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	<title>Blogging Diabetes &#187; Tips</title>
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	<description>A Blog About Real Living with Diabetes</description>
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		<title>Obsession: Diabetes</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/04/obsession-diabetes/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/04/obsession-diabetes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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I can distinctly remember back in the day rocking Obsession for Men by CK and thinking I was pimping. We have to be going back about 15+ years if I had to guess.  Since I’m taking a stroll down memory lane, I want to share with you my perspective on improvement whether it’s for work, [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>I can distinctly remember back in the day rocking Obsession for Men by CK and thinking I was pimping. We have to be going back about 15+ years if I had to guess.  Since I’m taking a stroll down memory lane, I want to share with you my perspective on improvement whether it’s for work, personal or just about anything, but mostly related to diabetes.</p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/obsession_m.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="obsession_m" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/obsession_m_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="obsession_m" width="300" height="300" align="left" /></a>In my professional life, I have been successful because I tend to become almost obsessed with A) doing the best I possibly can each and every time B) constantly trying to improve and C) learning from mistakes (mine and others) to grow personally and professionally.</p>
<p>No matter if I was cleaning up the kitchen, cutting the grass, raking leaves or working on a project for work or school, I found that I excelled at it because I would become obsessed with doing my best.  I wouldn’t call it perfection, because I know better than trying to be perfect.  I guess you could call it an obsession with determination and execution.  I also found my best results with exercising, diet and weight training came when I would fully engulf myself in these activities to the point of being obsessed.</p>
<p>Enough of my past, I now want to share my thoughts on diabetes management.  I have done well over the last 12 years by trying to take care of myself and always staying on top of my blood sugar.  I’ve never considered myself obsessed with my diabetes control and I’m not sure why.  It’s probably one of the most important things I could do, yet I haven’t executed on better control.  I have said many times before on this blog that complacency is the enemy of good diabetes control.  When I became obsessed with my weight, dieting, exercising and health at the start of this year, I noticed my blood sugars were phenomenal.  You could say I became obsessed with better health all around.  My wife would certainly say that I’m an exercise addict.  I would counter with, that’s when I do my very best.  There’s absolutely no room in my vocabulary for “half-ass&#8221;.</p>
<p>I also acknowledge that an obsession with things such as diabetes management can become almost a disease within itself.  So this all leads up to a question I will pose to my readers:</p>
<p><strong>Is the only way to really have perfect (if there were such a thing outside of a working pancreas) control with diabetes to be obsessed with the numbers, tweaking, testing, adjusting, testing, readjusting, count every carb by 10ths etc.?</strong></p>
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<a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/04/obsession-diabetes/">Obsession: Diabetes</a> is a post from: <a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com">Blogging Diabetes</a></p>

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		<title>Diabetes Car Crash</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/03/diabetes-car-crash/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/03/diabetes-car-crash/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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This morning, after dropping off the kids at school, I decided [unintentionally] that I was due for a car accident.  This is my attempt at a bit of sarcasm, but it’s now more than 12 hours old and time for a chuckle at my own expense.  It was just the previous day when I was [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>This morning, after dropping off the kids at school, I decided [unintentionally] that I was due for a car accident.  This is my attempt at a bit of sarcasm, but it’s now more than 12 hours old and time for a chuckle at my own expense.  It was just the previous day when I was thinking about how quickly my girls are growing up and before you know it I will need to teach them how to be safe drivers. You know, the little things they don’t teach you in Drivers ED like know who is around you, anticipate the unexpected, stay calm and observant and give yourself PLENTY of room.</p>
<p>The point of this post isn’t to highlight my minor fender bender that had half of the county’s fire department stop by or “friends” text me “having a bad day?” after seeing me beside the police officer on the side of the road.  I will say that I’m OK, the other driver seems to be OK, minus the whole whiplash claim that reminded me of a scene from a movie and least importantly, unless my wife’s reading, the car is fine.  There’s barely cosmetic damage to my (wife’s car, which could be a whole separate post) vehicle. So I got lucky in a sense.</p>
