Answering Questions

I've seen these questions going around the DOC for a while, so I finally decided to answer them! I added some more questions for variety,  made all of the questions grammatically correct, and retyped all of the questions so they wouldn't be in ALL CAPS. (It was getting annoying...)

What is your middle name?

Emily

What is/was your favorite subject at school?

Biology/Chemistry/Math

What is your favorite drink?

A strawberry and banana smoothie

What is your favorite song at the moment?

Perfection by Super Junior M

What would you name your kids?

I don’t want kids, so there.

Do you take part in any sports?

No, I’m quite clumsy…

What is your favorite book of all time?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What is your favorite color?

Orange

What is your favorite animal?

The Whale Shark

What is your favorite perfume?

I like Vanila Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works, but it’s a body mist, so Sugar Grapefruit by Love & Toast.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas!

Have you graduated high school?

Nope, I’m in 9^th grade.

Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times?

Yes, 5 times.

Do you speak any other language?

I’m currently learning Spanish, but no.

How many siblings do you have?

2, one younger brother and one younger sister.

What is/are your favorite store(s)?

I like Barnes & Noble, Ten Thousand Villages, Forever 21, Zumiez, and Tilly’s.

What is your favorite restaurant?

At the moment, Which Wich.

Do you like school?

Yes, it is pretty much my life.

What is your favorite blog?

Texting My Pancreas

What is your favorite movie?

Up

What is your favorite TV show?

NCIS

PC or Mac?

PC, Apple is evil.

What phone do you have?

I have a Motorola Atrix 2.

How tall are you?

4’11”

Were you named after anyone?

Not that I know of.

When was the last time you cried?

I don’t remember.

Do you like your handwriting?

Yep

What is your favorite lunch meat?

I’m a vegan; I don’t eat lunch meat.

Do you have kids?

No, I’m only 14!

If you were a different person, would you be friends with you?

It depends.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I try to, but I usually fail.

Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes

Would you bungee jump?

If I was being paid a lot of money, probably.

What is your favorite cereal?

Unhealthy: Fruit Loops

Healthy: Kashi Strawberry Fields

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Nope, I just slip them off of my feet.

Do you think you are strong?

Mentally, yes; physically, no.

What is your favorite type of ice cream?

Vegan Turtle Tracks

What is the first thing you notice about people?

What they have to say.

If you had to choose: red or pink?

Red all the way.

What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

My lazy tendencies.

Who do you miss the most?

My friends that are at a different high school.

What is the technique that you need to work on the most?

Being active.

What color are the shoes that you are wearing?

Brown with white polka dots.

What was the last thing you ate?

A piece of peanut butter toast.

What are you listening to right now?

The Hawks/New York Game because my brother is watching it in the living room.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Seafoam

What are your favorite smells?

Vanilla and the ocean

How important are political views to you?

I could care less.

If you had to choose: mountain hideaway or beach house?

Beach house

What are your favorite sports to watch?

I don’t like sports.

What is your hair color?

Dirty Blonde

What is your eye color?

Boring Blue

Do you wear contacts?

No, but I wear glasses.

What is your favorite food?

Avocado

Do you like scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings

What is the last movie you watched?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

What color shirt are you wearing?

Red

So you like summer or winter?

Depends on my mood.

What is your favorite dessert?

Doughnuts!

Do you like strength training or cardio?

Cardio

Do you prefer the computer or television?

Computer

What book are you currently reading?

I’m rereading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

What is on your mouse pad?

I don’t have a mouse pad!

What is your favorite sound?

The ocean

What is your favorite genre of music?

K-Pop, judge me all you want!

How far have you been away from home?

To Jamaica

Do you have a special talent?

No

Where were you born?

In the USA

Where are you living now?

In the USA

What color is your house?

I don’t own the house, but it is the color of red bricks.

What color is your car?

I don’t own a car, I’m only 14.

Did you like answering these questions?

Kind of, the questions were okay, but now my left hand hurts a lot.

Well, that's it; now you know all about me. 

OR DO YOU...

*DUN DUN DUN*

Sarah 2.0

I have realized that I should probably have better habits than I currently have.
Let's just say that I ate a whole bag of popcorn (that was the size of a regular chip bag). (In my defense, my blood sugar was also low...) And sometimes, the computer comes before homework.

Anyways, I've decided to set a few goals/ make a list of things to do, so I can be better. (Like a Sarah 2.0.)

