Ode to my Pricker

O Pricker, O Pricker why must you go?
We've been through so much, highs, lows, and the occasional snow.

O Pricker, O Pricker, I will miss you.
You have enabled me to see those blood sugars that make me go, "Whoo!"

O Pricker, O Pricker, do not fret.
My Mom won't throw you away, at least not yet...

O Pricker, O Pricker, I will store you in a special place,
So no one, not even a bug, can harm your non-existent face.

O Pricker, O Pricker, I will remember you always.
All 365 (or on Leap years, 366) days.

Its casket is a glucose tabs bottle.

O Pricker, O Pricker, I must get a new one.
One that will let me test my blood, especially after I eat a cinnamon bun.

O Pricker, O Pricker, I now have a One Touch Delica.
But, this new one will not be your replica.

O Pricker, O Pricker, I could be lazy like a basset.
Now my new one needs me to scout out a certain lancet.

O Pricker, O Pricker, Rest in Peace
I'll miss you as much as I don't miss a beet.

School does actually help!

So, I was surfing through my D-Blogs, when I see something on Diabetes Mine; I saw a picture of a chemical formula.

This is insulin!

It is: C₂₅₄H₃₇₇N₆₅O₇₆S₆ , and I do know what that means.
It means 254 Carbon atoms, 377 Hydrogen atoms, 65 Nitrogen atoms, 76 Oxygen atoms, and 6 Sulfur atoms.No, I didn't look that up; I just know that, because we are working on the Periodic Table, bonding atoms, and etcetera. (All of their Oxidation numbers also add up to zero.)

We just had a test on it, too, and I got a 96, so you can trust me about this information.

In other school and diabetes related news:
My pump fell out of my pocket, and the tubing came out.
That was super attractive.

Moral of Story: School is *occasionally* helpful.

Technological Advancement

Have you ever noticed how when pump sites decide to malfunction, it is always at the most inconvenient time?

Today it decided to leak at my sister's softball game. I called my mom at 9:30, and she got to the park at 11:15. The park is only 20 minutes away. So, I was without basal and insulin for an hour and 45 minutes slowly getting more agitated. I had to resort to *shudder* my sister's insulin pen. *gasp, the insulin pen*

It also went bad when I was on my All State trip; I had to walk up to the choir director in the middle of class, ask to leave, and have my mom go to the hotel and get me a pump site because the one I brought with me didn't work.

Pump sites these days...

I am also not technologically advanced.
My family, and my sister's friend were comparing their tablets, and I said, "I have something that none of you have... a pump!"

They weren't impressed.

When I said I was getting a new one in November, My sister replied, "Does it have apps?"

Moral of Story: Pumps aren't impressive unless they have apps.

Just stop talking already and listen.

It really bothers me when people make assumptions about diabetes, so here is a list of things, compiled by yours truly, of things I want to tell everyone that isn't diabetic:

1. When I say, "I'm high." I am talking about my blood sugar, not about taking drugs. (I mean, I only take insulin and Synthroid; and neither of those are narcotics.)
2. That thing attached to my side does not have Mario Kart on it, it is an insulin pump, not a Game Boy. They look very different.
3. I'm not going to leave the table to test my blood if you have been sitting by me at lunch the whole school year. (If you haven't sat by me before, I will.)
4. Yes, I can eat sugar.
5. No, my pump is not from the 80's; the screen is beat up, but I swear it was brand new technology four years ago in November.
6. Those little white tabs I am eating are called glucose tabs, and once again (see number 1), are not narcotics; they are tablets made of sugar. And no, you cannot have one!

It was new four years ago, I swear!

Now here are some things that every diabetic should know:

1. Diabetes isn't your entire life; you can have other hobbies! (I knit and have a knitting blog here: The Knitting Fish.)
2. Twitter is a wonderful place to chat about your diabetes. You can join many diabetics in #DSMA chats on Wednesday nights ant 9 PM.
3. Blogging is fun to do, but if it just isn't your thing, you don't have to! *GASP, I SAID YOU DON"T HAVE TO BLOG.*
4. Always be prepared for Endocrinologist visits. Have your questions and concerns for your endo written on paper or on blog.
5. Always have fun, and don't let diabetes hold you back.

To quote the great Kelly Kunik of Diabetesaliciousness: 

My greatest weakness (my broken pancreas) has become my greatest strength - and for that I am grateful.

 So make your strength, my diabetic friends.

PS: Non diabetics- use some time to educate your pancreas, so that something from my first list will not have to be told to you, again.

Score! (Wordless Wednesday)

Score, perfect number!

And the results are in..

My A1C is currently...
*drum roll please*
7.9%!

I know most adults would be groaning at this, but my endocrinologist wants my A1C at 7.5%, since I am still growing, and my blood sugars will be fluctuating as I grow.
My appointment went well, and I asked about getting a CGM, and they said I have to have a special appointment with their CGM specialists, and my name will be given to them. So, eventually I will have a CGM.

My pump, with an Ice Bat, to add to its awesomeness.

My little sister, who was diagnosed in December, is in need of more testing and remembering to give insulin.
Her A1c went from 5.4% at diagnosis, to 7.7%!  That is plus 2.3% within three months.
It is probably because she doesn't test her blood sugar until lunch, and forgets to cover stuff.