<p>I look at it now like it’s an opportunity to shape up &#8211; get my head out of my ass and stop being complacent.  I’ve talked here before about complacency and how it’s the dark side of diabetes. This situation (I can’t write that word without thinking of the Jersey Shore) is my opportunity to try harder and do better while I have the chance and no one is seriously hurt.</p>
<p>Maybe this accident doesn’t happen and later on, it’s far worse.  Maybe my kids could have been in the car.  Not good scenarios.  I can now refocus, remind myself what’s important and get back on track.</p>
<p>Perhaps each of us with diabetes need a minor crash once in a while in order to wake up before it’s a disaster or life threatening.  I don’t recommend getting into an accident on purpose.  So, for now, just learn from me.  Don’t wait until complications from diabetes are serious, take notice of the minor signs and do better while you can.  When it’s too late, it’s too late.</p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/carcrash.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="car crash" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/carcrash_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="car crash" width="304" height="229" /></a></p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73304692@N00/313931846/" target="_blank">source</a>]</p>
<p>P.S. I was not texting, didn’t have a low blood sugar, my phone wasn’t out and I wasn’t even distracted.  If you are my insurance company, I claim no responsibility for the accident.  If you are my wife, it’s only a car, right hun?  It adds character.</p>
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		<title>Pumping Insulin: Keep Those Syringes Close By</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/02/pumping-insulin-keep-those-syringes-close-by/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/02/pumping-insulin-keep-those-syringes-close-by/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:02:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Highs & Lows]]></category>
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When I converted over to an insulin pump roughly four years ago, little did I know that syringes would never go away.&#160; I have written here before some of the reasons I miss my syringes and my insulin pen.&#160; With injections there’s no unknown.&#160; You fill the syringe, you grab some skin and inject.&#160; When [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>When I converted over to an insulin pump roughly four years ago, little did I know that syringes would never go away.&#160; I have written here before some of the <a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/10/insulin-pumps-7-reasons-not-to-get-one/" target="_blank">reasons</a> I miss my syringes and my insulin pen.&#160; With injections there’s no unknown.&#160; You fill the syringe, you grab some skin and inject.&#160; When using an insulin pump there are a few unknowns and a mental checklist that you need to go through when something doesn’t seem right or your numbers are out of whack.&#160; </p>
<p> <span id="more-449"></span>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Syringe.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Syringe" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Syringe_thumb.jpg" width="275" height="183" /></a> </p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sriram/1571464801/" target="_blank">Source</a>]</p>
<p>I sometimes long for the freedom of no tubing or infusion sets.&#160; I wonder what life would really be like if i was cured.&#160; How long would I continue to test my blood sugar after being cured out of habit or curiosity?&#160; When I am in between infusion sets and showering it’s the best feeling.&#160; I don’t have to worry about the infusion set getting attacked by the towels&#8217; strands. I know I digress, so I’ll get to my point of this post.</p>
<p>There will always be syringes in my house for two very good reasons.&#160; </p>
<ol>
<li><strong>They are a backup for the time when/if my insulin pump dies</strong> </li>
<li><strong>I use them very effectively for correcting my blood sugar</strong> </li>
</ol>
<p>Anytime my blood sugar is over 300 I will almost always use a syringe to correct it.&#160; I have found through experience that an injection in a different area than the infusion set will bring my blood sugar down faster than a corrective bolus any day of the week and twice on Sunday.&#160; I imagine it that when I am bolusing and infusing insulin in one area, it can tend to get pooled up before it is absorbed.&#160; If I eat a lot of carbs, bolus and then find I am still high, I find it more effective to inject into a different site.</p>
<p>Another benefit of using a syringe is that you take out the unknown of a bad infusion site, pump problems, reservoir problems, bleed backs, <a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/02/what-the-doctor-wont-tell-you-part-2-gushers/" target="_blank">gusher</a>, etc.&#160; I know that when I inject the insulin my blood sugar WILL come down.&#160; If I enter a corrective bolus, it’s a crap shoot.&#160; When my blood sugar is really jacked up, I might inject about 70% of the corrective dose while bolusing for the other 30%.</p>
<p>Maybe this is a no brainer and you haven’t even read this far into the post.&#160; Maybe you don’t even have an insulin pump. Quite possibly you don’t even have diabetes.&#160; But if you didn’t know, now you do. A box of 100 syringes has lasted me literally years and only set me back about a $20 co-pay.&#160; It is so worth the money and you will always find some in my case or home.</p>
<p><strong>If you pump insulin, do you correct the same way or do you rely on your pump?</strong></p>