1. Measure out portions.
• I forget to measure out portions, so I end up guessing for the carbs I had and my blood sugar usually ends up too high or too low.
2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes at least four times each week.
• I know this sounds like I'm really lazy, but I have a lot of homework to do during the week, robotics every day after school and on Saturday 9-4, so I barely exercise. I need to exercise for obvious reasons; plus, then I can tell my brother that I do go outside
3. Do my homework first.
• I'm trying to get better grades this semester, (I had 4 low A's and 3 B's) so I am going to study/do homework before I blog or use my time up on other things. 
4. Remember to brush my teeth/other hygienic stuff.
• Obviously, I shower and stuff, but sometimes I forget to wash my face/brush my teeth because I am rushing out the door. So yeah.
5. Join Tweetchats/ other social stuff more often.
• I always have lots of fun at the things, so I want to try to spend some time participating in these things.
6. Make blog posts more often.
• I feel like I am being mean to you guys by not posting, so I want to post more often because I really appreciate my readers and I don't want to let you guys down!

I'll try to update you guys every once in a while! c:

Moral of Story: I'm going to be a Sarah 2.0!

Being Sneaky

Certain times in our lives require us to be sneaky, one of those times is when you are at the movie theater. I went to watch Les Miserables with my friend, and I had to be very sneaky. (Side Note: Les Miserables was quite boring to me and was, frankly, a waste of 3 hours. But that is beside the point...)

I actually pre-bolused for 30 carbs of popcorn, but my blood sugar went up a lot anyways. My Dexcom buzzed once to tell me that my rise rate was 3 mg/dL, so I checked the screen and it said I was 194. I ignored it because I figured it was just the popcorn being carby and raising my blood sugar. A couple minutes later, it buzzed again because I was above 200, so I covered for 30 more carbs and went on with my life. I checked it again because I was bored, and the Dexcom said I was 294, so I checked my blood sugar.

Checking my blood sugar required a lot of sneakiness, since we were in a movie theater, and my blood tester just happens to shoot a bright beam of light out of the top. (I was trying to avoid a screaming lady situation.) After a few minutes of trying to hide it behind my tiny blood tester case, I worked up the courage to quickly prick my finger and put the blood on my test strip. I was 290.

I then had to cover my blood sugar, obviously, but that was a lot easier because my pump doesn't emit bright white light. I put it under my leg as it beeped, so the whole movie theater wouldn't hear it during the super-quiet moments during the movie. After that, my perils in theater were over. (At least diabetes-wise, the movie was extremely boring and I almost fell asleep three times.)

Moral of Story: The equation is still proven correct, Movies + Diabetics = High Blood Sugar

10,000!

I have an important announcement!
(No, it's not that I hit a record high of 10,000...)

*INSERT TRUMPETS HERE*

My blog has hit 10,000 views! (Actually it's 10,036 as of right now.) It makes me very happy that so many people have at least glanced at my blog and maybe found some hope, laughs, or just important information.

So, this is a BIG thank you to everyone that reads my blog daily/weekly/monthly/annually because it means a lot to me.

All of these views let me know that what I write matters to people, and I have bragging rights to use against my family. (Take that, brother with 600 followers on Instagram!)

On a side note, my Dexcom sensor is working today; I'm not having problems, like yesterday...

Moral of Story: My readers rock!

It's Finally Here/ Happy New Years!

Well, my Dexcom finally arrived a few days ago, but without supplies. I freaked out and started screaming about how it makes no sense that the transmitters didn't come and blah. It probably would have been pretty funny if you were watching me. Anyways, my mom called Dexcom, that day, but they didn't call back, so my dad called them yesterday. It ends up that they shipped the sensors on a different day, so I got them today. My attempt to out in the transmitter today was pretty funny.

I started by reading the instructions in the booklet of EVERYTHING DEXCOM. (I felt like it needed a dramatic name. Imagine it being said in a booming voice.) I made my mom hold the pages in place while I was inserting the transmitter because, unfortunately, I don't have three hands. Once I inserted the transmitter, I couldn't figure out how to take the barrel-thingy out. I started having a freak-out session inside my head: "What if it never comes out? What if I have to go to school with this barrel thing? How will I go out in public with this thing attached to me?" Then, my mom figured it out because she read the rest of the instructions.

I messed up...

Everything else went smoothly and now I'm waiting for the sensor to need a calibration. Then it will finally be ALIVE! (Also imagine that being said in a booming voice.) Right now I have the little hourglass in the right corner, so for all I know, I could have completely messed this up. Yay! (Actually, I did mess it up. I didn't realize I had to pull the collar back the first time, so the wire never went in. I hopefully did it the right way this time.)

