said, I’d like to open the floor (is there a floor in the blogosphere?) to questions from anyone reading my blog. Do you have a question about type 2 diabetes or congestive heart failure, or some other question that you’re just chomping at the bit to ask me? You know, like general “get to know me” questions. This is your chance to get those questions answered.
Submit your questions to: mailbag@mydiabeticheart.com, or post a comment below. I’ll read them, and post the answers to this blog.
So don’t be shy. What would you like to know? I look forward to hearing from you.
Posted in Featured, Mailbag, Questions/Answers
3 Comments
A test drawing
Decided to try my hand at drawing again late last night. It’s been years since I’ve done so. Diabetes and BG testing were on my mind, so this is what ended up on the paper. And that 188 mg/dl reading on the meter? That’s a real number from around 3:00 a.m. this morning.
Part of the motivation behind my drawing last night was the fact that Fort Wayne’s Three Rivers Festival is starting this weekend, and every year they host a chalk walk event, during which artists from all over the area gather downtown and draw pictures on the streets and sidewalks using various types of chalks. At the end, the pictures are judged, and prizes are awarded. It’s a pretty cool event, and I’ve seen some great works of art there.
I got to thinking about the event, and what I would attempt to draw if I entered the contest. Would I draw something whimsical and fictitious, or would I draw something more realistic and make a statement. The more I thought about it, the more I was drawn to the later option.
What a great opportunity it would be to inject a little diabetes awareness into an event where it would be completely unexpected, and provide a little food for thought for those in attendance. It’d be a great opportunity for promoting the diabetic online community, too. I have another drawing in mind for that. 🙂
I guess I’m just looking at the big picture here (no pun intended), and trying to see what I might be able to do to expand awareness in my area. This event would certainly be one way; maybe not this year, given the time frame, but certainly in the future. Then again, who says it has to be this event, or even in my area.
Maybe my drawings could be transferred to t-shirts, posters, hats, etc… that could be sold to raise money for diabetes research. Surely someone would buy one of those things. Well, I can hope so, anyway.
And, you never know what you can do until you try.
Posted in Diabetes, Diabetes Art, Inspiration, Life, Photos
7 Comments
My Diabetic Heart 