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		<title>The Key To Lowering Your Blood Sugar</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/02/the-key-to-lowering-your-blood-sugar/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/02/the-key-to-lowering-your-blood-sugar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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This will be the last post in the mini series I have created going back to the beginning of this year.&#160; If you want to catch up on those posts before continuing with this one, they can be found by clicking on the following:

You Must Finish Strong 
I Need to Win at Diabetes 
Clean Diabetic [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>This will be the last post in the mini series I have created going back to the beginning of this year.&#160; If you want to catch up on those posts before continuing with this one, they can be found by clicking on the following:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/you-must-finish-strong/" target="_blank">You Must Finish Strong</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/i-need-to-win-at-diabetes/" target="_blank">I Need to Win at Diabetes</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/clean-diabetic-diet-and-exercise/" target="_blank">Clean Diabetic Diet and Exercise</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/02/my-2010-challenge/" target="_blank">My 2010 Challenge</a> </li>
</ol>
<p>Let me reiterate that I’m not a doctor and I don’t have any scientific data that explains what I am about to say.&#160; I have neither collected data nor can guarantee these results.&#160; As always, consult your physician before changing anything in your diet.&#160; </p>
<p>Back in September when I fell off of my diet wagon and began eating and drinking soda like it was going out of style, my blood sugars were high.&#160; In the morning I had a very difficult time keeping my sugar below 200 between breakfast and lunch.&#160; At bed time, my sugars were always pretty high probably from an oversized dinner.&#160; During this period from September through the end of December, I was drinking one thing constantly; <strong>Diet Mountain Dew</strong>. </p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DietMtDew.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Diet Mt Dew" border="0" alt="Diet Mt Dew" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DietMtDew_thumb.jpg" width="329" height="248" /></a> </p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anfsummerboy82/2442030058/" target="_blank">source</a>] </p>
<p>I would have a sugar free Monster or Rockstar drink in the morning and then drink Diet Mountain Dew all day long until dinner when I would stop for the evening.&#160; By days end, I would probably come close to 2 liters per day.&#160; It is very hard to tell, but I noticed that when I stopped drinking so much caffeine my sugars seemed to level out.&#160; Granted, I also changed my diet shortly after, but the caffeine had multiple negative effects on the body.</p>
<ol>
<li>By drinking so much soda, I was drinking nearly zero water each day&#160; </li>
<li>All of the caffeine was keeping me going during the day, but seriously crashing at night </li>
</ol>
<p> <span id="more-434"></span>
<p>When I was diagnosed I had a very easy time transitioning to diet soda because that’s really what I drank anyways.&#160; I have heard from many diabetics and I think the general consensus is that you would have to pry the diet soda out of my cold, dead hands for me to give it up.&#160; Up until now, I would have agreed.&#160; </p>
<p>I am going to say it right here and quite frankly;<strong> I think diet soda (not caffeine free) is one of the most detrimental things that a diabetic can consume outside of doing pure sugar shots.</strong>&#160; I’m talking about the typical day to day things someone would eat or drink.&#160; Sure there are other things that are hazardous, but you know what I’m talking about.&#160; Also, I’m not talking about one diet soda here and there; I am talking about someone like me that obviously had a problem.&#160; I will be the first to admit it.&#160; I was addicted to Diet Mountain Dew.</p>
<p>One of the reasons I think drinking diet soda all day long, maybe at work, is such a problem is what happens afterwards.&#160; When you need the energy to do something beneficial for yourself like exercise or spend time with the family, you have no energy.&#160; The crash from no caffeine was so bad, that most nights I wanted to crawl into bed at 7:30 when we started to put our girls down for the evening.&#160; Now with much more energy I might even sneak in a 45 minute workout at 11:00 at night.</p>
<p>I still haven’t completely given up caffeine. In the morning I am still drinking a Monster energy drink, but it’s all about baby steps, right?&#160; The difference is that I am drinking at least a gallon of plain water each day after my morning jolt.&#160; I feel energized and have a lot more motivation to workout at night instead of A) snacking and watching TV or B) going to bed from just being tired.</p>
<p>If you want to feel better, have more motivation and help your body stay clean, give up the soda for a glass or two of water.&#160; It’s better for your kidneys, your skin and will help you out in the long term.&#160; I’m not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. </p>
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		<title>Clean Diabetic Diet and Exercise</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/clean-diabetic-diet-and-exercise/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/clean-diabetic-diet-and-exercise/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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The last 2 posts (&#8230;finish strong &#38; …win at diabetes) have led up to this one where I am going to discuss my recent diet and exercise.
