A Week Ago Today

I figured if I was going to title a blog about change since last week this is the best title. However, this is not the best title. You will see why as my mind decompresses not depresses over a weeks plus worth of thoughts, emotions, experiences, feelings, noises, messes, and so on. How can I in one simple blog post outline one of the greatest if not GREATEST experiences I have ever encountered in my life since being diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes oh so many years ago. I have always guestimated it was January of 1995 but I could be so wrong on this that I will one day actually have to come up with a real DOD, date of diagnosis.
That being said, I will stand by my previous comment about this being the GREATEST thing ever. I can blog about this for hours, in looking at "ze Bloggers" that have already started or tried to do this, there is a major issue. So much information overload, that who knows what the heck or where the heck to start first. Well, I guess the easiest place should be to mention where I was. I attended the "Children with Diabetes: Friends for Life Conference" in Orlando, Florida last week. Yes, I know children seems odd for a 20 something year old to be going to. However the program has developed for more than just children. It not also has a smaller but just as good adult track, which is what I attended. So I got to do something great and now talk about it. Anyway, back to my comment of where to start? For me that is simple. I met some awesome people. For the first time in many many years I have had an opportunity to hang out and chat with multiple type-1's and type-3's. Which was great. I have never had an opportunity like this. Online is fun don't get me wrong, but meeting, greeting, harassing in the case of Kerri (Carie), it is a completely different experience all together.
So that is what I can tell you so far. I am still working on things. But back to the title "A Week Ago Today" I learned so many amazing things and entered a "new" world for me. And so here is what I have learned to date, but again there is so much more to this.
A week ago today:

...I learned that I was one among many awesome adults with type-1 diabetes.

... I learned that there is such a thing as a Diabetes Alert Dog and how awesome they are, even when they are sleeping and making hilarious noises. (Hi Becca)

... I learned how awesome "ze bloggers" I met were and how glad I am to now call them friends.
... I learned what I can do and how not to worry when my machines, pancreas, and everything about me goes nutso. I am not alone in this.
... I learned that no matter what and despite diabetes, "You can do this!". (Time for me to take a swig of diet coke)
... Diet Coke is not as much fun unless you can put it into a mug and chug, chug, chug.
... I learned that when one is giving a talk about swimming in a Triathalon, the best way to emmulate swimming is to look as if you are doing weird ass jazz hands in front of a large crowd of people. Don't even get me started on how one runs a marathon.

A week ago today, I made so many new friends I don't know where to begin, end, or start. Yet I know now, how great these people are. How much inspiration they are to me. How good it is to not be alone. I also learned why we all need to make time to go beyond our comfort zone and branch out. Otherwise, I would have spent last week sitting in Jersey making crazy jokes and having no new friends to laugh at them.

Guilty as charged

So I am going to honestly admit that I haven't even thought about what to post or say post Friends For Life 2011. I came home Sunday completely exhausted and went and played ultimate frisbee which was awesome. I followed that by crashing and sleeping in my bed to dive right into life in the real world. I have concluded that it is just not as much fun. Visits to hospital today. E-mail. People to call. All just waiting for me. It was good but yeah.
I managed to actually download pictures from then trip and began to sort them and upload all of them. But that is it. I had more work stuff to do and am currently in my bed already for bed, all the while reaching twitter and just missing all the fun I had. It is amazing how much this trip made me think about tongs and stuff I have been ignoring and just meeting the awesomest group of people. Kim and Jess. Carrie and Caleb. Scott and Scott. Courtney and Jacquie. And so many others. Awesome. More to follow another day. I am off tomorrow so most likely Wednesday. Woot.

Anticipation

So I am chilling at gate C71 at the airport waiting for my flight to Orlando. I have so much time because I worry when I travel and want to make sure there are no security issues and all. For me it is how to get through security without my cgm setting things off. Today was a fail once again. Sigh.
I am used to it though. I mean I could forgo the cgm for the day but why waste my money on the cgm taking out early? The people who go through security are always nice. Apologetic even.
The guy I had today asked if I had done this before and if I knew what was to expect? I said ya and it took 5 minutes tops to go through it all. We chatted weather, travel, and apparently a pump he ran into last week that he claims was in the guys leg.  He said it was below the skin so I was not sure what he was talking about but all is good.
I can chill, get more iced coffee since it will be the last Dunkin for a bit unless I wander off site. I am so psyched to meet some of these people that until now have just been blogs or Facebook friends. Can't wait to see y'all (yes I say y'all and I am from the north. No clue where that comes from.) Oh, and of course the conference and Mickey too!!!

Another Friday, another song, but so not finished

I have no idea where today went. All week, I had plans of this awesome set of song lyrics in my head. I listened to the song, made mental notes (forgot mental notes), and well yeah. This morning started great. But I got busy fast. I had Communion calls to make, things to do, checkbooks to balance before Monday (somehow my one checking account was all out of sorts and it took me an hour to figure out that I entered two receipts in twice on different dates, it took forever so my day vanished fast.) Anyway, I worked on the song I was supposed to be but at 8:00 at night not in the morning. So it needs some big work.
Anyway, I wrote this parody of Poker Face, I am calling it poke your hand, as in when I was little and my parents kept asking what my sugar was when I was moody or actually low.

Poke Your Hand

I want to know what your blood sugar is right not,

know it cause your mood makes me think it is low.

I want to know it.

Look at the screen and tell it to me please.

And after you have done it, you can go back to your game.

Ouch, owww, ow, oww.

Ouch, owww, ow, oww

It really hurts, it really really does.

Poke your hand, poke your hand, your sugar, what is it now?

Poke your hand, poke your hand, what is your sugar now?

My sugar is… my sugar is… my sugar is… I’m not telling you. 

Anywho, this is all I got. I am going to veg. now and enjoy the Subway Series.