I Love Math!!!

I know; I'm a weird strange person like that, but it's true.  It's the same all over, never changes, constant, consistent:  A + B will always equal C.  The strange thing is that I never used to like math, until I got to high school and had that one teacher who changed my view and had a profound influence on my life.  And what she said is true, you will use math, to some degree, in your daily lives past high school.  Case in point = D-Math...

While out this afternoon on my lunch hour; I was walking through the Easter candy isle at the store and thought I would get a little something for Mike.  I saw the chocolate bunnies, in many varieties, including sugar free.  So, I picked up 2 bunnies; one regular and one sugar free.  Yay math in everyday life!!  1 + 1 = 2...  Sorry - back to the blog purpose...

The sugar free bunny is 2.5oz which equals 1 serving at 40grams of Carbs per serving.  The regular bunny is 3 oz which equals 2 servings at 25 grams of Carbs per serving (or 50 grams of Carbs for the whole bunny).  Now comes the fun part...  The mathematical breakdown...  Can you feel the drama?!?!



For each ounce of chocolate:  the sugar free bunny has 16 grams of Carbs per ounce and the regular bunny has 16.6666 grams of Carbs per ounce.  And what does this mean???  They are the same!!!!!  Or almost, with a .6666 difference.

Thought that was kinda interesting. 

This Type 1 Diabetic Wife loves D-Math.

Strange Places

   So, in my latest adventure of being a T1 wife (makes me sound like I'm a version of the Terminator or something...  anyway); I went to the dermatologist yesterday.  Now, I'm not one to go see her on a regular basis; the last time being about a year ago, give or take a month.  Nothing is wrong and my reasons are more vanity than medical necessity.  I've seen the physician's assistant once before this visit and I really like her.  Especially this time, being that we're both female and she's able to understand my vanity a bit more than a male can (Sorry boys - somethings you just don't get :( )
   I explained my reasons for the days visit; one being some scars on my arm & wrist.  I had received some "battle wounds" from Mike's alter ego "Michelangelo" during a bad low in January.  Long story short:  infection + 2 rounds of antibiotics = finally healed with scarring. 
  Being the inquiring mind, of course she asked how the scars came to be.  I explained that Mike is a T1, had a low, not a normal/regular thing...  DON'T CALL ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES!! 
  She looked at me as she's examining my arm with compassion (a bit more than the usual doctor's compassion; something that I didn't understand until later on in the appointment.) 
  We went on with the rest of the appointment and as she continued her exam; she said "So, your husband is a Type 1?" 
  "Yeah," I said.
  "Me too," she said
  "I've heard there are more out there, I've just never met one before - didn't think they existed!" I said, smiling and joking around.
  "I know" she said with the same smile, "there doesn't seem to be too many of us out there."
  We went on to talk about insulin pumps, how long each has had it for (both since childhood - in case you're wondering), and the understanding of lows. 
  The appointment ended without a hitch, I got what I needed and left to head off to work. 
  My adventures as a Type 1 wife may seem boring, especially to me, but this Type 1 wife loves that other Type 1 show up in the strangest places.

Silly Me!!!

Hey all!!!  Just a super quick blog to say thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes!!  And also that I'm a bit of a dork because I have no clue how blogger works (figuring it out is a work in process) and apparently my comment settings were set that I had to approve them before posting... Something I DIDNOT know and have now fixed... So your comments are now viewable!!!  YAY!!!!  WOOHOO!!!!!!

Diabetes Art Day: Cake for a Cure

So, today is the first-ever Diabetes Art Day. Thought up by Lee Ann Thill over at The Butter Compartment. In honor of the day, on Monday (my day off from work!) I baked a cake. Actually, it was a duel purpose because Tuesday was my BIRTHDAY! (31st, to be exact!).

This is a banana frosting cake, with homemade frosting. (BTW - No carbs to worry about because it's birthday cake).  We all want a cure, so that was the theme for my cake - to the tune of Journey and their hit song, Don't Stop Believin'. Great song, not only because it is but also because it was most recently on GLEE!!

So, here's my cake, with some theme music from GLEE!

We enjoyed a piece each later the night of my birthday on Tuesday, but only after going out to dinner at our local brewpub The Oaken Barrel and then going out for a birthday SURPRISE!

The only clue Mike gave me at dinner was that "this time this surprise means the most!"

We went to Baskin Robbins, 31 Flavors! - - -> Meaning: I had my 31st Birthday, on August 31, and got 31 Flavors at the ice cream shop on U.S. 31!

Had the BEST Chocolate & PeanutButter Icecream in a Waffle Cone...  It was AWEsome!!!!!

- - - - >"For 31 on 31, got 31 from 31 on 31."

Then, we came home and enjoyed the Cake for a Cure! What a great day!

So, not only was it a Happy Birthday To Me, but it's now Happy Diabetes Art Day!

Shot in the Arm

On the Easter weekend, Mike asked for my help in giving himself an insulin shot.

I'd never done this before. So of course, you know it's going to be adventure.

We've been married since September 2005 and together since early 2000, and for nearly all of that time he's been on an insulin pump. Through the years, I've occasionally helped him put in an infusion site by squeezing a spot on his arm, near-back, or other hard to reach places. But since he hasn't been injecting since the early days of our dating life, I hadn't ever done that. Recently, he took a break from insulin pumping for the first time in nine years in order to let his body heal some. He's been doing Multiple Daily Injections since March 26, taking a Lantus Pen dose each night and Humalog injections throughout the day as needed for food and correction boluses.

Needing to use a new spot on the backside of his arm, he summoned me to assist. But instead of just squeezing, he wanted me to actually inject the 1/2 cc needle. A quick how-to and we were set.

Put it into the pinched backside of flesh, about on the halfway point of his left arm. Pushed the plunger down. He didn't flinch or say anything and indicated everything seemed fine.

Pulled it out, turning the needle slightly as I've seen him do when pulling a needle out on his own.

That's when he flinched. And made a comment. And the blood started flowing.

Not much blood, but enough to notice and find something to wipe it up and hold to the arm for a few moments.

It must have knicked a muscle or vein inside, he said, noting that it didn't hurt at first.

I hung my head low in shame, feeling as though I'd failed miserably on my debut insulin injection.

He reassured me that it was fine, not my fault, but the facts can't be ignored.

I stabbed my husband with a sharp needle, made him bleed, and caused a bruise.

I'm done with giving insulin shots. Instead, I'll go back to pinching the skin and letting him do the shot so that whatever damage happens is on his hands.