Diet
I first mentioned that I started the Fat Flush diet back in August of last year.&#160; I think it’s a great plan, but with not without some flaws.&#160; It [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>The last 2 posts (&#8230;<a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/you-must-finish-strong/" target="_blank">finish strong</a> &amp; …<a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2010/01/i-need-to-win-at-diabetes/" target="_blank">win at diabetes</a>) have led up to this one where I am going to discuss my recent diet and exercise.</p>
<p><strong>Diet</strong></p>
<p>I first mentioned that I started the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071383832?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=decissuppoana-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=0071383832" target="_blank">Fat Flush</a> diet back in <a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/08/blogging-diabetes-the-diet-part-3-of-series/" target="_blank">August</a> of last year.&#160; I think it’s a great plan, but with not without some flaws.&#160; It was never designed for a diabetic and is mostly geared towards women.&#160; I can tell because it talks about being able to reduce and target cellulite on every other page.&#160; However, I definitely think there are some great tips and information that can help a diabetic. So, I have created my own modified version of the Fat Flush diet that helps me control my blood sugar and weight at the same time.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: What works for me may not work for you.&#160; Always consult your doctor before making changes or starting a new exercise routine.</p>
<p>Here is a sample of my daily diet:</p>
<p>Breakfast around 7:00 AM – I will have either a Fiber One bar or Smoothie Shake with a scoop of protein. I usually put some type of fruit in the shake, like a banana or strawberries.</p>
<p>AM Snack – I will have almonds, a Larabar, piece of fruit or nothing if I get busy and miss it.</p>
<p>Lunch – Almost always this is 3 eggs (1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) with a whole grain english muffin or toast.&#160; I can eat eggs any time of the day.</p>
<p>PM Snack &#8211; I will have either almonds, a Larabar or piece of fruit</p>
<p>Dinner – This is the key meal in my opinion.&#160; You should go fairly low on simple carbs.&#160; I almost always have a salad with some type of protein like, tuna or chicken.&#160; I put some cut up peppers, carrots, snow peas and a tiny bit of bacon bits and shredded cheese (2% – low fat) topped with a low fat dressing. Virtually no simple carbs.</p>
<p>Workout/Cardio after my girls go down for the night, which I typically start around 9:00-9:30. </p>
<p>Before Bed &#8211; Finally, for my post workout drink (not the kind you’re thinking of) I will have a 12oz glass of a mixture of cranberry juice (concentrate), water, ground flax seed and some protein.&#160; For more about the cran-water/flax drink, check out the Fat Flush book or send me an email.</p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/flatstomachmotherson.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="flat-stomach-motherson" border="0" alt="flat-stomach-motherson" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/flatstomachmotherson_thumb.jpg" width="354" height="237" /></a> </p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/126872410/" target="_blank">source</a>]</p>
<p><strong>Exercise</strong></p>
<p>My exercise is nothing all that special.&#160; I usually do one body part using my Bow flex and/or dumbbell set with an 8lb medicine ball or maybe just some core exercises like <a href="http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm" target="_blank">planks</a>, which are much harder than they look.</p>
<p>After doing maybe 30 minutes of exercises I will jump on our treadmill or elliptical and do about 30 minutes (5 warm up and 5 cool down).</p>
<p>Nothing too fancy here, but it works.&#160; I went from probably 3,000 calories a day to between 1,200 – 1,500 and after a few days/week it’s just like normal.&#160; Sometimes I am starving, but I will snack on something with low carbs and fiber.&#160; Best of all is what you will quickly see in your insulin intake and blood sugars.&#160; Since I don’t eat 3 servings of rice or potatoes, chips, or sugar loaded foods, I am never getting above 250 anymore (like, at all).</p>
<p>Since starting this diet on 1/2/2010 (25 days) I have lost almost 10 pounds and my blood sugars are better than ever.&#160; I can’t wait to go to the Endo now.&#160; I’m actually looking forward to it.&#160; If I can do it with a 9 month old, 4 yr old, full-time job, 2 blogs and little downtime, so can you.&#160; You really owe it to yourself and shouldn’t have a reason not to.&#160; My health and diet is now a priority and will not revert back after seeing these results.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the messages and support – I appreciate you visiting. </p>
<p><strong>Next up is the single biggest thing you can do to help manage your diabetes or diet and you’re not going to like what it is, trust me.</strong></p>
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		<title>Blogging Diabetes on Twitter</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/11/blogging-diabetes-on-twitter/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/11/blogging-diabetes-on-twitter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:33:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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@blogdiabetes
