Diabetic teachers

I've been using my pump for just over 14 months now. I am one of the few people with diabetes in my community who is on pump therapy. The local diabetes clinic has not had the funding nor staff to support a pump program.

Needless to say, it's an exciting day when I meet someone new and discover that s/he is a pumper. Until this week, I've only had one such experience.

On Tuesday, as my "section" waited in the hallway for our Educational Psychology class (we travel together as a group from class to class each day, similar to the way elementary school students would be in the same classes all day) , I noticed one of my classmates fiddling with a device encased in black leather clipped to his belt. At first I assumed it was a cell phone, but then I noticed the familiar narrow tube peeking out from under his shirt. I went over to him and exclaimed, "Hey! I have one too!" and flipped open the cover of my own leather-bound pump. Of course, d-talk ensued and various pump stories were exchanged.

Another classmate overheard our conversation and interjected, stating that she'd met a student in another section who also has an insulin pump, and later introduced me to her as we happened to pass by each other in the hallway. I thought to myself, wow... two pumpers in one day!

I exchanged more stories with the second pumper, and as we said our goodbyes, I told her how surprised I was to meet two pumpers in one day. She answered that she actually wasn't all that surprised. She thinks that our experiences as diabetics place us in a natural role as teachers. We are constantly educating the people around us about diabetes, whether we realize it or not. And we tend to be more sympathetic, because at one time or another we've felt even the most minor forms of discrimination.

I hadn't thought of that before. What do you think?

Inspired By Diabetes and World Diabetes Day

Let me state the obvious: Post-graduate studies are much more labour intensive than undergraduate studies.

I have been up late almost every night working on homework and assignments. Last Tuesday, I didn't go to bed until 2:30 a.m., only to wake up at 7:00 a.m. to get ready for class.

And of course, my blood sugar has reflected this sudden lifestyle change.

The night that I was up until 2:30 a.m., my sugars rode high from the stress of knowing the assignment was due the next morning. And most mornings, I find myself fighting lows from the 10-minute dash from the furthest campus parking lot to my first class. It's enough to get my heart pumping hard, and my blood sugar crashing 30 minutes later.

Despite all this, I have already had a taste of the rewards of the teaching profession. My education degree is a balance of my own university classes and field placements in elementary school classrooms. Two weeks ago, I experienced my first placement in a second grade classroom. I worked one-on-one with students, guiding them in reading and math problem-solving. It was a joy to see the faces of students light up as they understood the concepts they previously had struggled with and were congratulated on jobs well done.

Needless to say, blogging has taken a back seat. But I received two e-mails last week which I promised I would share with the rest of you here (and honestly, I have not had time to read other blogs, so it's likely that this information is already cycling through the blogosphere).

Inspired By Diabetes contest

Inspired By Diabetes is holding a contest. They want you to share your diabetes experience through any creative means you would like to use. You can write a song and submit it by CD, create a piece of artwork, or write a narrative. Please visit the How To Enter page for important details on how to submit your entry and the different categories for submission.

The contest closes January 31, 2008. Submissions must arrive by then.

Prizes (excluding the healthcare professional category) will be awarded by participant group, age sub-group (children only) and format of entry. Four grand-prize winners (one for each participant group) will be chosen across all formats for both the global and U.S. contests. Prizes will include:

GLOBAL CONTEST
1st-3rd Place Winners (by format, participant group and sub-groups for children)*
$500 USD contribution to charity and a special trophy

Grand-Prize Winners (by participant group, across all formats)*
$5,000 USD contribution to charity, special trophy and an all-expense paid trip for the winner and a guest to attend the media briefing announcing the winners of the global competition, along with the opening of the global exhibition (healthcare professional winners not eligible to receive this trip)

U.S. CONTEST
1st-3rd Place Winners (by format, participant group, and sub-groups for children)*
$500 USD contribution to charity and a special trophy

Grand-Prize Winners (by participant group, across all formats)*
$5,000 USD contribution to charity, trophy and an all-expense paid trip for the winner and a guest to attend the media briefing announcing the winners of the U.S. competition, along with the opening of the U.S. exhibition (healthcare professional winners not eligible to receive this trip)

IDF - World Diabetes Day

The International Diabetes Federation is in the midst of preparations for the first UN-observed World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2007. The theme this year is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.

It is estimated that over 200 children develop type 1 diabetes every day and there's no question that the disease often hits disadvantaged communities the hardest, and that children in the developing world can die because their parents are unable to afford medication. In many countries diabetes is still considered an adult disease and as a result can be diagnosed late with severe consequences, including death. Even after diagnosis many children experience poor control and develop complications early.

One of the key objectives for World Diabetes Day this year is to double the number of children covered by the Life for a Child Program. They also want to encourage initiatives that can help to reduce diabetic ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) and to promote the sort of healthy lifestyles which can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in children.

A version of the diabetes circle has now been adopted for World Diabetes Day and they have produced a number of web banners that you can view and download at http://banners.worlddiabetesday.org/ for your own blogs.

10 Things I've Done During My First 2 Days of Unemployment...

1. Slept in once.


2. Worked out on the elliptical machine twice.


3. Finally finished the last Harry Potter book.


4. Painted a bedroom.


5. Ordered my last prescription of test strips and insulin before my insurance runs out (I will still be covered under Steve's at 80%, but I might as well take advantage of 100% coverage while I can).


6. Been to the mall twice, shopping for nothing in particular.


7. Had lunch with a friend who I had not seen in a long time.


8. Visited two potential wedding reception sites.


9. Made a list of back to school items that I will need to pick up before August 28th, when I start my B.Ed. (made the list AFTER my two trips to the mall - not well planned at all...).


10. Had a nap.

Inflation

I logged into the Medtronic website today to order my monthly supplies.

I clicked through the ordering screens as I normally do without really paying much attention, it's become so routine.

When I finished, the "shopping cart" gave a total of $248.50.

Usually, the total is $238.00.

Huh? Did I select the wrong items?

I glanced above to review my order.

Paradigm 23 x 9mm Quickset 10/Box
Paradigm Reservoir 10/Box

The items are right. Dammit, the prices went up.

I guess even diabetes can't escape from inflation.

p.s. - One good thing is that at least I can order a box of infusion sets next month without a box of reservoirs and not have to pay a delivery charge since infusion sets are now over $200. I'm a couple of boxes ahead in my reservoir supply due to sites falling out and needing to change the set and not necessarily the reservoir of insulin.

And so it begins...

First of all, a BIG "thank you" to you all for your words of congratulations at the news of my engagement to Steve. Things are settling down a bit now that the initial flurry of announcements is over. The most common question so far has been, "When is the wedding?" And our general response is, "We really haven't thought that far ahead yet."

Last night I started browsing TheKnot.com and CanadianBride.com. They have checklists of various items that need to be taken care of and timelines of when they should be taken care of by. The websites appear to be in general agreement that a reception and ceremony site should be booked at least a year in advance. A YEAR!?

My mind started racing: Okay, so I'm starting school in September for my teaching degree. I will be graduating in June (it is a post-graduate degree, only a one-year program). Then I will be job searching and hoping to start my new career as a teacher the following September. And as a teacher, my vacations will be pre-set: Christmas, spring break, and summer.

Christmas time? I'm not a fan of the snow.
Spring break? It would be too rushed, and there's still a lot of snow on the ground around here in March.
Looks like the summer wedding wins.

Summer 2008. (I mean, who really wants a two- or three-year engagement?)

Needless to say, I did not get very much sleep last night...