On a side note: Happy New Years! I can't wait to see what's in store for 2013!


Moral of Story: T-2 Hours until sensor launch!

Here is another one of my my mother's tweets:

Dexcom sensors have arrived.Kiddo #1 is officially a borg.(Please read instructions carefully before attempting to insert sensor.)
— Amy J Spiller (@amyjspiller) January 3, 2013

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is definitely coming! How do I know? Well, besides the fact that Christmas is on the 25th and it the 21st, Winter break has officially started!

Winter break means that I don't have to write anymore lab reports (I've written six lab reports already), take reading notes, or do anything that requires intellectual effort. I don't think I've ever been happier for Winter break in my life.

My new, green pump!

I think this is going to be the best Winter break ever because Dexcom called today and asked what color CGM I wanted today! That means that insurance approved it and that I will be getting the G4 Platinum, not the Seven Plus that I used on my trial. They said that they shipped it today and it will be arriving next week, so I will probably have it by next Saturday.

Moral of Story: Next week is going to be amazing!

P.S. In case you didn't get the memo, the apocalypse, or alpacalypse, didn't happen.
P.P.S I have this alpacalypse picture on my wall.
P.P.P.S I got my new green pump last Thursday! C:

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas is Coming

My blood tester is ready for Christmas!

Are you decking out your diabetes gear for Christmas/Hanukkah?

Changing Sites

We all know that a lot of people use their Dexcom sensors WAY past the 7 day "limit." (I would have found more links, but that requires 10 minutes of looking per blog. :P)

My pump has 12 units left, but is still being festive.

But what about pump sites? Do you keep your site in until you are getting the no insulin alarm? Or, do you change it every three days, no matter what? I'm guilty of leaving my site in until the last possible moment, because I am lazy. For example, right now, I have a measly 12 units left in pump, and should really go change it, but I had homework to do, I wanted to check my e-mail, (Yes, I still use e-mail. *GASP*) and I wanted make a blog post. I try to tell myself that I am super lucky to be on this pump, and I should really change my site, but I just don't want to most of the time.

Do you change your sites on a strict schedule or are you lazy like me?

Moral of Story: I'm going to change my site now, I promise!

One Year Blogiversary/The Anti-Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday was actually my one year blogiversary, and I didn't even realize it! I was thinking about it today, so I checked to see what day I posted my first post on this blog, and it was December 4, 2011! Creepily enough, I posted 1 year and exactly 12 hours after my first post. Yesterday's post was posted at 10:33 PM and last December's post was posted at 10:33 AM. *DUN DUN DUN*

My pump battery also decided to give me the low battery alarm last night, so I decided I would change it tomorrow (which is now today) after school. My pump thought otherwise. It gave me the alarm at 9 AM-ish, so I had to walk all the way across the practice football field to get a lithium battery. (My high school has two campuses because it used to be a middle school and separate high school, but a new building for the middle school was built, so now my high school has to building separated by a practice football field.) Then I had to completely rewind/load cartridge/prime my  pump, even though I have to change it tonight.

I also have a new idea. I was reading Rachel's blog post and came up with an awesome idea. What if I made a diabetes starter kit for newly diagnosed children and teens? (I would make one for each group.) This could be an amazing Silver/Gold Award project, and maybe the DOC adults could work together to make a diabetes starter kit for adults! It would probably be a binder with printed pages about diabetes, what it is like, and actual quotes from people their age with diabetes. There would also be plenty of blog links/online resources on a website for my starter kit. I'll keep you guys updated on the current status of that project.

If you read yesterday's blog post, you would know that I wrote a piece for this year's yearbook. It ended up being way too long. (It was one full page typed...) It ended up being this paragraph instead:

Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am a type 1 diabetic. I've had type 1 diabetes for almost 9 years now. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused when the beta cells in the Isle of Langerhans inside your pancreas attack themselves. These beta cells usually produce insulin, a hormone your body makes to convert the carbohydrates from food into the energy you use. Since I have diabetes, I have to give myself insulin through an insulin pump. An insulin pump is a cell phone sized device that gives me insulin with a few clicks of a button through a tiny tube (called a site) inserted into my arm, leg, or stomach. It probably seems like an annoying disease to you, but it has introduced me to so many amazing opportunities! I am part of the DOC (Diabetes Online Community,) an amazing group of diabetics that are there for each other all of the time. To connect with the DOC, I have a blog where I talk about the crazy diabetes-related stuff that goes on in my life; I participate in Twitter chats with other diabetics; and most importantly: I support other diabetics as they go through hard times. On the other hand, diabetes can be annoying. I have to visit the endocrinologist every three months. I also have to constantly prick my finger to test my blood and change my site every three days. I may have type 1 diabetes, but I'm okay with that because I can still have fun. 