I have been on twitter since before the first post hit on this blog more than a year ago.&#160; Some might find that twitter is stupid, meaningless and really kind of high schoolish. I totally disagree and for good reason.&#160; Having a few hundred followers/friends that understand exactly what it&#8217;s like to have diabetes and [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p><a href="http://twitter.com/blogdiabetes" target="_blank"><a href="http://twitter.com/blogdiabetes" target="_blank"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="88" alt="twitter-logo" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter-logo.jpg" width="240" border="0"></a></a></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/blogdiabetes" target="_blank">@blogdiabetes</a></p>
<p>I have been on twitter since before the first post hit on this blog more than a year ago.&nbsp; Some might find that twitter is stupid, meaningless and really kind of high schoolish. I totally disagree and for good reason.&nbsp; Having a few hundred followers/friends that understand exactly what it&#8217;s like to have diabetes and can relate to much of what I have to deal with on a daily basis is a very powerful thing.&nbsp; This community has been beneficial in so many ways that there may be too many to list.&nbsp; I am grateful for my followers, friends and strangers that add value to the diabetic online community and help us all out.</p>
<p>I first started on twitter with the id (<a href="http://twitter.com/dsainsights" target="_blank">@dsainsights</a>) that was mainly for my data analysis and visualization business and followers.&nbsp;&nbsp; When I started Blogging Diabetes, there wasn&#8217;t a good way to manage multiple twitter accounts.&nbsp; So I posted about everything under my original twitter id.&nbsp; Now some tools make it easier to post and read tweets from multiple accounts.</p>
<p>I have started using a twitter id I setup in the beginning, which is <a href="http://twitter.com/blogdiabetes" target="_blank">@blogdiabetes</a> for the bulk of my tweets and all of those related to diabetes.&nbsp; This gives followers the option of &#8220;listening&#8221; to my data analysis tweets, diabetes tweets or both.&nbsp; This flexibility can only really be a plus for my followers.&nbsp; Finally, I expect there to be more openness on this new id because I know the audience is narrowly focused.&nbsp; If you don&#8217;t know what twitter is, check it out.&nbsp; If you followed me under my @dsainsights id, can you please transition to the new one @blogdiabetes.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your support and listening!</p>
<p>Tony</p>
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		<title>Infusion Set Mystery Disk</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/11/infusion-set-mystery-disk/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/11/infusion-set-mystery-disk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:25:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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For those readers that are newer to Blogging Diabetes, I will say that I&#8217;ve been on an insulin pump for about 4 years now.&#160; The entire time I have been using a Medtronic MiniMed 715 pump.&#160; In each infusion set package from Medtronic, there is a small round disk that clips on to the infusion [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>For those readers that are newer to Blogging Diabetes, I will say that I&#8217;ve been on an insulin pump for about 4 years now.&#160; The entire time I have been using a Medtronic MiniMed 715 pump.&#160; In each infusion set package from Medtronic, there is a small round disk that clips on to the infusion site in place of the one connected to the tubing that is connected to the pump.&#160; </p>
<p>When I was given a pump, no one ever explained anything in detail to me.&#160; It was basically, insert the infusion set and prime it.&#160; There was never any information about the mysterious disk or any <a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/02/what-the-doctor-wont-tell-you-part-2-gushers/" target="_blank"><strong>complications</strong></a> to watch out for.&#160; I guess it could be used when going to the beach to keep sand out, but I really don&#8217;t know for sure.&#160; I even opened a new box of infusion sets to look at the directions to see if there was any information.&#160; None.&#160; Below you can see what the disk looks like.</p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Infusion-Set-Disk.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="221" alt="Infusion Set Disk" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Infusion-Set-Disk_thumb.jpg" width="329" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s run some rough numbers together:</p>
<p>Remember, I change my site religiously every 3 days and have never once gone to 4 days.&#160; Sometimes I have had to change early, but let&#8217;s not take those occurrences into account for this example.</p>
<ul>
<li>4 years x 365 days = 1460 days on a pump </li>
<li>1460 days / 3 days per infusion set = 487 infusion sets </li>
<li>1 = the number of disks I have actually tried to use </li>
</ul>
<p>Seriously, I have only used one of these besides giving them to my cats, which makes for some good humor.&#160; Milk top rings and infusion set disks are the best cat toys that aren&#8217;t really cat toys.&#160; Not too long ago, <a href="http://sixuntilme.com" target="_blank"><strong>Kerri</strong></a> wrote a <a href="http://sixuntilme.com/blog2/2009/08/pink_is_the_new_quickset.html" target="_blank"><strong>post</strong></a> that mentioned some situations for using these disks, which were:</p>
<ul>
<li>Showering </li>
<li>In ocean </li>
<li>Intimate moments </li>
</ul>