I try to remind her, but she doesn't like it when I do so, after all, I am the older sister.

Hopefully my endeavor to get a CGM will go well, and my sister will get better at managing her diabetes.

Moral of the Story: 7.5% is good! (For me, at least...)

P.S. I also convinced the endocrinologist to write me a prescription for VerioIQ gold test strips, so a new meter is in my future...

It's the most wonderful time of the season!

Yep, it's time to go to the endocrinologist... *dun dun dun*

I just did some last minute charting, because, really, who charts? <insert sarcasm here
This is the first time I'm going since I got back on the pump, but otherwise, nothing new is happening.

My blood sugar charts.

I have a list of things I want to talk to the doctor about-

1. Getting a CGM, so I can monitor my blood sugar trends. 
2. Getting the One Touch VerioIQ and Gold test strip prescription.
3.  Getting another Blood Ketone Monitor, because mine magically disappeared.

And that would be it.

fin.

Let's announce it to the world!

This month's DSMA Blog Carnival Topic is:

Does your employer/school/friends know you have diabetes? Why or why not?

 So, to answer that question, yes the people at my school know I am diabetic. People ask me all of the time, "What is that thing?" (As they point to my pump.) I give them the whole diabetes spiel and continue on with my day. The nurse, administrators, teachers, and office staff know I am diabetic because they will see me in the nurse office, or the office staff fills in for the nurse while she eats lunch.

In elementary school, everyone in the school knew I was diabetic because I talked on the morning announcements about raising money for the JDRF, and I also explained diabetes in 5th grader terms.

I feel like a lot of diabetics don't like to tell the world that they are diabetic because then they don't "fit in" with the rest of the human population, but I think it is very important. After all, what happens when you have low blood sugar and no one knows what that is, the symptoms, or what to do about it? Plus, everyone will eventually find out one way or another.

There are a lot of horrible situations that are results of diabetes, but 100s more are added when you don't even tell the people you are around every day. 

Just remember, as Kerri says,

"Diabetes doesn't define me, but it helps explain me."

Required Sentences:
This post is my March entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2012/march-dsma-blog-carnival-2/.

School Advocacy

I've wondered since the beginning of this year, "Why don't we have a Walk for Diabetes at my school?" We have Relay for Life (American Cancer Society,) Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart (American Heart Association,) and Pennies for Patients (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) But never has my middle school done anything for the JDRF or ADA. (My elementary school, on the other hand, switches between Jump Rope for Heart, and Walk to Cure Diabetes every year.) No Walk to Cure Diabetes or anything to even recognize the existence of diabetes.

Isn't sad when I have to tell people I don't have the "fat kind" of diabetes?
I'm not trying to stereotype type 2 diabetes, because it can definitely just be genetic, but that's the only way I can explain what type I have.

My metal for collecting the most money from my school.

I really want to figure out some way to get the word out about type 1 diabetes, because we always hear about type 2 during the yearly heart health assembly, but no one ever mentions type 1 diabetes.

I want to have at least an assembly to talk about type 1, and have a donation box or envelopes sent home for donations.

I remember in 5th grade, when I raised over $700 for the JDRF because I could walk around and play the, "I'm diabetic, so this could change my life/sympathy" card to raise money. I could do that again, by myself, but what if my whole school could say, "A girl at my school has diabetes, so could you donate money that could help change her life?" Imagine how much money that would get the JDRF!

I think I might talk to the principal about it.

Good Poetry.

3 clocks at different times; I need to change my cartridge; I have only 9 units; this is a good picture.

I woke up as usual, *la la la la la, I'm a person*
took my Synthroid; 125 mg to be exact.

I went to school, and before eating a highly nutritional meal of eggo cereal and apple juice,
I tested my blood.

I was 286 at 8:56;
I figured: It's just the occasional high, just eat breakfast and cover it.

I had 68 carbs.
I covered 12.25 units.

I then realized: my pump site leaked.
I told my teacher and went to the nurse.

I replaced my site,
and it bled.

I was forced to call my mother,
because APPARENTLY having a spot of blood on your front-upper thigh is unacceptable.

I replaced my stained grey pants with teal ones,
and covered 6.15 units to cover half of what I "gave."

I was hungry at 11:38, so I ate
a clif bar.

It was yummy, but I realized I should test my blood.
I was 434.

Apparently, I covered 6.15 units again.

It was lunch time, 1:32 PM;
I was 405.

I was going to go up to the nurse, but I didn't want to test for ketones, or change my site,
so I covered 30 carbs and my blood sugar before lunch.

I didn't realize until science that I needed to cover the rest of lunch,
so I did.

Did I mention that in the middle of math, my pump beeped because I had less than 30 units in it?
It was during a test.

I tested again at exactly 4:30 PM,
I was 81.

I ate some food and didn't cover it.
I was 108 1 hour and 59 minutes later.

I had PB & J at my friends house.
I forgot to test my blood.

I have a robotics competition tomorrow,
and that's it.

Apparently this blog is my silver award project.
There is also a tornado warning here.

I hope you enjoyed my poetry.