Yep, that is a lot shorter, but I fit it into the fourth of a page I was given. C:

Oh, here is my picture for this pretty much Anti-Wordless Wednesday:

I forgot to take the blue thing off before inserting my site. I didn't realize this until a few hours later...

 Moral of Story: I type a lot.

School + Blog = Fun Homework?

Sorry I have disappeared from from my blog for so long; I've really had a lot of homework and, unfortunately, school comes before my blog. I've decided I'm going to write ideas in a little notebook for my blog posts and details for the post, so I can actually write stuff on my blog when I have small amounts of free time.

You are probably wondering about the title of my post by now, so let me explain. The yearbook committee is making a "Student Spotlight" section and they want me to write about being diabetic. I also have to choose a favorite quote and give them a picture of myself. (Thank cupcakes that they aren't using my yearbook photo... But, that's beside the point.) This section of the yearbook is their midterm, so basically, this piece is super important for them. I'm typing and publishing this on my blog because I fell that I write much better on my blog, and in a less serious, more fun style. So here I go!

Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am a type 1 diabetic. I've had type 1 diabetes for almost 9 years now. (I was diagnosed in January of 2004 when I was in kindergarten.) You probably think that this going to be a sob story about the hardships I have faced and how I got over those "walls," but it won't be. Instead, I'm going to tell you a little bit about type 1 diabetes and all of the doors it has opened up for me.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused when the beta cells in the Isle of Langerhans inside your pancreas attack themselves. These beta cells usually produce insulin, a hormone your body makes to convert the carbohydrates from food into the energy you use. Because the beta cells in my pancreas attacked themselves, they no longer produce insulin; this condition is called type 1 diabetes. Remember that those beta cells did not attack themselves because I had eaten too much sugar one day, it happened because it was in my genetic code; remember that before you make fun of a type 1 diabetic. Anyways, because I have diabetes, I have to give myself insulin through an insulin pump. An insulin pump is small cell phone sized device that gives me insulin with a few clicks of a button through a tiny tube inserted into my arm, leg, or stomach (I insert the tiny tube with a small needle, but I take the needle out after insertion and I have to take the tube out every and insert a new one every three days.) My insulin pump has specific ratios used to calculate how much insulin I need according my blood sugar (how many milligrams of sugar are in one deciliter of my blood,) and/or how many carbohydrates I ate. This insulin pump is basically my robotic pancreas because it gives me insulin that my pancreas cannot produce. It is literally a life-saver and because of the fact I have diabetes, I have been introduced to amazing things.

Diabetes probably seems quite annoying to you, and it is, but it has introduced me to so many amazing opportunities! I am part of the DOC (Diabetes Online Community,) an amazing group of diabetics that are there for each other all of the time. To connect with the DOC, I have a blog (insulinpensink.blogspot.com) where I talk about the crazy diabetes-related stuff that goes on in my life, I participate in Twitter Chats with other diabetics every Wednesday, and most importantly: I support other diabetics as they go through hard times. I get to raise money for research for the cure of type 1 diabetes, and as a diabetic, I get to advocate about diabetes as well! I also get to use amazing new technology for diabetics and got to the best camp ever for diabetics. On the other hand, diabetes can be annoying as well. I have to visit the endocrinologist (a doctor that specializes in autoimmune diseases like diabetes and hypothyroidism) every three months. I also have to constantly prick my finger to test my blood, and I have to change my insulin pump site (the little tube) every three days. As you can see, diabetes may be annoying, but it isn't all bad!

I may have type 1 diabetes and it may be a permanent condition, but I'm okay with that. I may have to spend a lot of time at the doctor's office, but I don't mind too much. Because of my diabetes, I also get to bond with amazing people and go to a fantastic diabetics only camp! As the awesome blogger Kelly said, "My greatest weakness (my broken pancreas) has become my greatest strength - and for that I am grateful."

Well, there is my wonderful piece about being diabetic and etcetera. And yes, Kelly Kunik, your words are probably being permanently printed into my freshman year high school yearbook.

Moral of Story: Diabetes has its perks.

P.S. That quote is also going to be used as my favorite quote.