<p>When I have been vacationing, I have never used the disk and haven&#8217;t ever had a problem with being in the pools or hot tubs.&#160; I have never worn the disk while in the shower.&#160; Finally, I have never, ever&#8230;&#8230;ever, put one of these disks on before or during an intimate moment(s).&#160; Maybe I&#8217;m missing out on a new trend, tip or secret that the doctors never told me about.&#160; Will that disk take things to a different &quot;level&quot;?&#160; I&#8217;m actually a little scared to think of the possibilities I&#8217;ve been missing out on.&#160; In all seriousness, the only reason I can think of to wear this in the bedroom is so the sheets or clothing doesn&#8217;t get stuck on it and rip the site out. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any solid information on the recommended or suggested use for the disks?</p>
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		<title>504 Plan for Children with Diabetes</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/10/diabetes-504-plan-for-children-in-school/</link>
		<comments>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/10/diabetes-504-plan-for-children-in-school/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:30:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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This is a guest post by Rachel Thursby, a mom of a son with diabetes and writer for a blog called What Life Has Become.&#160; Over the summer I heard Rachel talking about having to work on a stressful 504 plan for her son Tristan.&#160; I had to ask her what a 504 plan was [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>This is a guest post by <strong>Rachel Thursby</strong>, a mom of a son with diabetes and writer for a blog called <a href="http://life.irreverentblogs.com/" target="_blank"><strong>What Life Has Become</strong></a>.&nbsp; Over the summer I heard Rachel talking about having to work on a stressful 504 plan for her son Tristan.&nbsp; I had to ask her what a 504 plan was because I had never heard of one before.&nbsp; After learning more about it, I decided it would be a good topic to share with the Blogging Diabetes audience.&nbsp; I thank Rachel for the information, her story and how incredibly inspiring parents of children with diabetes are to me.&nbsp; Please read on to learn about a 504 plan.
<p align="center"><strong>* * * * *</strong>
<p>The beginning of a new school year is always exciting for both children and parents. New teacher, new friends and back to a routine. For me, the beginning of a school year is always very stressful.
<p>Every year, I have to prepare a 504 plan for Tristan. Students with a disability have a 504 plan to ensure that they have access to the same education as their peers. It also protects the student with a disability against discrimination according to the Americans with Disability Act.
<p>Writing Tristan’s 504 plan is always very emotional for me. Until Tony asked me to write this post, I never really thought about why it made me so emotional.
<p>However, since Tony asked me, I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot. Here is how I can best explain it.
<p>When I write Tristan’s 504, I feel like I’m writing a map to keeping my son alive. Imagine writing down directions instructing people on how your child should breathe. Pretty silly right? I know that it’s a crazy analogy. We all need to breathe to stay alive. My son’s diabetes needs to be managed in order for him to live.
<p>As parents, we don’t want to think about bad things happening to our children. We know it’s a possibility but we try not to think about it.
<p>Every August, I sit down in front of my computer and I imagine all the bad things that could happen to my son in relation to his diabetes. I have to think of the worst case scenario in order to clearly list what needs to be done in each situation. For me, thinking about it always brings vivid images. In my head, I can clearly see Tristan lying on the floor passed out. It’s not pleasant. It’s not pleasant at all!
<p>I have to put in black and white that he will not be excluded from any activities based on his medical conditional (mental image: Tristan sitting in a corner by himself crying because he’s not allowed to participate). I have to write down that he will be allowed access to water and the bathroom whenever he needs it (it’s pretty sad that for his protection I actually have to put this down on paper).
<p>I need to make sure that he is treated fairly. He cannot be disciplined unless we know what his blood sugar number is. How unfair would it be to discipline him when he’s at 40! Not only that, how dangerous would it be? For his future, I need to make sure that he doesn’t take any “formal” tests if his blood sugar is out of whack. All of that has to be in writing. All of it, every little detail.
<p>I don’t like to think of my son as having a disability. He’s just a little boy. A normal little boy who happens to have type 1 diabetes. But according to the law, he has a disability. It’s now my responsibility to ensure that he is treated the same as everybody else and given to same opportunity to have a bright future.
<p>I’m not looking for sympathy. I don’t want it. I do however want people to understand that there is a lot more to diabetes then meets the eyes. It’s not only a physical conditional. It messes with your mind and your emotions. As much for the child as it does for the parents.
<p>I hate doing Tristan’s 504 plan. I wish that I didn’t have to do it. I am my child’s advocate. I need to protect him until he’s old enough to protect himself. Therefore, through my tears and my fears, every August, I will write his 504 plan without fail.
