My Late "Not in a book."

Scott tagged me. Even though it's very late... here is the meme!

Meme:
Five Most Important Pieces of Advice ... You Won't Find in a Book!

Rules:
Post five of the most helpful pieces of diabetes management advice on your blog.

Link to this Wikibetes entry where we will be tallying up all of the great advice. You are welcome to add your advice directly.



Here is what I've learned about diabetes after living with it for the last 32 years.

1. A number is just a number.
It isn't good, it isn't bad. It's just a number that gives information.
This is something that I continue to work on every day. I used to really feel horrible when I would test and see a number that I wasn't expecting, or didn't want. Now, most of the time I look at the number on the meter and talk out loud to myself. "That's just information."

2. Keep trying.
With diabetes, there are good days/moments and bad days/moments. What's really important is to get up each day and keep trying.

3. Be ready and open to learn about diabetes management
When I was in college, I used to believe that I could just coast with diabetes, and didn't need help from doctors, etc because I knew everything. Fortunately, as I matured, I figured out the value of information from others. (doctors, other people with diabetes, etc.) There is always something to learn. It might not be earth shattering (like finding out you could use a baby sock to put your pump inside), but it's important.

4. Be forgiving. Of yourself and others.
It doesn't help to beat yourself up because you "screwed up" with your diabetes management. Same is true from friends and loved ones who offer help.

5. Connect with other people who have diabetes
This is probably the most important thing that I learned. It is important to be connected to people who "walk in your shoes." It's comforting to be able to talk about daily life with diabetes, and not have to explain all the vocabulary. It helps to learn from each other.

Dixie raises her voice! (and her paw)

It's the day to raise our voices about Type 1 diabetes!
I'm talking with friends today about the differences between Type 1 and Type 2.

Molly needs....

I saw this meme on Penny's site and it made me laugh, so I thought that I would give it a try too. (I googled Molly+needs and these are the lines that came up) Good timing really. I've been wanting to post, but have been SO BUSY with the move.

Molly needs medical care
Well of course she does. She has dam diabetes. Which has been settling down the last couple of days after battling many lows the last two weeks.

Molly needs a new pair of shoes
O.k. I probably do. Or I need to start gambling so that I can shout out “Molly needs a new pair of shoes!!”

Molly needs a home
Actually I have a new home! The moving process is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I feel like I will be living out of boxes and looking for things for the rest of my life. This really should say "Molly needs to get off her computer and unpack some boxes in her new home."

Molly needs a title
How about “Your highness” or maybe “She who must be obeyed”

Molly needs a special surgery called a bulla osteotomy
Oooo! That sounds scary! I hate medical procedures, and this sure doesn’t sound like a fun one. I’m thinking that if I really “needed” this special surgery, I would have some symptoms. Thankfully, I don’t. (except diabetes, which I don’t believe requires a bulla osteotomy…)

Molly needs our prayers
Who doesn’t, really? I need you to pray that I unpack the boxes in time to find shorts to wear for the summer. Otherwise, I’m going to look pretty silly laying by the pool with my fleece pants on.

Molly NEEDS our prayers
I guess I need a LOT of prayers in order to find those shorts!

Molly needs a slogan for 3rd grade student council race
The third grade class in my school has some neat kids. I don't think that I have a chance at winning. My slogans would surely be something like, “Vote for Molly. She is really old for a third grader!” Or “Vote Molly. Any third grader with that much gray hair probably knows a few things.”

Molly needs a puppy sitter
I’m just guessing here… but I bet if I really did need a Dixie sitter, there would be at least ONE person from the diabetes OC that would enjoy spending some time with my big, black dog!

Molly needs a haircut
I just got one, but it looks horrible. So this really should say, “Molly needs to wear a hat until her hair grows back.”

Molly needs to go here for a slang update
This was probably a suggestion from one of my students. I'm just not sure where "here" is located. (or is that slang for something) If you know, tell me.

Molly needs to diplomatically approach her principal and share her concerns
I guess that says it all. Unfortunately, I’m not always much of a diplomat. But I do have concerns.

Dixie Tidbit

Dixie needs more time in her new backyard and less time at boring old school!
Dixie LOVES her new backyard. When we get home from school, she bounds around the backyard for a good 1/2 hour. She loves country living.

Dixie needs a homeopathic tick prevention product that works
Man, the ticks are already out in full force here in the midwest. I've pulled many off of Dixie, including two deer ticks. (those are the little buggers that transmit Lyme's disease.) Dixie is going to the vet this weekend to get her Lyme's shot. Two years ago I treated Dixie with Frontline, and she got really sick from it. I'm mostly opposed to putting those chemicals on her anyway. She is currently wearing a flea/tick collar, because I don't think that they're quite as toxic... but it's going to be a long summer pulling ticks. Ugh.

Dixie needs a belly rub
She loves a good belly rub. Always.