<p>For more information from the American Diabetes Association:
<p><strong>504 plan</strong> information, click <strong>here</strong>.
<p><strong>Sample</strong> 504 plan, click <a href="http://www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/ad-504-adanasndredf-2007.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.
<p><strong>Sample</strong> Diabetes Medical Management Plan, click <a href="http://www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/ad-504-adanasndredf-2007.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.
<p align="center"><strong>* * * * *</strong>
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		<title>Making Halloween Fun for Children with Diabetes</title>
		<link>http://bloggingdiabetes.com/2009/10/making-halloween-fun-for-children-with-diabetes/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:21:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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This is a guest post by Marc Wolf a registered pharmacist and CEO of Diabetic Care Services.&#160; The tips below are to help parents of children with diabetes shift the focus off of Halloween candy so the kids can have more fun.&#160; Thank you Marc for your tips! 
* * * * *
Today, candy is [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>This is a guest post by Marc Wolf a registered pharmacist and CEO of <a href="http://www.diabeticcareservices.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Diabetic Care Services</strong></a>.&nbsp; The tips below are to help parents of children with diabetes shift the focus off of Halloween candy so the kids can have more fun.&nbsp; Thank you Marc for your tips! </p>
<p align="center"><strong>* * * * *</strong></p>
<p>Today, candy is the central focus of the spookiest holiday of the year.&nbsp; In fact, the average American consumes 24 pounds of candy in a year, most of which is eaten right after Halloween according to the U.S. Census Bureau.&nbsp;&nbsp; But for children with diabetes, it can be difficult to enjoy the festivities when all their fellow goblins are in a frenzy to get their hands on mounds of sweet treats.&nbsp; Some tips for Halloween are:<br /> 
<ul>
<li>Explain to your child ahead of time that they should not snack on candy until you are home from trick-or-treating. (Parents, that goes for you too!)
<li>Lots of walking can affect blood glucose levels, so pack a healthy snack that you can rely on to battle lows.&nbsp; This way, you avoid the temptation of dipping into the treat bag for a quick solution if your child’s blood sugar levels begin to drop.
<li>Choosing which type of candy to pass out is important because there is a good chance you will have leftovers.&nbsp; If you select the correct type of candy, you can use leftovers to treat lows throughout the year.&nbsp; According to the American Diabetes Association, chocolate and other higher-fat treats do not work well for treating lows.&nbsp; Therefore, if you anticipate leftovers, choose hard candy, gumdrops or lollipops to pass out at Halloween so you can use the leftovers to treat lows.
<li>Do not feel you have to deprive your child of <i>all </i>Halloween candy.&nbsp; Instead, allow them to choose a fun size, smaller version of their favorite candy.&nbsp; Just remember to adjust their meal plan based on the number of carbohydrates in the sweet treat. Visit the JDRF web site, or click <a href="http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=106002" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>, for a list of common Halloween candy carbohydrate values.
<li>After trick-or-treat hours are over, sit down with your child and help them choose a few of their favorite pieces of candy they can enjoy throughout the week.&nbsp; To help your child part with the leftover candy, allow them to exchange it for money, a toy or some other special treat (a special dinner, trip to the movies, etc).&nbsp;&nbsp;
<li>If you do not want to waste the extra candy by throwing it away, go with your child to donate the leftovers to a hospital or senior center. Not only will your child learn healthy habits, they will receive a lesson in sharing.
<li>Take the focus off Halloween candy by encouraging your child to create an exciting Halloween costume.&nbsp; You can even involve the entire family by designating a day to work on homemade costumes.
<li>Halloween costumes often require plenty of face paint, body paint and colored hair spray.&nbsp; When the festivities are over, ensure you give proper attention to skin and scalp cleansing and care.&nbsp; Products like Diabeti-X Hair and Scalp Therapy Shampoo and Dermal Therapy Body Lotion by Bayer, available<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.diabeticcareservices.com/" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>, can help to safely scrub dye out of hair and moisturize skin after removing dehydrating costume makeup.
<li>No matter what the costume, ensure your child wears comfortable, closed toe shoes and invest in special diabetic socks that will keep feet clean and dry. Whether trick-or-treating or at a costume party, it is important to protect feet from potential cuts and scrapes and prevent blisters and soreness.
<li>Offer to host the Halloween party this year.&nbsp; You will be able to ensure your child and all the guests, enjoy healthy Halloween treats rather than experience sugar shock.&nbsp; Use food coloring to turn your favorite dip or sugar-free whipped topping orange, and pair with fruit and cheese or vegetables for a festive tray.&nbsp; For dessert, dish out sugar-free chocolate pudding in individual cups and garnish with sugar-free whipped topping and sugar-free candy worms for a creepy surprise. </li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><strong>* * * * *</strong></p>
<p>Here are some <a href="http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&amp;page_id=BE230D09-1279-CFD5-A781BCE9D66E6061" target="_blank"><strong>Tips</strong></a> from the JDRF for a fun Halloween.</p>
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		<title>What Every Diabetic Should Know About Hot Tubs</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:45:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony</dc:creator>
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I was recently on vacation at a resort that had a few hot tubs for guests to use.&#160; While walking my daughter in her stroller around and around to help her take a nap, I noticed a big warning sign above each spa that said people with diabetes should consult a physician before using a [...]<p>.....................................................................
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<p>I was recently on vacation at a resort that had a few hot tubs for guests to use.&nbsp; While walking my daughter in her stroller around and around to help her take a nap, I noticed a big warning sign above each spa that said people with diabetes should consult a physician before using a hot tub.&nbsp; There were many other warnings, but this particular one stuck out for obvious reasons.&nbsp; I have seen these signs before, but they just had a generic warning about people with &#8220;health issues&#8221; and not specifically diabetes.&nbsp; I&#8217;ve used hot tubs on occasion and have had diabetes for some time now and never had an issue.&nbsp; I wondered what the warning could be referring to that&#8217;s dangerous for diabetics.&nbsp; I had a few guesses, but didn&#8217;t know for sure.</p>
<p><strong>Why do you think it may be dangerous for a diabetic to be in a hot tub?</strong></p>
<p>After doing a little reading online, I quickly learned that there have been some studies that suggest type 2 diabetics may benefit from hot tub therapy.&nbsp; I also learned that there have been deaths linked to diabetics in hot tubs.&nbsp; When I read the sign, the first thing that came to mind was that the resort was just trying to C.Y.A. against a potential lawsuit.&nbsp; Some of the potential benefits of hot tub therapy that I read were; reduction in blood sugars, weight loss and improved sleep patterns. [<a href="http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/05/22/1681/hot-tub-therapy-for-people-with-diabetes/" target="_blank">source</a>]</p>
<p>When using a hot tub in the past, I would wonder how the very hot water and gyrations could impact the effectiveness of my infusion set.&nbsp; Would the stickiness last as long after a few rounds in a hot tub?&nbsp; Would the hot water impact the absorption of insulin after getting out?&nbsp; Could I be more susceptible to an infection because of the hot water and irritation around the infusion site?&nbsp; Obviously, I would never enter a hot tub with my insulin pump still attached.&nbsp; But these may be real concerns that other could have.&nbsp; I have never had an issue with these questions posed above &#8211; never did mine lose stickiness, get infected or did I notice an absorption issue.&nbsp; </p>
<p><a href="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/hot-tub-toes.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="250" alt="hot tub toes" src="http://bloggingdiabetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/hot-tub-toes_thumb.jpg" width="375" border="0"></a> </p>
<p>[not my toes - I prefer sparkly blue]</p>
<p>The dangers of using a hot tub as a diabetic are really two-fold.&nbsp; The two main issues you could have are:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Nerve damage</strong> (diabetic neuropathy) in hands and feet could affect one&#8217;s ability to tell if the water is too hot leading to burns.&nbsp; I guess one way to overcome this is to test like you would a baby&#8217;s bottle and use your forearm.&nbsp; This may be a little difficult to do in reality.&nbsp; I wonder if this has really happened or if it&#8217;s just urban legend.&nbsp; I did read that toddlers and infants can get burned by the temperature, but I would suspect that it&#8217;s rare an adult would get burned.
<li><strong>Passing out</strong> due to a low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) could be very dangerous.&nbsp; My thought here is that passing out from a low blood sugar is pretty freakin&#8217; dangerous regardless of where you are.&nbsp; Why let diabetics in a pool then?&nbsp; What about driving a 2-ton motor vehicle? Operating machinery? The list could go on and on.</li>
</ol>
<p>I won&#8217;t say that you can be all cavalier and do whatever you want, but I will say to use some simple common sense.&nbsp; Test out the water temperature first before going in and try to no go alone.&nbsp; I mean really, who whips out their cell phone, calls a doctor, gets her on the line and checks first?&nbsp; No one.</p>
<p><strong>Does anyone know of other dangers as a diabetic using a hot tub?</strong></p>
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